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ADMINISTRATOR’S COLUMNCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1tion of the SLSDC and the Great LakesSt. Lawrence Seaway System, increasingour impact and supporting economicgrowth in the Great Lakes region – NorthAmerica’s Opportunity Belt – workingwith our Great Lakes ports to maximizetheir unique attributes and vision, andeducating the public and policy makersabout the benefits of maritime shipping.As my term draws to a close, due to theupcoming change in the Administration,I would like to share with you somethoughts about the progress wehave made.As Administrator, I have been honoredto work with the capable leaders at ourGreat Lakes ports and am happy toreport that the SLSDC continues to offerour support for their initiatives. To thatend, the SLSDC has stepped up effortsto assist our ports in a number of ways.We are working to provide informationrelated to trade patterns, potentialcargoes, and other statistical analysisfor use in attracting new business. Wehave also led trade missions throughthe bi-national Highway H2O programand enhanced outreach to current andpotential users of the System. In addition,we have facilitated solutions to thechallenges encountered at times byour users and stakeholders.An example of the results of the SLSDC’ssupport and work with our ports can beseen in the development and implementation of the first new regularly scheduledinternational liner service to a U.S. portin many years. Launched under theleadership of the Port of Cleveland in2014, the Cleveland Europe Express hasgrown with the addition of new cargoes,additional vessels, and more destinationsin world markets. The addition of thisscheduled service to and from the heartof North America represents a tremendous vote of confidence in Great Lakesshipping, and has resulted in new cargofor the System and a renewed interest in4SeawayCompass Fall 2016our waterway and the Great Lakes regiondomestically and internationally. TheSLSDC remains committed to workingwith the Port of Cleveland to support thisinitiative and to working with all of ourGreat Lakes ports to provide support andoffer whatever assistance possible asthey pursue their goals.Building on the strong foundationand close working relationship wehave with the Canadian St. LawrenceSeaway Management Corporation(SLSMC), both Seaway Corporationshave been working hard to increasewaterborne transportation, stimulaterobust trade, and expand the movementof freight via maritime across the GreatLakes Seaway System. To enhance theSLSDC’s trade and economic development mission, a new Great LakesRegional Outreach Initiative was unveiledin February 2015. A Great Lakes RegionalRepresentative now coordinates closelyon a full-time basis with governmental,non-governmental and industry stakeholders across the Great Lakes region.The program is successfully facilitatingefforts to increase maritime trade,emphasizing Great Lakes SeawaySystem maritime transportation inregional planning, promoting federalmaritime transportation and fundingassistance programs, and working torebrand the Great Lakes region witha name reflective of what it is: “TheOpportunity Belt.”The SLSDC’s ongoing Asset RenewalProgram (ARP) is modernizing andrenewing the infrastructure necessaryto support the long-term reliabilityand viability of the entire Great LakesSt. Lawrence Seaway System. Sincethe ARP work began, the SLSDC hasinvested 109 million on 48 separateprojects that address various needs forthe two U.S. Seaway locks and Corporation vessels, facilities, and equipment.Furthermore, the SLSDC continues toeffectively manage the fiscal assets ofthe Corporation, to date having garnered53 consecutive clean audits, servingas a federal model for superior financialmanagement. The SLSDC’s operationalefficiencies are also noteworthy, as weroutinely maintain 99 percent systemavailability for our customers duringeach navigation season.Early in 2015, a report was released highlighting the public and private investmentsin the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seawaynavigation system. Based on a surveyof over 450 U.S. and Canadian publicorganizations and private companies, thereport found that nearly 7 billion is beingspent on asset renewal and infrastructureimprovements in the Seaway Systemby both the public and private sectors.These investments clearly demonstratethe continuing commitment of the U.S.and Canadian governments and stakeholders to the long-term health and vitalityof the Great Lakes Seaway System.At the SLDC, we are working to implement innovative, cutting-edge technologyin the Seaway System in order to provideenhanced safety and efficiency to ouroperations. New Hands Free Mooringtechnology will hold vessels in place inthe lock without wire ropes, reducingthe risks to line handlers and ship crews.Installation by the Canadian Seawayof this system has been underway forseveral years and is scheduled to becompleted at both U.S. locks by the endof 2018. Furthermore, the innovative andmulti-layered safety procedures usedthroughout the Great Lakes St. LawrenceSeaway System were documented in a2014 study and account for an enviablesafety record. Compared to other meansof transporting goods, shipping is theclear leader in terms of public andworkplace safety.Also noteworthy is that after persistentefforts by the SLSDC, during 2014,we saw the U.S. Customs and BorderProtection Agency approve longsought-after improvements to theclearance process for cruise ships

arriving in the Seaway System fromforeign countries. The ‘Closed LoopProgram’, now implemented in the GreatLakes Seaway System, streamlines shipinspection and passenger clearanceprocedures. This process eliminates theneed for our Great Lakes ports to developmulti-million dollar passenger terminalsand encourages more cruise lines tooperate on the Great Lakes.The SLSDC has also continued to fulfillits role as the environmental gatekeeperto the Great Lakes through its vigilancein mitigating and preventing the introduction of ship-borne aquatic invasivespecies into the Great Lakes. There havebeen no detections of new ship-borneinvaders since 2006, indicating thecurrent regulatory regime implementedby the SLSDC and its partners at theU.S. Coast Guard, Transport Canada,and the Canadian Seaway is working toprotect the Great Lakes. The most recentBallast Water Working Group reportdocuments the progress being madeboth in vessel compliance and in ballastwater inspection rates with 100 percentof ballast water tanks now undergoinginspection prior to a vessel’s entry intothe Seaway System.SLSDC has also been a leader in theeffort to create a reliable, responsive andinclusive program for educating the publicand policymakers on the operations andbenefits of marine transportation in theGreat Lakes Seaway System. In 2015,the SLSDC joined with Great LakesSeaway System stakeholders to establish a binational entity for this purpose.The Great Lakes Seaway Partnershipis comprised of representatives of theSLSDC, U.S. ports, U.S. flag carriers,and the Canadian international fleet. Thecollective effort is providing collaborationamong key stakeholders, consistency ofinformation and messaging, and greaterpublic and policymaker awareness of themaritime industry.Looking back, I believe we have energetically advanced our goals and missionon many fronts over the past few years.The various programs, activities, andefforts highlighted here are but a few ofthe many achievements happening onour waterway and are evidence of theSLSDC’s success in providing a safe,secure, reliable, efficient, and environmentally friendly waterway. I am proudof these achievements and know thatthe SLSDC will continue to be a modelfederal agency, always working to providethe best waterborne transportationsystem possible.Fednav Welcomes New Ship Featuring Innovative Ballast SystemThe Federal Caribou, one of seven new Fednav Limited’s ocean-goinglakers equipped with a new ballast water treatment system sailed into thePort of Indiana, Burns Harbor at the end of August. This vessel offers twolevels of protection to prevent the introduction of aquatic invasive species.First, it conducts a ballast water exchange or saltwater flushing in theNorth Atlantic, and second through filtration and a chlorine disinfectiontreatment system on board the ship.The Federal Caribou is part of a series of 16 handysize vessels, representing an investment by Fednav of more than 400 million and designedspecifically for the Great Lakes. The company is the leading internationaloperator in the Great Lakes, has one of the most modern fleets of bulkcarriers in the world, the average age being under 10 years. Of particularinterest is that the Federal Caribou and its sister-ships have box-shaped holds in order to facilitate the handling of general cargo.In April 2015, Fednav announced the signing of an agreement with JFE Engineering Corporation for the installation of ballast water treatmentsystems (BallastAce) on board its new ocean-going lakers, the Federal Caribou is one of those ships. JFE Engineering Corporation is nowpursing U.S. Coast Guard type approval certification.At the ceremony on board the ship, Paul Pathy, President and CEO of Fednav Limited and Chairman of Federal Marine Terminals said,“This vessel confirms that the protection of the Great Lakes is a priority for Fednav and demonstrates the confidence we have in the region’sfuture. These ships will allow us to offer our customers in Indiana and throughout the region an unparalleled service at a higher standard.”“We commend and congratulate Fednav for its commitment to make these long-term investments that benefits so many on the Great Lakes,”said Rich Cooper.www.greatlakes-seaway.com Facebook: www.fb.com/usdotslsdc5

GUEST COLUMNIST BET T Y NOWAKCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1environmental concerns, or just differentdemands for a product or commodity.All these factors have evolved so muchover the past 30 years.One thing has not changed – the GreatLakes. But how we have best usedthis great resource has changed. Thinkabout how technology has changed theway ships transit the Seaway and theLakes. The Lake Express High SpeedFerry has the most modern of technologies developed on the old concept ofmoving people and cars. Does anyoneremember PL 480 cargoes? (For thosetoo young to remember, a lot of PL 480“Food for Peace” cargo moved on theGreat Lakes until a legislative changein the mid-1980’s. Many of our longshoremen were without jobs after that.)Our vocabulary now includes phrasessuch as “hands free mooring”, “cruiseships”, “wind turbines”, “ballast waterregulation”, and “invasive species.”Containerization made a huge impact asship lines servicing the Lakes becametoo large to fit through our lock system.Yet the Seaway has survived and hasweathered the unexpected, seizing newopportunities, and making successfulchanges to accommodate new cargoes.Our challenge has always been gettingthe word out that we are an excellentfirst choice for handling all types ofcargoes. Particularly the ones destinedfor America’s heartland.The most successful people I’ve had theprivilege of working with have embracedchange. People like Betty Sutton, AdamSchlicht and Vince D’Amico of theSeaway entities have taken the opportunity to make the best of change. FolksI have admired (both past and present)have altered the way we look at change,and that’s exactly what the Seawaysystem needs.Throughout my whole career I havetold the story of our port, the Lakesand the Seaway. It’s a story that hasto keep being told. It’s a story I’veshared here in Milwaukee, throughoutour great North America and in Europe.And, by continuing to tell it we will havemore opportunities, in effect, drivingpositive change.I will terribly miss the amazing peopleI have met throughout my career, andall the businesses I’ve had the chanceto learn about, not to mention myGreat Lakes/Port of Milwaukee family.I know this is nothing new to say,but embrace change. For me, it’stime to retire and leave it to theyoung folks with new ideas, whocan affect those changes that willgrow our industry.Can you imagine how something so bigas the Great Lakes is still so little knownin the worldwide logistics industry?Joint Oil Boom Deployment ExerciseDeploying 400 feet of oil boom during the annualOil Boom Deployment exercise hosted by theAkwesasne Mohawk Council.6SeawayCompass Fall 2016The Saint Lawrence SeawayDevelopment Corporation (SLSDC)participated in the annual Oil BoomDeployment exercise hosted by theAkwesasne Mohawk Council on August23 and 24. The table top portion of theexercise, which took place on August 23,was attended by members of the U.S.Coast Guard, and various organizationsof the Akwesasne Mohawk council, aswell as members of the SLSDC MarineDivision. The scenario was centeredaround a pump failure at the St. RegisWater Intake and included the establishment of an Incident Command structureto manage and oversee the emergency.The actual exercise took place on August24 and was again attended by U.S. CoastGuard agencies, to include the MassenaCoast Guard Attachment and membersfrom Sector Buffalo and District 9 fromCleveland. The scenario required deploying400 feet of oil boom using two SLSDCworkboats. The exercise was conductedto test the feasibility of protecting theSt. Regis village water intake and wasconsidered a great success, providinggreat information for all parties involvedon how to best protect this vital resourcefor the St. Regis residents.

REGIONAL OUTREACH INITIATIVEGROWS AND REACHES NEW GREAT LAKESSTAKEHOLDERSCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1coordinating with U.S. and CanadianGovernment and private-sector stakeholders on issues concerning commercial and cruise shipping on the GreatLakes. The Budget and EconomicDevelopment Office also recently hireda new staff person, Chelsea Champlin,to further support the initiative. Inaddition to new staff, the SLSDC hasalso committed resources to gainingaccess to valuable trade and cargoanalytic databases and to allowing itsstaff to further interact with current andprospective stakeholders in the regionto encourage increased commercialmaritime activity and economic growth.Since the Initiative was launched inFebruary 2015, the SLSDC has beensuccessful in achieving several of itsinitial goals for the program: identifyingnew business and marketing opportunities with U.S. and Canadian GreatLakes ports, securing new exhibition andspeaking engagement opportunities tohighlight shipping throughout the GreatLakes Seaway System, and providingeconomic, trade, and policy expertisefor new and existing Great Lakes stakeholders. Through the Initiative,the SLSDC has focused on businesses,trade organizations, conferences,governmental organizations, and otherstakeholders interested in learningmore about the Great Lakes SeawaySystem and discovering new import/export opportunities. These effortssupport existing Hwy H2O initiatives,such as focusing on freight forwarderoutreach in Houston, Texas, as well astargeting U.S. grain traders and shippersthroughout North America. Supporting the launch of theDuluth Cargo Connect Initiativein Minnesota; articipating in the 2016 “TrustBeltPConference” on Midwest economicdevelopment in Chicago, IL (August2016); and ttending the Wisconsin CommercialAPorts Association annual meeting(August 2016).Examples of Initiative activities over thepast few months include:The SLSDC is committed to supportingits Great Lakes Regional OutreachInitiative to provide Great Lakes SeawaySystem stakeholders with tradepromotion and marketing assistanceand to facilitate economic developmentopportunities for North America’sOpportunity Belt. articipating in the BreakbulkPAmericas Conference and Hwy H2ODomestic Trade Mission in Houston,TX (September 2016); peaking at the National WaterwaysSConference and AASHTO StandingCommittee on Water Transportationin Norfolk, VA (September 2016); xhibiting and presenting at theEGreat Lakes presentation at MidwestSpecialty Grains Conference inIndianapolis, IN (August 2016); resenting at the Ohio ConferencePon Freight in Cleveland, OH(August 2016);For more information on the SLSDCGreat Lakes Regional Initiative contactAdam Schlicht at adam.schlicht@dot.gov. For Great Lakes Seaway Systemtrade-related data or analytics contactRebecca Yackley via email atrebecca.yackely@dot.gov.“Great Lakes, Great Opportunities Shipping on the Seaway” VideoThe Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC)recently released a new whiteboard educational presentation video.Whiteboard animation is a process where a creative story and storyboardwith pictures is drawn on a whiteboard (or something that resembles awhiteboard) by artists with corresponding narration in the process of theartwork. It is a unique way to communicate our message – Saint LawrenceSeaway Development Corporation: Great Lakes, Great OpportunitiesShipping on the Seaway! The video provides a concise, basic overview ofthe Seaway System. English and French versions were produced and canbe viewed on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/usdotslsdc, ourbinational website: www.greatlakes-seaway.com, and the Seaway’swebsite: www.seaway.dot.gov.www.greatlakes-seaway.com Facebook: www.fb.com/usdotslsdc7

Dwight D. Eisenhower Visitors’ CenterAnother successful season has concluded at the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation’s Dwight D. Eisenhower Visitors’ Center.This summer nearly 60,000 visitors from 44 states and 22 countries visited our facilities, and marveled at the wonderful engineering feat that isthe Seaway. In addition, this year we recognized the sacrifices of those who died during the construction of the Seaway. The memorial servicewas well received and the families continue to express their appreciation for the recognition bestowed upon their loved ones.Madison Capital Day Focused on Great Lakes ShippingThe Great Lakes Seaway Partnership held its second “Capital Days”event on September 28th in Madison, Wisconsin. The first event was heldlast year in Indiana. A delegation of Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seawaymaritime industry leaders held day-long meetings with Wisconsin statepolitical leadership.Briefings covered the economic impacts of Great Lakes shipping toWisconsin’s economy – 8,800 jobs and 1.4 billion in business revenue,as well as the investments being made within the navigation system byboth public and private entities, and the maritime trade opportunities thatare essential not only to the state, but to the region, the nation, andthe world.Great Lakes maritime leaders meet with Governor Walker’s cabinetin Madison, Wisconsin.State agency leaders from Transportation, Economic Development, andthe Administration participated in a roundtable discussion with industryCEOs. Topics ranged from the importance of the Soo Locks and ballastwater management, to harbor dredging and the Harbor Assistance Program,as well as the potential impact of marine sanctuaries.The Partnership delegation included: Craig Middlebrook, Deputy Administrator, Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation(SLSDC); Kevin O’Malley, Director Office of Budget and Economic Development, SLSDC; Paul Pathy, President and CEO, Fednav Limited;Mark Barker, President, The Interlake Steamship Company; Mark Pietrocarlo, Vice President, American Steamship Company; Dean Haen,Port Director, Port of Green Bay; Paul Vornholt, Port Director, Port of Milwaukee; and Todd Thayse, General Manager, Fincantieri BayShipbuilding Company.”Seaway Officials Tour the White HouseDuring a recent visit to meet with officials at the U.S. Coast Guard on binationalcooperation, The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation officials andSaint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation officials were able to tour theWhite House. L-R: Jean Aubry-Morin, Vice President of External Relations, SLSMC;Administrator Betty Sutton, SLSDC; Terrance Bowles, President & CEO, SLSMC;and Deputy Administrator Craig Middlebrook, SLSDC.8SeawayCompass Fall 2016

Personnel NewsUpcoming EventsAfter 30 years Betty Nowak, Port ofMilwaukee, Marketing Manager hasannounced her retirement for November4, 2016. We thank Betty for her tirelesscommitment to the Seaway, she will begreatly missed.NovemberFebruaryNovember 16–172016 HWY H2O ConferenceToronto, CanadaInfo:

Additionally, the Department is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year and Joy Pasquariello is the SLSDC's modal representative on a DOT-wide 50th Anniversary Committee. The group which received a Secretary's Team Award for the outstanding collaboration in the planning and execution of the 50th Anniversary events.