December 6, 2009

LANSING - Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox today announced that his office will file suit in federal court to force the closure of Chicago-area locks that separate the Great Lakes from Illinois waters shown to contain Asian carp.  The fish are an aggressive invasive species that could quickly destroy Great Lakes fish populations, causing severe damage to Michigan's economy by ruining our $7 billion fishing and tourism industries.

"Asian carp must be stopped now because we will not have a second chance once they enter Lake Michigan," said Cox.  "The combination of finding carp and carp DNA so close to Lake Michigan is something that should cause great concern for us all."

"The Great Lakes are our greatest natural resource and we have a duty handed down to us from past generations to preserve them for future generations," Cox said.  "They are also essential to our economy, our national image, and our way of life.  We will do whatever is necessary to protect them," Cox continued.

Cox said that his office spent recent weeks reviewing legal options to force authorities responsible for the Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal to take more aggressive action to stop the carp from entering Lake Michigan at Chicago.  The suit, which will be filed soon, will seek to force the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the State of Illinois, and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago to close the locks and present a comprehensive, long-term solution to the crisis.   

"While this week's actions based on DNA evidence may be a step forward toward protecting the Great Lakes, they fail to provide a long-term solution to this crisis," Cox said.  "Instead of having to sound the emergency alarms again one month or six months from now, authorities responsible for this situation must seize this opportunity to once and for all solve the problem."

Last week the Attorney General sent a letter to these authorities demanding a full explanation of their plans to protect the Great Lakes from this looming threat.  To date, none have responded.

Cox's office has aggressively protected Michigan's water resources, previously suing the federal government three times to compel them to address the threat from invasives to our waters.  He also went to court to successfully defend Michigan's first-in-the-nation ballast water statute.

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