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The Mississippi - Part 2

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Image of Mississippi barge being loaded

Transporation Channel


NBR's Diane Eastabrook journeys to the Mississippi to discover the role the river plays in present day America. In Part 2 of the series, Diane investigates the popularity of the river as a shipping route.

Click to Read Transcript.

Discuss this series on XChange - The NBR Blog.

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External Links/Articles*

  • Abengoa Bioenergy
    Abengoa is a producer of biofuels. The company recently opened an ethanol plant along the Mississippi River, near Granite City, Illinois.
  • AEP River Operations
    AEP River Operations is a barge transportation service company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. The company's president, Mark Knoy, is interviewed in Diane Eastabrook's report.
  • Alter Barge Line
    Alter Barge Line is a firm offering towboat, barge, terminal and transfer services. The company's towboat, Phyllis, is seen in Diane Eastbrook's report. The captain of the Phyllis, Ross Marcks, is interviewed.
  • Tri-City Regional Port District
    The Tri-City Regional Port District is a 1,200 acre port facility on the Mississippi River in southwestern Illinois. In her report, Diane Eastabrook mentions how the 2008 flood impacted the facility.
  • University of Missouri
    The associate director of the University of Missouri's Center for Transportation Studies, Donald Sweeney, is interviewed in Diane Eastabrook's report. This links to Sweeney's bio.
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provides engineering services and capabilities to the nation in war and peace. This links to a section of the corps' website titled, "Mississippi River Navigation." It offers a solid history of the river's development and contributions to commerce.
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
    This links to Agricultural Transportation data tracked by the USDA. Specifically, it links to "Average Weekly Mississippi River Barge Rates."
  • U.S. Steel
    This links to information about the U.S. Steel operation in Granite City, Illinois, on the Mississippi River. The head of U.S. Steel's Granite City Works, Sharon Owen, is interviewed in Diane Eastabrook's report.
  • *Clicking these external links will take you off the NBR web site on PBS.org. NBR has no affiliation with these sites.

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