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Fighting for funding to ensure water- ways remain open and efficient. Working with legislators, colleagues and local towns to forge meaningful environmental standards and practices that are smart for the environment and for business. Main- taining a crucial transporation system — in fact the the most cost-effective and envi- ronmentally friendly transportation system — that is critical to keep the U.S. economy humming. These are but a few of the issues faced by inland waterway executives on a daily basis. In this, MarineNews’ fourth annual “CEO Six Pack,” leading executives from six inland waterways companies agreed to discuss the some of the larger challenges in running an efficient, profitable business. This year, MarineNews discussed insight of Looman Stingo, Senior Vice President, Logistics, Holcim (US) Inc.; Sal Litrico, President TECO Transport; Nel- son Jones, President, Amherst/Madison Coal & Supply Company; Daniel P. Meck- lenborg, Senior Vice President, HR, Plan- ning & Analysis, & Chief Legal Officer, Ingram Barge Company; Pete Lilly, Chief Operating Officer, CONSOL Energy Inc., and Tim Parker, President, Parker Towing Looman Stingo, Senior Vice President, Logistics, Holcim (US) Inc. MN: What do you count as the top two or three technological innovations in the past decade that have helped you oper- ate more efficiently? LS: Though the use of cement can be traced back to the Roman Empire, it never came into prominence until "Portland" cement was discovered in England in 1824. The industry is clearly "old econo- my" and not very sexy. Yet, the industry has advanced technologically to improve quality, enhance safety, and promote envi- ronmental protection and sustainable development in both manufacturing and product handling. The top priority for Holcim and the first agenda item for every meeting is safety. Therefore, it is fitting that the first improvement I note is in the area of safety: the pedestal mounted knuckle boom crane which handles barge covers and raises and lowers cleaning equipment into and out of barges. The knuckle boom cranes, which replaced mobile road cranes, have added safety features to prevent overloading and to allow operators to see what is happening at all times. Also, the electrical power source of the knuckle boom crane elimi- nates the risks of oil and fuel spills, poten- tial problems for mobile equipment. In the past decade, we have seen a major breakthrough in cement handling with the introduction of the cement vacuum un- loader with "joy stick" controls. Indeli- cately described as a 20-inch Shop-Vac, the vacuum system can unload a conven- tional 1500 ton covered hopper barge loaded with cement in anywhere from 4 to 15 hours depending on the size of the unit. Vacuumed barges are then cleaned and available for other dry bulk transport, thus increasing productivity and efficient trans- port utilization. This efficient use of equipment is a far cry from having to have specially designed and dedicated barges to move cement to a distribution site only to have them return empty. The vacuum un- loader innovation created efficiencies for the cement industry and created growth potential for the barge industry through backhaul opportunities. MN: What is the most important mes- sage about the inland waterways indus- try that needs to be conveyed to the media and government? LS: The inland waterways system is fac- ing an inevitable operations crisis due to inadequate maintenance and an antiquated lock and dam system. Organizations like the Waterways Council Inc., the National Waterways Conference, MARC 2000, American Waterways Operators and countless other waterways organizations and their members have tried to carry that message to the general public, the media and to our elected officials. With few exceptions, the message has been under- stood but ignored. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of the U.S. population appreciates the value of our waterways. Most people, including our government officials, have little or no direct knowledge or awareness of the impact that our inland waterways have on the economic health of the country. Preventive maintenance of the waterways does not rank as a high pri- ority for the decision makers, so why should we expect the general public to take to the streets over the issue. We appear to react only to major life altering events: the individual's wake up call is the "heart attack" or cancer. The nation's wake up call is a "911" or Katrina or gasoline prices. It will likely be the transportation gridlock that so many studies have predict- ed or it will be a series of lock failures that will prompt action a day late and many dollars short. If I had but one message to give to our government officials and to the media it would be to wake up to the seri- ously deteriorating locks before we have a failure that ultimately blocks one of our major commercial arteries. MN: What is the most pressing chal- lenge you feel is facing the inland waterways today? LS: The inland waterways are a compli- cated network of many parts: issues relat- ing to locks and dams, spillways, bridges, levees, ports, harbors, and navigational aides are all viewed differently by the competing interests involved in naviga- tion, industry, recreation, conservation, and environmental protection. In turn, the various financial needs of the inland waterways system must compete with the needs of our oceans and lakes, and this waterways network must compete with other transportation and infrastructure needs. In such a complex of competing demands, a priority issue for those of us concerned with the inland waterways sys- tem is securing adequate funding and pri- ority consideration to address the needs of the waterways. Current law calls for a users' tax to be matched by government funding for lock and dam new construction and major reha- bilitation. The Inland Waterways Users Board is charged with seeing that this rev- enue stream gets spent for its intended purposes and is allocated according to a hierarchy of need. There is no corre- sponding oversight group to ensure that there is adequate funding for Operations & Maintenance (O&M). In recent years, there have been an increasing number of emergency shut downs on the system. If any catastrophic event occurs, it will like- ly result from a failure to adequately address the funding needs for O&M. Industry groups mentioned earlier, compa- nies, and private citizens need to continue to advocate for proper funding levels for O&M and to make sure the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has the full support it needs to complete its navigational mission. A related funding issue is for navigational interest groups to remain vigilant and firm- ly resolved that Inland Waterways Users Funds are not to be poached for O&M pro- jects but are used for their intended pur- pose as directed by Congress. Sal Litrico, President TECO Transport MN: What do you count as the top two or three technological innovations in the past decade that have helped you oper- ate more effectively? SL: Simulation technology has afforded participating Inland companies the ability to train mariners in real life emergency sit- uations without real life consequences. This honing of advanced pilot house man- agement tools better prepares those mariners to represent this industry as we compete with other modes of transporta- tion but more importantly, assuring the congress and the public that this industry concerned and focused on continuing to be the safest mode of transportation. This 20 • MarineNews • June, 2006 CEO Six Pack Inland Leaders Prepare for Future "The inland waterways system is facing an inevitable operations crisis due to inadequate maintenance and an antiquated lock and dam system." Looman Stingo, Senior VP, Logistics, Holcim (US) Inc. "Simulation technology has afforded participat- ing Inland companies the ability to train mariners in real life emergency situations without real life conse- quences." Sal Litrico, President TECO Transport JUNE MN2006 3(17-24).qxd 6/2/2006 10:51 AM Page 20
