Will Towing Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC) Cease to Exist?

Tina Cardone, Executive Director, C-PORT (Conference of Professional Operators for Response Towing) and Joe Frohnhoefer, C-PORT Director and TSAC member attended the Fall 2010 TSAC Meeting held in Pittsburgh, PA on September 1- September 2, 2010.  The Towing Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC) serves to advise the Secretary of Transportation, via the Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, on matters relating to shallow-draft inland and coastal waterway navigation and towing safety.  TSAC's membership includes participants from the barge and towing industry; the mineral and oil supply vessel industry; port districts, authorities or terminal operators; maritime labor; shippers and the general public.  Cardone commented, “USCG Commander Pat Clark announced at the meeting that Congress has not yet renewed TSAC’s charter.  As a result, TSAC will cease to exist at the end of this month.”  The committee members were taken aback by this revelation and inquired what could be done to change it.  Read more...