Posted:
January 29, 2013
Bringing an end to the dredging crisis on the Great Lakes will again dominate the efforts of the Lake Carriers' Association in 2013, the association reported in a statement announcing the release of its 2012 Annual report, which is available online.
"The drought has pushed water levels on Lake Michigan and Huron to record lows," the LCA noted. "The water level in the St. Marys River also declined as 2012 wore on; by year's end, ships were loading to less than 26 feet. In 1997, the last period of high water, ships routinely locked through the Soo drafting 28 feet or more. That loss of draft cost some ships more than 10,000 tons of cargo on their final voyages of 2012.
"The Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund has a surplus of $7 billion because it typically spends only one of every two tax dollars it collects for dredging on dredging. It is estimated the 17 million cubic yards of sediment that clog the Great Lakes Navigation System could be removed for approximately $200 million, or just 2 percent of the HMTF surplus," the LCA reported.
While the dredging crisis is the LCA's top priority, it also remains focused on the establishment of uniform federal regulations governing ballast water, the association reported, citing the unwieldy patchwork of differing regulatory requirements on the Great Lakes. Other goals include moving forward with the second Poe-sized lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., and bolstering the U.S. Coast Guard's icebreaking resources.
The LCA remains firmly committed to the Jones Act and its requirement that cargo moving between U.S. ports be carried in vessels that are U.S.-crewed, U.S.-built and U.S.-owned.
The LCA represents 17 American companies that operate 57 U.S.-flagged vessels on the Great Lakes, carrying the raw materials that drive the nation's economy: iron ore and fluxstone for the steel industry, limestone and cement for the construction industry, coal for power generation, as well as salt, sand and grain. Collectively, these vessels can transport more than 115 million tons of cargo per year. Those cargoes generate and sustain more than 103,000 jobs in the U.S. and have an economic impact of more than $20 billion, the LCA reported.
Ending dredging crisis remains top priority for LCA in 2013
Bringing an end to the dredging crisis on the Great Lakes will again dominate the efforts of the Lake Carriers' Association in 2013, the association reported in a statement announcing the release of its 2012 Annual report, which is available online.
"The drought has pushed water levels on Lake Michigan and Huron to record lows," the LCA noted. "The water level in the St. Marys River also declined as 2012 wore on; by year's end, ships were loading to less than 26 feet. In 1997, the last period of high water, ships routinely locked through the Soo drafting 28 feet or more. That loss of draft cost some ships more than 10,000 tons of cargo on their final voyages of 2012.
"The Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund has a surplus of $7 billion because it typically spends only one of every two tax dollars it collects for dredging on dredging. It is estimated the 17 million cubic yards of sediment that clog the Great Lakes Navigation System could be removed for approximately $200 million, or just 2 percent of the HMTF surplus," the LCA reported.
While the dredging crisis is the LCA's top priority, it also remains focused on the establishment of uniform federal regulations governing ballast water, the association reported, citing the unwieldy patchwork of differing regulatory requirements on the Great Lakes. Other goals include moving forward with the second Poe-sized lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., and bolstering the U.S. Coast Guard's icebreaking resources.
The LCA remains firmly committed to the Jones Act and its requirement that cargo moving between U.S. ports be carried in vessels that are U.S.-crewed, U.S.-built and U.S.-owned.
The LCA represents 17 American companies that operate 57 U.S.-flagged vessels on the Great Lakes, carrying the raw materials that drive the nation's economy: iron ore and fluxstone for the steel industry, limestone and cement for the construction industry, coal for power generation, as well as salt, sand and grain. Collectively, these vessels can transport more than 115 million tons of cargo per year. Those cargoes generate and sustain more than 103,000 jobs in the U.S. and have an economic impact of more than $20 billion, the LCA reported.