Business View Magazine - Dec 2023

three of our older vessels with their engines,” says Norgress. “And all of our new builds were powered with Laborde products. They have been very good partners for us.” The engines that power towboats are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which has adopted multiple tiers of emission standards to reduce diesel pollution. Tier 1 standards were phased in from 1996 to 2000; the more stringent Tier 2 standards took effect from 2001 to 2006; and even more stringent Tier 3 standards were phased in from 2006 to 2008. Currently, Tier 4 diesel engine standards are the strictest EPA emissions requirement for off-highway diesel engines. Thisrequirementregulatestheamountofparticulate matter (PM), or black soot, and nitrogen oxides (NOx) that can be emitted from an off-highway diesel engine; all of which makes barge transport one of the cleanest and most environmentally- friendly modes of freight transportation in the United States. “We started at Tier 1; now we’re at Tier 3 and 4,” Hays notes. FUTURE SUCCESS ASSURED As to the future, Kohnke says he is looking for a new home for fleets in the Houston area, while also finding ways to improve upon the company’s high standards for sustainability and efficiency. In that regard, all of Chem Carriers’ vessels are RCP- Certified. The Responsible Carrier Program (RCP) is a registered trademark of the American Waterways Operators, Inc. (AWO), the tugboat, towboat, and barge industry’s advocate, resource,and united voice for safe, sustainable, and efficient transportation on America’s waterways, oceans, and coasts. The AWO’s RCP program is intended to improve marine safety and environmental protection in the industry by establishing preferred industry operating principles and practices as voluntary standards for tugboat and towboat companies. In addition, Kohnke says that the current barge market is favorable for his company. “We’ve seen a lot of consolidation in the market; companies buying other companies, so there aren’t as many companies in the liquid barge market as there used to be,” he relates. “That gives us a distinct 247 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 12 CHEM CARRI ERS