Lake carriers call for new lock, dredging

Lake carriers call for new lock, dredging The Lake Carriers Association is calling for additional spending on maintenance and new infrastructure on the Great Lakes, bolstering its case with a new report prepared for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by the Tennessee Valley Authority.
   The Lake Carriers said the study shows shipping on the Great Lakes saves its customers more than $3.6 billion a year when compared to the next least costly mode of transportation.
   Movement of 11 commodities on the Great Lakes totaled 173 million tons in 2006 and represent 10 percent of all U.S. domestic waterborne commerce, the association said.
   “What makes these savings even more important is the geographic location of the Great Lakes. They are in the core of North America’s industrial and manufacturing heartland,' the association said. 'The prosperity of several key sectors of the U.S. economy depends on Great Lakes shipping. Among these sectors are iron mining and steel production, power generation, and agricultural exports.”
   The association said the Army Corps study addresses key infrastructure needs including restoring existing locks and building a new Poe-sized lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. The Corps has estimated that a 30-day unscheduled closure of the Soo Locks would cost industry $160 million. Without the Poe Lock, America’s steel industry would be cut off from its major source of iron ore, since it is the only lock capable of handling the largest ships on the lakes.
   Clearing the dredging backlog is also a major priority, the group said: “The backlog of sediment that must be removed to restore ports and waterways to their proper depth has reached an unprecedented level — 17 million cubic yards.
   “When harbors and channels shoal in, ships have to light load, which increases transportation costs because more trips are required. The Corps estimates it will need more than $200 million to clear the backlog of sediment.”

Weakley

   “This Corps study confirms that Great Lakes shipping is a lynch pin of the U.S. economy,” said James H.I. Weakley, president of Lake Carriers’ Association.
   “Great Lakes shipping is also the greenest form of transportation,” Weakley said. “We have, however, as a nation, neglected Great Lakes shipping. The dredging crisis is unconscionable. Imagine what the savings would be if ships could carry full loads. The second Poe-sized lock was first authorized more than 20 years ago, yet remains unbuilt. The hoped-for recovery of our economy will not be as robust if we do not invest in Great Lakes shipping.”
   Weakley told members of the House of Representatives’ Transportation & Infrastructure Committee on Jan. 22 that “no other project is better suited for inclusion in an economic stimulus package than construction of a second Poe-sized lock ' It will ensure the continued free flow of raw materials on the Great Lakes ' This single project has national security, job creation, and transportation efficiency aspects.”
   Weakley said the Coast Guard does not have the appropriate number and type of icebreakers on the Great Lakes to reliably and safely meet the reasonable demands of commerce.
   Lake Carriers’ Association represents 16 American corporations that operate 63 U.S.-flag vessels on the Great Lakes. ' Chris Dupin