WASHINGTON – In response to the release of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Brandon Road Study, an analysis of how to prevent Asian Carp from getting past the Brandon Road Lock and Dam, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement:
“Invasive species are a growing threat to our entire inland waterways system and to the countless Illinois communities and businesses that rely on strong and vibrant aquatic ecosystems. Brandon Road Lock and Dam and other existing controls have successfully prevented Asian Carp from reaching the Great Lakes, and the Brandon Road Study is another important step in better understanding the challenges of limiting Great Lakes’ exposure to invasive species. I will continue working with the federal, state and local partners to find common sense solutions that protect the Great Lakes while ensuring reliable and sustainable transportation on the Illinois River.”
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As the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water and Wildlife, Duckworth has been outspoken about the need to address the threat invasive species like the Asian Carp pose to the food supply and the Great Lakes’ $7 billion fishing industry. Duckworth has also been a vocal critic of the Trump Budget, which would eliminate the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a critical program that protects the Great Lakes from toxic pollution and invasive species like Asian Carp.
In April, Duckworth joined U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and a number of their Midwestern colleagues in urging the Trump administration to release the Brandon Road study. Duckworth also signed a bipartisan letter to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt earlier this year urging him to fully fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative instead of eliminating its funding as the Trump administration’s budget proposed.
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