The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), on behalf of its US member companies, issued a press release Thursday to thank the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and US Congress for working with the Lake Carriers Association (LCA) and our member companies to compromise on environmental regulations for large vessels sailing on the US Great Lakes.
"AISI would like to thank the US EPA and Congressmen Obey (D-WI) and Oberstar (D-MN) for their leadership in reaching this important compromise," Thomas J. Gibson, president and CEO of AISI, said. "The decision to allow for the continued sale of residual fuel for consumption in existing maritime boilers helps sustain the maritime economy on the Great Lakes, which includes the shipping of raw materials for steelmaking."
The three-part compromise states that: 1) the Great Lakes steamships will be exempted from the new EPA regulations, as steamships cannot burn low-sulfur fuel without risking a catastrophic engine explosion; 2) the final rule issue by EPA will include a waiver provision to address either the inadequate supply of low-sulfur fuel or serious economic hardship caused by the increased cost of such fuel (the Category 3 diesel ships on the Great Lakes would be able to apply); and 3) EPA will evaluate the economic impact of the final rule on Great Lakes carriers, and issue a report within six months.
Tens of thousands of employees in mining, transportation, processing and other elements of the supply chain upstream and downstream of the steel mills on the Great Lakes have a significant stake in the decisions made by the EPA and Congress, according to AISI. AISI said it and its member companies are committed to the protection of the Great Lakes and look forward to working with the EPA and Congress toward enhancing one of the country's most valuable resources.