Great Lake Maritime Task Force

When leaders from the Great Lakes shipping community come together, the opportunities are limitless. The Great Lakes Maritime Task Force is a membership organization bringing together labor and management from U.S.-flag vessel operators, shipboard and longshore unions, port authorities, cargo shippers, terminal operators, shipyards, and more. Together, we are working to transform and improve the shipping experience throughout the Great Lakes.

POSITION PAPERS

From ballast water regulation to dredging, the Jones Act to harbor maintenance taxes, shipping and maritime activity among the Great Lakes is complex and ever-changing. Review our position papers for detailed information and GLMTF’s stance on current conversations, issues or challenges facing our industry .U.S. EPA published their proposed implementing regulations for VIDA on October 26, 2020, which addresses 20 discharges incidental to the normal operation of a vessel. In general, GLMTF supports this regulation, including how ballast water is regulated in the Great Lakes. Click here to view all Positions Papers or scroll through the slides listed below.


Uniform Regulation of Ballast Water

Vessel discharges, such as ballast water, are critical to maintain safe and efficient operations. The maritime industry has a long history of establishing best management practices and technical innovations to ensure the Great Lakes ecosystem is protected. However, ensuing legal battles opened the door for each state and multiple federal agencies to establish their own regulatory regimes that were often impossible to meet and conflicting. Great Lakes stakeholders pushed for a better way. The Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA) established that long-sought process to set uniform federal discharge requirements jointly regulated by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). On October 26, 2020, the USEPA published the proposed Vessel Incidental Discharge National Standards of Performance to implement VIDA.

Jones Act and Other U.S. Maritime Cabotage Laws

Section 27 of the 1920 Merchant Marine Act, generally referred to as the Jones Act, mandates that all cargo moving between U.S. points be carried in vessels that are crewed by, built by, and owned by Americans. Other laws and statutes apply the same ground rules to carrying passengers, towing, dredging, and salvaging in U.S. waters.

The U.S. is far from unique in reserving its domestic waterborne commerce to its domestic fleets. Eighty percent of the world’s coastlines of United Nations shipping nations have similar cabotage laws for their domestic maritime commerce.

Efficient Funding for the Second Poe-Sized Lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

The navigational locks at the Soo connect Lake Superior to the lower four Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence Seaway, and international markets. Eighty million tons of cargo, valued at $6 billion and supporting 123,000 jobs, transit the Soo Locks each year. The locks allow cargoes like iron ore and grain to move from mines and farms to customers in the U.S., Canada, and overseas as well as allowing domestic and overseas cargoes to move “up the system” and into upper Midwest markets.

Keep Commerce Moving on the Great Lakes During the Winter Months – Protect the Supply Chain

The issue of unreliable winter navigation on the Great Lakes is not going away.  The winter of 2021/2022 and the significant delays incurred by shipping were devasting and just another example in a long line of stuck vessels.  The conditions in eastern Lake Superior in March and April 2022 required more than one heavy icebreaker, but unfortunately only one exists. Only construction of a twin to the heavy Great Lakes icebreaker MACKINAW will ensure the continued movement of critical raw materials on the Great Lakes during the winter season.  The interconnected Great Lakes system requires reliable and predictable icebreaking to ensure workers at the ports, on the ships, at the mills, and at the mines stay employed and continue to produce and transport the vital cargoes needed to keep American economic security intact.

Full Federal Funding for State Maritime Academies

The maritime industry is facing an increasing shortage of licensed merchant mariners with profound commercial and national security implications. Since 1874, America’s State Maritime Academies have been educating and training cadets for licensed officer positions in the United States Merchant Marine. State Maritime Academies, including the Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Traverse City, Michigan, produce 70 percent of all new licensed officers in the United States and are the largest source of newly licensed officers in the country.

Short Sea Shipping

A number of new short-distance shipping services have been proposed in the Great Lakes region. In each case, the goal has been to relieve highway or border congestion and move commerce more efficiently. New short sea shipping services on the Great Lakes are likely to take the form of truck ferries and feeder services.

Great Lakes Shipbuilding and Government Programs to Promote the Industry

Great Lakes shipyards are fully capable of building all types of commercial and military vessels for service throughout the world, limited only by the size of the navigational locks in the St. Lawrence Seaway. Within the Great Lakes, shipyards have built 1,000-foot-long vessels that keep the mills supplying steel for U.S.-made automobiles and appliances, the lights on in southeast Michigan, and U.S. workers building America’s infrastructure.

Full Funding for Dredging Great Lakes Deep-Draft Ports and Waterways

Decades of inadequate funding for dredging the Great Lakes have left more than 13 million cubic yards of sediment clogging ports and waterways. Sediment on the bottom means cargoes are left at the dock when vessels can not load to the design depths of the system. This can be as much as 270 tons of iron ore on a U.S.-flag vessel for each inch lost when channels are not adequately dredged. The foreign-flag vessels frequenting the Lakes can forfeit 116 tons for each inch of draft lost.

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Dredging on the Great Lakes

Ending the dredging crisis is GLMTF’s top priority. Decades of inadequate funding for dredging have left the Great Lakes Navigation System clogged with more than 15 million cubic yards of sediment, despite the fact the Federal government taxes cargo to pay for dredging. Relief is in sight. The Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 requires the Federal government to increase funding for dredging annually, but Congress must appropriate the funds each year. GLMTF focuses the bulk of its efforts to restore adequate funding for dredging Great Lakes ports and waterways.

Celebrating Outstanding Legislators

Each year, GLMTF recognizes members of the Great Lakes congressional delegation who have made significant contributions to keeping waterborne commerce on the Lakes a key component of the nation’s transportation system by presenting them a Great Lakes Legislator of the Year Award. The selection process is not easy, on Capitol Hill the Great Lakes delegation is one of the best.

NEWS & POLICIES

Great Lakes Success in 2023 National Defense Authorization Act

CLEVELAND, OHIO (December 23, 2022) – Thanks to the efforts of the Great Lakes Congressional Delegation, major milestones were reached with the passage of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023.

The bipartisan, bicameral legislation authorized $350 million for the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) acquisition of a new heavy Great Lakes icebreaker and proposes a Great Lakes-icebreaking performance standard instead of the USCG’s current tiered waterway standard that is limited to only reporting on four small connecting Great Lakes waterways and not the open lakes themselves.  In addition, the Government Accountability Office will be tasked with studying the effectiveness of the USCG’s icebreaking mission on the Great Lakes and resources needed to improve the facilitation of the winter maritime supply chain. Over the past ten years, the lack of adequate icebreaking on the Great Lakes has caused the loss of over 10,000 jobs and $2 billion to the economy.  In addition, ice jam flooding in the Great Lakes region has become extreme due to more frequent polar vortexes.

“This is a big win for the 4th Sea Coast.  Finally, there is recognition that the USCG is not adequately resourced to facilitate critical winter navigation on the Great Lakes.  The North American economy and our national security are dependent on the raw materials, like iron ore, that need to move effectively to maintain the nations steel production,” stated Jim Weakley, President of the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force.

Another key piece in the legislation was the reauthorization of the new large navigational lock in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.  Due to inflation and other economic factors, the construction cost of the new lock nearly tripled requiring Congress to add language increasing the authorized amount.  The importance of the new lock project cannot be overstated with eighty million tons of cargo, valued at $6 billion and supporting 123,000 jobs passing through the vital piece of infrastructure each year.  It is clear that everyone in government recognizes the importance of the new lock and the economic benefits associated with its construction.

We applaud all the efforts the Great Lakes Congressional Delegation put forth to get these key provisions included in the NDAA.

About Great Lakes Maritime Task Force

The Great Lakes Maritime Task Force, with nearly 80 members, is the largest coalition to speak for the Great Lakes Navigation System.  Advocating for domestic and international shipping, its members represent labor and management from U.S.-flag vessel operators, shipboard and longshore unions, port authorities, cargo shippers, terminal operators, shipyards, and other Great Lakes interests. The Great Lakes commercial maritime industry supports more than 147,000 American jobs in eight Great Lakes states and generates more than $25 billion in economic activity.

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U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher 2022 Legislator of the Year

GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN (July 25, 2022) – On Friday, July 22, 2022, the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF) recognized the unwavering commitment of Wisconsin Congressman Mike Gallagher to protect and advance the Great Lakes maritime supply chain at the U.S. Venture, Inc. facility in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Congressman Gallagher has spearheaded legislation that invests in shipbuilding on the Great Lakes, improves the maritime supply chain during the winter, and ensures the Great Lakes Navigation System remains viable for years to come.

Congressman Gallagher introduced the Supplying Help to Infrastructure in Ports, Yards, and America’s Repair Dock (SHIPYARD) Act of 2021 that would provide $25 billion to make investments needed to optimize, improve, and rebuild shipyard facilities, electrical infrastructure, environmental systems, and the equipment of public and private shipyards in the U.S. that support the U.S. Navy fleet. “At a time when China is commissioning three ships in a single day, we desperately need to strengthen the American shipbuilding industrial base to expand, support, and service the fleet,” said Rep. Gallagher. “The bipartisan, bicameral SHIPYARD Act makes critical investments to better ensure shipyards across the country, such as Marinette Marine, can build the Navy the nation needs.”

He also introduced the Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act, a bill that would clearly define the U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) responsibility for icebreaking on the Great Lakes. Currently, the USCG conducts Great Lakes icebreaking based on an 85-year-old Executive Order that fails to clearly define the USCG’s mission. This bill would update that mission to help ensure it meets the modern demands of commerce in the Great Lakes region. “In cold winter months, icebreaking helps keep our Great Lakes economy moving. But a lack of sufficient icebreaking in recent years has shown that Congress needs to modernize the Coast Guard’s icebreaking mission on the Great Lakes,” said Rep Gallagher. “The Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act is a bipartisan, bicameral bill codifying an icebreaking performance standard to meet the reasonable demands of commerce. This will help ensure that small businesses in Northeast Wisconsin can continue shipping goods from point A to point B — no matter the month or the weather.”

Congressman Gallagher was a staunch supporter of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 2020.  He ensured a 13% set-aside in the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund for the Great Lakes Navigation System. Previous legislation included funding for small harbors like the Port of Green Bay but failed to sufficiently increase the funding to adequate levels. This bill increased the amount allotted to harbors on the Great Lakes Navigation System from 10% to 13% with actual funding levels this year approaching 15%.

“Congressman Gallagher has helped to solidify thousands of good paying jobs for the hard-working people of Wisconsin.  U.S. shipyards are critical to our national defense and Mike Gallagher continues to make that a priority,” stated Craig Perciavalle, Vice President and General Manager of Bay Shipbuilding.

“At a time when the American supply chain is struggling, Congressman Gallagher championed critical legislation to rebuild Great Lakes ports and waterways.  The Port of Green Bay is grateful for the passage of WRDA 2020 and the effort Congressman Gallagher put in to ensure an equitable portion of funding for the Great Lakes Navigation System,” stated Dean Haen, Director of the Brown County Port and Resource Recovery Department.  He continued, “The Great Lakes Maritime Task Force’s Legislature of the Year Award is a fitting tribute to Rep. Gallagher and acknowledges all that he has done for our region and our industry.”

“Congressman Gallagher’s support for U.S. merchant mariners, Wisconsin ports, and Wisconsin shipbuilding drives economic stability in the Great Lakes region and in the nation.  Simply put, he helps to create family sustaining jobs for thousands,” stated Mark Ruge, President of the Wisconsin Domestic Maritime Coalition.

“Mike Gallagher invests in the American worker protecting sailors from damaging ice floes, advancing U.S. shipbuilding, and keeping the maritime supply chain moving on the nation’s Fourth Sea Coast,” stated John Baker, International Longshoremen’s Association and Great Lakes Maritime Task Force Vice President.

“The work done by Congressman Gallagher to correct years of neglect to the Great Lakes Navigation System during the winter months is monumental.  The Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act is a great step in the right direction.  In addition, the support Congressman Gallagher provided to get the Great Lakes designated as a navigation system with a guaranteed allocation of money from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund will undoubtedly serve the Great Lakes region for decades to come and that is why he is our Legislator of the Year,” stated Jim Weakley, President of the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force.

“The importance of the Great Lakes cannot be overstated. Here in Northeast Wisconsin, these lakes are crucial to not just our economy, but to our way of life, and it’s critical we do everything we can to preserve these national treasures for generations to come,” said Rep. Gallagher. “It’s an honor to be named the 2022 Legislator of the Year by the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force, and I look forward to continuing my work to both protect the Great Lakes and expand opportunities for the businesses that rely on them.”

The presentation of the award was made at the U.S. Venture, Inc. facility in Green Bay.  President and CEO of U.S. Venture, John Schmidt stated, “The Port of Green Bay serves as a critical link in the supply chain for gasoline, diesel, and renewable energy products supplied to Northeastern Wisconsin.  We appreciate and commend Congressman Gallagher for his continued support of the Port and the Great Lakes.”

About Great Lakes Maritime Task Force

The Great Lakes Maritime Task Force, with 74 members, is the largest coalition to speak for the Great Lakes Navigation System.  Advocating for domestic and international shipping, its members represent labor and management from U.S.-flag vessel operators, shipboard and longshore unions, port authorities, cargo shippers, terminal operators, shipyards, and other Great Lakes interests. The Great Lakes commercial maritime industry supports more than 147,000 American jobs in eight Great Lakes states and generates more than $25 billion in economic activity.

 

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MEMBERS

We’re stronger when we work together. GLMTF membership is an excellent way to ensure your company and industry’s voice is part of the ongoing conversation surrounding Great Lakes shipping. Membership is open to all companies and organizations that rely on or are involved in domestic and/or international Great Lakes shipping.