http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/local_news/100104-coast-guard-begins-hudson-river-ice-breaking
By ARUN KRISTIAN DAS / MyFox New York MYFOXNY.COM - With temperatures are dropping and water starting to freeze on the Hudson Rover, the Coast Guard has begun its annual ice-breaking operations. Five cutters will help maintain waterways open to commercial vessels from New York City up to Albany until the mid-March, the Coast Guard said. "An average of 300 vessels transit the Hudson River during the winter months, carrying over 5 million barrels of petroleum products to the communities of this northern region," said Lt. Cmdr. Edward Munoz, of Coast Guard Sector New York . "This includes home heating oil, which impacts hundreds of thousands of people in our area." The Coast Guard Cutters Line, Wire, Hawser, Morro Bay, and Sturgeon Bayare assigned to ice-breaking. Other vessels are standing by in case any of the ships go down for maintenance or the ice season gets worse, said Petty Officer Third Class Barbara Patton. The Coast Guard breaks ice on the river to keep it clear for commerce and travel, as well as for safety and security reasons. Coast Guard, police, fire, and other official boats need to be able to carry out search and rescue, law enforcement, homeland security, and other emergency missions. "In addition to our icebreakers, the Coast Guard Auxiliary conducts daily reconnaissance flights, providing updated information about ice conditions which is then transmitted to waterway users," Munoz said. The public can get daily ice reports from the Coast Guard online at:Coast Guard Begins Hudson River Ice-Breaking
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