The owners of the S.S.Badger car ferry – the Lake Michigan Car Ferry Company – have officially applied for permission to keep dumping coal ash into Lake Michigan. The federal Environmental Protection Agency has ordered the Badger – the only remaining coal-burning ship on the Great Lakes – to stop dumping their coal ash into the lake by December or they could be shut down. Lake Michigan Car Ferry is considering liquefied natural gas to power its boat but they say they need more time. “They’re willing to convert to a clean source of fuel, they just can’t do it overnight,” says Manitowoc Mayor Justin Nickles. A request is pending to have the badger proclaimed as a historical landmark – which would allow it to keep dumping its ash.
On Thursday, high winds grounded the Badger ferry’s initial 2012 trip from Ludington, Michigan to Manitowoc. Manitowoc Fire Chief Gregg Kadow says the ship got stuck about 40 feet off shore in the harbor. The ship was finally pulled off by a tug from Sturgeon Bay and managed to dock at about 4:20. The ferry runs daily from Manitowoc to Michigan through mid-October.
Brian Norton, WOMT
