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James L Oberstar News

25 Apr 2017

Nearly Half of Interlake Fleet Fit with Scrubbers

Photo: Interlake Steamship Company

The M/V Mesabi Miner has sailed from Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Company in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., becoming Interlake Steamship Company’s fourth self-unloading bulk carrier to be outfitted with exhaust gas scrubbers. Interlake became the first U.S.-flag fleet to test freshwater scrubbers on the Great Lakes in April 2015 after pioneering the emission-reduction technology on its M/V Hon. James L. Oberstar. In 2016, the company outfitted its first thousand foot vessel, the M/V James R. Barker, and its 826-foot M/V Lee A. Tregurtha in its second phase of exhaust gas scrubber implementation.

21 Mar 2017

Clean Shipping on the Great Lakes

Photo: The Interlake Steamship Company

Maritime Reporter & Engineering News recently spoke with Mark Barker, president of The Interlake Steamship Company, who has sent its fourth vessel — its second 1,000-footer — to be outfitted with exhaust gas scrubbers. After seriously pursuing the possibility of converting its ships to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG) several years ago, U.S. based Great Lakes shipper The Interlake Steamship Company found that the region’s LNG infrastructure was simply not present to support such conversions.

22 Jun 2016

Scrubbers Installed on Another Great Lakes Bulker

M/V Lee A. Tregurtha (Photo: Interlake Steamship Company)

The Interlake Steamship Company’s M/V Lee A. Tregurtha sailed today from Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Company in Sturgeon Bay, Wisc., becoming the shipper’s third self-unloading bulk carrier to be outfitted with exhaust gas scrubbers. Interlake became the first U.S.-flag fleet to test scrubbers on the Great Lakes in April 2015 after pioneering the emission-reduction technology on its M/V Hon. James L. Oberstar. Earlier this month, the M/V James R. Barker sailed as the fleet’s first 1,000-footer with scrubbers. “With the Lee A.

13 Jun 2016

Interlake Steamship Continues Scrubber Upgrades

M/V James R. Barker (File photo: The Interlake Steamship Company)

The M/V James R. Barker sailed Sunday from Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding Company in Sturgeon Bay, Wisc., becoming Interlake Steamship Company’s first 1,000-footer and its second self-unloading bulk carrier to be outfitted with exhaust gas scrubbers. Interlake became the first U.S.-flag fleet to test scrubbers on the Great Lakes in April 2015 after pioneering the emission-reduction technology on its M/V Hon. James L. Oberstar. “Implementing this innovative scrubber system on our 1…

23 Oct 2015

Interlake Steamship to Install More Scrubbers

(Photo: Interlake Steamship Company)

As vessel owners struggle over the best and most efficient means to meet stringent new emission regulations, the Interlake Steamship Company has proven phase one of emissions-reduction technology on Great Lakes;  and two additional ships are to be outfitted with exhaust gas scrubbers in 2016. Following the implementation of exhaust gas scrubbers on its self-unloading bulk carrier M/V Hon. James L. Oberstar, the Interlake Steamship Company said it plans to expand its emission-reduction efforts to one-third of its fleet by installing similar scrubber systems on the M/V Lee A.

17 Aug 2015

Cutting Emissions: Interlake Installs Marine Scrubbers

DuPont marine scrubber during Interlake loading. (Photo courtesy of  DuPont Marine)

As shipping companies struggle to find their preferred solutions for meeting strict new emission mandates, Ohio-based Interlake Steamship has found a good partner in DuPont Marine Scrubbers. Interlake awarded DuPont Sustainable Solutions, through its subsidiary Belco Technologies Corporation (BELCO), an additional contract to supply DuPont Marine Scrubber systems for two more vessels. The M/V James R. Barker, the first 1,000-ft.class vessel to be built entirely on the Great Lakes back in 1976, and the Lee A.

11 Aug 2015

Interlake Steamship to Install Scrubbers on 2 More Ships

M/V Lee A. Tregurtha (Photo: Interlake Steamship Company)

Following the implementation of exhaust gas scrubbers on its self-unloading bulk carrier M/V Hon. James L. Oberstar, the Interlake Steamship Company has announced its plans to expand its emission-reduction efforts to one-third of its fleet by installing similar scrubber systems on the M/V Lee A. Tregurtha and M/V James R. Barker early next year. In April 2015, Interlake became the first U.S.-flag fleet to test freshwater scrubbers on the Great Lakes when the system became operational on the 806-foot Oberstar.

09 Jun 2015

Interlake Steamship Nears Final Stage of $100m Fleet Upgrade

S.S. Herbert C. Jackson (Photo: The Interlake Steamship Company)

The Interlake Steamship Company announced that it will repower its last steamship, the S.S. Herbert C. Jackson, with a highly automated diesel propulsion system in the final phase of a 10-year, $100 million modernization effort to create the most efficient, reliable and environmentally friendly fleet on the Great Lakes. The six-month diesel conversion, which is slated to begin in mid-December, is the fifth major overhaul to Interlake’s fleet and its fourth steam-to-diesel conversion since 2006.

07 May 2014

Maritime Community to Pay Tribute Oberstar

M/V Hon. James L. Oberstar (Photo courtesy The Interlake Steamship Company)

The Great Lakes Maritime community will honor Former Rep. James Oberstar on Thursday, May 8. All U.S.-flag vessels working the Great Lakes will lower their flags to half-mast in honor of Congressman Oberstar. Also on May 8, at almost the same time funeral services for Congressman James L. Oberstar are scheduled to get under way in Washington D.C., the U.S.-flag laker that bears his name is scheduled to arrive in the Port of Duluth-Superior to load iron ore pellets – a Great Lakes…

20 May 2011

Christening of MV Hon. James L. Oberstar

Photo courtesy The Interlake Steamship Company

On Tuesday, May 24, 2011, the Interlake Steamship Company vessel M/V Hon. James L. Oberstar will be christened at Duluth, Minn. Mr. Oberstar and his wife Jean, the Sponsor of the ship, will be on hand for the christening. Due to Homeland Security regulations, only invited guests will be allowed access to the vessel for tours beginning at 9 am, followed by a press conference at 9:30 am and the christening ceremony at 10:30 am. The general public wishing to view the ceremony can get a birdseye view from the Canal Park side of the blue pedestrian bridge.

08 Mar 2011

Ship Rechristened to Honor Former Congressman Oberstar

Image courtesy The Interlake Steamship Company

In his 47-year Congressional career, former Congressman Jim Oberstar has received many honors. But few are as big – literally – as the announcement that The Interlake Steamship Company will rename and rechristen one of its massive ships the MV Hon. James L. Oberstar this spring. The vessel will sail from layup in March as the MV Hon. James L. Oberstar, and will be rechristened in a ceremony at Duluth later this spring. The ship stretches longer than two-and-a-half football fields – 805 ft to be exact – with a beam of 75 ft and a current carrying capacity of 31,000 gross tons.

30 Jul 2010

WRDA Passage to End Lakes Dredging Crisis

The end of the dredging crisis on the Great Lakes moved a giant step closer today when a key House committee approved legislation requiring the federal government to spend all the tax dollars it collects for dredging on dredging rather than use nearly half to balance the budget - at least on paper. Section 2007 of H.R. 5892, the Water Resources Development Act of 2010, mandates that all tax revenues annually deposited in the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) be used to dredge the nation’s deep-draft ports and waterways. Because the government does not spend all the tax dollars it raises for dredging, the HMTF currently has a surplus of more than $5b.

31 Mar 2009

New Great Lakes Icebreaker

Legislation authorizing construction of a new icebreaker for the Great Lakes is being applauded by the Great Lakes shipping community as key to the industry’s future. H.R. 1747, the Great Lakes Icebreaker Replacement Act of 2009, was introduced in the House of Representatives on March 26 by Rep. James L. Oberstar (D-MN). “The Great Lakes are in desperate need of another modern icebreaker,” said Don Cree, President of Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF) and President of the Toledo (Ohio) Port Council. “Most of the U.S. Coast Guard’s icebreaking assets are nearing the end of their productive lives. As a result, freighters have been experiencing significant delays and even suffering extensive damage.

25 Mar 2009

CG Acquisition Improvements

On March 24, Congressman Elijah E. “The first hearing I convened during my tenure as the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation two years ago examined the mismanagement of the Coast Guard’s $24 billion Deepwater program intended to modernize the service’s surface and air assets. As confirmed at this morning’s hearing, the Coast Guard has taken significant steps since 2007 to improve the oversight and management of its acquisition programs and to position itself to effectively manage contractors and protect taxpayers’ investments in Coast Guard assets. “I was very pleased to learn of the agreement…

30 Sep 2008

Malfunction Underscores Need for Second Poe-Sized Lock

A malfunction of the Poe Lock at Sault Ste. Marie, , on September 24 has illustrated the pressing need for Congress to appropriate the funds to build another lock capable of handling the largest U.S.-Flag Great Lakes freighters. Although the vessel delays totaled only about three hours, had the problem been more severe, cargo movement on the Lakes would have slowed to a trickle. U.S.-Flag Lakers whose length and/or beam restrict them to the Poe Lock represent 70 percent of U.S.-Flag carrying capacity. “The Poe Lock that connects Lake Superior to the lower Great Lakes is the single point of failure that can cripple shipping,” said James H.I. Weakley, President of Lake Carriers’ Association. “In 2007, the Poe Lock handled nearly 65 million tons of cargo.

14 Jun 2007

Cummings, Oberstar Introduce Act to Reform Deepwater

Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, introduced the Integrated Deepwater Program Reform Act to bring significant reform to the Coast Guard's highly troubled $24b, 25-year Deepwater acquisitions program. Chairman Cummings was joined in introducing the Act by Congressman James L. Oberstar (D-MN), Chairman of the full Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Among other reforms, the Act would prohibit the use of a private sector lead systems integrator for the Deepwater program two years after its enactment, require the use of full and open competition for acquisitions made under Deepwater…

17 Apr 2007

Chairman Cummings Applauds Coast Guard's Move to Take Back the Helm of Deepwater Contract

Washington, D.C.-U.S. Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, applauded the Coast Guard for the changes it announced today to the Deepwater Acquisition Program. "Today, the Coast Guard has moved decisively to take back the helm of the Deepwater contract and to right this floundering procurement program. "Deepwater has had problems since its inception stemming from failures both on the part of the Coast Guard to exercise effective managerial oversight and on the part of the contractors working on the program to make quality and the full satisfaction of contractual requirements their top priorities.

16 Apr 2007

T&I Committee Urges Coast Guard to Examine Future of Deepwater Contract

James L. Oberstar (Minn.), Chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (Md.), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, today called on the U.S. Coast Guard to restructure the Deepwater Program, which is critical to the mission readiness of the Coast Guard. Under the Deepwater Program, the Coast Guard is procuring 91 cutters, more than 100 small surface craft, and 244 new or converted aircraft, including helicopters and fixed-wing airplanes. "Congress has seen time and time again that the Executive Branch is trying to contract out program management duties that should be carried out by Federal employees.

11 Mar 2003

Rep. Oberstar Named Port Person of the Year

U.S. Rep. James L. Oberstar, who is widely known among colleagues as "Mr. will receive the award Tuesday, March 25, at 8:30 a.m. keynote address. Monday, March 24, through Wednesday, March 26. Authority, who nominated Oberstar for the award. was known as the House Public Works Committee. committee. amendments. including conversion to equity of the original St. elimination of U.S. 1,200-ft. lock at Sault Ste. Navigational Review Study in 1999.

11 Jan 2006

GLMRI to Receive $2M in Federal Funding

The Great Lakes Maritime Research Institute (GLMRI), a joint effort by the University of Wisconsin-Superior and the University of Minnesota Duluth, will receive $2 million in federal funding. This is the second year of funding for the GLMRI collaboration, which now totals $2.75 million. Congressman James L. Oberstar (MN-8) secured the original authorization for the initiative, and Congressman Obey secured the funding in the recently-passed transportation appropriations bill. The Institute’s goal is to help maintain and promote maritime transportation on the Great Lakes. Initial research will focus on the economics and development of the Great Lakes marine transportation system…

28 Mar 2007

House Passes Bill to Reduce Pollution from Ships

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) hailed passage of a bill in the U.S. visiting this country’s seaports. 2007 (H.R. 802), sponsored by Congressmen James L. of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure) and Elijah E. Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL Convention) Annex VI. Annex VI,” said Kurt Nagle, AAPA’s president and CEO. U.S. requirements. which will improve the air quality in many port communities,” he said. MARPOL Annex VI entered into force in May 2005. sets limits on sulfur oxide emissions from ship exhausts. controls. Air quality issues are particularly relevant for more than 30 U.S. (NAAQS). not achieve these standards must take action to reduce air emissions.