U.S. Reps. Bill Huizenga (R-MI) and Dave Joyce (R-OH) praised recent action by the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which advanced legislation that would prevent the spread of invasive species into the Great Lakes.
Reps. Huizenga and Joyce, who are co-chairs along with U.S. Reps. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI) of the House Great Lakes Task Force, applauded the committee’s passage of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2020.
“I thank my fellow Great Lakes Task Force co-chairs for their bipartisan leadership on this critical issue and applaud the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for recognizing that this project is necessary in order for us to protect and preserve the Great Lakes,” Rep. Joyce said.
Among several provisions, the WRDA would authorize the construction of a multilayered system to prevent the spread of invasive species at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam along the Des Plaines River in Joliet, Ill., a project being carried out by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prevent invasive Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes.
“Asian carp pose a significant threat to the Great Lakes from an ecological as well as an economic standpoint,” Rep. Huizenga explained. “By including authorization for the construction of the Brandon Road Lock and Dam System in WRDA, Congress is taking a significant step toward achieving this important goal.”
Rep. Huizenga added that millions of Americans rely on the Great Lakes for everything from drinking water to how they earn a living. “We must continue to take bipartisan action to protect and preserve these incredible resources,” he said.
Rep. Joyce pointed out that if lawmakers don’t act now, Asian carp soon could enter the Great Lakes, causing irreversible damage to the entire region.
“Once this invasive species arrives, there is little that can be done to stop them from taking over,” the congressman said. “Any threat to the Great Lakes is a threat to our regional economy, the drinking water supply for millions of people, and more than 3,500 plants and animals.”
The WRDA would authorize the installation of barriers at Brandon Road Lock and Dam, said Rep. Joyce, adding that the structures “will substantially reduce the risk posed by invasive Asian carp to this invaluable natural resource and economic powerhouse.”