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by Bob VandeVusse | Source: Holland Sentinel

[At the Straits of Mackinac,] we saw a parade of freighters and caught a glimpse of the Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw tied up at St. Ignace, preparing for winter buoy work.

We did get a report that the Calumet arrived in Holland with a load of stone for the Verplank dock Saturday morning, but if you live near Lake Mac, you already knew that. With foggy conditions on most of the lake, it sounded its horn for five seconds every minute. No sleeping in this weekend.

We will likely see the Calumet a couple of more times this week, as they were scheduled to return to Port Inland, on the northern shore of Lake Michigan, to bring another load of stone for Verplank’s. That will probably arrive on Monday. Then it will head to Chicago, to the KCBX trans-loading facility, to pick up a load of coal and return to the James De Young Power Plant. After that, we can probably count our season’s remaining loads on our fingers, maybe using only one hand.

Read Bob’s full report at the Holland Sentinel >>

By Amy Ryan | Source: Wausau Daily Herald

Dan Dillabough spent 14 years cooking on freighter ships on the Great Lakes, so when he opened his restaurant in the Cedar Creek Mall, he wanted it to reflect that experience.

Dillabough decorated The Galley Cafe, which opened Sept. 17, with charts of oceans and lakes and photographs he took while working on the ships.

The menu, however, is all land-based, with a selection of gourmet hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken sandwiches. Although many of the items are your typical sandwiches, some, such as the Hawaiian burger with grilled pineapple, are more exotic.

“Everybody loves burgers,” Dillabough said. “I wanted to offer a lot of different varieties and combinations you don’t see everywhere.”

The Galley Cafe is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays. Call 262-298-3118 for take-out orders or delivery.

Read more about the places Dan visited and his galley favorites at the Wausau Daily Herald >>

Source: RedOrbit

A new rule requiring all ships to flush their ballast tanks in the Atlantic Ocean before entering the Saint Lawrence Seaway should be enough to save the Great Lakes, an expert says.

Collister Johnson, administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation said the rule solves the issue of protecting the five lakes from invasive species carried by incoming ships.

“I just wonder sometimes if (environmental groups) appreciate that they’ve won the battle. And whether we ought to move on to other things like sewage runoff, and infrastructure, and other things that are problems for the Great Lakes,” Johnson said.

Read the full story at RedOrbit >>

Source: LCA

Cleveland - A malfunction of the Poe Lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, on September 24 has illustrated the pressing need for Congress to appropriate the funds to build another lock capable of handling the largest U.S.-Flag Great Lakes freighters.

Although the vessel delays totaled only about three hours, had the problem been more severe, cargo movement on the Lakes would have slowed to a trickle. U.S.-Flag Lakers whose length and/or beam restrict them to the Poe Lock represent 70 percent of U.S.-Flag carrying capacity.

“The Poe Lock that connects Lake Superior to the lower Great Lakes is the single point of failure that can cripple Great Lakes shipping,” said James H.I. Weakley, President of Lake Carriers’ Association. “In 2007, the Poe Lock handled nearly 65 million tons of cargo. Without that lock, America’s steel industry is cut off from its major source of iron ore. Without that lock, Great Lakes basin utilities are denied access to clean-burning low-sulfur coal. There just aren’t enough ships that are small enough to transit the MacArthur Lock to make up for loss of Poe-class vessels.” Read the rest of this entry »

Source: Great Lakes Environment

Sep 29: The U.S. Coast Guard announced in the Federal Register [73 FR 56492-56501] that it is amending its regulations to allow the discharge of bulk dry cargo residue (DCR) in limited areas of the Great Lakes by self-propelled vessels and by any barge that is part of an integrated tug and barge unit.

DCR is the residue of non-toxic and non-hazardous bulk dry cargo like limestone, iron ore, and coal.

The regulations also add new recordkeeping and reporting requirements and encourage carriers to adopt voluntary control measures for reducing discharges. Discharges are now prohibited in certain protected and sensitive areas where, previously, they were allowed.

The Coast Guard also requests public comments on the need for and feasibility of additional conditions that might be imposed on discharges in the future, such as mandatory use of control measures, or further adjustments to the areas where discharges are allowed or prohibited.

…Comments and related material submitted in response to the request for comments must be received before January 15, 2009.

Find out where dumping is prohibited, how you can still participate in the process, at Great Lakes Environment >>

by Bob VandeVusse | Source: Holland Sentinel

After two and a half weeks of inactivity, we finally had a freighter on Lake Macatawa on Thursday, as the Wilfred Sykes delivered coal to the James DeYoung power plant. It arrived shortly after midnight and departed after 8 a.m. The departure was a lengthy endeavor, as the captain seemed to avoid using the bow thruster to turn around so as not to damage the dock repairs that are nearing completion at the Verplank dock. This was only our second delivery in the last month.

As the season winds down, we expect to see two more coal deliveries and several more loads of stone. Once the construction is finished on the Verplank dock, we should see the east end of the facility fill up. Brewer’s should see some more activity, as well.

Read more about expected deliveries in Holland at the Holland Sentinel >>

by Bob VandeVusse | Source: Holland Sentinel

There is a federally maintained shipping channel that runs the length of Lake Macatawa, from just west of the entrance near Big Red, almost all the way to the River Avenue bridge. It is roughly 150 feet wide and 20 feet deep.

As part of that channel there is a widened area, or turning basin, where vessels of up to 700 feet in length can turn around.

Read the complete explanation, location and more at the Holland Sentinel >>

Source: Coast Guard News

The U.S. Coast Guard announced today that the interim rule for dry cargo residue discharges on the Great Lakes is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register Monday, Sept. 29, 2008.

The interim rule requires Great Lakes bulk dry cargo carriers to keep records of loading, unloading and discharges of dry cargo residues and encourages lake carriers to use control measures to reduce the amount of dry cargo residue entering the waters of the Great Lakes. The rule continues to allow the discharge of non-toxic and non-hazardous bulk dry cargo residues in certain areas of the Great Lakes. Discharges are now prohibited in certain protected and sensitive areas where previously, they were allowed.

Great Lakes ships have operated under a Coast Guard “interim enforcement policy” since 1993, that has allowed “incidental discharges” of non-toxic and non-hazardous dry cargo residues such as limestone, iron ore and coal on the Great Lakes. The interim enforcement policy also specified where dry cargo residue discharges could and could not occur. Congressional legislation has extended the interim enforcement policy since 1998. The current extension, granted by Congress in 2004, expires Sept. 30, 2008.

The Coast Guard also requests public comments on the need for and feasibility of additional conditions that might be imposed on future dry cargo residue discharges, such as mandatory use of control measures or further adjustments to areas where discharges are prohibited or allowed. Comments can be submitted online at …  Read the rest of this entry »

Source: Duluth News Tribune

Commercial shipping between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes was on hold for a few hours today after a malfunction of the Poe Lock in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

The 1,200-foot-long lock’s gate malfunctioned at 9 a.m., and crews were called in to investigate with an underwater camera. Three ships were delayed while the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers worked to determine the cause of the malfunction.

Repairs were made by early afternoon, allowing normal vessel traffic to resume.

by Elizabeth Dunbar | Source: Forbes

ST. PAUL - The state pollution control agency approved strict standards for ships that discharge ballast water into Lake Superior, hoping they will cut down on the spread of harmful invasive species.

Unlike federal proposals pending in Congress, the new permit process will cover both oceangoing vessels and ships that stay within the Great Lakes.

…. by 2016, ships will be required to treat their ballast water before dumping it into Minnesota waters.

Details of interim and longer-range management, enforcement at Forbes >>

Source: Seafarer’s Blog

The latest Lloyd’s Register guide to Ballast Water Treatment Technology is now available. This follows the success of last year’s guide, the first of its kind. This updated version provides further independent and impartial descriptions and appraisals of commercially available and developing technologies for ballast water treatment.

… The latest guide gives more information on estimates of CAPEX (capital expenditure) and OPEX (operating expenses) related to the ballast water treatment systems and it outlines the significant moves by manufacturers towards obtaining system approval, active substance approval as required and Type Approval certification.

Full article and links at the Seafarer’s Blog >>

Source: Trading Markets

A strike by St. Lawrence Seaway employees would result in a loss of east coast shipping capacity at a time when western Canadian producers can least afford it, according to an industry source.

“It’s a prime time for western Canadian producers to market their grain and oilseed crops and to sell those commodities onto the world market at a good value,” Rick Steinke, Director of logistics, for the Canadian Wheat Board, said.

Grain and oilseeds from western Canada are generally railed to port facilities at Thunder Bay, Ontario. From there the grain and oilseeds are generally transferred from Thunder Bay terminals to east coast transfer elevators located at the mouth of the St. Lawrence Seaway system by laker vessels. Some smaller ocean going vessels can also load at Thunder Bay terminals.

“Our understanding is that if the strike by the St. Lawrence workers goes ahead, it will be very difficult to move grain through the St. Lawrence Seaway without the seaway management corporation employees,” Steinke said. “We need them to operate the locks and allow for the flow of products.”

Read the full story at Trading Markets >>

Source: Duluth News Tribune

After months of quagmire, a compromise may be emerging. Under a new Senate “discussion’’ bill, the criteria for killing organisms (how small and how many are allowed in the ballast water after treatment) would increase to 1,000-times greater than the IMO standard. That would bring the federal legislation in line with California’s law and was expected to spur Boxer to allow the ballast bill to advance.

Some issues remain, however. Boxer and California environmental groups want the Clean Water Act to apply to ballast discharges in addition to the new law. That would allow citizens to sue if they felt the ballast laws weren’t working to protect waterways. Industry officials and many Senators say that amounts to double jeopardy, putting the shipping industry under two separate sets of rules.

Another problem for some Minnesota groups, including the PCA, is that the federal legislation still doesn’t include Great Lakes freighters.

More issues, full story at the Duluth News Tribune >>

Source: Canadian Press

Senator Barack Obama will propose a $5-billion trust fund for Great Lakes cleanup and restoration if elected president, his campaign said Tuesday.

The fund, to be phased in over 10 years, would be the centrepiece of a plan that also includes designating a co-ordinator to oversee Greats Lakes programs and a stepped-up fight against invasive species.

… The trust fund would be paid for by rolling back tax breaks for oil companies, Obama’s campaign said. It would support a variety of projects including sewage system repairs, cleanup of polluted sediments and restoration of wetlands and wildlife habitat.

The Great Lakes co-ordinator, based in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, would help develop a priority list for federal, state and local initiatives.

Obama’s program also pledges a “zero toxics” policy for the lakes, which make up nearly one-fifth of the world’s fresh surface water. It calls for measuring pollution already entering the lakes, determining the sources and reducing future deposits.

Another priority would be strengthening federal standards against mercury, a leading Great Lakes pollutant, the campaign said.

The plan also promises a more aggressive effort to prevent additional exotic species from reaching the lakes, particularly the Asian carp, which has infested the Mississippi River and is moving toward Lake Michigan.

It says Obama would work with the eight Great Lakes states to stop freighters from bringing exotics to the region in their ballast water.

Full story, quotes, and McCain camp reply at Canadian Press >>

Source: Lake Carriers Association

With higher water levels allowing Great Lakes freighters to carry bigger cargoes, the iron ore trade on the Great Lakes totaled 6.8 million net tons in August, an increase of 8.6 percent compared to a year ago.

The increase in water levels did allow one U.S.-Flag Laker to twice carry more than 68,000 tons in a single trip. However, if dredging of the Great Lakes Navigation System was sufficient to allow for a full load, the 1,000-foot-long vessel would have carried more than 71,000 tons each trip.

For the year, the Great Lakes iron ore trade stands at 39 million tons, an increase of 10 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments also are ahead of the 5-year average for the January-August timeframe by a like margin.

By ERIC ENGLISH | Source: The Bay City Times

Consumers Energy is spending $22 million to install a huge new seawall and freighter dock at its Karn-Weadock generating complex at the mouth of the Saginaw River.

The steel wall will replace an existing half-mile-long seawall that is showing its age, according to Gary Davis, project construction engineer for Consumers.

… “Some of that wall has been there for 60 years,” Davis said. “It’s experiencing localized failures due to erosion and the weight of the coal on the dock.”

The new seawall will be made of thicker steel and be driven deeper into the bedrock below the Saginaw River. The work will create 25 to 30 construction jobs.

The project is not specifically tied to Consumers Energy’s proposed plans to build a new $2.3 billion coal-fired power plant at the facility,

More details of the project at the Bay City Times >>

Brian Mulherin | Source: Ludington Daily News

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers didn’t waste any time ordering a survey of Ludington’s harbor after a 630-foot freighter was stuck for 40 minutes or more Saturday.

The ship, which reported a draft of 24.3 feet to Coast Guard Station Ludington, became lodged on bottom as it entered the harbor from the west-northwest.

… Ludington’s harbor is dredged once every three years and normally down to 30 feet, but last year the dredging only went to 28 feet due to federal budget constraints.

… Wednesday’s survey revealed the shoal is a little larger and a little higher off bottom, with depths as shallow as 22.5 feet recorded in an area that spans 150 feet from west to east.

How the survey was done, previous observations and more at the Ludington Daily News >>

By JOHN FLESHER | Source: Chicago Tribune

Day after day, ships longer than three football fields depart Great Lakes ports after picking up or delivering loads of iron ore, coal and other cargo. Reaching open water, crews wash the decks with high-powered hoses.

It’s called “cargo sweeping,” because residues that spill onto decks during loading and unloading are swept overboard. The U.S. Coast Guard estimates that 1 million pounds of such debris is washed into the lakes every year.

… But shippers say requiring them to collect the residue, move it onshore for treatment and flush it into municipal wastewater systems would impose ruinous costs. A Coast Guard report last month estimated the price tag at $51.8 million up front, plus $35.7 million a year — more than the annual profit for the entire industry.

“What some are proposing could mean the end of Great Lakes shipping and the movement of cargo by more expensive and less eco-friendly modes of transportation,” said Glen Nekvasil, spokesman for the Lake Carriers Association, which represents U.S.-flagged freighters on the Great Lakes.

Nice analysis of the conflict, quotes from both sides at the Chicago Tribune >>

Source: Lake Carriers Association

Shipments of limestone on the Great Lakes totaled 4.4 million net tons in August. While the total represents an increase of 12 per cent compared to a year ago, shipments in August of 2007 were sluggish, said the Lake Carriers’ Association.

“The five-year average is the better barometer,” said the Association, “and in that regard, this August was off the pace by nearly 100,000 tons.”

Although water levels have risen, the dredging crisis continued to limit the amount of stone vessels could deliver to customers. Read the rest of this entry »