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J
anuary 20th brought the peaceful transition of power here in the United States. That’s no
surprise. In the President’s inauguration speech that followed, however, I found myself
focusing on just one thing: infrastructure. That’s because we can talk about prosperity and
a more effi ciently run country all we want, but without the transportation system(s) for those
worthy goals, it just isn’t going to happen. Nowhere is that metric more important for this is-
land nation than it is on the domestic waterfront and inland rivers, deep draft ports and coastal
waters that bring virtually everything we consume.
Our annual dredging edition is therefore especially important, as well as timely in its delivery
and message. With no less than eight individual articles that highlight dredging, infrastructure
and the equipment that gets the job done, there is arguably no reason to go anywhere else for
your annual primer on what makes our waterways run. In particular, Jim Romeo’s legislative
analysis (page 41) and Susan Buchanan’s look at what’s happening in coastal Louisiana both pro-
vide a tightly focused snapshot of what to expect in the coming year, and why you should care.
Underscoring all of that – and I hate to steal his thunder – U.S. Coast Guard Assistant Com-
mandant for Prevention RADM Paul Thomas tells us, “The maritime industry faces the triple
challenge over the next several decades of increasing the capacity of the Marine Transporta-
tion system (MTS), while reducing the environmental footprint in the face of every increasing
complexity.” He’s talking, of course, about balancing safety, progress and the environment, as
well. This and other well reasoned advice from the U.S. Coast Guard’s chief advocate for safety
begins on page 12.
Admiral Thomas knows too well that the effort to protect the environment starts with safety.
Industry, as it turns out, also knows the score. Over the course of the last four decades, the
inland marine industry in particular has stepped up its game. The amount of oil spilled in our
waterways is almost at its all-time nadir, while the amount of oil being transported via water
is near record volumes. Hence, the advent of the long delayed Small Vessel General Permit
(sVGP), scheduled to come into force this year, won’t intimidate an industry already for the
most part in compliance with the subchapter M rules. Nevertheless, and for those who might
not be up to speed on what all that means, MarineNews contributor and environmental expert
Steve Candito lays it all out for us, starting on page 28.
All of this brings us full circle back to the reality that regulations, safety and innovation is of
little value if the waterways that we depend upon aren’t deep enough, the docks used to handle
those cargoes aren’t strong enough and the infrastructure dollars aren’t spent in the right places.
If I have one hope for the coming administration, it would be that yesterday’s abject bipartisan
neglect of the domestic waterfront soon becomes a thing of the past. Is that too much to ask?[email protected]Joseph Keefe, Editor, [email protected]Download our Apps
iPhone & Android6 MN February 2017