Weekly News Summary For December 22-28, 2008:
After checking 74 towing vessels and examining 310 mariner licenses in the Upper Mississippi River region, Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River have found no discrepancies, according to a Coast Guard press release.
The checks were part of Operation Big Tow, a national initiative whose Upper Mississippi phase began December 13. Coast Guard teams are spot-checking vessels for safety checklists, and are examining vessel and operator credentials and company audits. To minimize the impact on vessel movements, Coast Guard personnel are boarding vessels at locks and dams or while vessels are tied up alongside piers.
“We are extremely pleased to report that we have not found a single person operating without a license on the Upper Mississippi and southern portion of the Illinois River,” said Lt. Rob McCaskey, Sector Upper Mississippi incident management chief.
Operation Big Tow was implemented in response to a July incident in New Orleans, in which the Mel Oliver, operated by DRD Towing, suddenly crossed in front of ocean-going vessel, the Tintomara. The oil barge it was towing was hit by the ship, split and sank, releasing about 280,000 gallons of No. 6 diesel oil into the Lower Mississippi and triggering a closure and cleanup that cost billions….
Ground was broken December 11 on the largest design-build civil works project in the history of the Corps of Engineers, as work began on the surge barrier project to protect greater New Orleans from hurricane storm surges.
Known as the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal (IHNC) Lake Borgne Surge Barrier Project, it is designed to block the Gulf of Mexico storm surge from entering the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
When completed in 2011, the $700 million surge barrier will extend from the Michoud Canal floodwall along the GIWW to the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet levee just south of the Bayou Bienvenue control structure. It will reduce the hurricane and storm surge risk faced by residents of St. Bernard, New Orleans East, Ninth Ward and Gentilly to a 1 percent chance in any given year, the Corps said.
“When we see this surge barrier, we will know that it is a stance we’ve taken for the betterment of the people in New Orleans,” said Army Corps of Engineers Commander Lt. Gen. Robert Van Antwerp during the groundbreaking ceremony….
Inland Rivers, Ports and Terminals and the Kings Point Alumni Association jointly hosted a breakfast gathering December 5 at the famous New Orleans hot spot, Mother’s Restaurant. The event was held in conjunction with the International Workboat Show.
Rear Adm. Joel Whitehead, commander of the Eighth Coast Guard District, was the keynote speaker at the breakfast, offering some insight into what’s in store for 2009. He mentioned two things that are of particular importance to members of industry. First, Whitehead announced that he is retiring the summer of 2009 and will be replaced by Rear Adm. Mary Landry. Secondly, he assured members of
the audience that plans continue to be underway to establish a towing vessel Center of Excellence in Paducah, Ky.
Landry is currently acting assistant commandant for governmental and public affairs, the same position Whitehead held prior to becoming commander of the Eighth District.
“She has served the majority of her career in the Marine Safety field, holding various assignments on the East, West, and Gulf Coasts and Hawaii,” Whitehead said. “Most notably, she was the executive officer of Marine Safety Office Boston during the 9/11 attacks and during her tour as commanding officer of MSO Providence, R.I., she oversaw the federal response to the Buzzard’s Bay oil spill.”…
To hear the presidential candidates tell it, 2008 was all about change. Not just about whether change was needed—everyone seemed to agree on that—but the discussion revolved around who could bring the most change, and deliver it the fastest. And the year certainly did bring political change in Washington, with the nation electing its first Democratic president in eight years, and its first black president ever.
There were some radical changes brewing on the inland waterways as well, although, as in Washington, it may not be until next year that we really begin to see those changes take effect. In a sense, 2008 provided us with a sneak peek of the change—whether it’s towboat inspections, radically new towboat designs, or changes in infrastructure appropriations—that could be just around the corner.
For better or worse, here’s a look at some of the major stories that we covered in 2008 that may have their biggest impacts on the industry in the coming years.
In an exceptionally busy year for boatbuilders, probably the most interesting vessel to hit the waterways this year was the Frank T. Stegbauer, built for Southern Towing by Steiner Shipyard. The 3,200 hp. boat is the first linehaul towboat to be built with Z-drives, meaning the propellers/nozzles can be rotated 360 degrees, eliminating the need for rudders….
River industry leaders gathered in Paducah, Ky., December 11 for the annual River Bell Awards Luncheon benefiting the Seamen’s Church Institute’s (SCI) Ministry on the River program. It was the ninth year for the popular event.
Norb Whitlock of Jeffersonville, Ind., executive vice president-operations, American Commercial Lines, received the River Bell Award, while Ray Eckstein of Cassville, Wis.,, founder and board member, Marquette Transportation Company, was awarded the River Legend Award.
The well-attended event raised $150,000 this year, the largest amount to date.
In his remarks about this year’s River Bell Award winner, Craig Philip, president and chief executive officer of Ingram Barge Company, called Whitlock a “constant and constructive leader,” who fought the industry’s battles from the lock and dam wars of the 1980s—specifically the replacement of Lock and Dam 26 and the user charge issue—to the vessel inspection program of the last decade.
Whitlock joined ACL in 1979 after a 15-year career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, during which he directed the management of navigation on the Ohio River. His last position was chief of operations for the Louisville District….
Three months after its acquisition by Canal Barge Company, Illinois Marine Towing reports little has changed at the 10-boat, 75-barge enterprise at Lemont, Ill.
Leo Cattoni, former owner who will continue as president, said, “Our name, management, employees, equipment, safety and maintenance programs will all remain essentially the same.” The company is a leading independent provider of towing and fleeting services in the Chicago area. It offers affreightment, barge cleaning, terminalling, and vessel repair services out of three locations: Lemont, Joliet and Channahon, and has developed the former Lemont Shipyard into a full-service repair facility for IMT and third-party vessels.
The sale to New Orleans-based Canal Barge Company, which has a bulk liquids storage and transloading facility, Canal Terminal Company, at Channahon, was finalized September 15.
Cattoni bought the company from a family friend, Mary Lou Schreiner, in 1987. It was then known as Joliet Harbor Service and consisted of two boats, one fleeting area and 12 employees. He changed the name to Illinois Marine Towing Inc. and opened the additional fleets. The company now employs 103 people…
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