MarAd: Floods won?t seriously hurt barge industry

MarAd: Floods wonÆt seriously hurt barge industry The U.S. Maritime Administration said closure along the Mississippi River north of the confluence with the Illinois River is expected to last only two weeks during a slow shipping season and, “therefore, no significant economic impact is foreseen for the region.”
   A report by prepared by MarAd's Office of Policy and Plans said that due to floodwaters, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is closing nine locks and dams on the upper Mississippi River.
   Lock 16 in Illinois City, Ill., was the first to close on June 12. The last to close will be Lock 25 in Winfield, Mo. MarAd said the closures will temporarily halt barge traffic on more than 200 miles of the upper Mississippi River.
   MarAd said the Corps of Engineers notified industry of the closures on June 8 and “industry representatives have reported that they have had plenty of warning to get their boats moved out of the closed portion of the river to avoid being trapped.”
   “The nine locks slated for closure lie north of where the Illinois River meets the Mississippi. Some local barge operators say that means they shouldn’t be hurt by the closure,” MarAd reported. “Barges generally carry grain from the upper Midwest down-river to New Orleans, where they are unloaded for export. Those barges would then be filled with cargo like coal, steel, concrete, etc., and sent up to Chicago and Minneapolis.”
   While “a lengthy closure could add millions of dollars to the costs of transporting grain and other commodities carried on the system and reduce the real incomes of farmers, other producers and consumers” the current closure is only expected to last a short time.
   For the full MarAd statement, go to www.marad.dot.gov/pdf/UMR%20Lock%20Closure%20and%20Economic%20June%2012%202008.pdf