According to the Lake Carriers' Association, Iron ore shipments out of 4 Lake Superior ports during May 2009 were just one-third of what they were 1 year earlier.
As per report Duluth, Superior, Two Harbors and Silver Bay shipped a combined 1,608,571 net tonnes during May 2009, down from 4,859,408 net tonnes in May 2008. The 5 year average is 4,251,662 net tonnes.
Silver Bay showed that the most dramatic decline, falling from 1,096,558 tonnes in May 2008 to just 30,616 net tonnes in May 2009.
The Lake Carriers' Association said that dredging continues to cause problems, forcing the largest vessels to cut shipments by 5,000 tonnes or more to avoid hitting bottom. Calling it a crisis, the group criticized the US Army Corps of Engineers for not devoting more stimulus funding for dredging.
