Waterways Council warns of hardship from McAlpine Lock shutdown

Waterways Council warns of hardship from McAlpine Lock shutdown    The Waterways Council warned of severe economic impacts on shippers resulting from the emergency closure of the McApline Lock on the Ohio River.
   The lock, located near Louisville, Ky., will close for about 14 days for repairs, starting Aug. 9.
   “This closure is of great concern to many users of the waterways system because, unlike most navigation locks on the system, there is no auxiliary lock available at McApline and the river will be closed to all navigation at this location for the duration of repairs,” the Washington-based council said.
   The council added the closure will affect numerous commodities transported on the Ohio River, such as coal, petrochemicals, aggregates, metallic ores, scrap metal, iron and steel products, ferro-alloys, minerals, grain and fertilizer.
   “This critical situation is the result of a drawn out construction period for a second lock at McAlpine, where federal funding has been insufficient for its on-time completion,” the council said. “Originally authorized in the early 1990s, this second lock, if completed as scheduled, would have opened by now, and the current crisis would have been averted.”
   The council surveyed 74 companies about the emergency closure of McAlpine Lock. Highlights of the survey are:
   * Seven of the 74 companies will suffer “severe effects,” such as production cutbacks and disruptions in the amount of 165,000 tons, during the closure.
   * 17 companies will suffer a “heavy effect,” with 800,000 tons of traffic affected during the two-week period.
   * 22 companies will feel “moderate effects,” with their anticipated 900,000 tons of cargo moving during that period.
   * Total amount of cargo affected by the two-week closure include 1,250 loaded barges, 550 empty barges, and 190 towboats passages, which equates to 80,000 truckloads.
   Carriers, shippers and port authorities that use the nation’s inland waterways move more than $31 billion in cargo annually. “The impact of the McAlpine Lock closure will be felt on a national basis,” said R. Barry Palmer, president and chief executive officer of the Waterways Council.