DNR rejects Great Lakes dock plan

From the Manitoulin Expositor in Superior, Wis.: The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources rejected an application from Elkhorn Industries to repair docks as part of a plan to expand the shipment of crude oil to refineries in the Midwest and eastern Canada. While the DNR’s decision temporarily delays the company’s plans, the issue is expected to continue for years because transporting crude by ship is significantly cheaper than doing so by rail, and pipelines remain mired in the courts. In 2010, 3.7 million tons of oil traveled through the Great Lakes from U.S. ports, with even more transported between Canadian ports.