U.S. Coast Guard conducts icebreaking operations across Great Lakes, Northeast and Mid‑Atlantic after Winter Storm Fern

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Key takeaways

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem commended U.S. Coast Guard icebreaking efforts on Feb. 4, 2026.
Coast Guard reports 3,245 domestic icebreaking hours provided by 20 cutters, assisting 142 vessel transits and maintaining waterway availability above 98%.
Major Great Lakes efforts are organized under Operation Taconite (Sector Northern Great Lakes) and Operation Coal Shovel (Sector Detroit).
Operation RENEW (Reliable Energy for Northeast Winters) is focused on keeping shipping lanes open for heating oil and petroleum deliveries from Maine to New Jersey.
U.S. and Canadian icebreakers coordinate in shared waterways (e.g., St. Lawrence Seaway, Lake Huron–St. Clair–Detroit River) to support navigation, search-and-rescue, and flood mitigation.
Coast Guard cutters are prioritizing waterways that support critical infrastructure: petroleum, heating oil, road salt, food, and medical supplies.
Mariners are advised to monitor ice forecasts, plan transits carefully, and maintain communication with their local Coast Guard Sector for updates and assistance.

Follow Up Questions

What are Operation Taconite, Operation Coal Shovel, and Operation RENEW and what specific tasks does each perform?Expand

Operation Taconite — the Coast Guard’s largest domestic icebreaking mission in the northern Great Lakes; it keeps routes open for massive iron‑ore shipments from the Head of the Lakes to steel mills (Lake Erie/Lake Michigan) and establishes/maintains ice tracks for commercial ore carriers. Operation Coal Shovel — a Great Lakes sector operation (Sector Detroit) covering southern Lake Huron through the St. Clair–Detroit River system into Lake Erie/Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence Seaway; it focuses on keeping coal and other commercial transits moving, enabling search‑and‑rescue and flood mitigation, and opening channels to icebound communities. Operation RENEW (Reliable Energy for Northeast Winters) — a Northeast operation (Maine–New Jersey) to keep vital shipping lanes open for home heating oil and other petroleum deliveries (the majority of Northeast heating oil is moved by vessel), to sustain energy security and allow delivery of fuel, medical supplies and other essentials.

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