Permanent Prevention of Asian Carp Act of 2010 – Bill Introduced
Asian carp legislative update
Today, Senators Debbie Stabenow and Dick Durbin, and Congressman Dave Camp, introduced a bill in the U.S. House and Senate thatwould greatly accelerate the move toward separation of the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins. The bill—called the “Permanent Prevention of Asian Carp Act of 2010”—would require the U.S. ArmyCorps to complete a study that determines the feasibility AND the best means of achieving hydrological separation.
There are two main differences between this bill and the corps’ existing authority. First, this bill significantly narrows the scope of the corps’ work—it focuses on Chicago and it says “tell us how to separate” instead of directing the corps to study the full gamut of options throughout the region. Second, it establishes some tight deadlines—an initial report is due in six months with the final report due in a year and a half. Also, the Council on Environmental Quality (the White House), under this bill, would play a role in oversight.
This legislation is quite consistent with public statements made by the commission and by advisors: that separation is the only viable end point and that it should be done with all haste.
Attached is the bill as introduced (both House and Senate versions) and a press release we issued today. Also attached is a joint press release from Senators Stabenow and Durbin and Representative Camp.
