Sen. Levin comments on Great Lakes invasive species study

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., co-chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, made the following statement today about the release of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study into the movement of invasive species into the Great Lakes:

"I welcome the arrival today of the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Inter-basin Study prepared by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The report provides a framework for stopping the movement of destructive invasive species, including Asian carp, between the two basins. With a $7 billion fishery at stake, it is urgent that we do everything we can to curb the threat of invasive species, and this report will help Congress determine how to provide the most effective protections for the Great Lakes. I look forward to working with my colleagues and other stakeholders in achieving that goal."

According to an Associated Press article posted and updated today, Jan. 6, 2014, the report includes "construction projects in Chicago waterways that could cost more than $18 billion and take 25 years to complete."*

* See "Army Corps proposes alternatives to protect lakes" on theitem.com.