The place where the Chicago River meets Lake Michigan is the front line of the battle against the Asian Carp.
It’s also the place where environmental concerns butt up against what people do for a living.
Chip Collopy owns 20 Shoreline Sightseeing boats that ply the waters between river and lake all summer long.
“In the summertime we have 290 employees on payroll,”said Collopy, “overall payroll for the season is a little under $4 million.”
The Obama administration has committed nearly $80 million to stop the carp from getting into the Great Lakes. But one of the options under consideration is closing the locks altogether, cutting the lakes off from the river and canal system, and shutting down thousands of jobs.
Michael Borgstrom, president of Wendella Boats, said “My company provides jobs that support more than 140 families.”
Illinois Congressman Debbie Halvorson wants lawmakers to steer a middle course between environmental and business concerns.
At a news conference Halvorson said , “We here think that any closure would have a devastating impact.”
The tour and taxi boats are part of a $12-billion tourism industry.But the river is also a major artery for barges, the cheapest way to move things like road salt, petroleum, cement and grain.
“A lot of our grain goes out of illinois on the barge,” explained Jim Robbins, a Peoria corn farmer. “It would really impact our industry. And if the costs go up for us it ultimately would get put in the grocery stores and ultimately your food costs would go up.”
Several states have sued Illinois to close the locks. But Illinois lawmakers are convinced the shutdown would cause flooding and ultimately help spread the carp, not contain it. They ask that decisions be based on solid science, not fear of an ugly fish.
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