Congressman Brian Higgins applauded today’s announcement that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will provide Congress and the public the opportunity to identify a potential permanent Asian carp solution by next year, much earlier than initially expected.
The Army Corps is currently conducting a Great Lakes and Mississippi River Interbasin Study (GLMRIS). Completion of the feasibility study was not anticipated until 2015. In February, Congressman Brian Higgins and other members of the Congressional Great Lakes Task Force sent a letter to the Army Corps of Engineers calling on the agency to expedite the timeline for action.
“Swift action is welcome and warranted,” said Higgins. “The threat to our Great Lakes is too great and delays too costly to our environmental and economic future.”
Congressman Higgins’ district borders Lake Erie. He has been a staunch advocate for protection of the water and investments on the waterfront, most recently cosponsoring the Stop Invasive Species Act (H.R. 4406) sponsored by Rep. Louise Slaughter.
In 2008, the Brookings Institution released a report which concluded that Great Lakes Restoration efforts have the potential to create jobs, development, and increased property values that generate between 600 million and 1.1 billion dollars in the Buffalo region alone. The Great Lakes represent the largest surface source of fresh water on this planet.
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