Great Lakes Environment

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Corps Says It Will Step Up Release Of Options To Stop Asian Carp

May 8: U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Congressman Dave Camp (R-MI), sponsors of legislation (S.2317 & H.R.4406) [See WIMS 4/23/12] to speed up the creation of a plan to protect the Great Lakes from Asian carp, said they welcomed the Army Corps of Engineers announcement to accelerate its efforts to block the damaging invasive species. Following the introduction of Senator Stabenow and Congressman Camp's legislation, the Army Corps has now announced that it will complete a set of options for permanent barriers to stop Asian carp and other invasive species in 2013, years ahead of schedule.

Senator Stabenow said, "This is a good step forward in the fight to stop Asian carp. I am pleased the Army Corps has agreed that efforts to stop Asian carp must be accelerated. There is still much work to do before permanent barriers are completed, but having action moved years ahead of schedule is a very positive development." Representative Camps said, "I am glad we are reaching consensus that the GLMRIS study needs to be concluded. But this is only a first step. Last week's temporary failure of the electric barriers show we need to begin implementing a permanent solution as soon as possible to prevent Asian carp from destroying the Great Lakes ecosystem and the $7 billion dollar economy they support."

The Army Corps is currently charged with creating an action plan to block Asian carp and other invasive species from entering the Great Lakes through a number of rivers and tributaries-but had previously said it would not complete the plan or any portions of it until late 2015 or even beyond. Senator Stabenow and Congressman Camp previously introduced identical legislation in their respective chambers of Congress, the Stop Invasive Species Act, to require the plan be completed within 18 months. Today the Army Corps announced it would provide Congress with options for methods of blocking Asian carp and other invasive species from entering the Great Lakes next year.

An amendment based on the Stabenow-Camp legislation passed the Senate Appropriations Committee on April 26. On May 2, a power failure and a subsequent failure of the backup generators resulted in a 13 minute lapse during which all of the three electric dispersal barriers were offline [See WIMS 5/7/12]. The event left the Great Lakes unprotected from an Asian carp infestation-underscoring just how urgent it is that Senator Stabenow and Congressman Camp's calls for accelerated action be heard.

Access a release from the legislators (click here). Access Corps Chicago District website (click here). Access the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (click here). Access the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study website (click here).

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Monday, May 7, 2012

Power Outage Shuts Down Asian Carp Barriers

May 4: U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Congressman Dave Camp (R-MI) issued statements regarding a power outage and equipment failure that rendered the electronic barriers in the Chicago Waterway inoperable, leaving the Great Lakes unprotected from Asian carp infestation. According to the Army Corp of Engineers, on Wednesday, May 2, at 12:58 PM (CDT), a power failure and a subsequent failure of the backup generators resulted in a 13 minute lapse during which all of the three electric dispersal barriers were offline.

Senator Stabenow said, "These barriers are the only thing standing between the Asian carp and our Great Lakes. If carp had been able to get through while the barriers were down, it could have been absolutely devastating to our economy and our way of life. It is now more clear than ever that we need urgent action on a permanent solution that stops the threat of Asian carp once and for all." Rep. Camp said, "While the Corps was fortunately able to respond quickly to the barrier losing power, this glitch illustrates what we already know -- electric barriers and chain link fences will not hold back Asian carp forever. Severing the man-made ties between the Mississippi River and Great Lakes is the only way to ensure Asian carp are not allowed to devastate the Great Lakes and the multi-billion dollar economy they support."

The Army Corps of Engineers and the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee are now investigating the cause of the failures and completing an assessment of whether any fish were present near the barriers when they failed. The barriers have been in place since 2002, when the first barrier was installed, to stop Asian carp travelling through the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal from reaching Lake Michigan.

Sen. Stabenow and Rep. Camp have each introduced a bill in the Senate and House, respectively, to speed up the development of a better, permanent solution to stop Asian carp and other invasive species. The Stop Invasive Species Act (S.2317 & H.R.4406) [See WIMS 4/23/12] requires the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to submit to Congress an expedited action plan for stopping Asian carp from penetrating the Great Lakes within 18 months. News of the electronic barriers' failure further illustrates the need for the legislation. An amendment based on the Stabenow-Camp legislation passed the Senate Appropriations Committee last week.

Access a release from the legislators (click here). Access Corps Chicago District website (click here). Access the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (click here).

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Great Lakes Area Commercial Fisheries Report

May 1: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) released the "Commercial Fisheries Baseline Economic Assessment - U.S. Waters of the Great Lakes, Upper Mississippi River, and Ohio River Basins" (Commercial Fisheries Report), an Interim Product of the Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS). The baseline report provides a thorough summary of the most recently available commercial fisheries data in the GLMRIS study area. The GLMRIS Team will use the assessment and other baseline reports to further the understanding of existing conditions, as well as to help forecast impacts from potential aquatic nuisance species transfer.

The average harvest level in the U.S. waters of the Great Lakes is estimated at 19.3 million pounds of commercially-caught fish with an associated average value of $22.5 million. Similar analysis estimates 10 million pounds with an associated value of $4 million for the Upper Mississippi River Basin and approximately 1.4 million pounds with an associated value of about $2 million in the Ohio River Basin. Two complimentary fisheries baseline assessments will be released later this spring: subsistence fisheries and pro-fishing tournaments. An assessment of recreational angling in the GLMRIS study area is anticipated at the end of 2012.

Access a release and link to the complete report (click here).

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Monday, April 30, 2012

NWF Says Oil Pipeline Laws Don't Protect The Great Lakes

Apr 30: Nearly two years after one of the worst oil spills in Midwest history (i.e. the Enbridge Marshall Spill to Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River), a new legal analysis by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) reveals that laws governing oil pipelines do not adequately protect the Great Lakes and its communities from oil pollution -- and that states have not passed their own laws to fill in the gaps. Sara Gosman, water resources attorney for the NWF's Great Lakes office and lecturer at the University of Michigan Law School said, "Current laws leave the door open to future oil spills. Contrary to common perception, oil spills are an ongoing problem in the region. Federal and state laws should do more to prevent spills and protect our communities, economy and wildlife."

    NWF notes that pipeline spills in the Midwest are not an anomaly -- "they occur frequently and result in significant damage." The Great Lakes states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin contain 26,972 miles of hazardous liquid pipelines, according to the Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. NWF indicates that hazardous liquid pipelines primarily carry petroleum and petroleum products, as opposed to gas pipelines which primarily carry natural gas. There were 277 hazardous liquid pipeline accidents in the region between 2007-2011, which spilled more than 3.8 million gallons of these liquids into the environment, resulting in more than $893 million dollars of property damage, according to the agency.

    Nick Schroeck, executive director of the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center said, "Pipeline safety is a problem that has remained under the radar for far too long. Increasing public disclosure and strengthening environmental protection is long overdue." The new report -- written by NWF's Gosman and University of Michigan Law School students -- analyzes pipeline safety laws from beginning to end: from siting and routing of pipelines; to how pipelines are maintained and repaired once they are in the ground; and finally to how operators must plan for and report spills if they happen.

    Nick Schroeck, executive director of the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center said the report, After the Marshall Spill: Oil Pipelines in the Great Lakes Region, A Legal Analysis, exposes gaps in laws that leave communities vulnerable to future oil pollution. The report finds: There is no federal review of the long-term risks associated with routing of new oil pipelines or consideration of impacts to entire watersheds such as the Great Lakes basin; The Federal Integrity Management program, which requires operators to assess the condition of existing lines, install leak detection systems, and repair defects on a set timeline, only protects some environmentally sensitive areas; and, Spill response planning may not be adequate because oversight is divided between federal agencies. Further, the report finds that Great Lakes states have done little, if anything, to improve pipeline safety. Many states have ignored the issue, while other states have imposed minimal requirements. Moreover, public involvement in federal pipeline regulation is limited, as is public access to information.

    The report recommends several policy changes at the state and federal level to prevent future oil spills in the Great Lakes region, including: Pipeline laws should consider the effects of oil pipelines on the Great Lakes basin as a whole and should protect all areas that are environmentally sensitive to oil pollution; Pipeline information should be publicly available, consistent with national security interests; and, States should regulate intrastate pipelines and participate in the oversight and inspection of interstate pipelines.

[WIMS notes that Congress recently passed and the President signed the Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011 (H.R.2845) [See WIMS 1/12/12] on January 3, 2012, as Public Law No: 112-90. The NWF report discusses some of the provisions and the effects].

Access an overview, maps, the complete 20-page report and related information (click here). Access PL 112-90 (click here).

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Monday, April 23, 2012

Stabenow & Camp Introduce Stronger Asian Carp Control Bill

Apr 19: U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Representative Dave Camp (R-MI) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to prevent Asian carp and other invasive species from entering the Great Lakes and destroying the Lakes' ecosystem. The Stop Invasive Species Act (S.2317 & H.R.4406) would require the speedy creation of an action plan to block Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes through a number of rivers and tributaries across the Great Lakes region.

A bipartisan bill Senator Stabenow and Congressman Camp introduced last year, the Stop Asian Carp Act, required the Army Corps of Engineers to develop an action plan to permanently separate Lake Michigan from the Chicago Area Waterway System, long seen as the carp's primary entry point to the Great Lakes. The new bill goes further to require a plan to stop Asian carp at all potential entry points.

Senator Stabenow said, "It has become clear that Asian carp are migrating throughout the Great Lakes region, and efforts to stop the spread of this invasive species must now address every possible point of entry. Asian carp pose a grave threat to Michigan's $7 billion fishing industry, $16 billion recreational boating industry and the entire Great Lakes ecosystem and we need action now. We can't afford to wait." Representative Camp said, "The threat Asian carp pose to the Great Lakes ecosystem and economy is urgent. This measure expedites the necessary hydrological separation study in order to protect the Great Lakes, the hundreds of thousands of jobs, the Great Lakes support."

The bill would require the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to submit to Congress an expedited action plan with options for stopping Asian carp from penetrating the Great Lakes across 18 possible points of entry. The bill requires the Army Corps to submit a progress report to Congress and the President within 90 days of the law's enactment. The full plan would need to be completed within 18 months. Under the bill, the Army Corps would continue to examine modes of transportation across key waterways to ensure shipping could continue while mechanisms for preventing Asian carp from destroying the Great Lakes are implemented.

According to a release, the bill is supported by the Great Lakes Commission, The Great Lakes Fishery Commission, Alliance for the Great Lakes, Healing our Waters Coalition, National Wildlife Federation and Trout Unlimited. Congressman Camp is joined by Representative Louise Slaughter (D-NY) as the lead Democratic sponsor in the House. Senator Stabenow and Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) are leading the measure in the Senate, and are joined by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Carl Levin (D-MI), Robert Casey (D-PA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Al Franken (D-MN).

Access a joint release (click here). Access legislative details for S.2317 (click here); and H.R.4406 (click here).

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EPA Announces $20 Million For GLRI Projects In FY12

Apr 19: U.S. EPA announced that it is requesting applications from states, municipalities, tribes, universities and nonprofit organizations for new projects to restore and protect the Great Lakes. EPA indicated it will distribute approximately $20 million through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) grant program during Fiscal Year 2012. EPA Great Lakes National Program Manager Susan Hedman said, "These grants will support critical work to restore the Great Lakes, which provide drinking water to 30 million Americans and support a multi-billion dollar economy."

Grants will be available on a competitive basis to fund a wide range of projects in the Great Lakes basin, including work to target invasive species, to protect public health, and to reduce the impact of toxic substances and nonpoint source pollution.
Hedman said, "The work funded by these grants will protect waters that are essential to the health and jobs of millions of Americans." Applications are due by 11:59 PM on, May 24. Webinars on the application process will be held at 2 PM on, May 3, and at 10 AM on, May 14.

Access a release from EPA (click here). Access more information about applying for EPA's GLRI grants in the 2012 Request for Applications (click here). Access more information about the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (click here).

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