Great Lakes Shipping Study
UNCLASSIFIED Great Lakes Shipping Study This page intentionally left blank. National Protection and Programs Directorate Integrated Analysis Task Force Homeland Infrastructure Threat and Risk Analysis Center January 13, 2014 UNCLASSIFIED Executive Summary The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway (GLSLS) system is a vast, interconnected series of navigable waterways, with intersecting modes of transportation and landscapes. The enormity and importance of the GLSLS system cannot be overstated as the region is critically dependent upon it; therefore, it is vital to understand the nature of the system, the industries that rely upon it, its economic impact, and major commodities that flow through the GLSLS. This study provides an overview of the GLSLS system, focusing on geography, system infrastructure, economic and employment data derived from the GLSLS, and detailed analysis of three key commodities: iron ore, steel, and refined petroleum products. The GLSLS, which borders eight states and spans 2,300 miles, comprises Lake Superior, Lakes Michigan and Huron, Lake Erie, Montreal-Lake Ontario, and the Saint Lawrence Seaway, as well as the channels that connect these navigable sections. U.S. and Canadian companies and industries rely on the GLSLS for low-cost, long-distance transportation of raw materials and finished goods. In 2010, U.S. and Canadian companies that depend on the GLSLS for moving cargo reported revenues of over $30 billion, more than half of which was generated in the United States. The GLSLS is also responsible for the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs, providing direct employment for mariners, many types of port employees, and support positions within the companies, as well as creating indirect jobs that result from the spending power of the previously mentioned workers.
[Show full text]