Fears of giant carp reaching Great Lakes prompt demands to close key Chicago waterway

Fears mount over giant carp reaching Great Lakes

CHICAGO — Fears that the voracious Asian carp will enter the Great Lakes and wipe out other fish have led to demands that the government close the waterways connecting the lakes and the Mississippi River.

Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm and environmental groups on Wednesday asked the state’s attorney general to take legal action to force the Army Corps of Engineers to temporarily shut down three shipping locks near Chicago. This comes after new evidence shows the carp may have breached an electrical barrier.

The Corps says the agency is considering all options.

Also Wednesday, Illinois officials will dump a toxic chemical into a nearly 6-mile stretch of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to keep the carp out while the electrical barrier is turned off for maintenance.