Harris, Executive Director of IIPD, oversees America’s Fourth Coast, Port Chicago. An ex-Prosecutor, Harris is tasked with increasing the port’s profitability, maintaining environmental integrity, and fostering community outreach. Port Chicago, located on more than 1600 acres of land, consists of several major port facilities within the city. However, the port’s Foreign Trade Zone #22 extends 60 miles from the city limits.
Multimodal
As a multimodal port, Port Chicago links the inland river networks and the Great Lakes to the global markets, offering easy access to six Class One Railroads (BNSF, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern Corporation, and Union Pacific) and two international airports (O’Hare International and Midway International) with immediate access to five major interstate highways (I-90/94, I-80, I-57, I-55, and I-65). Unlike other Great Lakes ports, Port Chicago operates 12 months a year with access to the Great Lakes as well as to the Illinois and Mississippi River Systems. During the shipping season, the port offers easy access to the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Advantages
Port Chicago moves more general cargo than any other Great Lakes port. The port’s Iroquois Landing Terminal provides unparalleled access by ocean, lake, and river vessels because of its deep draft and shallow draft terminal, giving it a unique advantage within the Great Lakes and inland river systems. Barges transport more than 40% of the port’s cargo on the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers between Port Chicago and Port NOLA to the Gulf of Mexico.