Latest news with #invasiveCarp
CBS News
12-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Trump administration promises Illinois it will pay to keep invasive carp out of Great Lakes
A stalemate between President Donald Trump and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker that threatened a $1.2 billion plan to keep invasive carp from reaching the Great Lakes appears to have been settled after the Trump administration offered assurances it will cover its share of the costs. After a delay that has stretched on since February, Illinois officials are set to resume closing on property they need to continue work on a project that will generate vast bubble curtains to deter the carp, stun them with electrical fields and play sound frequencies to disorient them. The project has been on the drawing board for years The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers along with state officials in Illinois and Michigan have been planning since 2020 to install a gantlet of technologies in the Des Plaines River near Joliet, Illinois, to deter invasive carp from entering Lake Michigan. The Corps and the states signed a deal in 2024 to work together on the project using $226 million allocated through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. And elements of the Water Resources Development Act adopted last year call for the federal government to cover 90% of operating and maintenance costs. Pritzker demands assurances from Trump Construction on the project began in January. Pritzker's administration was set to close in February on a parcel of property for the project and transfer it to the Corps. Everything appeared on track until late January, when the Trump administration froze federal grants and loans as it reviewed whether spending aligned with Trump's priorities on issues such as climate change and diversity. The administration rescinded the freeze less than two days later but questions persist about the federal government's spending commitments. Pritzker, a billionaire heir to the Hyatt hotel empire and a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, is one of Trump's fiercest critics. He has described the early months of the Trump administration as "true villainous cruelty by a few idiots." Days before Illinois was to finalize a property deal for the carp project, Pritzker hit pause and demanded assurances that the federal government would honor its spending commitment. Site preparation has continued since then, but substantial work to install technology has been on hold. Trump signals the project is a priority The White House issued a memo late Friday saying the Trump administration recognized the threat invasive carp pose to Great Lakes recreation and fishing and that it's committed to protecting the lakes. The federal government is prepared to do its part so long as states cooperate, according to the memo, which calls on Illinois to complete the property deal by July 1 and promises the federal government will streamline permitting and environmental reviews. "My Administration fully supports preventing the spread of invasive carp," the memo said. "The State of Illinois, where the (project) is located, must cease further delay in cooperating with this effort, for the sake of its own citizens and economy and for the sake of all of the Great Lake States." Pritzker's office issued a news release late Friday evening saying the governor was satisfied. Work on the project isn't slated to finish until 2032, but Joel Brammeier, president and CEO of the nonpartisan Alliance for the Great Lakes, said Monday that prospects suddenly look dramatically better than they did last week. "We're back to business as usual. That's a good thing," he said. Why the carp would be bad news for the Great Lakes Four species of carp were imported to the U.S. from Asia in the 1960s and 1970s to clear algae from sewage ponds and fish farms in the Deep South. They escaped into the Mississippi River and have moved north into dozens of tributaries in the central U.S. Government agencies, advocacy groups and others have long debated how to prevent the fish from reaching the Great Lakes, where scientists say they could out-compete native species for food and habitat in waterways where the fishing industry is valued at $7 billion. A shipping canal that forms part of the link between the Mississippi and Lake Michigan has a network of fish-repelling barriers, which the Corps says is effective, but critics consider inadequate. The new project at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam on the Des Plaines River near Joliet will provide another layer of protection at a downstream choke point between the Illinois River, which is infested with invasive carp, and Lake Michigan. "I'm hopeful everyone is taking this project seriously now and we're not going to see any more delays," Brammeier said.
Washington Post
12-05-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
Trump administration promises Illinois it will pay to keep carp out of the Great Lakes
A stalemate between President Donald Trump and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker that threatened a $1.2 billion plan to keep invasive carp from reaching the Great Lakes appears to have been settled after the Trump administration offered assurances it will cover its share of the costs . After a delay that has stretched on since February, Illinois officials are set to resume closing on property they need to continue work on a project that will generate vast bubble curtains to deter the carp, stun them with electrical fields and play sound frequencies to disorient them.
The Independent
12-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Trump administration promises Illinois it will pay to keep carp out of the Great Lakes
A stalemate between President Donald Trump and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker that threatened a $1.2 billion plan to keep invasive carp from reaching the Great Lakes appears to have been settled after the Trump administration offered assurances it will cover its share of the costs. After a delay that has stretched on since February, Illinois officials are set to resume closing on property they need to continue work on a project that will generate vast bubble curtains to deter the carp, stun them with electrical fields and play sound frequencies to disorient them. Here's what to know: The project has been on the drawing board for years The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers along with state officials in Illinois and Michigan have been planning since 2020 to install a gantlet of technologies in the Des Plaines River near Joliet, Illinois, to deter invasive carp from entering Lake Michigan. The Corps and the states signed a deal in 2024 to work together on the project using $226 million allocated through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. And elements of the Water Resources Development Act adopted last year call for the federal government to cover 90% of operating and maintenance costs. Pritzker demands assurances from Trump Construction on the project began in January. Pritzker's administration was set to close in February on a parcel of property for the project and transfer it to the Corps. Everything appeared on track until late January, when the Trump administration froze federal grants and loans as it reviewed whether spending aligned with Trump's priorities on issues such as climate change and diversity. The administration rescinded the freeze less than two days later but questions persist about the federal government's spending commitments. Pritzker, a billionaire heir to the Hyatt hotel empire and a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, is one of Trump's fiercest critics. He has described the early months of the Trump administration as 'true villainous cruelty by a few idiots.' Days before Illinois was to finalize a property deal for the carp project, Pritzker hit pause and demanded assurances that the federal government would honor its spending commitment. Site preparation has continued since then, but substantial work to install technology has been on hold. Trump signals the project is a priority The White House issued a memo late Friday saying the Trump administration recognized the threat invasive carp pose to Great Lakes recreation and fishing and that it's committed to protecting the lakes. The federal government is prepared to do its part so long as states cooperate, according to the memo, which calls on Illinois to complete the property deal by July 1 and promises the federal government will streamline permitting and environmental reviews. 'My Administration fully supports preventing the spread of invasive carp,' the memo said. 'The State of Illinois, where the (project) is located, must cease further delay in cooperating with this effort, for the sake of its own citizens and economy and for the sake of all of the Great Lake States.' Pritzker's office issued a news release late Friday evening saying the governor was satisfied. Work on the project isn't slated to finish until 2032, but Joel Brammeier, president and CEO of the nonpartisan Alliance for the Great Lakes, said Monday that prospects suddenly look dramatically better than they did last week. 'We're back to business as usual. That's a good thing,' he said. Why the carp would be bad news for the Great Lakes Four species of carp were imported to the U.S. from Asia in the 1960s and 1970s to clear algae from sewage ponds and fish farms in the Deep South. They escaped into the Mississippi River and have moved north into dozens of tributaries in the central U.S. Government agencies, advocacy groups and others have long debated how to prevent the fish from reaching the Great Lakes, where scientists say they could out-compete native species for food and habitat in waterways where the fishing industry is valued at $7 billion. A shipping canal that forms part of the link between the Mississippi and Lake Michigan has a network of fish-repelling barriers, which the Corps says is effective, but critics consider inadequate. The new project at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam on the Des Plaines River near Joliet will provide another layer of protection at a downstream choke point between the Illinois River, which is infested with invasive carp, and Lake Michigan. 'I'm hopeful everyone is taking this project seriously now and we're not going to see any more delays,' Brammeier said.
Associated Press
12-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Trump administration promises Illinois it will pay to keep carp out of the Great Lakes
A stalemate between President Donald Trump and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker that threatened a $1.2 billion plan to keep invasive carp from reaching the Great Lakes appears to have been settled after the Trump administration offered assurances it will cover its share of the costs. After a delay that has stretched on since February, Illinois officials are set to resume closing on property they need to continue work on a project that will generate vast bubble curtains to deter the carp, stun them with electrical fields and play sound frequencies to disorient them. Here's what to know: The project has been on the drawing board for years The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers along with state officials in Illinois and Michigan have been planning since 2020 to install a gantlet of technologies in the Des Plaines River near Joliet, Illinois, to deter invasive carp from entering Lake Michigan. The Corps and the states signed a deal in 2024 to work together on the project using $226 million allocated through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. And elements of the Water Resources Development Act adopted last year call for the federal government to cover 90% of operating and maintenance costs. Pritzker demands assurances from Trump Construction on the project began in January. Pritzker's administration was set to close in February on a parcel of property for the project and transfer it to the Corps. Everything appeared on track until late January, when the Trump administration froze federal grants and loans as it reviewed whether spending aligned with Trump's priorities on issues such as climate change and diversity. The administration rescinded the freeze less than two days later but questions persist about the federal government's spending commitments. Pritzker, a billionaire heir to the Hyatt hotel empire and a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, is one of Trump's fiercest critics. He has described the early months of the Trump administration as 'true villainous cruelty by a few idiots.' Days before Illinois was to finalize a property deal for the carp project, Pritzker hit pause and demanded assurances that the federal government would honor its spending commitment. Site preparation has continued since then, but substantial work to install technology has been on hold. Trump signals the project is a priority The White House issued a memo late Friday saying the Trump administration recognized the threat invasive carp pose to Great Lakes recreation and fishing and that it's committed to protecting the lakes. The federal government is prepared to do its part so long as states cooperate, according to the memo, which calls on Illinois to complete the property deal by July 1 and promises the federal government will streamline permitting and environmental reviews. 'My Administration fully supports preventing the spread of invasive carp,' the memo said. 'The State of Illinois, where the (project) is located, must cease further delay in cooperating with this effort, for the sake of its own citizens and economy and for the sake of all of the Great Lake States.' Pritzker's office issued a news release late Friday evening saying the governor was satisfied. Work on the project isn't slated to finish until 2032, but Joel Brammeier, president and CEO of the nonpartisan Alliance for the Great Lakes, said Monday that prospects suddenly look dramatically better than they did last week. 'We're back to business as usual. That's a good thing,' he said. Why the carp would be bad news for the Great Lakes Four species of carp were imported to the U.S. from Asia in the 1960s and 1970s to clear algae from sewage ponds and fish farms in the Deep South. They escaped into the Mississippi River and have moved north into dozens of tributaries in the central U.S. Government agencies, advocacy groups and others have long debated how to prevent the fish from reaching the Great Lakes, where scientists say they could out-compete native species for food and habitat in waterways where the fishing industry is valued at $7 billion. A shipping canal that forms part of the link between the Mississippi and Lake Michigan has a network of fish-repelling barriers, which the Corps says is effective, but critics consider inadequate. The new project at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam on the Des Plaines River near Joliet will provide another layer of protection at a downstream choke point between the Illinois River, which is infested with invasive carp, and Lake Michigan. 'I'm hopeful everyone is taking this project seriously now and we're not going to see any more delays,' Brammeier said.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Taking aim at Illinois, Trump says he'll prioritize stopping invasive carp
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — President Donald Trump on Friday signed a memo telling his administration to prioritize efforts to keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes and calling on Illinois to keep working on a key part of that effort. The Republican president's memo directs the administration to 'achieve maximum speed and efficiency' in stopping the fish. 'This includes supporting the Brandon Road Interbasin Project, through deadline-oriented investments of taxpayer dollars, to ensure the State of Illinois does not stand in the way of its construction,' the memo reads. Illinois presses pause on 'critical' invasive carp project, cites federal funding concerns Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's office says she raised the issue of the Brandon Road project in Illinois with the president when she met him in the Oval Office weeks ago. She praised Trump's memo, stressing the importance of the project. 'After years of advocacy alongside our partners in Illinois and together with a wide range of stakeholders at the local, state, and federal levels, we now have renewed assurances from the Administration to move forward expeditiously on the Brandon Road Interbasin Project,' Whitmer, a Democrat, said in a Friday statement. 'I am grateful to the President for his commitment. In the works for more than a decade, the goal of the Brandon Road project is to implement renovations to an existing lock and dam to keep invasive carp from moving from the Chicago Area Waterway System into the Great Lakes. The hungry invasive fish are capable of doing significant damage to local ecosystems because they eat up the food source of native species. That would harm fishing and tourism industries. 'That's why I went to Washington, DC to advocate for this project face-to-face with the President at the White House. I am grateful that, in the midst of a lot of change at the federal level, he is confirming that our federal partners are as committed as ever to getting this done,' Whitmer stated. 'Michigan continues to win because we show up, talk to anyone, and work together to get things done.' The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is leading the Brandon Road project and most of it is expected to be funded by the feds, with some $274 million already allocated. Michigan has promised $64 million and Illinois $50 million. First construction contract awarded on long-awaited $1.1 billion invasive carp project But earlier this year, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, hit pause on his state's part of the project. The Detroit News reported he cited concerns about federal funding, saying the Trump administration had frozen about $117 million in grants to his state's department of natural resources. Trump's memo called on Illinois to get back on board. 'The Federal Government is prepared to do its part, but the States where preventative measures can be taken must cooperate,' the memo reads in part. 'The State of Illinois, where the Brandon Road Interbasin Project is located, must cease further delay in cooperating with this effort, for the sake of its own citizens and economy and for the sake of all of the Great Lakes States.' The memo went on to say Illinois should start buying up the land needed for the project by July 1 and quickly grant any permits the Army Corps needs. 'Federal agency heads shall similarly streamline any permitting and environmental reviews and issue any requisite Federal permits or approvals as quickly as possible,' the memo says. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
