AG Van Hollen: Seeks to stop Asian carp invasion of Lake Michigan

[undeterred]

Van Hollen Files Brief With United States Supreme Court Joining Michigan’s Request For A Preliminary Injunction Aimed At Preventing Asian Carp Migration Into Great Lakes

MADISON — Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced today that the Wisconsin Department of Justice, on behalf of the State of Wisconsin, has filed a Response to the State of Michigan's Motion for Preliminary Injunction with the United States Supreme Court. Wisconsin’s response seeks to prevent the migration of big head and silver carp into Lake Michigan. Wisconsin joins Minnesota and Ohio in supporting Michigan's request that the Court immediately order the State of Illinois along with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to immediately close and cease operation of certain locks and gates between Chicago waterways and Lake Michigan. This action would prevent these large bodied planktivorous invasive fish from invading Lake Michigan and Wisconsin waterways.

“I am very concerned about the potential for an invasive contamination of Lake Michigan by Asian Carp,” said Van Hollen. “The infiltration of Asian Carp into Lake Michigan may have serious adverse environmental and economic consequences to Wisconsin’s waters and industry. This action seeks to ensure that the integrity of Lake Michigan is not harmed by the introduction of these Carp.”

Big head and silver carp survive and thrive in lake habitat types found in Wisconsin waters of the Great Lakes including Milwaukee Harbor, Green Bay, Chequamegon Bay, Duluth Superior Harbor, as well as the Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Bad and Nemadji Rivers. In 2007 the Wisconsin commercial harvest was worth $3 million for Lake Michigan and $651,000 for Lake Superior based on estimates compiled by the United States Geological Survey. Sport fishing in Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior generated $419 million in economic activity and supported 5,000 jobs in Wisconsin alone in 2006. Big head and silver carp threaten to substantially upset the ecological balance of Wisconsin waterways and undermine the enjoyment and production of Wisconsin's waterways.

Although the states have asked the United States Supreme Court to act expeditiously, it is not clear when a decision will be issued. The opposing parties will be responding to the request by January 5, 2010.

A copy the response is available at http://www.doj.state.wi.us/news/files/response-prelim-injunc.pdf.

http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=180781

:thumbsup:

[Viking12]

1. Well, it only took him 3 years to do something worthwhile.

Unfortunately, the White House is fighting the injunction.

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/22143078/detail.html

[dembotoz]

2. makes me nervous when van holler comes of greener than obama and company

[Viking12]

3. It's all only appearance. Neither has any interest in the environment per se on this matter.

Both are interested in serving economic interests and political constituents.

[undeterred]

4. Its another broken campaign promise by Obama.

It will be very interesting to see where the Supreme Court goes with it.

Obama administration's stand on carp criticized
By Dan Egan of the Journal Sentinel
Posted: Jan. 7, 2010

President Barack Obama staked his claim as the Great Lakes president during the heat of the 2008 campaign when he pledged to pump billions of dollars into a restoration plan for the lakes while at the same time champion a "zero tolerance" policy for new invasive species.

That "zero" is starting to look like a political bull's-eye for conservationists and regional politicians critical of the Obama administration's decision Tuesday to oppose efforts by a coalition of five Great Lakes states to force Illinois and the Army Corps of Engineers to do more to protect Lake Michigan from what many fear is an imminent invasion of the jumbo carp that could ravage the Great Lakes' $7 billion fishery.

"It is inexcusable that the administration has decided to side with their political allies in the state of Illinois to protect the narrow interests of their state, while the rest of the Great Lakes region and federal taxpayers will be forced to deal with the carp entering the lakes," said Rep. Candice S. Miller (R-Mich.).

Conservationists who weeks ago were aglow over Obama's billion-dollar plan for the Great Lakes were in a different mood Wednesday. They said it all might mean money down the drain if the administration doesn't recognize the threat carp pose to the lakes and take - or at least not oppose - action to close some navigational locks considered the last thing standing between the carp and Lake Michigan. "The Obama administration has miscalculated the threat Asian carp pose to the Great Lakes," said Andy Buchsbaum, regional executive director of the National Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes Regional Center. "Without immediate action, an invasion of Asian carp will unravel many of the president's Great Lakes initiatives."

more at: http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/80868792.html

[Viking12]

5. It's gettin' to be a pretty long list.

[undeterred]

6. Court won't close shipping locks to keep out carp

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to order immediate closure of shipping locks near Chicago to prevent Asian carp from infesting the Great Lakes.

The court rejected a request by Michigan for a preliminary injunction to close the locks temporarily while a long-term solution is sought to the threatened invasion by the ravenous fish. The one-sentence ruling didn't explain the court's reasoning.

Asian carp, primarily bighead and silver varieties, have been migrating up the Mississippi and Illinois rivers toward the Great Lakes for decades. They have swarmed waterways near Chicago leading to Lake Michigan. Scientists fear that if they reach the lakes, they could disrupt the food chain and endanger the $7 billion fishery.

The biggest Asian carp can reach 4 feet in length and weigh 100 pounds while consuming up to 40 percent of their body weight daily in plankton, the foundation of the Great Lakes food web.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/19/AR2010011901593.html

[undeterred]

7. Feds set date for carp meeting

The White House has set a Feb. 8 date for a meeting with three Great Lakes governors to discuss efforts to control the spread of Asian carp into the Great Lakes. Nancy Sutley, chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, announced that she and top officials from the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Interior, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Coast Guard will meet with Govs. Jennifer Granholm, Jim Doyle of Wisconsin and Pat Quinn of Illinois behind closed doors.

Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox and four other state attorney generals who filed a lawsuit over the carp invasion had asked to be at the meeting, but they were not invited.

Granholm and Doyle requested the meeting with White House officials the same day the Army Corps announced it had found carp DNA in Lake Michigan and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to issue an injunction shutting down Chicago-area locks at least temporarily.

Cox is still pursuing the lawsuit, which seeks to permanently wall off the shipping canal linking the Mississippi River to the Great Lakes.

http://www.freep.com/article/20100128/NEWS06/100128057/1001/NEWS/Feds-set-date-for-carp-meeting