Release Date: 07/12/2006
NOTE TO EDITORS & INTERESTED PARTIES: A press event announcing the launch
of the "Great Ships Initiative" will begin at 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 12, at
the Duluth Seaway Port Authority building, 1200 Port Terminal Dr., Duluth,
MN. The event is open to the public.
DULUTH, Minn. (July 11, 2006) – Ports of Indiana officials will join industry
and government leaders in Duluth on Wednesday to announce the launch of the
"Great Ships Initiative," a $3.5 million research center that is the first in
the Great Lakes region designed to specifically focus on developing the
technology necessary to prevent the introduction of aquatic nuisance species
into the Great Lakes by ocean-going ships.
Leaders of over a dozen major U.S. and Canadian Great Lakes ports will be joined
by scientists and federal agency officials at a ceremony in Duluth/Superior harbor
to announce the project. Research efforts will be based within the University of
Wisconsin-Superior. The project will be co-managed by the Northeast-Midwest Institute,
and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, both of Washington, D.C. An executive
committee of maritime industry stakeholders will provide broad oversight for the program.
Several technical advisory committees will provide advice on topics relating to ships'
engineering and biological efficiency.
The Indiana General Assembly declared its support for the "Great Ships Initiative"
earlier this year by passing House Concurrent Resolution No. 35 recognizing the need
for protection of the Great Lakes' environmental and economic resources.
"This is a very important initiative that will impact shipping around the world,"
said Rich Cooper, executive director for the Ports of Indiana. "Aquatic nuisance
species are unwelcome hitchhikers on our ships and we hope the Great Ships Initiative
will help develop the technology necessary to combat this problem. Waterborne shipping
is the most environmentally friendly mode of transportation and this is one way we
can make it even better."
The Great Ships Initiative has received funding and in-kind contributions by the
following project partners: U.S. Department of Transportation ° U.S. Maritime
Administration ° St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. ° St. Lawrence Seaway
Management Corp. ° National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin. ° Great Lakes Maritime
Research Institute ° City of Superior ° Duluth Seaway Port Authority °
Ports of Indiana ° Port of Milwaukee ° Illinois International Port District °
Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority ° Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority °
Erie-Western Pennsylvania Port Authority ° Port of Toronto, Ontario °
Port of Hamilton, Ontario.
Additionally, the project has received endorsements from Wisconsin Governor James Doyle,
the Great Lakes Cities Initiative, Great Lakes United, a regional conservation organization,
and Fednav Limited, the largest operator of ocean shipping on the Great Lakes.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Allegra Cangelosi, Northeast-Midwest Institute, 202-464-4007,
acangelo@nemw.org
Steve Fisher, American Great Lakes Ports Assoc., 202-625-2102,
fisher@greatlakesports.org
Jody Peacock, Ports of Indiana, 317-435-1532,
jpeacock@portsofindiana.com
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