Congressman Stupak calls for commissioning of 2nd ice breaker on Great Lakes
July 19, 08 by TheFleetIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Source: Congressman Bart Stupak
U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) presented testimony on Wednesday to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation regarding the need to increase ice-cutting capacity on the northern Great Lakes.
Stupak urged the committee members to enforce congressional intent by requiring the Coast Guard to replace the decommissioned Coast Guard Cutter Acacia in Charlevoix. “It is important that a new Coast Guard cutter or similar asset be stationed in Charlevoix to replace the Acacia and continue the Coast Guard’s long-standing presence in the northern Great Lakes,” Stupak said. “While the Mackinaw is now stationed in Cheboygan, ice breaking capacity in the northern Great Lakes has been reduced from two cutters to one, threatening the Coast Guard’s ability to meet its operational responsibilities on the Great Lakes. The Coast Guard fleet is down one hull, but the scope of its icebreaking mission is still the same.”
The Acacia was decommissioned on June 7, 2006, after more than 60 years of service. The Acacia provided essential navigational and search and rescue services in the northern Great Lakes, tended to nearly 200 buoys and lighthouses, and kept channels open by breaking ice.
Stupak, who was scheduled to testify in person before the committee, submitted his written testimony instead.
Stupak was pulled into a strategy meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to discuss pending legislation on energy speculation, which Stupak is playing a leading role in crafting.
The committee heard from additional witnesses who spoke on the Coast Guard’s icebreaking mission on the Great Lakes and other regions.
Stupak noted the frustration he has faced in working to replace the Acacia.
He included language in the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2006 that would, in effect, require the Acacia to be replaced.
Efforts to force the Coast Guard to do so have been ignored.
“I have written the Coast Guard multiple times requesting that they follow congressional intent,” Stupak said. “Unfortunately, the commandant of the Coast Guard continues to insist that the Coast Guard will not follow the law Congress wrote, leaving northern Michigan without a replacement for the Acacia.”
Stupak continues to work with Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.) to replace the Acacia.
