SS Badger Loses Legislative Battle

[XLFD]

Mlive reports:  The Senate removed the Huizenga-Petri special language approved by the GOP-controlled House in the face of opposition from Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., the No. 2 member of the Democratically-controlled Senate.  The Badger's fate now lies squarely in the hands of the EPA, who can issue or deny them a permit for operating under the status quo.  If that fails, the only thing that can save them is  the determination of Lake Michigan Carferry to weather the roughest storm it has yet seen.

 

LUDINGTON, MI – Media outlets covering Congress are reporting Wednesday that the U.S. House of Representatives has adopted the Senate version of a Coast Guard re-authorization bill leaving out a special provision for the S.S. Badger.

The Ludington-based S.S. Badger is hoping to resume operations in the spring of 2013, sailing from Ludington to Manitowoc, Wis.File photo

According to congressional reports, the House move will send the $7 billion bill on to President Barack Obama for his signature. The final version does not include special language designed to provide a lifelong exemption for the historic S.S. Badger to allow the Lake Michigan ferry to continue dumping coal ash into Lake Michigan.

Congressmen Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland and Tom Petri, R-Wisconsin, put the special language in the House bill that was stripped out by the Senate and did not survive the conference committee between the two chambers, according to The Hill – the capital news outlet.

New York Times congressional correspondent Jonathan Wiesman, in a blog posting Wednesday noon, summed up the Lake Michigan Carferry’s options for operating next s... as two-fold: Receive a new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency discharge permit allowing the coal ash dumping to continue or quickly retrofit the Badger with a new engine system or coal-storage technology.

Without either the EPA permit or changes to the Badger, the Ludington-to-Manitowoc ferry would be left at the dock next May when the 2013 sailing season is scheduled to begin. The Badger’s current discharge permit expires Dec. 19.

The Senate removed the Huizenga-Petri special language approved by the GOP-controlled House in the face of opposition from Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., the No. 2 member of the Democratically-controlled Senate. Durbin has said he opposes continued Badger dumping of coal ash due into Lake Michigan considering the Lake Michigan Carferry owners had several years to address their environmental problem.

Lake Michigan Carferry President Robert Manglitz told MLive and The Muskegon Chronicle last month that he remains optimistic that the Badger will receive the needed EPA p... and will begin its 2013 season next spring.

courtesy: http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2012/12/reports_specia...

 

[AQUAMAN]

Whenever any private industry is competing with a Federal/State/Municipal funded enterprise, it's not a good deal for the privately owned company. It's totally unethical and unfair in all respects. We here in Ludington have another prime example of just that: municipal marina vs. private marinas. What private sector marina can compete with the Ludington Municipal Marina and Harbor View Marina? The combined two facilities have been funded with well over $10Million in public funds! So what entrepreneur here has that type of funds to pour into a seasonal business open about 5 months a year?