SEAWAY REQUIRES MORE BRIDGE PERSONNEL
The Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corp. and the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. of Canada, which administer the St. Lawrence Seaway in their respective jurisdictions, have proposed rules that would require that wheelhouses on vessels transiting the seaway to be manned by the master or a certified deck officer, and by another qualified crewmember.
The rules also stipulate that ships on the seaway “have sufficient well-rested crewmembers available for mooring operations and other essential duties.”
The proposed new rules would also require stern anchors on new tug-and-barge combinations transiting the Seaway.
Anyone wanting to comment on the new rules must do on or before June 12, in writing to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Transportation, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street SW, Washington, D.C., 20590-0001, or electronically via http://dmses.dot.gov/submit/BlankDSS.asp. Refer to docket number SLSDC 2003-15136.
For more information, see Federal Register, Vol. 68, No. 92, May 13, pp-25546-25547.