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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 30 april 2019
Illinois governor OKs first steps on blocking Asian carp

By JOHN FLESHER
AP Environmental Writer
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP)
— Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker
says he is willing to take
initial steps toward fortify-
ing a lock-and-dam system
on a Chicago-area water-
way so it can protect Lake
Michigan from invasive
Asian carp.
Pritzker, a Democrat, told
the U.S. Army Corps of En-
gineers in a letter Friday
that he had authorized the
state's cooperation with
preconstruction, engineer-
ing and design work at the
Brandon Road Lock and
Dam near Joliet, Illinois. But
he voiced misgivings about
the cost and said his state
"is not in a financial position
to commit to the full plan in
its current form."
The Corps has proposed in-
stalling devices such as an
electric barrier, noisemak- In this June 13, 2012, file photo, Asian carp, jolted by an electric current from a research boat, jump from the Illinois River near
ers and an air bubble cur- Havana, Ill.
tain in a specially designed Associated Press
channel to deter fish from
swimming upstream and sign a Project Partnership of Asian carp, which were Road project is considered cratic Gov. Gretchen Whit-
remove those that don't Agreement without a cost imported decades ago to a compromise. mer, is willing to make good
turn back. The adjacent control strategy and addi- cleanse Southern sewage Former Michigan Gov. Rick on his proposal and appre-
lock would be retooled to tional cost sharing among lagoons and fish farms but Snyder proposed a partner- ciates Pritzker's decision to
flush away unwanted spe- the states." escaped into the Mississippi ship last year to help cover move forward, spokesman
cies floating on the water. Corps spokeswoman Sa- River and invaded many of costs of operating and Ed Golder of the Michigan
An updated version of mantha Heilig said Mon- its tributaries. maintaining the Brandon Department of Natural Re-
the plan released last No- day that Pritzker's letter was Scientists say if the Asian Road structures, drawing sources said Monday.
vember put the price tag forwarded to the agency's carp becomes established support from Ohio, Wiscon- Illinois Sens. Dick Durbin and
at $778 million, which was headquarters in Washing- in the Great Lakes, it could sin, the Canadian province Tammy Duckworth, both
much higher than an earlier ton, D.C., where a final re- unravel food chains and of Ontario and Chicago. Democrats, supported
$275 million estimate. That port on the project awaits out-compete native spe- But former Illinois Gov. Pritzker's position in a state-
drew criticism from Illinois, approval from the chief of cies. Bruce Rauner rejected fel- ment and agreed other
which agreed last year to engineers. Environmentalists and some low Republican Snyder's Great Lakes states should
serve as "non-federal spon- The Brandon Road complex states, including Michigan, offer of $8 million in support share the costs.
sor" of the project. is on the Des Plaines River, have called for walling off of the arrangement, saying "Invasive Asian carp are a
"I would like to discuss how which is part of a water- Lake Michigan from the he didn't want to commit serious threat to the Great
we can lower the cost of way network that links Lake Chicago waterway system, to the deal in the final days Lakes ecosystem and the
this plan and still effectively Michigan with the Illinois which Illinois opposes as of his term. region's economy," they
address the threat of Asian River. The Illinois River is in- disruptive to commercial Snyder's successor, Demo- said.q
carp," Pritzker said. "I will not fested with several varieties navigation. The Brandon

Gov. Cuomo signs offshore

drilling ban into law

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Gov. the ban earlier this year fol- more difficult for any drilling
Andrew Cuomo has signed lowing the Trump adminis- to occur close to coastal
into law a new ban on drill- tration's proposal to open New York, even in waters
ing for oil and gas off the up more coastal areas to controlled by the federal
New York coast. drilling. government.
The Democrat was joined Specifically, the ban would Opponents to drilling off
by musician Billy Joel for bar state permits for drilling the Long Island coast say
a bill signing Monday on or oil or gas exploration in it would put the local envi-
Long Island. offshore areas controlled ronment, water quality and
Members of the Democrat- by the state. human health at risk.q
led state Legislature passed That would make it much