Uniform Regulation of Ballast Water
Goal: Ballast water regulations that are protective of the environment, maintain efficient waterbornecommerce on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, and are binationally compatible and equitable. Background: Ballast water discharges are critical to the safe operation of vessels. The maritime industry has established best management practices and technical innovations to ensure the Great Lakes […]
Jones Act and Other U.S. Maritime Cabotage Laws
Goal: Strict adherence to the Jones Act and all existing maritime cabotage laws, as they play a crucial role in America’s national, homeland, and economic security. Background: 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 […]
Efficient Funding for the Second Poe-Sized Lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Goal: A resilient Great Lakes navigation system with sufficient and efficient federal funding for the second Poe-sized lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Background: 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 […]
Keep Commerce Moving on the Great Lakes During the Winter Months – Protect the Supply Chain
Goal: Build a second heavy Great Lakes icebreaker now and repower the 140-foot icebreaking tugs. Build a second heavy Great Lakes icebreaker now and repower the 140-foot icebreaking tugs. The USCG should provide the Great Lakes the same icebreaking level of service provided to American East Coast ports and waterways. Background: Once again Great Lakes […]
Full Federal Funding for State Maritime Academies
Goal: Sufficient long term federal funding for State Maritime Academies to support their role in the education of the next generation of licensed mariners. Background: 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 […]
Short Sea Shipping
Goal: Encourage short sea shipping by enacting a narrow exemption from the Harbor Maintenance Tax for non-bulk cargoes moved on the Great Lakes. Background: In recent years, transportation planners have been struggling to identify ways to move people and goods more efficiently while reducing the effects on the environment. Congested highways, particularly in urban areas, […]
Great Lakes Shipbuilding and Government Programs to Promote the Industry
Goal: Support programs that increase commercial shipbuilding and repair at Great Lakes yards. Background: Great Lakes shipyards employ more than 2,700 men and women, and the wages they provide top $125 million each year. Shipyards with large-scale capability are in Sturgeon Bay, Marinette and Superior, Wisconsin; Toledo, Ohio; and Erie, Pennsylvania. Small drydocks and ship […]
Full Funding for Dredging Great Lakes Deep-Draft Ports and Waterways
Goal: Ensure that the Great Lakes navigation system is adequately funded for dredging through the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF). Background: There are 60 federally-maintained deep-draft ports on the Great Lakes and their connecting waterways that create the single maritime transportation system that is the foundation of U.S. manufacturing, infrastructure, and energy production and opens […]