Closing Chicago Lock Closures Will Have Devastating Impacts

DePaul Study: Closing Chicago Lock Closures Will Have Devastating Impacts Three Separate Studies are Critical of Michigan Study Methodology and Conclusions A recently released economic study verifies that Chicago area lock closures to prevent Asian carp migration from the Mississippi River System to Lake Michigan would have a minimum impact of $4.7 billion. The DePaul University – Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development paints a devastating picture to the economy, environment and quality of life. Commissioned by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, the study is considered preliminary and does not consider all possible impacts, including jobs. The DePaul study also points out the considerable environmental impact of more air pollution and highway congestion that would result from transferring cargo currently shipped on water by barge onto trucks. The Chamber has also released three other economic studies critiquing the information, methodology and conclusions of the February 2, 2010 paper, “Chicago Waterway System Ecological Separation: The Logistics and Transportation Related Cost Impact of Waterway Barriers,” authored by John C. Taylor and James L. Roach. The critiques illustrate the numerous errors contained in the paper commissioned by the state of Michigan, rendering its conclusion that lock closures would have a minimum impact on the economy, questionable. The three critiques were written by C. James Kruse, Director, Center for Ports & Waterways, Texas Transportation Institute; Dr. Ian Savage, a transportation economist from the Department of Economics and the Transportation Center of Northwestern University; and Michael S. Bronzini, Ph.D., P.E.(PA). AWO has called upon the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other state and federal agencies to fully implement and test the effectiveness of the following nine actions to prevent Asian carp migration into the Great Lakes, before any lock closures are considered: • Construction of bubble, light or acoustic barriers; • Commercial fishing, electro-fishing, netting, and targeted fish sampling done in a planned and scheduled time frame with clear objectives; • Sampling of barges and other vessels for potential carp eggs or small fish; • Assessment of further restrictions or law enforcement options to preclude the importation of Aquatic Invasive Species; • Research to develop biological control agents; • Expedited completion of Barrier IIB; • Exploration of the possibility of a virtual eco-barrier through release of de-oxygenized water in a stretch of the waterway; • Conducting tagged fish research to validate the effectiveness of barriers; and, • Expedited and immediate completion of structures to guard against carp entering the Great Lakes when floods occur. The AWO urges the Corps of Engineers to identify the best options to stop the migration of Asian carp into the Great Lakes while allowing the free flow of waterborne commerce essential to the nation’s economy, environment, and quality of life. Full copies of the report and three critiques are available for review and download by visiting the Illinois Chamber of Commerce’s website at www.ilchamber.org.