Coal decline impacts Great Lake carriers

   Shipments of coal on the Great Lakes totaled 2.7 million tons in July, a slight increase – 63,000 tons – compared to June, but a drop of 12.4 percent compared to a year ago, according to the Lake Carriers’ Association.  
   Loadings fell 30.5 percent more when compared to the month’s five-year average, the association said.  
   Only one port range – Lake Michigan – registered an increase over last year at 37.7 percent. Loadings at Lake Superior docks fell 13.3 percent and shipments from Lake Erie terminals were down more than 28 percent.
   Year-to-date the Great Lakes coal trade stands at 11.6 million tons, a decrease of 8.7 percent compared to a year ago. However, loadings are more than 28 percent behind their five-year average for the January-July timeframe.
   The decline in coal volumes underscores the fundamental shift underway in the U.S. energy market that is also heavily impacting railroads as utilities increasingly turn to cheaper, cleaner, abundant natural gas. 
   (Read about limestone and iron ore volumes on the Great Lakes here.) – Eric Kulisch