Michigan City News-Dispatch
Sand will be dredged from the Washington Park Marina basin and placed on the beach again this year, the Michigan City Port Authority announced Tuesday.
Also, the boat launch ramp will be extended.
Over the last six or seven years, strong north winds have blown sand from the beach over the breakwater and deposited it on the north shoreline of the marina basin, according to a Port Authority news release.
"The sand is reducing the navigational depth and width of the marina channel. The Port Authority is planning on having this clean sand redeposited on the north side of the breakwater from which it came," the statement said.
The Port Authority statement went on, "The material has been laboratory tested to ensure it meets state and federal requirements. The results of the laboratory analysis along with the project plan were submitted to the Army Corps of Engineers, Indiana Department of Environmental Management and Indiana Department of Natural Resources for approvals and permits. The sand material was found to be acceptable for removal and beach replenishment."
The sand will be relocated using backhoes, the statement said. more
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Saving jobs and the environment
Imagine 520 Olympic-sized swimming pools filled with dirty water and sewage.
Nothing you would knowingly drink, or splash around in for a cool summer dip.
But every year, stormswamped sewers and treatment plants dump that much untreated sewage -- more than 1.3-billion litres -- into Niagara's waterways and two Great Lakes.
Think 217 million flushes of a modern toilet, spilled straight into our source of drinking water and favourite outdoor swimming holes.
The problem is big, and so is the price tag of a fix, pegged by regional studies at $200 million over 15 years. That's a lot of taxpayer money to spend during a recession.
But Peter Partington believes now may be Niagara's best chance to save jobs and the environment.
The regional chairman has made a pitch for $50 million in federal and provincial cash for a major sewage infrastructure overhaul that would ensure treatment for up to 90 per cent of the Region's overflowing sewage.
"I think it would be a huge win for the environment and our local economy," said Partington.
"The construction would provide immediate jobs ... and we would be remedying a real problem in terms of discharging untreated wastewater. That's important for water quality, for tourism, for fishing, for our own consumption."
Partington made his pitch directly to federal Transportation Minister John Baird in January in advance of a federal budget that promises $20 billion in fast-tracked infrastructure money to municipalities.
The key request: three state-of- the-art emergency treatment plants for St. Catharines, Niagara Falls and Welland. The "high-rate treatment" plants are a new technology in Canada.
more
Nothing you would knowingly drink, or splash around in for a cool summer dip.
But every year, stormswamped sewers and treatment plants dump that much untreated sewage -- more than 1.3-billion litres -- into Niagara's waterways and two Great Lakes.
Think 217 million flushes of a modern toilet, spilled straight into our source of drinking water and favourite outdoor swimming holes.
The problem is big, and so is the price tag of a fix, pegged by regional studies at $200 million over 15 years. That's a lot of taxpayer money to spend during a recession.
But Peter Partington believes now may be Niagara's best chance to save jobs and the environment.
The regional chairman has made a pitch for $50 million in federal and provincial cash for a major sewage infrastructure overhaul that would ensure treatment for up to 90 per cent of the Region's overflowing sewage.
"I think it would be a huge win for the environment and our local economy," said Partington.
"The construction would provide immediate jobs ... and we would be remedying a real problem in terms of discharging untreated wastewater. That's important for water quality, for tourism, for fishing, for our own consumption."
Partington made his pitch directly to federal Transportation Minister John Baird in January in advance of a federal budget that promises $20 billion in fast-tracked infrastructure money to municipalities.
The key request: three state-of- the-art emergency treatment plants for St. Catharines, Niagara Falls and Welland. The "high-rate treatment" plants are a new technology in Canada.
more
Great Lakes shippers touting their green side
Scorned by environmentalists for decades, the Great Lakes shipping industry wants the public to consider its greener side as President Obama calls for more energy efficiency.
The industry is circulating a new U.S. Army Corps of Engineers report that suggests the positive environmental impacts and cost savings of Great Lakes shipping have been overlooked when compared to ground-based transportation sectors such as trains and tractor-trailers.
The report also puts a value on Great Lakes shipping at $3.6 billion a year. That's the first time the value of the region's shipping has been quantified in dollars, said Glen G. Nekvasil, vice president of communications for the Lake Carriers' Association, a Cleveland-based trade group that represents ships that move cargo exclusively within the Great Lakes region.
The Great Lakes navigation system "plays a key role in preserving our nation's fuel" by transporting goods more efficiently than any form of ground transportation, according to the report, called "Great Lakes Navigation System: Economic Strength to the Nation."
"For example, a Great Lakes carrier travels 607 miles on one gallon of fuel per ton of cargo. In contrast, a truck travels a mere 59 miles on one gallon of fuel per ton of cargo and a freight train travels only 202 miles on one gallon of fuel per ton of cargo," the report said.
The Corps, which dredges the Great Lakes shipping channel, also credited the industry for releasing fewer greenhouse gases on a pound-by-pound basis.
"A cargo of 1,000 tons transported by a Great Lakes carrier produces 90 percent less carbon dioxide as compared to the same cargo transported by truck and 70 percent less than the same cargo transported by rail," its report said.
more
The industry is circulating a new U.S. Army Corps of Engineers report that suggests the positive environmental impacts and cost savings of Great Lakes shipping have been overlooked when compared to ground-based transportation sectors such as trains and tractor-trailers.
The report also puts a value on Great Lakes shipping at $3.6 billion a year. That's the first time the value of the region's shipping has been quantified in dollars, said Glen G. Nekvasil, vice president of communications for the Lake Carriers' Association, a Cleveland-based trade group that represents ships that move cargo exclusively within the Great Lakes region.
The Great Lakes navigation system "plays a key role in preserving our nation's fuel" by transporting goods more efficiently than any form of ground transportation, according to the report, called "Great Lakes Navigation System: Economic Strength to the Nation."
"For example, a Great Lakes carrier travels 607 miles on one gallon of fuel per ton of cargo. In contrast, a truck travels a mere 59 miles on one gallon of fuel per ton of cargo and a freight train travels only 202 miles on one gallon of fuel per ton of cargo," the report said.
The Corps, which dredges the Great Lakes shipping channel, also credited the industry for releasing fewer greenhouse gases on a pound-by-pound basis.
"A cargo of 1,000 tons transported by a Great Lakes carrier produces 90 percent less carbon dioxide as compared to the same cargo transported by truck and 70 percent less than the same cargo transported by rail," its report said.
more
Detroit Boat Show Reports Good Sales Despite 8% Drop in Weekend Attendance
First weekend reports from the Detroit Boat Show indicate that despite the challenging economic conditions in Michigan there are boat buyers among us. Most dealers are reporting stronger than expected sales as consumers take advantage of the competitive pricing offered by dealers who are anxious to move product at the show. "Serious buyers are coming to the show as they realize that if you were ever considering the purchase of a boat, there may never be a better time to do so," said Detroit Boat Show Manager Van Snider. "Interest rates and gas prices are down, water levels are up and dealers are offering great deals."
Show management is attributing the 8 percent drop in attendance for the first weekend to bad weather on Saturday and the Valentines Day overlap. Despite the softer attendance over the first weekend, those attending seem to be motivated buyers. "Coming into the show we were already 100 percent ahead of last year and we continue to sell boats at the show -- so we are having a great show," said Paul Mitter of Wonderland Marine West in Howell. "Prices are better than they have been in a long time and people know it."
The crowds are here, interest is high and we are selling boats -- it's been a great show so far," said Tom Haag, Colony Marine, St. Clair Shores.
"The show has been better than we expected and the crowds are better than we expected. There is a lot of interest from consumers and the competitive pricing is very tempting. We've been talking to prospects non-stop and expect to close many of these deals before the second weekend of the show," said Kurt Banas, Sunset Boats, Waterford.
"We sold as many slips the first weekend as we usually do during the whole show -- we are very happy with the show," said Carrie Clark, MacRay Harbor, Harrison Township.
more
Show management is attributing the 8 percent drop in attendance for the first weekend to bad weather on Saturday and the Valentines Day overlap. Despite the softer attendance over the first weekend, those attending seem to be motivated buyers. "Coming into the show we were already 100 percent ahead of last year and we continue to sell boats at the show -- so we are having a great show," said Paul Mitter of Wonderland Marine West in Howell. "Prices are better than they have been in a long time and people know it."
The crowds are here, interest is high and we are selling boats -- it's been a great show so far," said Tom Haag, Colony Marine, St. Clair Shores.
"The show has been better than we expected and the crowds are better than we expected. There is a lot of interest from consumers and the competitive pricing is very tempting. We've been talking to prospects non-stop and expect to close many of these deals before the second weekend of the show," said Kurt Banas, Sunset Boats, Waterford.
"We sold as many slips the first weekend as we usually do during the whole show -- we are very happy with the show," said Carrie Clark, MacRay Harbor, Harrison Township.
more
Study says Great Lakes don't have enough water to satisfy growing North American thirst
It's a sure sign that winter's nearly over: Debate begins anew on the value of the volume of water in the Great Lakes.
Think of Great Lakes as a giant liquid bank account -- an ice-age-old savings plan, but with only a 1 percent interest rate each year. And most of that is already being mostly used up by us for our own use (and some would argue misuse).
Then, imagine climate change continuing to dip deeper into that water volume savings (by evaporation) and realize that even 6 quadrillion gallons of water in five vast lakes shouldn't be touched to slake the thirst of the American Southwest if drought persists.
That's the opinion of a trio of water resources researchers, including an aquatic ecologist from Miami University (Ohio), in an article "Sentinels of Change," published in this month's Science magazine. The full study is available online and in print only by subscription.
A review of one-page study in Science, provided to The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com by Ohio researcher Craig E. Williamson, says that "although they make up a small percentage of Earth's surface, lakes and reservoirs act as sentinels by providing signals that reflect the influence of climate change" on a broader scale.
"Lakes and reservoirs aren't often considered in climate change modeling, but they're actually the real hot spots -- for information about what happened in the past and what is happening now," Williamson said in a telephone interview Monday afternoon.
"They also give more clear signals about the changes that are happening than the oceans do," Williamson said.
more
Think of Great Lakes as a giant liquid bank account -- an ice-age-old savings plan, but with only a 1 percent interest rate each year. And most of that is already being mostly used up by us for our own use (and some would argue misuse).
Then, imagine climate change continuing to dip deeper into that water volume savings (by evaporation) and realize that even 6 quadrillion gallons of water in five vast lakes shouldn't be touched to slake the thirst of the American Southwest if drought persists.
That's the opinion of a trio of water resources researchers, including an aquatic ecologist from Miami University (Ohio), in an article "Sentinels of Change," published in this month's Science magazine. The full study is available online and in print only by subscription.
A review of one-page study in Science, provided to The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com by Ohio researcher Craig E. Williamson, says that "although they make up a small percentage of Earth's surface, lakes and reservoirs act as sentinels by providing signals that reflect the influence of climate change" on a broader scale.
"Lakes and reservoirs aren't often considered in climate change modeling, but they're actually the real hot spots -- for information about what happened in the past and what is happening now," Williamson said in a telephone interview Monday afternoon.
"They also give more clear signals about the changes that are happening than the oceans do," Williamson said.
more
Marinette hopes for Navy contract
Hundreds of jobs could be lost at Marinette Marine Corp. this spring if the shipbuilder doesn't receive a U.S. Navy contract for the next generation of combat ships.
The timing could hardly be worse, as northeastern Wisconsin has suffered large job losses in recent months.
With about 700 employees, Marinette Marine is one of the area's largest employers. It has about 170 workers on layoff now, and another 200 could lose their jobs in March and April if the shipyard doesn't get a Navy contract that's been delayed for months.
"It's hugely important to us," CEO Richard McCreary said Monday.
Marinette has built ships on the Great Lakes since 1902. Last year, the company was sold by Manitowoc Co. to Fincantieri Marine Group Holdings Inc., an Italian shipbuilder that produces cruise ships, passenger ferries and motor yachts.
Last fall, Marinette launched the USS Freedom, the first of a new class of speedy, agile Navy warships that can operate in shallow coastal waters.
Built in partnership with Lockheed Martin Corp., the $550 million ship is meant to be the first of a fleet of 55 similar vessels. But the Navy hasn't awarded further contracts yet.
A decision on the next two ships is expected by mid-March. But it also was expected last summer, then last fall, and finally by year's end - and never happened.
"We are still sitting here, frankly, continuing to polish the same rock," McCreary said. "The project has been funded but, for whatever reasons, the Navy has been holding it up."
Contract talks are under way, a Navy spokesman said Monday, declining to say when there would be an outcome.
It's likely that Marinette and its partners will split the contract awards with competitor Austal USA, of Mobile, Ala.
more
The timing could hardly be worse, as northeastern Wisconsin has suffered large job losses in recent months.
With about 700 employees, Marinette Marine is one of the area's largest employers. It has about 170 workers on layoff now, and another 200 could lose their jobs in March and April if the shipyard doesn't get a Navy contract that's been delayed for months.
"It's hugely important to us," CEO Richard McCreary said Monday.
Marinette has built ships on the Great Lakes since 1902. Last year, the company was sold by Manitowoc Co. to Fincantieri Marine Group Holdings Inc., an Italian shipbuilder that produces cruise ships, passenger ferries and motor yachts.
Last fall, Marinette launched the USS Freedom, the first of a new class of speedy, agile Navy warships that can operate in shallow coastal waters.
Built in partnership with Lockheed Martin Corp., the $550 million ship is meant to be the first of a fleet of 55 similar vessels. But the Navy hasn't awarded further contracts yet.
A decision on the next two ships is expected by mid-March. But it also was expected last summer, then last fall, and finally by year's end - and never happened.
"We are still sitting here, frankly, continuing to polish the same rock," McCreary said. "The project has been funded but, for whatever reasons, the Navy has been holding it up."
Contract talks are under way, a Navy spokesman said Monday, declining to say when there would be an outcome.
It's likely that Marinette and its partners will split the contract awards with competitor Austal USA, of Mobile, Ala.
more
For many, sturgeon is the catch of a lifetime
The ancient fish that draws thousands of anglers to the frozen waters of the Lake Winnebago watershed every February is hard to catch.
Though the success rate is slim - barely more than one in eight anglers on Lake Winnebago goes home with a dripping sturgeon in the back of a pickup truck - it doesn't stop them from streaming onto the ice with high hopes of catching the elusive and tasty fish.
It's a season, and more importantly, a tradition that has its roots in the Great Depression. And now that the state's economy is plunging, as unemployment rates reach more than 5% in neighboring counties, catching a 60-pound sturgeon can feed a family that's facing rising food bills.
Cathy Winters and her husband hunt and fish regularly, supplying much of the meat on their dinner table. Winters was among the lucky few who went home happy on opening weekend of sturgeon spearing season.
About noon Sunday, the 44-year-old Town of Black Wolf woman stared into a large green rectangle inside one of hundreds of ice shanties perched on Lake Winnebago and saw a shadow.
"It just came right under the ice," an exuberant Winters said as she checked in her prize at a registration station on the lake's western shore. "I got it with two tines. It wasn't as heavy as I thought. It was the greatest thing I've ever seen in my life."
Just then, the greatest thing Winters had seen was getting winched up and weighed in front of dozens of onlookers. Her sturgeon - a fish that's basically unchanged since the days of the dinosaurs - measured 61 inches and 63 pounds. That's just 5 inches shorter than Winters herself.
more
Though the success rate is slim - barely more than one in eight anglers on Lake Winnebago goes home with a dripping sturgeon in the back of a pickup truck - it doesn't stop them from streaming onto the ice with high hopes of catching the elusive and tasty fish.
It's a season, and more importantly, a tradition that has its roots in the Great Depression. And now that the state's economy is plunging, as unemployment rates reach more than 5% in neighboring counties, catching a 60-pound sturgeon can feed a family that's facing rising food bills.
Cathy Winters and her husband hunt and fish regularly, supplying much of the meat on their dinner table. Winters was among the lucky few who went home happy on opening weekend of sturgeon spearing season.
About noon Sunday, the 44-year-old Town of Black Wolf woman stared into a large green rectangle inside one of hundreds of ice shanties perched on Lake Winnebago and saw a shadow.
"It just came right under the ice," an exuberant Winters said as she checked in her prize at a registration station on the lake's western shore. "I got it with two tines. It wasn't as heavy as I thought. It was the greatest thing I've ever seen in my life."
Just then, the greatest thing Winters had seen was getting winched up and weighed in front of dozens of onlookers. Her sturgeon - a fish that's basically unchanged since the days of the dinosaurs - measured 61 inches and 63 pounds. That's just 5 inches shorter than Winters herself.
more
Invasive species threaten Erie life
John Hageman knows too well the threats that foreign invasive fish, mussels and plants pose to Lake Erie's ecology and its $1 billion-a-year tourism industry.
The round goby, for example, gobbles smallmouth bass eggs and out-hustles other native fish for food, said Hageman, fisheries biologist and manager of Ohio State University's Stone Laboratory on Gibraltar Island.
Hageman has overseen research involving gobies and other invasive species -- 13 since 1987.
Round gobies were first detected in the Great Lakes in 1993. The bad news is that they have cousins -- the Caucasian, monkey and sand gobies, all of which are dying to get into Erie.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a report last month that lists 30 aquatic invaders, some of which already have shown up in other parts of the country, including the silver carp and another fish called the zander.
The EPA says many of these species likely would enter the lakes through ship ballast water picked up in Europe and Asia and dumped in American waters.
"The chances are, if they were to come into the Great Lakes, they would cause problems," said Mike Slimak, associate director of the EPA's National Center for Environmental Assessment.
The report lists 13 invaders already in the Great Lakes, including round gobies.
Invaders such as the zebra mussel, for example, crowd out native mussels and clog intake pipes that power plants use. The mussel arrived in Lake Erie about 20 years ago in ballast water aboard European ships.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that invasive species cause an estimated $100 billion in damage to business and wildlife each year.
more
The round goby, for example, gobbles smallmouth bass eggs and out-hustles other native fish for food, said Hageman, fisheries biologist and manager of Ohio State University's Stone Laboratory on Gibraltar Island.
Hageman has overseen research involving gobies and other invasive species -- 13 since 1987.
Round gobies were first detected in the Great Lakes in 1993. The bad news is that they have cousins -- the Caucasian, monkey and sand gobies, all of which are dying to get into Erie.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a report last month that lists 30 aquatic invaders, some of which already have shown up in other parts of the country, including the silver carp and another fish called the zander.
The EPA says many of these species likely would enter the lakes through ship ballast water picked up in Europe and Asia and dumped in American waters.
"The chances are, if they were to come into the Great Lakes, they would cause problems," said Mike Slimak, associate director of the EPA's National Center for Environmental Assessment.
The report lists 13 invaders already in the Great Lakes, including round gobies.
Invaders such as the zebra mussel, for example, crowd out native mussels and clog intake pipes that power plants use. The mussel arrived in Lake Erie about 20 years ago in ballast water aboard European ships.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that invasive species cause an estimated $100 billion in damage to business and wildlife each year.
more
Action being taken to clean up the river
I've written before about the Remedial Action Plan which I have been involved in for 20 years.
This plan is our blueprint for cleaning up the St. Lawrence River in our area. Other plans across the Great Lakes are cleaning up their areas of concern.
I attended a workshop last week to hear about the status of the plans in the Niagara River, Hamilton Harbour and the Bay of Quinte.
There are other areas of concern across Ontario but they will get together in other workshops.
Trying not to brag too much, I think our area of concern has been foremost in trying to solve the problems that the International Joint Commission (IJC) identified in the 1980's.
Some of the solutions were not ones we would have chosen: the closing down of ICI, Courtaulds and Domtar with the resulting loss of jobs.
The upside of course is that those industries no longer pollute our air and water.
All three of the industries had done a lot of work to reduce their impact on our environment before they closed.
When the IJC identified our area as one of concern because of environmental problems, they were interested in knowing the status of what were called "Impairment of Beneficial Uses."
These impairments were:
more
This plan is our blueprint for cleaning up the St. Lawrence River in our area. Other plans across the Great Lakes are cleaning up their areas of concern.
I attended a workshop last week to hear about the status of the plans in the Niagara River, Hamilton Harbour and the Bay of Quinte.
There are other areas of concern across Ontario but they will get together in other workshops.
Trying not to brag too much, I think our area of concern has been foremost in trying to solve the problems that the International Joint Commission (IJC) identified in the 1980's.
Some of the solutions were not ones we would have chosen: the closing down of ICI, Courtaulds and Domtar with the resulting loss of jobs.
The upside of course is that those industries no longer pollute our air and water.
All three of the industries had done a lot of work to reduce their impact on our environment before they closed.
When the IJC identified our area as one of concern because of environmental problems, they were interested in knowing the status of what were called "Impairment of Beneficial Uses."
These impairments were:
more
Acheson docks tall ship for '09
Acheson Ventures will keep the Highlander Sea docked this summer as a cost-saving measure for the organization.
Paul Maxwell, Acheson Ventures' spokesman, said the 154-foot gaff-rigged topsail schooner will stay at the Bean Dock in Port Huron throughout the boating season and be available for tours.
He said sailing the ship includes costs for fuel, provisions for its crew and other supplies.
"We are no different than any other businesses: We are trying to cut back on what we are doing and save some resources," he said.
Maxwell could not provide an exact amount of how much the change would save. He also said plans could change.
The ship, built in 1924 and acquired by Acheson Ventures in 2002, has become a symbol of Port Huron. It often sails to destinations on the Great Lakes, including Chicago, Cleveland and Mackinac Island.
When the ship is sailing full-time, Maxwell said the crew is as high as 10.
This summer, he said Acheson will retain a captain and one or two crew members to care for the ship, along with a team of dedicated volunteers.
Maxwell said they will keep enough crew to rig the ship when warm weather comes and to sail it to the Bean Dock at the Port Huron Seaway Terminal.
The ship is stored at the Port Huron Yacht Club on the Black River during winter months, Maxwell said.
more
Paul Maxwell, Acheson Ventures' spokesman, said the 154-foot gaff-rigged topsail schooner will stay at the Bean Dock in Port Huron throughout the boating season and be available for tours.
He said sailing the ship includes costs for fuel, provisions for its crew and other supplies.
"We are no different than any other businesses: We are trying to cut back on what we are doing and save some resources," he said.
Maxwell could not provide an exact amount of how much the change would save. He also said plans could change.
The ship, built in 1924 and acquired by Acheson Ventures in 2002, has become a symbol of Port Huron. It often sails to destinations on the Great Lakes, including Chicago, Cleveland and Mackinac Island.
When the ship is sailing full-time, Maxwell said the crew is as high as 10.
This summer, he said Acheson will retain a captain and one or two crew members to care for the ship, along with a team of dedicated volunteers.
Maxwell said they will keep enough crew to rig the ship when warm weather comes and to sail it to the Bean Dock at the Port Huron Seaway Terminal.
The ship is stored at the Port Huron Yacht Club on the Black River during winter months, Maxwell said.
more
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