Feeling the heat, Obama comes good on Asian Carp.

But, is it enough and is it already too late??


Chicago Suntimes

http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obam...-carp09.article

The Obama administration said Monday it will spend $78.5 million to help keep giant Asian carp out of the Great Lakes as the ravenous species of fish threatens the water's ecosystems as well as nearby home values.

The U.S. seeks to reduce the number of times Chicago's waterway navigational locks are opened to slow carp movement into the Great Lakes, the White House Council on Environmental Quality said in a statement. The U.S. also will use sonar, electrical shocks, netting and expedited carp DNA testing to control the population of the fish.

DNA from Asian carp was found in Lake Michigan for the first time last month, hours after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to order the closing of locks and dams on rivers in the Chicago area. States including Michigan and New York have said immediate action is needed to keep the fish from hurting commercial fishing.

The White House plan includes 25 short- and long-term actions, including the expedited testing of environmental DNA and doubling the testing samples to 120 per week.

Also, the federal government will award a $13.2 million contract in March to build barriers between the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and the Des Plaines River.

And it will award a $10.5 million contract to build a third electric barrier.