AWO Leads Successful Falls Overboard Safety Standdown Day. On August 28, AWO led a successful and robust Falls Overboard Safety Standdown Day. Throughout the day, AWO members and coalition partners paused to reflect on lessons learned, engage mariners in meaningful dialogue, and reaffirm a shared commitment to safety. Participants across the industry highlighted their efforts on social media, using the hashtags #StopFallsOverboard and #AWOSafety to amplify the important message. Thank you to all who joined us for this timely conversation and made it a dynamic and thoughtful event!

To learn more, check out our Falls Overboard Prevention Report.

Survey to Inform Future CISA Services. The U.S. Department of Transportation, Transportation Security Agency, U.S. Coast Guard, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have developed the 2025 Critical Infrastructure Program Customer Survey to inform the selection of cybersecurity services that CISA will offer to critical infrastructure entities in the future.

Congress has directed CISA to provide scalable commercial cybersecurity shared services to help the critical infrastructure community detect and prevent cybersecurity threats and mitigate vulnerabilities, and CISA relies on annual feedback to determine how best to support achievement of this goal. AWO encourages members to complete the short survey to ensure our federal partners can better support you and protect our nation's critical infrastructure. The deadline to complete this survey is next Friday, September 12.

If you have questions about CISA's current services or other cybersecurity matters, please contact Liam Morcroft.

AWO Comments on DOT National Freight Strategic Plan. AWO recently responded to a request for information on the Department of Transportation's (DOT) National Freight Strategic Plan (NFSP). In the letter, AWO suggested ways that DOT could direct the Maritime Administration to support the maritime industry, including by creating opportunity, growing demand, improving intergovernmental coordination, and supporting domestic shipbuilding. The recommendations are consistent with Trump Administration efforts to support the maritime industry, including the Executive Order on Restoring America's Maritime Dominance.

AWO PAC and Inside Elections. AWO PAC has partnered with Inside Elections for another special edition, featuring an overview of gubernatorial races.

AWO PAC is the connected political action committee for The American Waterways Operators and serves as the trade association's separate segregated fund. As a trade association, AWO is prohibited from using general treasury funds or membership dues to make federal contributions. AWO is one of the most effective advocacy associations in Washington, DC, and relies on voluntary personal contributions to fund AWO PAC.

AWO PAC supports federal candidates who are champions of the U.S. tugboat, towboat and barge industry and who are leaders on issues important to our industry. AWO PAC is dedicated to protecting AWO members' investments in the safest, most environmentally responsible and most economical mode of freight transportation and safeguarding the integrity of the Jones Act to protect the bottom lines of our members. 

AWO PAC may solicit contributions from individuals of a member company once the member representative gives AWO written prior approval.

RIETF Holds Summer Meeting in Memphis. The River Industry Executive Task Force (RIETF) met on August 19, led by RIETF Co-Chairs Russ Lampkins, Ingram Barge Company SVP, Logistics, Customer Service & Operations; MG Kimberly Peeples, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley Division Commander; and RDML Will Watson, U.S. Coast Guard Heartland District Commander. Attendees discussed a variety of topics including low water coordination, dredging challenges, lock closures and maintenance, and federal government hiring freeze impacts.

RIETF is a standing committee of AWO whose mission is to foster ongoing dialogue between senior decision makers within the Corps of Engineers, Coast Guard, and industry to enable smooth coordination during crisis situations and to avoid future crises.

New Survey Open on Renaming Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The Friends of the Chicago River have opened a new survey to gather input on the future of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC), including suggestions on a new name for the CSSC. The survey was discussed during AWO's Midwest Region Roundtable in Chicago, during which members expressed strong opposition to renaming the CSSC.

AWO encourages members to fill out the short, anonymous survey to oppose changing the name of the CSSC. Your feedback will help preserve the canal's history and legacy and ensure its continued recognition as a critical waterway for commercial navigation. For more information, please contact Justin Lampert.

AWO Backs IHNC Lock Replacement to Boost Maritime Efficiency. AWO submitted comments to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expressing strong support for the Corps' plan to replace the aging Inner Harbor Navigation Canal lock, a critical link between the Mississippi River and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. The proposed 900 x 110 x -22 foot shallow draft lock replacement will significantly reduce costly delays and improve transit efficiency. AWO emphasized that modernizing this infrastructure aligns with the Trump administration's priorities on restoring American maritime dominance and unleashing American energy. AWO also noted that the replacement will reduce the need for assist vessels, lowering operational costs for shippers and vessel operators.

Ingram Hosts Waterways 101 in Paducah. On August 15, AWO member Ingram Barge Company hosted a "Waterways 101" day at the Seamen's Church Institute training center in Paducah, Kentucky. Attendees included legislative staff for Kentucky and Tennessee lawmakers, Waterways Council, Inc., (WCI) staff, and multiple AWO members. Mayor George Bray greeted attendees, who also had the opportunity to tour an Ingram towboat and spend time in SCI's training simulators. During a working lunch, AWO members American Commercial Barge Line, Crounse Corporation, Hines Furlong Line, Ingram Barge Company, and Marquette Transportation Company all gave brief presentations on their businesses and the importance of the tugboat, towboat, and barge industry. Additionally, WCI spoke about the importance of river infrastructure improvements and AWO's Kyle Burleson discussed other advocacy priorities for the tugboat, towboat and barge industry. American Cruise Lines and the U.S. Coast Guard also gave presentations about their operations, followed by a guided tour of Kentucky Lock for staffers. Many thanks to Ingram, WCI, and all AWO members who joined forces to showcase our industry.

AWO Attends Signing Ceremony for Universities of Louisiana Maritime Academy. AWO's Vice President - Southern Region Jill Bessetti and AWO members recently attended a signing ceremony hosted by the Universities of Louisiana Maritime Academy (ULMA) and the Propeller Club of Port of New Orleans. The collaborative document establishes a framework for the new Maritime Academy at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, LA.

ULMA is set to open in the Fall of 2027 and will offer a Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation and prepare students to obtain their Third Mate Unlimited Tonnage Merchant Mariner's license.  

AWO Meets with Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach. AWO staff and members from Centerline Logistics, Baydelta Maritime, and Vane Brothers recently met with U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port CAPT Stacey Crecy and Prevention Department head CDR Steven Lewis at Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach. Attendees discussed the impact of the 2028 Olympics on vessel traffic, the closure of the Vincent Thomas Bridge for deck replacement from Fall 2026 to Winter 2027-2028, the California Air Resources Board's Commercial Harbor Craft rule, and Subchapter M implementation.

AWO Revamps Tank Barge Emissions Working Group - Join Today. In response to recent fenceline monitoring challenges at marine terminals, AWO is relaunching its Tank Barge Emissions Working Group, now named the Tank Barge Emissions Fenceline Monitoring Working Group. The group will focus on understanding the monitoring issues barge operators are facing, evaluate AWO's best management practices for mitigating tank barge emissions, and update them if needed. If you are interested in joining, please email Lillie Wightman. 

Equipment Reporting Now Open! AWO's equipment reporting process for 2026 is now underway. Equipment reports can be submitted online through the Membership Dashboard or the AWO App. We are asking all carriers to update their equipment lists by September 16. Please email Violet Daniels with any questions about this process.