Great Lakes shipping supports 240,000 U.S. jobs around the Great Lakes.

The cargo that freighters haul to the port of Bay Aggregates, Inc. in Bay City, is the lifeblood of industry throughout mid-Michigan. Mount Pleasant-area companies – mostly in construction industries – are some of the jobs that directly benefit from Great Lakes shipping.

“Our facility in Bay City is not only for concrete,” said Fisher Transportation President Doug Moore. “But it is a port for all types of different applications.”

According to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers report, if all cargo carried by Great Lakes freighters were instead carried by the next cheapest mode of transportation, it would cost $3.6 billion more. The report said the 240,000 jobs are in the steel, mining and construction industries, including 44,000 jobs that are related to maritime transport.

“Our company moves over 20 million tons of freight a year,” said Mark Barker, president of Interlake Steamship Company. “That’s a big economic impact, for sure.”

Freighters carry materials such as iron ore, coal, limestone, cement mix, salt, sand and grain.

The report outlined a five-year Great Lakes navigation system plan to restore the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, along with construction of a new lock, removal of dredging backlog around the Great Lakes, expansion and construction of dredged material disposal facilities, and repair of breakwaters and structures.

The U.S. Corps of Engineers’ rationale for building a new lock to fit all ships is the importance of the Poe Lock. It fits every ship on the Great Lakes and if it were to malfunction, an unscheduled 30-day shutdown for repairs could lead to industries losing a total of $160 million of cargo.

More than 80 million tons of commercial commodities pass through the Soo Locks each year. The report said one 1,000-foot freighter carries as much cargo as seven 100-car trains, or 3,000 semi-trucks.

Barker said the safety record of freighter shipping is another example of Great Lakes shipping.

“Our largest ship, for example, the Paul Tregurtha, has gone 2,361 days without a lost-time injury,” he said. “I would say it’s safe to transport on the water.”

Barker said the Paul Tregurtha is 1,013 feet long and 105 feet wide. It’s the largest ship on the Great Lakes, with only a 21-man crew.

‘Green’ shipping

Even with a massive cargo capacity, the environmental impact of freighter shipping is very little, said Lake Carriers’ Association Corp. communications vice president, Glen Nekvasil.

“Those ships are the most environmentally friendly mode of transportation out there,” Nekvasil said. “And you never have to stop at something like a railroad crossing and wait for a ship to pass by.”

A Great Lakes freighter with a 1,000 ton load produces 90 percent less carbon dioxide emissions than a dump truck with the same load and 70 percent less than a train.

“To move a ton of cargo per gallon of fuel, our ships will go more than 600 miles,” Nekvasil said. “A train with one ton of cargo, will go 200 miles. A dumptruck, about 60.”

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E-mail the author: Adam Niemi