Weekly News Summary For June 29 - July 5, 2009:

Corps, Industry Coordinate River Closures, Delays

St. Louis Engineer District operations manager Andy Schimpf surveyed a packed conference room at the Mel Price Locks & Dam in Alton, Ill. It was filled with about 80 people on June 18, mostly industry representatives and Corps colleagues. He had expected no more than 20, he told The Waterways Journal—especially since the meeting was only conceived and developed in early May.
That’s when the Corps was finally allowed to release details of particular projects funded under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, (ARRA), popularly known as the stimulus bill. The Corps had been obliged to keep silent during negotiations with the Office of Management and Budget. Schimpf said he began getting calls and questions about possible closures as early as December 2008, but could not reveal details about specific projects.
Only projects that met ARRA criteria were funded. The criteria specified projects that were “shovel-ready” and able to be completed within a certain time frame. Projects receiving ARRA funding were not allowed to increase the scope or capacity of a project. ARRA also included a “no new starts” provision.
No projects belonging to the Navigation and Sustainability Program (NESP) for the Upper Mississippi River were eligible for stimulus funding, because NESP was not considered “shovel-ready,” Schimpf said.
Since some stimulus-funded projects will require delays and closures at locks, it was thought to be a good idea for the Corps to meet with industry to coordinate the timing of those closures. Some of the work resulting in delays or closures is funded by money appropriated earlier for flood control….

Barges Strike Braddock Dam, Close Locks

Two barges broke loose and struck the Braddock Dam in the early morning hours of June 18, causing the locks to close temporarily, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
The two barges, loaded with limestone, broke free from a five-barge tow that was heading downstream toward the locks, said Corps of Engineers spokesperson Dan Jones. One barge hit the first gate, and the second struck the second.
The operator, Tow Line River Service of Elizabeth, Pa., ran the other three barges aground on the Kennywood side of the river to keep them from reaching the dam, the report said….

New Blessey Towboat Features Exercise Room, Whirlpool

Some maritime surveys have found that working conditions, not pay, are paramount in retaining crews aboard towboats. If that is the case, it is hard to imagine anyone ever leaving a boat job at Blessey Marine Services of Harahan, La.
Blessey christened the mv. Pat Voss at ceremonies along the Mississippi River at the Hilton Hotel on May 19.
Built by Verret Shipyard, the galley of the Pat Voss looks more like a yacht’s than a workboat’s. The boat is very similar to the mv. Charlie Melancon, christened last year. But instead of a guest stateroom on the Charlie Melancon, the Pat Voss has a workout room complete with whirlpool and state-of-the-art exercise equipment.
The shipyard’s Ted Verret said they bought the whirlpool based on a trip to the Louisiana State University training room.
“We even had a 300-pound lineman test it out on the boat to make sure it was okay.” The cross-training exercise station required special flooring that was cushioned to muffle noise and shock should someone drop a weight. The Blessey “B” was incorporated into its surface….

ACL Renames Towboat For Longtime Employee

Camp Teaches Students About River Opportunities

During the five daily sessions, the middle- and high-school-age students listened to presentations from several area river firms and were shown videos outlining the various occupations associated with the commercial marine industry. Each day’s outing included a tour of Paducah area shipyards, towing companies and industries or material suppliers who utilize river transportation. The students also toured towboats and ate lunch at a different river firm each day.
The day camp sessions began June 15 and concluded with a dinner with the parents at the college on June 19. LaDonna Knoth, executive assistant at Marquette Transportation, coordinated the program with assistance from several firms working with the Paducah Propeller Club. In her second year as coordinator, Knoth said the program is designed to show young adults who are not college-bound that there are other well-paying career opportunities close to home. She said that although the college sponsored several summer camps last year, the “Rolling on the River” camp was one of the most popular, due largely to the efforts of the local river industry companies who volunteered their services and to some key employees who presented and explained their firms’ career opportunities….

WJ Editorial: Efforts To Reform Corps Won’t Go Away

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