Marine Log - August 2008 - (Page 34) ICE CLASS TANKERS MAKING RAIL, TRUCKS GREEN WITH ENVY S o what’s one to think? The results of two recently released studies point to the vital economic and environmental role that tugs and barges play on a regional and national scale. A third scientific study, however, suggests that tugs are far bigger contributors of particulate matter to the air quality of ports. The study, “A Modal Comparison of Domestic Transportation Effects on the General Public,” examined the environmental and economic impact of the U.S. inland river barge system over a one-year period. The study was performed by the Texas Transportation Institute’s Center for Ports and Harbors and co-sponsored by the U.S. Maritime Administration and the National Waterways Foundation (NWF). The research examined cargo capacity, congestion, emissions, energy efficiency, safety and infrastructure. It also compares the cargo capacity of barges, rail and trucks. One hopper barge, for example, car- ries 1,750 short tons of dry cargo. To move this same cargo by rail would require 16 rail cars or 70 tractor-trailer trucks. As for liquid, a single inland tank barge can carry 27,500 bbls of gasoline. The same cargo would require 46 rail cars or 144 tanker trucks. Carrying the comparison further, a single 15-barge river tow has the same capacity as 216 rail cars pulled by six locomotives or 1,050 tractor-trailer trucks. This robust carrying capacity translates into better fuel efficiency. The study shows that barges move a ton of cargo 576 miles with a single gallon of fuel as compared with 413 ton miles per gallon for rail and 155 ton miles per gallon for trucks. As for the environment, the research showed that inland waterways transport generated fewer emissions on a grams/ton-mile basis than rail or trucks. For example, the study says that inland barges generated 0.011164 grams/tonmile of particulate matter as compared with 0.01621 for rail and 0.018 for trucks. Inland river barge tows also showed better environmental results for hydrocarbons, CO2 and NOx. The inland waterways system includes about 12,000 miles of commercially navigable channels and some 240 lock sites. Waterways transport more than 60% of the nation’s grain exports, about 22% of domestic petroleum and petroleum products, and 20% of the cal used in electricity generation. On an annual basis, about 624 million tons of waterborne cargo transit inland waterways, a volume equal to about 14% of all intercity freight and valued at nearly $70 billion. The study also looks at the hypothetical impact of a complete shutdown of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers and its impact on the vicinity of St. Louis. The study uses the U.S. Federal Highway Administration’s Highway Economic Requirements, State Version (HERS_ST) model to assess the estimated shifts of More than 200 tugs are based in New York City, and include such operators as Bouchard Ocean Services, which recently added this new 35,000 bbl ocean tank barge 34 MARINE LOG AUGUST 2008 www.marinelog.com http://www.marinelog.com
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