« Ind. Courts - Delaware County Prosecutor Mark McKinney "saga drags into 2010" | Main | Courts - More on: Ohio Supreme Court rules warrant required for cell phone searches »

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Environment - More on "Michigan asks U.S. Supreme Court to close shipping locks near Chicago to prevent Asian carp from invading the Great Lakes" What of Indiana? [Updated]

This ILB entry from Dec. 22 contained reports that the Michigan attorney general has filed the suit against against Illinois, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. This Dec. 22nd LA Times story by Joel Hood and James Janega reports:

The fight to keep invasive Asian carp out of the Great Lakes reached the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, as Michigan's attorney general filed a lawsuit seeking closure of two shipping locks near Chicago.

Claiming Illinois officials have been lax, Michigan Atty. Gen. Mike Cox asked justices for immediate action to seal off the most direct route for fish entering Lake Michigan, in hopes of protecting the region's $7-billion fishing industry.

"We don't want to have to look back years later . . . and say, 'What was the matter with us? We should have done something,' " Cox said. Closing the locks, he said, was "the easiest, the most reliable and the most effective" short-term step officials could take. * * *

In addition to closing the locks, the lawsuit seeks creation of barriers to prevent carp from escaping the Des Plaines River or neighboring waterways during flooding. Cox also called for a study of Chicago's water system to understand the size and scope of the Asian carp population.

The lawsuit comes during a period of heightened anxiety over recent DNA research that hinted the voracious fish may have bypassed an underwater electric barrier system -- and could now be within six miles of Lake Michigan. In August, Quinn signed into law a $3-million program giving universities and researchers authority to fish as many varieties of Asian carp as they could find. Last week, Illinois was awarded $13 million in federal funds to deal with the carp problem.

In filing the lawsuit, Michigan was asking that the high court reopen a 100-year-old case sparked by Chicago's reversing the flow of the Chicago River to send its sewage and human waste away from Lake Michigan and toward the Mississippi River.

This story from the Dec. 23rd Minnesota Star Tribune is headed "Minnesota to join Michigan in lawsuit to keep out Asian carp." A quote:
Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson said Minnesota on Monday will join Michigan in a lawsuit that would force Illinois and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take action to block the fish from entering Lake Michigan through Illinois.
"Ohio asks US Supreme Court to study carp threat" is the heading of this Dec. 24th AP story that begins:
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review steps taken to stop Asian carp from invading the Great Lakes.

Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray asked the court Wednesday to examine measures taken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the state of Illinois to stop the spread of the fish.

Cordray asked the court to reopen an earlier case examining the legality of several man-made canals and waterways connecting Lake Michigan with the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers.

Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio. What of Indiana? A message sent by the ILB to the Indiana Attorney General's office on Dec. 24th, asking about Indiana's plans, has thus far gone unanswered.

[More at 1:30 PM] Thnaks to AG's office for this message:

Sorry that we were not able to get back to you earlier. State government offices were closed Thursday in observance of the Christmas Eve holiday. Thank you for forwarding the article. We will reserve comment on it, for now. Thanks.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on December 26, 2009 10:04 AM
Posted to Environment