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Great Lakes Attorneys Generals and U.S. Senators pressing Army Corps to act on Asian carp threat

Asian carp photo
flickr.com

Attorneys general from three states say a $275 million federal plan for keeping Asian carp from migrating into the Great Lakes is too pricey and rejects the most effective solution.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is recommending technologies such as electric barriers and water cannons at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois, which stands between the carp-infested Illinois River and Lake Michigan.

Attorneys general Bill Schuette of Michigan, Lori Swanson of Minnesota and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania say a better way is replacing the lock gates with a concrete wall that would divide the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds. That would cost only about $5.9 million.

They say the Corps plan favors the needs of shipping companies over those of the Great Lakes fishing industry.

This comes shortly after Michigan’s U.S. Senators recently sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers asking why it’s taking so long to finalize its plan for keeping Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes?

The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry fired off a letter of its own urging the Army Corps consider an alternative to proposed structures that could impact maritime traffic from the Mississippi River to the Great Lakes.

WGVU spoke with Michigan U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow about the delay.

Patrick joined WGVU Public Media in December, 2008 after eight years of investigative reporting at Grand Rapids' WOOD-TV8 and three years at WYTV News Channel 33 in Youngstown, Ohio. As News and Public Affairs Director, Patrick manages our daily radio news operation and public interest television programming. An award-winning reporter, Patrick has won multiple Michigan Associated Press Best Reporter/Anchor awards and is a three-time Academy of Television Arts & Sciences EMMY Award winner with 14 nominations.