GLIN==> Great Lakes Commission applauds new legislation expediting studies on separating the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds

For immediate release: July 1, 2010

 

Great Lakes Commission applauds new legislation expediting studies on
separating the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds

http://www.glc.org/announce/10/07separation.html 

 

 

Ann Arbor, Mich. – The Great Lakes Commission is voicing strong support for
legislation introduced today by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Richard
Durbin (D-IL), Carl Levin (D-MI) and other senators, and a companion bill
introduced in the House by Congressman Dave Camp (R-MI). Titled the
Permanent Prevention of Asian Carp Act, the bills require the Army Corps of
Engineers to expedite studies on separating the Great Lakes from the
Mississippi River watershed in Chicago to prevent the introduction of Asian
carp and other aquatic invasive species. This approach, termed hydrological
separation, is widely considered the best permanent solution to keeping
Asian carp from invading the Great Lakes from the Mississippi River
watershed via man-made waterways in the Chicago area.

 

The new legislation comes on the heels of the discovery of an Asian carp in
Lake Calumet, beyond the electric dispersal barrier on the Chicago Sanitary
and Ship Canal and only six miles from Lake Michigan. This discovery—the
first capture of a live Asian carp beyond the dispersal barrier—has alarmed
Great Lakes leaders and elevated the urgency of control efforts. 

 

“We face a crisis in the Great Lakes and we must act with urgency,” said
Todd Ambs, vice chair of the Great Lakes Commission. “It is imperative that
we take the near-term actions needed to push back against the forward
movement of Asian carp. We applaud Senators Stabenow and Durbin for their
leadership in advancing a long-term solution that permanently protects the
economic and ecological health of the Great Lakes,” Ambs added.

 

In 2007, Congress authorized the Corps of Engineers to study options and
technologies available to prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species
between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins. Progress under the
study has been slow, however, and the Corps now projects that the first
phase of the study will not be completed until late 2012, with the full
study completed in 2014.

 

The new legislation requires the Corps to complete a new study focused on
the Chicago area within 18 months, with several reports due in the
intervening months. The legislation would also focus the Corps’ study on the
feasibility of hydrologic separation rather than a range of options. It
would also direct the Corps to examine other modes of transportation for
shipping and create engineering designs to move canal traffic from one water
body to the other without transferring aquatic species, and it will detail
the environmental benefits, costs and construction time estimates of each
option. It will also address flooding threats, wastewater needs, emergency
response operations and barge and recreational vessel traffic alternatives.


 

“Now, more than ever, we need leadership from the federal government and an
aggressive timetable for action that matches the urgency of this crisis,”
said Tim Eder, executive director of the Great Lakes Commission. “This
legislation will help assure that long-term solutions move forward quickly.”


 

The Great Lakes Commission went on record earlier this year with a
resolution urging Congress to “implement any measures necessary to prevent
further migration of any Asian carp
” and recognizing that “the best
permanent solution for the health of both the Mississippi River and Great
Lakes watersheds is ecological separation
” The resolution was adopted
unanimously by the Commission’s eight member states, including Illinois, at
their semiannual meeting in February in Washington, D.C.

 

 

 

Contact:
Tim Eder <mailto:teder at glc.org> , Executive Director

Office: 734-971-9135

Cell: 734-604-7281

Email: teder at glc.org

 

Or 

 

Matt Doss <mailto:mdoss at glc.org> , Policy Director      

Office: 734-971-9135

Cell: 734-474-1985

Email: mdoss at glc.org

 

 

### 

The Great Lakes Commission, chaired by Gov. Patrick Quinn (Ill.), is an
interstate compact agency established under state and U.S. federal law and
dedicated to promoting a strong economy, healthy environment and high
quality of life for the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region and its residents.
The Commission consists of governors' appointees, state legislators, and
agency officials from its eight member states. Associate membership for
Ontario and Québec was established through the signing of a "Declaration of
Partnership." The Commission maintains a formal Observer program involving
U.S. and Canadian federal agencies, tribal authorities, binational agencies
and other regional interests. The Commission offices are located in Ann
Arbor, Michigan.

 

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