Seaway Trims Shipping Costs - C&EN Global Enterprise (ACS

Nov 6, 2010 - facebook · twitter · Email Alerts ... JOINTLY in Montreal President Eisenhower and Queen Elizabeth II dedicated the St. ... One major ch...
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INTERN ATION AL S e o w o v Trims Shînoîno But the t r a d e route's full potential is still y e a r s a w a y as f a r as chemical industry is concerned J O I N T L Y ira M o n t r e a l IfVesadknat F.freeaah o w e r a n d Q u e e n Fjlïzalbeaaa H sdLedläe a t e d t h e St- L a w r e n c ^ e Se.aw.ay Sinefore t h o u s a n d s o f spectators, TSœ f o r m a l o p e n i n g hexaUds a Iböißaaa fear c o m m e r c e i n î h e îae^utiafnid « bœixM t h e s e a way» Sffimraigsni c h e Eteetm for Ë£ vvas Crst meaînsed Iby JiaciEpies C a r t i e r i n i535> junwî îiSûe finrsë w©irlk ©ra a eanalL a t î .n I 6 S S - H e a r t of fllae nûe^sr s&srorcy Es a. I S O t o i l e i n l a n d « I S T Ikügfortsrercr IbeihisfeeEi! ^ l o n t r e a l a n d öCEmsj-etosm coss o r e Sc_ LavartruEce R i v e r Alkö) ciöxusafaned aim nmtegral p a r t of t h e

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s e a w a y is t h e 2 S - m i l e - l o n g W e i l a n d C a n a l , w i t h e i g h t locks; seven of t h e m a r e lift-locks t o o v e r c o m e t h e 3 2 6 - f o o t difference in w a t e r level b e t w e e n L a k e Erie and Lake Ontario. C e r t a i n l y , t h e s e a w a y will b r i n g m o r e o c e a n - g o i n g traffic t o t h e G r e a t L a k e s than ever before. For one thing, many foreign s h i p p i n g lines a r e curious—they w a n t t o s h o w t h e i r flags a s w e l l as see w h a t s e a w a y s h i p p i n g is l i k e a n d w h a t business they might pick up. Some U . S. l i n e s h a v e " d i f f e r e n t i a l s u b s i d y " c o n t r a c t s w i t h t h e G o v e r n m e n t for ses.way trade. Such a contract obliges a s h i p p e r t o o p e r a t e a c e r t a i n n i i r n b e r of s e a w a y trips o v e r a specified period of y e a r s . T h i s automatically assures s t e a d v traffic f o r t h e n e a r f u t u r e . ^;lli

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ALONG SIDE. Plants located along t h e seaway are likely to benefit most from the n e w trade r o u t e . This one at double the total for 1958. B y 1968, the figure should be 50 million tons an­ nually, die level necessary for t l i e U . S. and C a n a d a to pay off the capital cost within 5 0 years as r e q u i r e d b y law. General consensus a m o n g U. S. chemical manufacturers is t h a t the sea­ way won't be a noteworthy t>oon to them in the near future. T h e y feel that it will b e 15 or 20 years before the seaway's position in the economy of this continent is secure. And when it does prove out, most say, the determin­ ing factor will be inexpensive transpori..,i:

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D o w Chemical, for e x a m p l e , points out that industries handling large vol­ umes of raw materials a n d finished products stand to benefit most from the seaway. Dow itself plans to use the seaway to import raw materials and to ship out such products as plastics and bulk chemicals. T h e company feels that t h e newwaterway will lower the cost of overseas shipments. Thus, it will be valuable to industries which import and export sub­ stantial volumes. But Dow also looks for greater internal traffic on t h e Great Lakes. One reason will be improved harbor facilities. Over $60 million has already been spent or committed for T T

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$150 million is expected to come dur­ ing the next five years.

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Against a background of extremes here in the U. S.—great enthusiasm from seaway proponents and those w h o w a n t cheap power; opposition from some eastern railroads—a Canadian concept is emerging which may b e the key to the s e a w a y s success. T h e concept: T h e seaway has been built to bring the Great Lakes to the sea, not the sea to the Lakes. In other words, the sea­ way's great promise may lie in per­ mitting Lake ships—far and away the major freight carriers on the Lakes—to ^

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for major midwest market areas such as Chicago. Take a s o m e w h a t different case. Over the past few years, bulk petrol e u m has been a declining cargo for lake tankers d u e to pipeline facilities installed b e t w e e n t h e lakehead a n d refining centers in Ontario a n d Q u e b e c . In one situation, a British-American Oil tanker hauled oil between Superior, Wis., and Clarkson, Ont., for seven years. No longer n e e d e d on the Lakes, last winter it was shortened from 630 feet to 550 feet for ocean service ( t h e >4-Λ»-

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River to Montreal and beyond. The aspect of ocean-going ships getting to Great Lakes ports will b e , at best, a minor consideration, say some Canadians. For example, big bulk carriers could make money in both directions. Taking on grain from the lakehead (say, D u l u t h or Fort William ) , they could discharge their cargo at Montreal, pick u p Labrador iron ore at nearby Seven Islands ( Baie Comeau and Port Cartier will also be major transshipping points on the Q u e b e c north shore) for deliver)' back to Hamilton, Ont., Cleveland, Gary, or other lake ports. Alternately, the return trip could provide split loadings of Canadian newsprint a n d some other "clean" cargo like aluminum ingot

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on t h e rougher waters of the open s e a ) . T h e 10,000-ton tanker now carries p e ­ troleum products from B-A's Montreal refineries out the St. Lawrence and d o w n to Halifax. Formerly, small coastal tankers did this job at a higher cost. • Could C o m b a t I m p o r t s . T o look at a specific instance in the chemical industry where the seaway could be valuable, International Minerals & Chemical may ship by the seaway to combat foreign imports. T h e firm is scheduled to open a new potash mine near Yarbo, Sask., next year, and is intrigued with the possibility of using the seaway to compete with potash coming to East Coast ports from F r a n c e , East Germany, and t h e U.S.S.R. JULY

6.

1959

C&EN

61



INDUSTRIAL HYGIEINST

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A.sa Ii>iifï term prime contractor for the A.KC we have an excellent, newly-created position to oiler an experienced industrial hygieirisl. Technical decree preferred: equivalent experience in industrial health program acceptable. Expérience should include detection, measuremont and control activity related to toxic environments. Familiarity with radiological detection equipment desirable. Kansas City is a notably progressive