Port Huron, MI (August 18, 2025) – On Monday, August 18, 2025, the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF) recognized Michigan Congresswoman Lisa McClain for her efforts advocating for the Great Lakes Navigation System and those who live and work on or near the Fourth Sea Coast.

“It is an incredible honor to be recognized as Legislator of the Year by the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force. The Great Lakes are not only a vital economic engine for our region, but a national treasure that demands strong, informed policy,” Chairwoman McClain said. “I am proud to advance legislation in Congress that strengthens maritime commerce, modernizes our water infrastructure, and protects the long-term sustainability of the Great Lakes. I will always fight to ensure our Michigan ports, waterways, and maritime workers have the support they need to thrive.”

“Representative McClain has been a relentless advocate for the Great Lakes Navigation System.  Whether she is supporting the new heavy U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes icebreaker, funding for arguably the most important infrastructure project ever at the Soo Locks, or ensuring our lakes are mapped to the highest modern standards, Representative McClain leads the way for Michigan and the entire Great Lakes,” stated John Clemons American Maritime Officers National Vice President of the Great Lakes and President of GLMTF.

Representative McClain’s district falls squarely in the crosshairs of annual ice jam flooding that occurs on the St Clair River and causes hundreds of thousands of dollars to impacted residents.  The new heavy Great Lakes icebreaker is a critical tool needed to alleviate those jams to prevent flooding and Congresswoman McClain has aggressively sought construction funding for the vital asset.

The construction of the new large navigational lock in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan remains on track for completion in 2030, thanks in large part to Representative McClain’s tenacious pursuit of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers funding which has kept costs under control and workers on the job.  The progress at the Soo Locks has been phenomenal and serves as an ideal example for how a major infrastructure project can be completed when Congress provides bipartisan support.

In addition, Congresswoman McClain has taken a leadership role with the reintroduction of the Great Lakes Mapping Act which would ensure future economic development, resource management, and environmental sustainability in the Great Lakes Region.  With only 13 percent of the Great Lakes mapped to modern hydrographic standards, the legislation directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to conduct high resolution mapping of the Great Lakes to further understand the underwater environment.

“It is a privilege to be here today to award Representative McClain a well-deserved “thank you” on behalf of the entire U.S. Great Lakes maritime industry.  Legislators like Congresswoman McClain get things done and the Great Lakes are fortunate to have such a powerful voice on Capitol Hill moving our region forward,” stated Jim Weakley President of the Lake Carriers’ Association and Vice President of GLMTF.

The ceremony was hosted at the Lakes Pilots Association facility on the banks of the St. Clair River in Port Huron, Michigan.  Established in 1960 following the opening of the Saint Lawrence Seaway, Lakes Pilots has provided pilotage services for Lake Erie and the St. Clair and Detroit river systems. Their jurisdiction covers almost 270 nautical miles of waterways, spanning four U.S. states and one Canadian province, containing a combined 12 ports.

U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell Receives Legislator of the Year Award

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow Lifetime Achievement Supporting U.S. Great Lakes Shipping

CLEVELAND, OHIO (February 2, 2022) – Despite a relatively mild and delayed onset of winter in the Great Lakes, U.S.-flag “lakers” were hampered by a lack of Coast Guard icebreaking assets. A total of 750,000 tons of carrying capacity for iron ore, coal and cement were delayed. 20 voyages were delayed for a total of 325 hours. “The inefficiency introduced into the Great Lakes Navigation System by inadequate Coast Guard icebreaking resources impacts the carriers, their customers and the entire North American Manufacturing supply chain,” said Jim Weakley, President of Great Lakes Maritime Task Force, and the Lake Carriers’ Association. He continued, “The men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard do the best they can with the resources they are provided. Unfortunately, they do not have enough icebreakers to keep the system operating efficiently.” Budget reconciliation legislation now being considered in the U.S. Senate would provide the Coast Guard with funding for an additional Great Lakes icebreaker.

Even though the M/V AMERICAN CENTURY cleared the regulatory check-in point in time to meet the scheduled closing of the Army Corps Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, MI (Soo Locks), it became beset in the St. Mary’s River. Coast Guard icebreakers were not able to free the vessel in time for its planned transit through the Soo Locks, which connect Lake Superior to Lake Huron and beyond. This delayed the downbound lockage’s of the last vessels leaving Lake Superior, including the Coast Guard Cutter BISCAYNE BAY. Since the vessel normally stationed in Duluth, Minnesota, the Coast Guard Cutter ALDER, is on the East Coast for an overhaul, there are no icebreakers on Lake Superior during the lock closure. The ice induced vessel delays forced the Army Corps of Engineers to begin lock dewatering operations a day later than planned.

Typically, the icebreaking season begins on December 15th each year; however, this year Operation Taconite, which marks the official beginning of icebreaking operations in the Northern Great Lakes did not begin until December 29th. From December 15th until January 15th, the scheduled closure date of the Soo Locks, the U.S. Coast Guard had four of its nine Great Lakes icebreakers in scheduled overhaul, scheduled maintenance, or unscheduled maintenance periods. At one point in January, five of its eight icebreakers operating on the Great Lakes were simultaneously unavailable due to mechanical failures. A total of 68 icebreaking cutter days were lost due to equipment fires or engine breakdowns. John Clemons, Great Lakes Maritime Task Force’s Vice President and with American Maritime Officers, AFL-CIO, stated, “The lives of the professional women and men sailing aboard lakers, the safety of the vessels and the protection of the environment depend on adequate Coast Guard icebreakers. In recent years, vessels have been sliced open, forced aground or collided with each other because of inadequate icebreaking resources.” In fact, one Canadian laker was almost forced aground in the Straits of Mackinac by ice this year. The closest Coast Guard icebreaker was over 12 hours away. Fortunately, the vessel was able to free itself after struggling for several tense hours.

Even though the Soo Locks officially closed on January 15th, as of January 27th, the last U.S.-flag laker is just now arriving to its winter layup birth. Vessel delays were experienced in ports and in connecting rivers and waterways. In addition to a lack of operational vessels, the Coast Guard is hamstrung by metrics it uses to allocate resources and determine mission performance standards. “The Port of Duluth-Superior is the Great Lakes’ top port by tonnage and one of the nation’s top twenty, but the Coast Guard doesn’t consider its waterways as ‘Tier I’ for icebreaking purposes. This is troubling given that Minnesota’s docks along the western edge of Lake Superior provide the iron ore to produce 80 percent of the nation’s first-pour steel. The Head of the Lakes is a vital link in North America’s domestic steel production supply chain,” said Deb DeLuca, executive director, Duluth Seaway Port Authority.

The Coast Guard counts thirty-five ports on the East Coast as tier 1 waterways. They don’t consider any Great Lakes port as that important for icebreaking. On the entire Great Lakes, the Coast Guard only considers four connecting waterways as tier 1, none of which are on Lake Superior. The Coast Guard operates twenty-five icebreaking vessels on the East Coast and only nine on the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act (S.576 and H.R.1561) would require the Coast Guard to report to Congress on its plans to improve Great Lakes icebreaking standards and capabilities.

Lakers need to move cargo in the winter to ensure that stockpiles are large enough to sustain the regions steel mills, power plants and industrial facilities to survive the closure of the Soo Locks from January 15th to March 25th. During the closure period, lakers need to make it to their winter homes for maintenance. A few vessels will continue to operate in Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Erie. They primarily move road salt and petroleum products during the lock closure period.

Eric Peace, the Lake Carriers’ Associations’ Vice President and an experienced icebreaking sailor noted, “Adequate icebreaking not only supports the Great Lakes Navigation System, but it also prevents flooding. Last February, we saw extensive flooding because of an ice dam in the St. Clair River. At the time the lone “heavy” icebreaker operated by the Coast Guard was not available because it was undergoing repairs. We need to build an additional Great Lakes icebreaker and pass the Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act. Both are needed to establish a track line, protect homeowners and keep commerce moving.” Sudden or extreme cold temperatures can upset the natural flow of the rivers that feed into or are part of the Great Lakes. In addition to the Detroit and St. Clair Rivers, this often happens along the Lake Erie shoreline. Flood warnings have already been posted once this year for the St. Clair River and are bound to persist with heavy ice and snow already present in the area.
Great Lakes Maritime Task Force

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.

CLEVELAND, OHIO (November 18, 2021) – Today the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF) recognized the tremendous work done by Michigan U.S. Senator Gary Peters for protecting and advancing the Great Lakes Navigation System. 

Senator Peters has moved the needle on several extremely important projects in the Great Lakes.  He continues to be instrumental in efficiently funding the construction of a new large navigational lock in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan.  Senator Peters understands the economic benefits of Great Lakes shipping and the need to make our ports competitive and reliable even during the winter season.  To that end, he cosponsored the “Great Lakes Winter Commerce Act” which would make icebreaking a higher priority for the U.S. Coast Guard and ensured $350 million was included in the pending House Reconciliation Bill for another heavy Great Lakes icebreaker.  In addition, he has worked tirelessly with the Port of Monroe to resolve import and export issues associated with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s interpretation of rules that hampered further port development with containerized cargo. 

“The Great Lakes have and continue to be at the heart of Senator Peters’ leadership. His deckplate approach and unrelenting support have allowed the Port of Monroe to prosper while setting the course for our future as a sustainable seaport. I am humbly appreciative that the Senator’s efforts are being recognized with this award as his identity as a true champion of the Great Lakes maritime industry is rivaled only by the admiration we have for his efforts,” stated Paul LaMarre, GLMTF member and Port Director for Monroe, Michigan. 

Senator Peters was a strong advocate for the passage of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 2020 which ensures consistent funding from the Harbor Maintenance Trust for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  The funds are critical to maintaining the 60 federally-maintained deep-draft ports on the Great Lakes along with navigational structures which have suffered severe damage due to higher water levels. 

The Senator has made protecting the Great Lakes one of his top priorities.  In late 2020, he secured a bipartisan provision that was signed into law as part of the year-end funding bill to provide the first increase in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GRLI) funding since the program was established in 2010.  The GLRI is critical to cleaning up the Great Lakes and protecting them for future generations. 

In addition, Senator Peters was able to get bipartisan legislation signed into law called the STORM Act to support local communities facing rising water levels, coastal erosion, and flooding that have put homes, property, and communities at risk. The bill authorizes FEMA to help states establish revolving loan funds that local governments could access to help mitigate the impacts of rising water levels, coastal erosion, and other natural disasters in a more cost-effective way. He secured an initial $500 million for the program in the bipartisan infrastructure bill.  He also announced that the Coast Guard’s National Center of Expertise – which he envisioned, got signed into law and secured funding for – will be headquartered in Michigan at both Lake Superior State University and the Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab in Ann Arbor. The Center of Expertise will research and examine the impacts of oil spills in freshwater environments – for which there is little publicly available information on – and help develop effective responses. 

Finally, Senator Peters introduced the “CADETS Act” in June 2021.  The bill would expand the age eligibility for the Student Incentive Payment (SIP), which provides financial assistance to cadets who attend one of the six State Maritime Academies – including The Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Traverse City, Michigan.  In return for their commitment to serve in the U.S. Navy Reserve at their time of graduation, cadets can receive up to $32,000 in incentive payments over four years to help offset the cost of tuition, uniforms, books, and living costs.  “As a former Naval Reservist, Senator Peters recognizes the importance of this program to both the cadets and our national security,” noted Jim Weakley, GLMTF’s Vice President and co-chair of Great Lakes Maritime Academy’s Board of Visitors. 

“The Great Lakes Maritime Task Force is grateful for Senator Peters’ leadership and ambition to ensure the Great Lakes remain protected and forever the pilot light of the North American economy.  The Fourth Sea Coast needs relentless champions like Senator Peters,” stated John Clemons, President of the GLMTF. 

“The Great Lakes are more than just an economic engine and ecological treasure: they are simply in our DNA as Michiganders,” said Senator Peters. “It’s critical we do everything in our power to protect and preserve the Great Lakes for future generations – and that’s always been my focus. I’m deeply honored to have earned this distinction and am thankful to have excellent partners like the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force that work tirelessly to improve the lives of Michiganders.” 

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.