[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 21 (Wednesday, March 1, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S1022]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE U.S. COAST GUARD'S ROLE IN THE SUCCESS OF GREAT LAKES 
                                SHIPPING

 Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the men and 
women of our U.S. Coast Guard. In particular, I salute the crew of the 
USCGC Mackinaw for their work, which ensures the full utilization of 
the navigation season in my state, and the Great Lakes region as a 
whole.
  Mr. President, the ice that forms on the Great Lakes rivals that 
found anywhere in the continental United States. Even in a normal 
winter, ice six to eight feet thick will develop in the connecting 
channels. Windrows, chunks of ice piled atop one another by the wind, 
easily can reach 15 feet in height. Navigation under such conditions 
has been possible only because the Coast Guard's icebreaking forces are 
led by the Mackinaw. The icebreaker is capable of generating 10,000 
shaft horsepower, and is wide enough--75 feet--to clear a track for 
Great Lakes vessels. Furthermore, the Mackinaw is crewed sufficiently 
to stay on station for days on end.
  Annually, more than 10 million tons of iron ore, 4 million tons of 
coal, 1.5 million tons of stone, and 500,000 tons of cement are shipped 
across the Great Lakes. The iron ore, coal, stone, and Seaway trades 
generated nearly 14 billion tons of cargo during the 20th century. That 
commerce could not have been accomplished as safely and efficiently as 
it was without the assistance of the U.S. Coast Guard, and especially, 
the Mackinaw.

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