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Michigan's attorney general said Sunday he
will go to court to try to force the closure of Chicago-area locks
and protect the Great Lakes from the invasive Asian carp.


      Attorney General Mike Cox said in a statement he will file a
lawsuit in federal court soon but his office did not provide an
exact time frame. The suit would aim to close locks near the
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, where officials found one carp
Thursday.


      Authorities are trying to ensure the carp don't reach Lake
Michigan where they could starve out smaller, less aggressive
competitors and endanger the Great Lakes fishing industries.


      But closing the locks could also disrupt the movement of
millions of tons of iron ore, coal and other goods.


      Part of the canal was poisoned last week in an effort to kill
the carp.


      Temporary lock closure is already under consideration. Cameron
Davis, the Great Lakes adviser to the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, said Friday that discussions were under way about shutting
the O'Brien Lock while crews continue to dump poison in a stretch
of the canal.


      Before making a final decision, officials want to finish
searching for Asian carp and conduct other tests along the canal to
pinpoint where they might be located, Davis said. The lock would
shut down immediately if officials do choose to close the lock.

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Environmental News

Michigan's attorney general said Sunday he
will go to court to try to force the closure of Chicago-area locks
and protect the Great Lakes from the invasive Asian carp.


Mich. AG says he'll sue to protect lakes from carp

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