Carp Alarmists Bring Debate to Washington

Coalition Responds to Senate Subcommittee Discussion on Federal Response to Asian Carp Dispute

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. July 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, as members of the Senate Subcommittee on Water and Power of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources meet to discuss next steps in the federal response to Asian carp, the UnLock Our Jobs coalition urges lawmakers to reject the fear mongers and alarmists and focus, instead, on a comprehensive, logical solution to the Asian carp issue that does not cripple the economy of the Great Lakes region.  After a recent isolated discovery of an Asian carp in Lake Calumet, Illinois and a spawning population over 100 miles downstream of wetlands in Indiana's Wabash River, politicians throughout the region made immediate calls for closure of Chicago area locks and permanent separation of the Great Lakes from the Mississippi River Basin.  In contrast, UnLock Our Jobs encourages a level headed, scientific approach to this issue. 

"There is no place for knee-jerk reactions, unfounded fear of implausible migrations or demonization of regulators who appropriately take a common sense approach to a complex issue," said Mark Biel, executive director of the Chemical Industry Council of Illinois. "I commend both the Illinois and Indiana Departments of Natural Resources for their scientific, calm reactions to these recent discoveries.  Lawmakers in Washington would be well served to follow this response and use science, not scare tactics moving forward." 

Biel continued, "The Army Corps already reported lock closure will not reduce the likelihood of Asian carp reaching the Great Lakes and yet calls for closure continue.  Clearly this is not an issue of science or concrete solutions for these alarmists – political motives are at play here.  Hydrological separation does not address the more than 21 ways that carp may be introduced to new environments but in the meantime, causes absolute economic devastation.  We commend the members of Congress working for a solution to this problem.  We simply hope and encourage a permanent, comprehensive solution that keeps our waterways open to commerce.  

For additional information regarding this or related issues, please visit UnLock Our Jobs' website for detailed resources.

To speak with any UnLock Our Jobs experts, please contact Lisa Burgess at [email protected] or (202) 257-0983.

Un-Lock Our Jobs is a coalition dedicated to protecting the essential waterway connection between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River corridor. A project of the Chemical Industry Council of Illinois, coalition members represent agriculture, business, labor, river communities, and concerned citizens working towards a comprehensive solution to stop the spread of Asian carp, while leaving the Chicago locks open to commerce.  

SOURCE UnLock Our Jobs