 |
 |
 |
|
Send a letter to the Editor
News From 91.3 KUWS
Ships clogged in ice, tonnage way down, 13 ships to winter in Twin Ports
|
Stories posted Wednesday at 3:55 p.m. 1/13/2010 |
The Duluth Seaway Port Authority says as the recession hammered construction, auto, steel and appliance industries, so it hammered port trade. Mike Simonson reports from Superior.
As we reported last week, iron ore shipments are down to levels not seen since the Great Depression year of 1938, down 57% from last year in the Twin Ports. Coal is down 17%, other commodities like limestone, cement and salt down 21%. Only grain is up, increasing 32% in 2009.
The Twin Ports will have a lucky 13 ships staying over this winter. That’s normal, says Duluth Seaway Port Authority Facilities Manager Jim Sharrow. What is unusual is that three of those ships, the American Victory, Kaye E-Barker and St. Clair…didn’t leave port all season. And a fourth ship…the Edward Ryerson…stopped working in May.
Sharrow says that could mean less work on the 13 ships.
Sharrow says usually they figure each laker contributes from half a million to $800,000 to the local economy during winter lay-up.
The Soo Locks close Friday, ending the Lake Superior shipping season. That’s when the Indiana Harbor is expected to pull up at the Enbridge Dock. The last ship into the Twin Ports this season is expected to be the Edwin Gott docking at the Port Terminal.
Six ships will spend the winter at Fraser Shipyards, but three are the ships that have been tied up all season.
The shipping season is coming to an icy end clogging up 17 lakers Monday with severe ice conditions around the Detroit River and Lake St. Claire channels. Sharrow says the Coast Guard literally has its work cut out for it, but freed the vessels by Tuesday.
Sharrow says the St. Mary’s River around the Soo has thick ice but the Straits of Mackinaw are okay.
Previous KUWS Articles:- New system to make Apostle Islands kayakers informed, safer -9/2/2010
- Air Force vet running for Obey's seat as independent -9/1/2010
- Ashland's historic ore dock demolition in dispute, closed session set -8/31/2010
- Vietnam vets get thank yous and welcome homes Saturday in Superior -8/30/2010
- Republican Lt. Gov candidates weigh in on what a Lt. Gov does -8/29/2010
