Lockport, IL – U.S. Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL-13th) today pushed ahead with efforts to prevent Asian Carp from bypassing barriers designed to protect the Great Lakes from the destructive invasive species.  Under provisions she backed for inclusion in an Energy and Water appropriations bill, H.R. 3183, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will have emergency authority to stem the spread of the carp through nearby floodwaters along the Des Plaines River. 
 
            “Already, the latest testing indicates this voracious invasive species is far closer to reaching the fragile Great Lakes ecosystem than thought before,” said Biggert, who has championed efforts to block the carp since 2002.  “The existing barriers are working effectively, but the Army Corps has identified a potential gap in our defenses.  The new authority we’re seeking will ensure the Corps can take appropriate action to stem the tide and protect our lake from a major biological threat.”
 
            Marine biologists say that if the Asian Carp enter the Great Lakes, they would devastate the ecosystem and endanger the multi-billion dollar Midwest commercial fishing industry.  The carp prey on and compete with native species for food, living space, and spawning areas.  Individual fish can grow to between 50 and 150 pounds and eat up to 40 percent of their body weight every day.
 
            With legislative support from Biggert, the USACE constructed specialized electronic fences along the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Romeoville and Lockport, IL to prevent the carp from moving further upstream.  Although the canal is the only direct link between the Mississippi River basins and the lakes, recent reports indicate that in the event of heavy rainfall, flood waters from the Des Plaines River could transfer the carp back into the canal further north, leaving little to prevent their spread into Lake Michigan. 
 
            In response, Biggert worked with the USACE and Senator George Voinovich (R-OH) to craft an amendment to H.R. 3183, which grants the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers authority to implement “such modifications or emergency measures as the Secretary of the Army determines to be appropriate, to prevent aquatic nuisance species from bypassing the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal Dispersal Barrier Project.”  Voinovich offered the amendment during House-Senate conference negotiations, and it received broad, bipartisan support.
 
            “In Chicago, our lake is our treasure, and we can’t afford to let our guard down,” said Biggert.  “I’m very grateful to Senator Voinovich for his efforts to make sure that this important provision was included in the final bill.”
 
            With Biggert’s support, the final conference report on H.R. 3183 passed the House on Thursday by a vote of 308 to 114.  The bill is likely to be considered by the Senate in the coming days, and is expected to be signed into law.  Biggert also is the sponsor of legislation, H.R. 3173, to add the Bighead Asian Carp to a list of injurious species under the Lacey Act and prevent the sale or importation of the fish in the U.S.  For more information on the spread of Asian Carp or to learn about efforts underway by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, visit http://www.lrc.usace.army.mil.

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