Sec. 412. Sense of the Congress on the need for a new Great Lakes icebreaker
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The Congress finds the following: The Great Lakes shipping industry is crucial to the American economy, including the U.S. manufacturing base, providing important economic and national security benefits. A recent study found that the Great Lakes shipping industry supports 237,000 jobs and tens of billions of dollars in economic activity. United States Coast Guard icebreaking capacity is crucial to full utilization of the Great Lakes shipping system, as during the winter icebreaking season up to 15 percent of annual cargo loads are delivered and many industries would have to reduce their production if Coast Guard icebreaking services were not provided.
Six of the Coast Guard’s nine icebreaking cutters in the Great Lakes are more than 30 years old and are frequently inoperable during the winter icebreaking season, including those that have completed a recent service life extension program. During the previous 10 winters, Coast Guard Great Lakes icebreaking cutters have been inoperable for an average of 65 cutter-days during the winter icebreaking season, with this annual lost capability exceeding 100 cutter-days, with a high of 246 cutter-days during the winter of 2017–2018.
The 2019 ice season provides further proof that current Coast Guard icebreaking capacity is inadequate for the needs of the Great Lakes shipping industry, as only six of the nine icebreaking cutters are operational and millions of tons of cargo was not loaded or was delayed due to inadequate Coast Guard icebreaking assets during a historically average winter for Great Lakes ice coverage. The Congress has authorized the Coast Guard to acquire a new Great Lakes icebreaker as capable as Coast Guard Cutter MACKINAW (WLBB–30), the most capable Great Lakes icebreaker, and $10 million has been appropriated to fund the design and initial acquisition work for this icebreaker.
The Coast Guard has not initiated a new acquisition program for this Great Lakes icebreaker. It is the sense of the Congress of the United States that a new Coast Guard icebreaker as capable as Coast Guard Cutter MACKINAW (WLBB–30) is needed on the Great Lakes and the Coast Guard should acquire this icebreaker as soon as possible.