Weekly News Summary For April 27 – May 3, 2009:
News about the inland waterways, ports and terminals usually has to fight to be noticed by those not in the business. Spectacular spills and accidents make national news. Lock and dam and dredging projects fight stories portraying them as “pork,” as they have for a hundred years. But otherwise, inland port and waterways news rarely makes headlines.
Now imagine a barge terminal proposal so controversial that it has divided an entire city for years, with dueling politicians, consultants, professors, lawyers, and residents on either side of a red-hot dividing line. The contest, which one headline called “condos vs. containers,” highlights issues such as the frontiers of agriculture and logistics, whether river cities should preserve commercial riverfronts, and the abuse of governmental power.
Cincinnati has lost two court battles with barge terminal developer David Martin, placing itself at financial risk. Instead of reaping the millions in taxes and revenues envisioned by Martin, the city is under court order to pay Martin fines and compensation that could amount to “tens of millions,” according to one warning.
That may be why the council reversed, on April 22, a longstanding ruling forbidding city officials from speaking with Martin.
Cincinnati currently has seven bulk terminals operating in or near its downtown. There are no container terminals along the Ohio River….
Towing operators will share in the economic stimulus promised under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, as four of the narrowest and most dangerous bridges on the waterways will be rebuilt to make them easier to navigate.
The Department of Homeland Security announced April 17 that the four bridges will receive funds from the stimulus act for alterations through the Truman-Hobbs program.
Atop the list is the EJ&E Railroad Bridge over the Illinois Waterway near Morris, Ill., which has the distinction of being the most-hit bridge on the inland wateways.
“It’s excellent news,” said John Kindra of Chicago, president of Kindra Lake Towing. “I’ve talked to a lot of people in the industry, and they’re just ecstatic about it.”
A former president of the Illinois River Carriers Association, Kindra has been leading a campaign for 10 years to secure funding to alter the bridge. Using petitions, a postcard campaign, and lots of one-on-one discussions with legislators, Kindra and the association have struggled to be heard in Washington….
Two Canton Marine Towing Company towboats helped rescue three bridge workers left dangling from safety harnesses above the Mississippi River on April 21.
The crew had been working with a rented crane inspecting an 84-year-old cable-stayed bridge that carries eastbound U.S. 24 from Missouri to Illinois when the crane’s hydraulic arm failed. The bridge is located near Quincy, Ill., at Mile 327.2., and is 60 feet above the water.
The workers dangled for about 20 minutes until they were spotted by the Canton Marine towboat Sir J-Ette, which quickly radioed a sister boat, the Sir-Ene, which was making up tow downriver. The Sir-Ene immediately left its barges and proceeded under the bridge. It was able to lower two workers onto the catwalk of its second deck, according to Canton Marine port captain Mike Heschler.
The third worker, a woman, was higher up and was eventually landed on the third deck….
Chinese government price-support policies for corn may result in more U.S. corn exports to China, a leading grain trade group said in an April 16 report.
The U.S. Grains Council, a trade group with 120 members representing corn, barley and sorghum exporters, said the export opportunity has nothing to do with any shortages inside China.
Cary Sifferath, U.S. Grains Council senior director in China, said the Chinese government is buying up corn stocks from China’s north to prop up prices for corn farmers there. This is causing a price rise that is making imported U.S. corn competitive with corn from north China. Some Chinese importing companies have already applied for licenses called corn import quotas from the government.
But Chinese importers will have to see a price spread of $15 or even $30 per ton before importing becomes a compelling option for them. Corn imports into China face a 13 percent value added tax (VAT), plus a 1 percent duty….
Timed to coincide with Earth Day April 22, The Passenger Vessel Association launched PVA WATERS, (We Are Taking Environmental Responsibility/Stewardship,) an environmental conservation program that helps members adopt environmentally friendly business practices.
“Our members understand the importance of protecting the environment,” said Bill Clark of South Ferry Inc., Shelter Island, N.Y., PVA president. “The waterways are our livelihood; the PVA WATERS program demonstrates our industry’s continued commitment to cleaner, more environmentally friendly operations.”
The program’s “Best Green Business Practices” manual shares practical, cost-effective “green initiatives” through case studies and examples tailored specifically to the passenger vessel industry.
Through a new “green” page on its Web site—www.passengervessel.com/green—PVA offers checklists for operators to use in assessing current environmental practices, and ideas for improvement in areas including vessel design and construction, operations and administration. There are also links to recent articles relating to environmental practices, and to the current issue of the Coast Guard’s Proceedings magazine, which is devoted entirely to environmental protection….
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