Supreme Court blocks closing of Chicago locks

Posted on 20 January 2010
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The U.S. Supreme Court refused Tuesday to order Chicago-area waterway locks closed, according to the Great Lakes Boating Federation.

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Michigan attorney general Mike Cox filed a petition in December, asking the Supreme Court to force Illinois, the Army Corp of Engineers and Chicago's Water Reclamation district to at least temporarily close the locks between Illinois' waterways and Lake Michigan.

All the other Great Lakes states - Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania and the Canadian province of Ontario - supported Michigan's legal action, which also asked that long-term action be taken to permanently separate Illinois' carp-infested waterways from the Great Lakes watershed.

Officials from Michigan and Wisconsin are now requesting that the White House hold a summit on the issue and the Great Lakes Boating Federation is calling for a public hearing for all of the regional stakeholders to express their opinions.

"The U.S. Supreme Court's decision not to be hasty in the Chicago locks closure brings a sigh of relief to the 7,000 Chicagoland boaters," federation chairman F. Ned Dickmen said in a statement

"No setbacks are foreseen in the fast-approaching spring migration from the storage facilities on the river to Lake Michigan. Boaters remain committed to the fight to keep the Asian carp from invading the Great Lakes and for the safe means to keep the locks open," he added.

Click here for a New York Times article on the issue.

Click here for an article on Asian carp DNA being found in Lake Michigan for the first time.

Comments Comments are closed
6 Thursday, 21 January 2010 15:00
Obama will give Chicago anything it wants.  He will not let the facts get in the way.
5 Thursday, 21 January 2010 00:01
They are up to Lockport. I was in Chicago last weekend -NO Carp just ice burgs. They are way down river. Weld the locks in Lockport or farther down on the Illinois river.
4 Wednesday, 20 January 2010 22:26
This is an absolute abomination of judical nonsense.  To protect a few thousand versus the totality of the Great Lakes and it's users is disgusting and deplorable.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the future potential destruction of the Great Lakes, but apprently the Supreme Court is that smart.
3 Wednesday, 20 January 2010 22:12

These carp not only pose a threat to fishing but also pleasure boating, personal watercraft, ski boats,property values for homes on the great lakes and eventually they will find there way into the inland waters doing the same.


It will be a disaster for not only Michigan but alsoWisconsin,Minnesota, Ohio, Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania and the province of Ontario.


 

2 Wednesday, 20 January 2010 20:45
The State of Illinois should be ready to foot the bill if they allow the locks to be opened and the asia carp in lake Michigan. The rest fo the great lakes states and Canada  are being responcible and Chicago is acting like the spoiled children they seem to be.  The bill for their actions in not closing the locks could be hundreds of billions of dollars and they damn well should be ready to pay it.
1 Wednesday, 20 January 2010 16:59
7,000 Chicagoland boaters should be made to submerge themselves into the locks with spear guns to assure the millions of Great Lakes users that none of these Asian carp infiltrate further into our eco-system.
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