And The Beat Goes On

You may not keep track of these things but I do, so I will update you on yesterday’s Supreme Court decision about Asian Carp. Chicago and Illinois – and the Obama Administration – continue to come out ahead in this continuing contest. In the words of Great Lakes Law

The Supreme Court’s order in the Asian carp case this morning says it all: “The motion of Michigan to reopen [Wisconsin v. Illinois] and for a supplemental decree is denied. The alternative motion for leave to file a bill of complaint is denied.” This effectively ends any hope for Michigan and the other Great Lakes states to get the Asian carp case before the Supreme Court.

Given the current court and President Obama’s ties to Illinois, this is not a surprising decision, but we can’t just blame the current court for wanting to stay out of this, although they had a great opportunity to make a difference in the health of the Great Lakes. Aspects of this dispute date back a century. The original case of Wisconsin v. Illinois goes back to 1922 disputing the reversal of the Chicago River.

Are there other ways to stop the carp invasion besides closing the locks? Maybe. One of the FAQs on the Asian Carp Management website asks “How can the public help prevent the spread of Asian Carp?” I have to say the answers seems pretty ineffective.

So what does this mean for the Great Lakes? Will we see a feeding frenzy this summer, next year or somewhere up the road? Only time will tell, but I don’t think we will have to wait as long as a century. During that time, whatever it will be, the efforts to stop the carp invasion will continue both in the courts and in the water.