Trump endorses project to keep invasive Asian carp from Great Lakes
JOLIET, Ill. - President Donald Trump said his administration will support a massive infrastructure project aimed at keeping the invasive Asian carp species from reaching the Great Lakes after Gov. JB Pritzker delayed the effort due to uncertainty over the withholding of federal funding.
A key part of the project centers around the construction of deterrents near southwest suburban Joliet meant to keep the carp away from Lake Michigan.
Asian carp threaten Great Lakes
The backstory:
The carp, which can exceed 100 pounds, spread rapidly and outcompete native fish populations for food and space, authorities said.
The carp were used in the southern parts of the U.S. decades ago to reduce nuisance vegetation, but the species began to reproduce and spread into the Mississippi River.
Over the last two decades, the federal government built electric barriers along the Des Plaines River, including near Romeoville, to keep the carp from reaching Lake Michigan. Commercial fishermen have also been tapped to catch the carp to keep the population down.
BATH, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 03: Participants attempt to catch Asian carp in nets as they compete in Betty DeFord's Original Redneck Fishin' Tournament in the Illinois River on August 03, 2024 in Bath, Illinois. The annual fishing tournament targets Asian
In 2020, the construction of deterrents near Joliet was authorized by the federal government as a joint venture between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the States of Illinois and Michigan.
Congress appropriated $225 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed under the Biden administration for the project near Joliet. Illinois and the federal government also agreed to cost sharing that would significantly lower the financial burden to the state, according to Pritzker’s office.
An agreement last year authorized the use of $274 million in federal funding and $114 million in state funding for the first of three construction phases.
In total, the project is projected to cost about $1.15 billion.
Pritzker pauses the project
What we know:
Pritzker said in February he would delay the project by several months because he was worried the Trump administration wouldn’t cover the federal government’s share of the cost.
That pause on the project came amid Trump’s efforts to slash federal spending, freeze grants and loans, and fire thousands of government workers.
BATH, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 03: Adam Carney pilots the boat as a team member brings in a fish during Betty DeFord's Original Redneck Fishin' Tournament on August 03, 2024 in Bath, Illinois. The annual fishing tournament targets Asian carp (also known as
Pritzker said the Trump administration cut off funding to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, which led to the state delaying the Asian carp project.
Then, on Friday, Trump issued a memorandum expressing support for protecting the Great Lakes region "from the economic and ecological threat of invasive carp." He specifically cited the Brandon Road Interbasin Project near Joliet, which "would provide multiple layers of innovative technological deterrents" meant to prevent the Asian carp from reaching Lake Michigan.
What they're saying:
Trump then took a shot at Pritzker for delaying the state’s acquisition of property necessary for the project.
"My Administration fully supports preventing the spread of the invasive carp," Trump wrote. "The State of Illinois … must cease further delay in cooperating with this effort."
Pritzker said that Trump’s memorandum has given the state the "certainty required" to continue the project as planned.
"I am glad that the Trump Administration heard our calls about the importance of delivering federal funds for the Brandon Road Project and decided to finally meet their obligations to the State of Illinois and the Great Lakes region," he said in a news release.