GLIN==> Groups Hail Action by U.S. Senate, House to Confront Asian Carp Crisis

Alliance for Great Lakes - Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition - National Wildlife Federation - Natural Resourced Defense Council - Prairie Rivers Network

Groups Hail Action by U.S. Senate, House to Confront Asian Carp Crisis

Bill Accelerates Move to Separate Great Lakes and Mississippi River System from Harmful Non-native Species, including Asian Carp

Legislation tackles problem of carp entering Lakes through other water bodies

ANN ARBOR, MICH. (June 30) - In an effort to confront the escalating Asian carp crisis and bolster a flagging federal response to the steady advance of the non-native fish, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives today introduced bills that would accelerate the move to build a physical barrier between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River system.

Conservation leaders hailed the introduction of the legislation as a vital step in preventing the Asian carp from entering the Lakes and triggering an environmental and economic disaster.

The Permanent Prevention of Asian Carp Act of 2010 was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.)

The action by Senate and House leaders comes days after the discovery of a live Asian carp in Lake Calumet-only 6 miles from Lake Michigan and past any physical barrier to the Great Lakes-and amidst growing concern that the federal response to the crisis, particularly by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has been ineffective.

In separate letters to the White House, conservation organizations and dozens of Great Lakes lawmakers urged President Obama to turn around a dysfunctional federal response to the crisis.

The Permanent Prevention of Asian Carp Act of 2010 directs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete a study that examines how to separate the Mississippi River and Great Lakes-two iconic waters that were artificially connected more than 100 years ago to deal with, in large part, the city of Chicago's wastewater. The connection has become a major pathway for invasive species to travel from one body of water to the other.

The U.S. Army Corps was directed in 2007 to examine the issue, though the agency has yet to show any progress in completing-or even starting-the study. The House and Senate bills direct the U.S. Army Corps to complete the study in 18 months and provide 6-month status reports to make sure the agency fulfills its responsibilities.

While the U.S. Army Corps has been dragging its feet, the non-native Asian carp has made a steady advance toward the Great Lakes. Since escaping from Southern fish farms in the 1980s, the fish has migrated up the Mississippi River and Illinois Rivers and into Chicago-area waters-past an experimental electric fence that was supposed to repel the fish.

The legislation introduced today also attempts to stop the introduction of invasive species through other pathways. Asian carp have already been detected in the Ohio River and Wabash River. The headwaters of the Wabash River are in a floodplain shared by the headwaters of the Maumee River-which is known to be prime habitat for the Asian carp and provides a direct connection to Lake Erie.

Discussing the introduction of the two Asian carp bills, conservation leaders said:

"We commend Sens. Stabenow and Durbin and Rep. Camp for their leadership on this issue," said Jeff Skelding, campaign director for the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. "The U.S. Congress and President Obama have made Great Lakes restoration a national priority. But this progress is at risk of being overwhelmed by new invasive species - particularly the Asian carp. Congressional passage of these bills will benefit millions or people who depend on the Great Lakes for their jobs, drinking water and way of life."

"This positive action from Senators Durbin and Stabenow is exactly what is needed right now to meet the Asian Carp crisis," said Henry Henderson, Midwest Director for the Natural Resources Defense Council. "In calling for expedited review of the permanent separation of the Great Lakes from the Mississippi River, the Senators' bill could be the shot of adrenaline that finally moves us into developing a real solution."

"The crisis is escalating," said Andy Buchsbuam, regional executive director of the National Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes Regional Center. "These bills are the medicine the Great Lakes need to inoculate themselves from the threat of the Asian carp. It is imperative that Congress act swiftly to pass these bills."

"With this legislation, Sens. Durbin and Stabenow and Rep. Camp are recognizing that the search for a permanent solution has to be on a fast track," said Joel Brammeier, president and CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes. "The sooner Congress passes this bill, that sooner we can outpace the carp and build real protection for the Great Lakes."

"Physical separation of these two great waters is the only permanent solution," said Glynnis Collins, Executive Director of Prairie Rivers Network. "And it stops both northbound and southbound invasions, protecting the health of both ecosystems."

For Immediate Release:
June 30, 2010

Contact:
Alliance for the Great Lakes: Joel Brammeier, 773-590-6494
Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition: Jordan Lubetkin, 734-904-1589
National Wildlife Federation: Andy Buchsbaum, 734-717-3665
Natural Resources Defense Council: Josh Mogerman, 773-531-5359
Prairie Rivers Network: Glynnis Collins, 217-344-2371

Jordan Lubetkin
Senior Regional Communications Manager
National Wildlife Federation
Great Lakes Regional Center
Office: 734-887-7109
Cell: 734-904-1589

www.nwf.org/greatlakes
www.healthylakes.org

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