Michigan Members Call for Action to Protect Great Lakes; Get Additional Funds to Prevent an Invasion

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Candice Miller (MI-10) today joined with her Michigan Congressional delegation colleagues in praising the swift action being taken by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to prevent the Asian carp from entering the Great Lake through the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The Corps will get an additional $13 million to fend off the spread of Asian carp into the Great Lakes. Members of the Michigan Congressional delegation hope this is just the first round of funding to thwart a crisis the carp would certainly cause in the Great Lakes.

“Preventing the Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes and making sure the Army Corps of Engineers and other relevant agencies have all the funding they need to carry out their efforts have been an absolute priority for the Michigan delegation,” Rep. Miller said. “These redirected funds are vital for the barrier reconstruction, testing they need to track and prevent the Asian carp from further spread, as well as use the funds for closing the lock if there is no other option. There is nothing more important to our quality of life and our economic survival than protecting our Great Lakes.”

The Asian carp were imported from Asia to the Deep South to cleanse fish ponds and sewage lagoons, but escaped into the Mississippi and have been working their way north since the 1970s. Due to their aggressive appetites, Asian Carp have the potential to dominate ecosystems and alter the food chain. The U.S Army Corps of Engineers, in conjunction with other governmental entities, has been engaged in efforts to contain Asian carp in the Mississippi River system.

This $13 million will be a combination of Great Lakes Restoration Initiative funding and reprogrammed Corps funds. The money will be used by the Corps and other agencies to keep the carp out of the Great Lakes. Recently, the carp have been found south of the preventative barrier, just 25 miles from Great Lakes access points and eDNA sampling has found genetic material a mere 8 miles from Lake Michigan. It is estimated it will take $30 million in FY-2010 to prevent the carp from invading and devastating the Great Lakes. This action comes after Members of the Michigan Congressional delegation wrote a letter to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Committees on Appropriations and Transportation and Infrastructure asking for emergency funding.

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