Ohio River Valley News

EFI Foundation CEO Ernest J. Moniz has published a new report, supported by carbon capture solutions company Carbon Clean, that describes a new coordinated regional approach in the US with great potential for significant carbon emissions reductions.The report, “A New Industrial Backbone: Exploring U.S. Regional CCUS Hubs for Small-to-Midsize Industrial Emitters” lays out a blueprint that calls for a hub approach to carbon capture.The study identifies four regional hubs in the…

Low water levels on the Mississippi River are likely to persist this winter as drier-than-normal weather is expected across the southern United States and Gulf Coast, U.S. government forecasters said on Thursday.Drought, which currently spans 59% of the country, is expected to continue or worsen in the middle and lower Mississippi River valley as well as in much of the West and the Great Plains, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center said in its winter (December-February) outlook.Above-average precipitation…

The U.S. Coast Guard commissioned a new station, Coast Guard Station Paducah, during a ceremony held Thursday at the Carson Center in Paducah, Ky.Presiding over the ceremony was Capt. Amy Beach, commander of Sector Ohio River Valley. Station Paducah’s officer in charge is Chief Petty Officer Michael Sheahan.The station is responsible for search and rescue, recreational boating safety, ports, waterways, flood response, and coastal security. The station's area of responsibility ranges from mile marker 867 to mile marker 981 on the Ohio River…

A  recently completed a $2 million capital improvement project aims to attract more cargo to one of the nation’s largest inland ports.Situated 153 miles from the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, the Port of Indiana-Mount Vernon connects the Ohio River Valley region’s agriculture, coal and manufacturing industries to the rest of the world via year-round access to the Gulf of Mexico and Great Lakes through the inland waterways system.Each year, more than 3,600 barges…

Late last year, the Transportation Research Board released a major study that was undertaken “in response to the rapid development of domestic sources of energy and questions about the safest ways to move these products.” The Study Committee examined the operational responses of the three primary modes impacted by the fracking revolution – rail, pipeline and maritime. A primary observation of this work was that that the “Marine Transportation System Offers a Model for Robust Safety…

Following the Panama Canal expansion in 2016, up to 10 percent of container traffic to the U.S. from East Asia could shift from West Coast ports to East Coast ports by 2020, according to new research conducted by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and C.H. Robinson. Rerouting that volume is equivalent to building a port roughly double the size of the ports in Savannah and Charleston. The research -- which involved extensive scenario analyses based on differing levels of demand…

The U.S. Coast Guard is responding to the sinking of a towing vessel on the Ohio River near Golconda, Illinois, Wednesday. Coast Guard Sector Ohio River Valley watchstanders were notified the towing vessel David Dunnigan sank while working near mile marker 897.5, at approximately 8 p.m. The David Dunnigan reportedly capsized, sank and drifted down river. The exact location of the sunken vessel is unknown at this time. Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley Captain of the Port, Capt. Richard Timme, has restricted vessel operations from mile marker 896.5 to mile marker 900 on the Ohio River as a precaution until the position of the vessel is determined. The towing vessel is reportedly carrying an estimated 3,000 gallons of fuel oil on board.

The Coast Guard is investigating a fatal collision between a towboat and a pleasure craft near Cincinnati, Thursday evening. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Ohio River Valley received notification of the incident from the Bellvue-Dayton Fire Department, who conducted initial response efforts along with Cincinnati Fire Department and Newport Fire Department. The Coast Guard responded by issuing an urgent marine information broadcast to boaters and establishing a safety zone in the vicinity of the incident. “We offer deepest condolences to the family and friends affected by this incident,” said Capt. Richard Timme, Commander, Sector Ohio Valley. “The Coast Guard will conduct a thorough investigation of the incident.”

The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating a fatal collision between a towboat and a pleasure craft near Cincinnati, Thursday evening. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Ohio River Valley received notification of the incident from the Bellvue-Dayton Fire Department, who conducted initial response efforts along with Cincinnati Fire Department and Newport Fire Department. The Coast Guard responded by issuing an urgent marine information broadcast to boaters and establishing a safety zone in the vicinity of the incident. “We offer deepest condolences to the family and friends affected by this incident,” said Capt. Richard Timme, Commander, Sector Ohio Valley. “The Coast Guard will conduct a thorough investigation of the incident.”

The U.S. Coast Guard USCG) said it is responding to a report of a grounded towing vessel near mile marker 65 on the Ohio River, Wednesday. A slight sheen has been reported in the vicinity of the vessel, which the USCG said has been contained by boom. Watchstanders with Coast Guard Sector Ohio River Valley received the initial notification at about 10 p.m. Monday, of the vessel Elizabeth D grounding near the right descending bank of the river while reportedly pushing 12 empty coal barges down river. Investigating officers with Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Pittsburgh responded to the grounding, and the USCG is presently working with the vessel owner and maritime representatives to safely refloat the vessel while working to reduce any environmental impact.

Company announces offering of $650 million senior secured term loan. Commercial Barge Line Company  announced results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2012. For the year, the Company reported total revenues of $811.6 million and Adjusted EBITDAR of $232.1 million. Compared to 2011 results, revenues declined $41.4 million, or 4.9%, while Adjusted EBITDAR improved by $57.8 million, or 33.2%. For the quarter, total revenues were $207.9 million compared to $244.5 million in 2011 and Adjusted EBITDAR was $62.8 million compared to $60.3 million in 2011. Commenting on the results, Mark Knoy, President and Chief Executive Officer…

Many rivers in the upper Midwest and northern Plains remain above flood stage, and the threat for more flooding will continue through the summer, forecasters at NOAA’s National Weather Service said today. With rivers running high and soils completely saturated, just a small amount of rain could trigger more flooding, including areas that have already seen major to record flooding. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting above-normal rain in most of these vulnerable areas in the next two weeks, and above-normal rainfall in much of the region in the one- and three-month outlooks. Adding to the flood threat will be the rising temperatures over the Rockies, which will release the water from the remaining snowpack.

American Commercial Lines Inc. announced it has established a national sales force in key geographic locations. The Regional Sales Directors include Mr. Vanta Coda -- Gulf Region, Mr. Gabe Forir -- Midwest Region, Mr. Michael Wiercinski -- MidAtlantic/Northeast, Mr. Neil Grossman -- Southeast Region, Mr. John Bryan -- Pittsburgh, and Mr. Sean Smith -- Ohio River Valley. The new directors have extensive backgrounds in rail, barge, 3PL logistics, chemical transportation, pulp and paper transportation, trucking, and truck brokerage.

The Mississippi River near the Kentucky-Tennessee border reopened to southbound barge traffic early Thursday (Feb. 17) after the motor vessel Navigator sank Tuesday night and backed up barge traffic, the U.S. Coast Guard said. About 20 southbound tows were awaiting passage when the river was reopened at 8:15 a.m. CST (1415 GMT) Thursday, said Lt. Cmdr. Bruce Fisher, the Coast Guard's chief of port operations in Memphis. "At this point it will take about a day and a half to move that line of vessels," said Fisher. There should be no delay for northbound barges. The river was reopened to northbound traffic Wednesday afternoon and the tows that were awaiting passage had cleared the area by Wednesday night, Fisher said.