Time running out for the Badger?

[Amtrak Cajun]

That post made little sense.

 

[rrdude]

In the greater scheme of things, and I rarely disgree with Trog, the Badger's pittance of pollution is just that, a pittance. Much bigger fish to fry, but WAIT!

Who do we find BEHIND, (and I mean REALLY behind, as in "behind the scenes") a lot of this PR about the "dirty Badger"?

Why, none other than their only cross-lake rival, the modern, twin-hull, Lake Express, just an hour or so south of the Badger's home port.

Draw your own conclusions.........

 

[Trogdor]

One conclusion is that Lake Express has to follow the rules, but for some reason Badger does not?

 

[Ryan]

That post made little sense.

That post made far less than little sense.

 

[rrdude]

One conclusion is that Lake Express has to follow the rules, but for some reason Badger does not?

Nah, not really. In many, many, cases the concept of "grandfathering" a policy / rule / law / decision is a common and accepted practice. (In fact I think the Badger currently falls in this category).

When starting a new operation, such as the Lake Express, one would expect that the operation would have to abide by all of the current environmental and safety laws / regulations / rules.

However, an almost continuously-run, 50+ year old operation like the Badger, it is not an unreasonable request to permanently "grandfather" the coal-ash dump regulations. I think it would be different if there were hundreds of similarly coal-powered ships still steaming the Great Lakes, but in fact, there is only one, the SS Badger.

The Great Lakes are undoubtedly cleaner, because of a lot of the newer, cleaner propulsion and pollution control systems.

I still support giving the Badge a pass on this Trog...........

 

[Trogdor]

I guess we'll agree to disagree on this one. I have no problem with the concept of grandfathering something in, but not a perpetual grandfathering to the point that it will never have to comply with regulations designed to protect our health.

One could debate how long they should be given to comply, but "forever" ain't it.

 

[KayBee]

Looks like end of 2014:







MEDIA CONTACT: Anne Rowan, 312-353-9391,[email protected]

Phillippa Cannon, 312-353-6218,[email protected]

For Immediate Release No. 13-OPA010

S.S. Badger Coal Ash Discharge to Lake Michigan to Cease by End of 2014 Sailing Season

CHICAGO (March 22, 2013) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced the lodging of a proposed consent decree that requires Lake Michigan Carferry Service, Inc. (LMC) of Ludington, Michigan, to eliminate the discharge of coal ash into Lake Michigan by the end of the 2014 sailing season.

DOJ and EPA will accept and consider comments on the proposed consent decree during a 30-day public comment period, to be announced shortly in the Federal Register. The proposed consent decree is available on the DOJ website at http://www.justice.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html. Additional information about the S.S. Badger is available at http://www.epa.gov/region5/water/npdestek/badger/.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

I received some very good news in an email from the folks at the Badger last night:

For Immediate Release

For further information, email Terri Brown, Director of Marketing and Media Relations at [email protected]



Ludington (MI) - Lake Michigan Carferry (LMC) is very pleased to announce that after a thorough and lengthy evaluation of the more than 7,000 public comments submitted during the Consent Decree public comment period - the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have filed a motion to enter the Consent Decree. The agreement will result in the elimination of the Badger's ash discharge prior to the start of the 2015 sailing season.



"The consent decree process has been extensive and has taken much longer than we had hoped. This action is a huge milestone on the long road we have been traveling to keep the Badger sailing. This ensures that the Badger will be sailing long into the future," stated Bob Manglitz President & CEO of LMC.



The Consent Decree requires the reduction of the Badger's ash discharge in 2013 and during the five-month operating season of 2014. LMC had already started taking action to reduce and ultimately eliminate the ash discharge prior to the start of the Consent Decree process by using coal that produces less ash.



LMC has also been proactive working toward eliminating the ash discharge during the Consent Decree review process by starting the engineering and design work necessary for the installation of a sophisticated ash retention system - a technology never before implemented on a steamship.



Manglitz adds, "On behalf of the two hundred Lake Michigan Carferry employees, we want the people of Ludington and Manitowoc to know that our commitment to providing carferry service between the port cities has never wavered and we thank them for their strong support. In 1992, Charles Conrad had a dream to extend the carferry heritage for another 100 years. Well, we still have

80 years to go to fulfill his dream."

 

[CHamilton]

LMC prepares to install ash conveyor on SS Badger in preparation for 2015 sailing season.

Like a Christmas gift that arrives with “some assembly required,” Senior Chief Engineer Chuck Cart and the crew at Lake Michigan Carferry have on hand the new conveyor system to transport ash from the SS Badger’s boiler to retention units that will be built on the cardeck of the 410-foot Badger, but the system needs to be assembled.

The good news, according to Cart, who has been chief engineer of the Badger for 19 years, is that the conveyor will be in place in time for the start of sailing May 15 and it will allow the Badger to operate in compliance with the EPA’s mandate to stop discharging coal ash before sailing this year. The mandate is part of the terms of a U.S. Department of Justice-approved consent decree between LMC and the Environmental Protection Agency concerning what is the last coal-fired steamship operating in the U.S.