Page 15: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (March 1992)

Fred C. Raskin, president,

Ohio River Co. and inland ports."

Mr. Raskin of Ohio River Co., however, thought conditions in the industry would improve this year.

He believed a return to more normal weather and economic conditions coupled with a resumption of grain exports to the Commonwealth of

Independent States (the former Re- publics of the Soviet Union) would help make 1992 a "good year." "The stability of riverborne grain demand will be strongly affected by the level ofU.S. exports to CIS, which in turn is heavily influenced by the amount of loan credit the United

States is willing to provide," said

Michael C. Hagan, president and chief operating officer, American

Commercial Lines, Inc. "Current governmental actions suggest the

CIS will continue to receive U.S. agricultural aid," continued Mr.

Hagan. "Based upon that assump- tion, American Commercial Barge

Lines, Inc. anticipates 1992 barge grain demand to improve slightly over 1991 volume. However, wide fluctuations in spot grain freight rates will probably continue."

Clean Air Act & Coal Transportation "The Clean Air Act amendments will alter coal transportation pat- terns and alternatives," said Mr.

Hagan. "As sources of coal shift, inland river operators are well- positoned to benefit from the chang- ing shipper requirements. With a number of river-served utility plants being affected by Phase I of the C AA amendments, river trasnportation patterns will result in potentially longer hauls, further straining equipment capacity. "We anticipate a solid 5 to 7 per- cent increase in export coal tonnage over 1991 volumes, driven princi- pally by increasing demand for U.S. steam coal exports," stated Mr.

Hagan. "The continued growth in export coal demand should attract covered barges normally used in the grain trade." Mr. Hagan also be- lieved that domestic coal activity would improve moderately over last year, posting a 1 to 2 percent growth rate.

Fleet, Operation

Expansion

In 1992, Dixie Carriers plans to take delivery of the last three of a series of twelve 29,000-barrel in- landchemicaltankbarges. Thecom- pany has also announced its in- tended acquisition of two inland tank barge operators, Sabine Towing &

Transportation Company and Ole

Man River Company. With these acquisitions, the Dixie fleet will con- sist of268 tank barges and 104 boats.

For 1992, Tidewater plans to put into operation, a solid waste pro- gram, transfer station, container yard, barge transportation and land- fill, three new wood chip barges, a second wood chip loading facility, expand its container operation at

Boardman, Ore., and complete the construction of a new floating repair service for Tidewater Barge.

The Ohio River Co. is currently building about 150 dry cargo hopper barges at its Port Allen, La., facility.

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March, 1992 83