The delays are caused by the U.S. Coast Guard having equipment issues and unpredictable weather.
Author: Rowyn Schneider
TOLEDO — Winter may have come early for the Great Lakes this year, but neither the U.S. nor the Canadian coast guard can keep traffic moving through the ice.
The lakes’ frozen waters are currently impacting commercial traffic between ports across the Great Lakes in places like Toledo, Sandusky, and even ports in Michigan and Minnesota.
The delivery of precious cargo like iron ore, stone, coal, cement, and other dry bulk materials like salt, grain, and sand are being impacted by these delays.
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) usually conducts ice-breaking operations every year, but it has run into some issues this year.
According to a press release issued by the Lake Carriers Association, the sudden onset of winter has caused the USCG to prioritize removing buoys and navigational equipment in lake waters before they get damaged by ice.
The only heavy ice breaker ship in operation under the USGC, the MACKINAW, has been working with several other ice-breaking tug boats to move this equipment. Thus, the USGC has no icebreakers to spare for aiding cargo ships across the Great Lakes’ icy waters.
“The U.S. Coast Guard is focused on their acquisition of Arctic Security Cutters, yet they can’t even keep our internal domestic waters open. This is a major national security problem if steel mills in the U.S. cannot have a reliable supply chain during the winter” stated Jim Weakley, President of the Lake Carriers’ Association.
Canadian ports along the lakes are also fighting frozen waters, but the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) has three icebreaker ships to help carry out its ice-breaking operations.
The CCG has only had access to two of its heavy icebreaker ships this year, as the third ship has been stuck at port in Sarnia, Ontario, due to an engineering problem.
Crews from both the USCG and CCG have been working hard to clear pathways for cargo ships, but these delays will negatively affect commercial traffic this year.
