Chemical Barge News

The Port of Erie is located on the southeast shore of Lake Erie in a natural bay formed and sheltered by Presque Isle peninsula. Its harbor entrance channel is narrow and 29 feet deep. Dredging is a constant concern. In fact, dredging of harbors around the Great Lakes has been a hot button issue for the maritime industry. Funding is provided by the Harbor Maintenance Tax which is a user fee collected by the federal government to ensure the adequate maintenance and operations of waterway infrastructure by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. On Tuesday, March 4, the Corps released their FY14 budget. It included an additional $25 million for Great Lakes harbors - $13.8 million of which will be dedicated to dredging.

Erie, Pennsylvania shipyard, Donjon Shipbuilding & Repair, reported that Seabulk Tankers has placed an order with them for a petroleum and chemical barge. The wholly owned subsidiary of Donjon Marine Co. Inc. whose main office is in Hillside, N.J., said they have entered into a contract with Seabulk Tankers to construct one 185,000 barrel coastal petroleum and chemical barge, which will become the barge component of an Articulated Tug and Barge (ATB) unit. Delivery is expected in the first half of 2016. J. Arnold White, President and CEO of Donjon Marine Co.