Senate Floor Statement on Asian Carp in the Transportation Conference Report
Friday, June 29, 2012
The provision in question simply accelerates a study of invasive species such as the destructive Asian carp, a study essential to protecting the Great Lakes, a resource that is vital to the health, safety and livelihoods of millions of Americans.
The study was included in the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 that authorized the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a feasibility study to prevent the spread of aquatic nuisance species between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Basins.
Since that time, Congress has provided over $13 million to the Corps to conduct this study. The Corps maintains that the study cannot be completed until the end of 2015.
The provision included in the Conference Agreement before us today would accelerate this study and require its completion within 18 months.
We should not minimize the threat of the destructive Asian carp entering the Great Lakes.
If Asian carp got into the Great Lakes, they would not only pose a very serious threat to the environment, but would have a devastating effect on thousands of local jobs and a $7 billion fishing industry.
Accelerating this study would put us on a better track to protect one of our nation’s greatest treasures and the thousands of jobs that depend on it.