Bill Text: MI HCR0038 | 2009-2010 | 95th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: A concurrent resolution to urge the Obama administration to reconsider its opposition to Michigan's lawsuit that would prevent Asian carp from invading the Great Lakes.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-14 - Referred To Committee On Great Lakes And Environment [HCR0038 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2009-HCR0038-Introduced.html
Rep. Schuitmaker offered the following concurrent resolution:
House Concurrent Resolution No. 38.
A concurrent resolution to urge the Obama administration to reconsider its opposition to Michigan's lawsuit that would prevent Asian carp from invading the Great Lakes.
Whereas, Asian carp are on the verge of invading the Great Lakes through the man-made connection between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River basin. Scientists are in agreement that the Asian carp could change forever the biology of the Great Lakes, posing a serious threat to current fish and wildlife and the Great Lakes $7 billion fishery; and
Whereas, Efforts to block the Asian carp have failed. Asian carp have been detected past the electrical barrier constructed in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. Waiting for further confirmation of carp past the barrier is a recipe for disaster. We cannot risk the possibility that carp could evade further detection and invade the Great Lakes while we sit waiting for further confirmation and study. Once carp gain a foothold in the Lakes, there will be no second chances; and
Whereas, The only guaranteed protection for the Great Lakes is closing the lakes off from the Mississippi River basin. Michigan--with the support of Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Ontario--has been forced to seek this closure by filing suit with the U.S. Supreme Court. This dramatic action by the states and provinces with jurisdiction over more than 95 percent of the Great Lakes is justified by the momentous impact carp could have on the lakes. There are alternatives to moving goods and people through the Chicago canals and rivers. There are alternatives that can reduce the risk from flood waters in the Chicago area; and
Whereas, The Obama administration has opposed the efforts by these states and provinces to prevent Asian carp from invading the Great lakes. This stance is inconsistent with earlier pledges and recent commitments by the administration to protect and restore the Great Lakes. Unfortunately, the benefit of the administration's recent investment in the Great Lakes would be swamped by the long-term costs of allowing Asian carp to invade the Great Lakes. Asian carp now represent the number one threat to the Great Lakes; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That we urge the Obama administration to reconsider its opposition to Michigan's lawsuit that would prevent Asian carp from invading the Great Lakes; and be it further
Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.
