MARQUETTE, MI-- U.S. Senator Gary Peters toured a Great Lakes Freighter in Marquette Monday to highlight the importance of shipping to Michigan’s economy.
Peters joined Lake Carriers’ Association Chair and Interlake Steamship Company President Mark Barker on the Honorable James L. Oberstar, an 806-foot freighter with a 31,000 gross ton carrying capacity.
“It’s wonderful to be in the Upper Peninsula to see firsthand how shipping companies like Interlake Steamship Company are enabling the trade of goods and materials through the Great Lakes while providing good-paying jobs for our state,” said Peters. “The Great Lakes are an economic engine for Michigan, and commercial shipping plays a key role in driving our growth. I’m committed to ensuring commercial freighters have access to shipping lanes here so they can get their product to consumers and grow their businesses.”
Ships on the Great Lakes carry 163 million tons of cargo annually. Earlier this year Peters visited the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Bristol Bay to learn how critical such ships are to keeping shipping lanes clear.
