Harbor Safety Committees-
Progress for the 21st Century
HSC Success Stories Panel the Lower Mississippi River Waterway Safety Advisory Committee

John P. Laborde

The Lower Mississippi River Waterway Safety Advisory Committee (LMRWSAC) is established in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The committee advises, consults with, and makes recommendations to the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating on matters relating to the transit of vessels and products to and from the Ports of the Lower Mississippi River. The LMRWSAC provides a public forum that furnishes consultation and advice on a wide range of issues. It provides local expertise on matters such as communications, surveillance, traffic management, anchorages, and other related topics dealing with navigation safety on the Lower Mississippi River as required by the Coast guard. It has also provided advice on the development and operation of the New Orleans Vessel Traffic Service (VTS). There is no other committee or other government agency that can adequately perform the functions of this committee. The membership consists of 24 members who have particular expertise, knowledge, and experience regarding navigable waterways and the transportation, equipment, and techniques that are used to ship cargo on the Lower Mississippi River including the Gulf of Mexico. Over the past years, some valuable insight and recommendations this committee has provided to the Coast guard, the Army Corps of Engineers and other Federal, State and local government agencies have included revetment issues, radio communications, barge fleeting, pipeline crossings and the replacement of the Innerharbor Navigation Canal Lock, to name a few. This presentation will discuss the committee makeup and past, present and future projects being undertaken by LMRWSAC.