OFFICIALS report that Great Lakes cargo from January to November was about four per cent down year on year, attributed to declining coal demand, reports the Times Herald of Port Huron, Michigan.
The Lake Carriers Association, representing US-flag vessel operators on the Great Lakes, reported that by November, coal shipments for 2012 were at 23 million tons, 25 per cent lower than the five-year average.
Association vice president Glen Nekvasil said a decrease in the shipments of coal to Canada has contributed to the decline. "Canada is phasing out the use of coal for power generation," he said.
But shipments of the other commodities two main cargo moved on the Great Lakes, iron ore and limestone, are similar to numbers from years past.
Also contributing are lower water levels. In 1997, when lake levels were at their highest, large ships were able to carry 72,000 tons of cargo. As the 2012 season comes to an end, ships are carrying 60,000 - 61,000 tons.
"We have taken a major hit here in terms of cargo capacity," he said. "The main problem for us remains lack of dredging."
Seventeen million cubic yards of sediment needs to be removed from ports and waterways before the ships can start carrying the full cargo load again, he said.
"The money is there, it's just not being spent," Mr Nekvasil said. "They're using the surplus to help mask the size of the federal deficit."
He added said legislation would require the government to spend the entire fund each year on dredging projects across the US.
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