Legislation to Stop Asian Carp Passes Congress

Bipartisan legislation to stop Asian carp from destroying the Great Lakes' ecosystem passed both houses of Congress and is now poised to become law. The stop Invasive Species Act, written by Congressman Dave Camp and U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, would require the expedited creation of a plan to block Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes through a number of rivers and tributaries across the Great Lakes region.

Congressman Camp introduced the bill in the House and Senator Stabenow introduced the bill in the Senate.

"It's a great day for the Great Lakes," said Camp. "We're finally moving toward an actionable plan to permanently prevent Asian carp from destroying the Great Lakes and the $7 billion fishing industry and 800,000 jobs they support. Before, we've had temporary fixes; this legislation puts us on the path towards a lasting solution."

The Stop Invasive Species Act requires 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, meaning the Corps would have to complete its work sometime in 2013.