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Cornel Martin News

23 Jan 2019

Inland River Cruising: 2019 Will Be Busy

The American Song (CREDIT: ACL)

One year ago, we reported on vacation river cruising, presenting an industry mostly on the optimistic side of growth and expansion for 2018. This year’s review is more geographically limited – to the Mississippi River, heartland cruises centered among New Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis and St. Paul – but with links important for a lot of smaller cities in between.Big picture:This industry is strong, at least among its two major players: American Cruise Lines and the American Queen Steamboat Company. Both have extensive and varied schedules for 2019.

20 Jun 2011

WCI Calls for Emergency Funding

Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) received the House Appropriations Committee’s approval yesterday of its version of the FY 2012 Energy and Water Appropriations bill. House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen also offered an amendment providing $1.028 billion in emergency funding to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to repair damage caused by recent storms and floods on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, and to prepare for future disasters. The emergency funding is offset by a rescission of the remaining emergency High Speed Rail funding that was originally approved in the stimulus bill. The emergency funding in the amendment must still go through the legislative process in the House and the Senate…

17 Jun 2011

WCI Applauds USACE Emergency Funding in House Committee Bill

Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) is encouraged by the House Appropriations Committee’s approval of its version of the FY 2012 Energy and Water Appropriations bill and an amendment offered by House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen providing $1.028 billion in emergency funding to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to repair damage caused by recent storms and floods on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, and to prepare for future disasters. The emergency funding is offset by a rescission of the remaining emergency High Speed Rail funding that was originally approved in the stimulus bill. The emergency funding in the amendment must still go through the legislative process in the House and the Senate…

04 May 2011

Cornel Martin Departs Waterways Council

Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) President and CEO Cornel Martin has announced that he will be departing the organization at the end of June. On July 1, 2008, I was offered and accepted the job of President and CEO of Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI). Over the last three years, we have made great progress restructuring and improving the organization, working with the Corps of Engineers and industry leaders to develop a plan to provide for the long-term future of inland waterways infrastructure investment for our nation…

18 Feb 2011

WCI Honors Congressman Rogers

Congressman Hal Rogers (R-KY), Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee (center), was presented Waterways Council, Inc.'s (WCI) 10th Annual Leadership Service Award from Cornel Martin, WCI President and CEO (left) and Rick Calhoun, WCI Chairman of the Board (right).  Rep. Rogers was presented the WCI award for his work championing ports and waterways issues at a dinner on February 16, 2011 in Washington, DC.

15 Nov 2010

Where are Rivers and Ports in Obama’s Plan?

One of the two miter gates of the auxiliary chamber close behind the MV Sir Robert at Locks 27 in Granite City, Ill. Photo courtesy USACE

Waterways Council’s Inc. (WCI) and its more than 200 members were surprised and disappointed with President Obama’s announcement on September 6 that he intends to ask Congress for at least $50 billion in funding for infrastructure but made no mention of waterways infrastructure projects. Roads, rails and runways — why not Rivers? WCI issued a press statement reacting to the Obama announcement: “While the nation celebrated Labor Day and all that the workforce has done to make America great…

14 Apr 2010

Waterways Plan Sent to Congress

The Inland Waterways Users Board adopted a final report that accompanies a new comprehensive, consensus-based package of recommendations formulated by an industry and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers working group to improve the continued vitality of the U.S. inland navigation system over the next 20 years. The report and recommendations are being sent to Congress and if adopted, will better address the needs of the entire system and provide more dollars for greatly needed infrastructure improvements. The Users Board is a federal advisory committee that provides advice to Congress and the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works). This…

12 Mar 2010

WCI on 2011 Civil Works Budget

Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) held a press event on March 8 at the National Press Club to address the President’s FY 2011 budget request for the Army Corps of Engineers, and to outline the new comprehensive, consensus-based package of recommendations formulated by an industry and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers working group to improve the reliability of the U.S. inland navigation system over the next 20 years. If adopted by Congress, these recommendations will better address the needs of the entire system and provide more funding for much needed infrastructure improvements. The set of recommendations is receiving strong indications of…

04 Feb 2010

WCI on Gate Failure at Greenup Locks & Dam

Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) President & CEO Cornel Martin has issued the following statement regarding the January 27, 2010 failure of the miter gate at the main lock chamber at Greenup Locks and Dam on the Ohio River near Huntington, W.V. As a result of this incident, the Ohio River was closed to navigation for several days. The main chamber will remain closed for at least up to eight weeks. The auxiliary lock is currently back in operation; however, as repairs progress on the main chamber additional closures of the auxiliary lock may occur. The failure of the miter gate arm and the decision to curtail lockages through the auxiliary…

03 Feb 2010

WCI Urges Adoption of Waterways Proposal

On the heels of the release of the President’s FY 2011 budget, Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) is urging Congress to adopt a new comprehensive, consensus-based package of recommendations formulated by an industry and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers working group to ensure the continued vitality of the U.S. inland navigation system for the next 20 years. If adopted, these recommendations would better address the needs of the entire system and provide more dollars for greatly needed infrastructure improvements. This proposal is supported by industry and government as a way to fund the navigation system in lieu of the imposition of a lockage fee unsuccessfully offered in the last two fiscal year budgets and strongly opposed by WCI and Members of Congress.

25 Oct 2009

Waterways Council Names Officers & Directors

Richard R. (Rick) Calhoun, Cargo Carriers, Chairman; Cornel Martin, President & CEO; Merritt Lane, Canal Barge Line, Vice Chairman; Rodney Weinzierl, Illinois Corn Growers Association, Vice Chairman;  Matt Woodruff, Kirby Corporation, Counsel; Peter Stephaich, Campbell Transportation Company, Secretary; Cherrie Felder, Channel Shipyard Company, Treasurer. Dan Mecklenborg, Ingram Barge Line Co., was named Immediate Past Chairman, and Berdon Lawrence, Kirby Corporation and Mark Knoy, AEP River Operations, were named Honorary Past Chairmen. Named to At Large positions were Michael Hennessey, CONSOL Energy Co.; Tim Parker, Jr., Parker Towing Company; Stephen Little, Crounse Corporation; and Dale Roth, Carpenter’s District Council of Greater St. Louis and Vicinity.

05 Oct 2009

Waterways Council on Lock & Dam Failure

Waterways Council, Inc. The failure of Markland’s main chamber miter gate is disturbing for many reasons, namely that the repair could take 90 days or longer to complete. This means that shippers, who rely on the inland waterways system to ship America’s building block commodities such as coal for electric power generation, grain to feed the world market, petroleum products for fuel, steel for construction, or aggregate materials for a myriad of uses, could face serious delays in transporting those cargoes. Consumers, who ultimately receive and benefit from the commodities shipped on the waterways, could incur higher costs and significant delays waiting for those goods. Waterways council, Inc.

15 May 2009

WCI Opposes Inland Waterways Lockage Fee

Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) is urging the swift rejection of a proposal to phase out the current inland waterways tax on diesel fuel and replace it with a lock usage fee included in President Obama’s FY 2010 proposed budget. This same idea was proposed by the Bush Administration, and soundly rejected by the 110th Congress. Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Terrence Salt testified this week before the House Appropriations Committee’s Energy and Water Development Subcommittee in support of the Army Corps of Engineers FY 2010 budget, including the lockage fee proposal. “This lockage fee is an ill-conceived proposal that should be rejected by this Congress just as it was by the last Congress.

05 Dec 2008

Waterways Council - Officers & Directors

At the Annual Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) Membership Meeting and Board of Directors Meeting held October 29 in St. Louis, the following officers and Executive Committee members were elected to serve or continue service for 2008-2009:  Dan Mecklenborg, Senior Vice President, HR & Chief Legal Officer, Ingram Barge Company, remains as Chairman of the Board; Cornel Martin, was elected President and CEO; Steve Little, President and CEO, Crounse Corporation, remains as General Counsel; Peter Stephaich, Chairman, Campbell Transportation Co., was re-elected Secretary; Cherrie Felder, Vice President, Channel Shipyard, remains as Treasurer. Former WCI President and CEO R. Barry Palmer was named President Emeritus. Also named to new terms as officers were Richard R.

04 Jun 2004

Emerging from Fog

The various segments of the passenger vessel industry have undergone significant transformation in the last 12 months. It looks stronger as we head into the last six months of the year with ferries and charter yachts leading the way. Frankly, a year ago the passenger vessel industry was in some disarray faced with developing a security plan to meet the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 passed in Congress in wake of terrorism threats. Developing such a comprehensive plan by the end of 2003 proved to be an almost impossible task for an industry made up of mostly small boat owners. Coming to the rescue was the industry's trade association the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA). They developed the PVA Industry Standard for Security of Passenger Vessels and Small Passenger Vessels.

26 Feb 2003

Frommelt Named President of PVA

Gary Frommelt, Hornblower Marine Services, Elizabeth, Ind., was elected 2003 PVA President on February 18 during the PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2003 held in Long Beach, CA. Other officers elected were PVA Vice President, David B. Clark, Golden Gate Ferry , Larkspur, CA, and PVA Secretary-Treasurer, Cornel Martin, Delta Queen Steamboat Company, New Orleans, LA. Frommelt serves as project manager for Hornblower Marine Services as director of marine operations for Caesars Indiana-home to the largest riverboat casino in the world. Frommelt was most recently PVA Vice President, has served on the PVA Board of Directors since 1996, and has been a long-term member of the Safety Committee.