AG Van Hollen: Resolved to continue carp fight

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Bill Cosh 608/266-1221

“Further study and open locks is unacceptable. …our participation in the litigation will continue.”

MADISON – Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen was given a report yesterday by a Wisconsin Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General on the results of the Asian Carp Summit held this last Monday, February 8, 2010 in Washington D.C. with Governors from Great Lakes states including Michigan and Wisconsin and White House officials. While Department of Justice attorneys are representing the State of Wisconsin in litigation pending before the United States Supreme Court that seeks to close Army Corps of Engineers and Chicago sanitary district waterways locks in Illinois to avoid the entry of Asian Carp into the Great Lakes, Van Hollen and other Attorney’s General currently in court regarding the matter were not invited to the summit.

Lawyers from the Wisconsin Department of Justice participated in a separate conference call with USDOJ Main Justice Wednesday, February 10, 2010 to hear a report of the proceedings.

Although Van Hollen and other state Attorney’s General have demanded that the locks be closed to prevent the migration of Asian Carp into the Great Lakes, the plan revealed at the White House rejects this approach in favor of a plan that will merely reduce the amount of time that the locks remain open while further studying the matter.

“I am not moved that this is a solution at all. If this course of action is to be followed, there is little to stop the certain infestation and ruination of the Great Lakes by Asian Carp. Further study and open locks is unacceptable. I have instructed our team here at Justice that our participation in the litigation will continue. The Great Lakes are not a koi pond for six foot flying fish that eat half their body weight every day,” said Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen.

Attorney General Van Hollen and the Wisconsin Assembly authorized Wisconsin’s participation in an action now before the United States Supreme Court. A renewed motion has been presented to the Court which seeks an immediate order to close their locks until a certain method can be arrived at to ensure no Asian Carp enter Lake Michigan. No date has been set by the Court for a hearing on the matter.