New Acting Seaway Head After Parris Resigns

Stanford E. Parris, the sixth administrator of the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, has announced his resignation as head of the agency to pursue other interests. In his place now is Seaway Corporation Acting Administrator David G. Sanders.

Mr. Parris, a former U.S. Congressman from Virginia, took the position at the Corporation in 1991, and has been commended by Transportation SecretaryFederico Pena for his leadership and dedication in keeping commercial trade through the Great Lakes Seaway System safe, competitive and reliable. "Under his direction, the Seaway has re-emerged as a leading international trade route for North America. Stan was successful in negotiating the first Seaway toll freeze on the binational waterway in nearly a decade, and international tonnage has been on the rise for three years," said Secretary Pena. The Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation recently released 1994 results for the "New Business" portion of the Seaway Incentive Tolls Program, showing increases in tonnage shipped and toll amounted discounted to carriers. During the 1994 navigation season, more than 1.7 million metric tons of cargoes qualified for toll discounts under "New Business," amounting to $1.1 million. In 1993, toll incentives were $535,000 on 1.6 million metric tons.

Corporation Acting Administrator Sanders noted that the incentive program clearly demonstrates what effect a reduction in tolls has on Seaway trade.

"The Incentive Tolls program, especially the New Business portion, has been extremely successful in generating new trade on the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway system," Mr. Sanders said. "It proves that when Seaway tolls are reduced in any form, including through discounts, that tonnage will rise." Prior to the 1994 navigation season, the "New Business" portion was expanded to offer toll discounts instead of a rebate to entice traffic with immediate cost savings. To qualify under the "New Business" category in the program, carriers must ship commodities which have not moved between one of five geographical regions within the Seaway System and a particular country in quantities totaling five percent or more of the total traffic between the two locations for the prior three seasons. Qualifying cargoes receive an immediate cargo discount of 50 percent.

Since the program began in 1991, more than 6.9 million metric tons of cargoes have qualified, with toll rebates/ discounts of more than $2.7 million under "New Business."