Carpgate 2009 carries on, with the Michigan state legislation passing a resolution calling on the U.S. Congress and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to take immediate and drastic action to prevent Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes. The fish, which can weigh up to 100 pounds, would destroy the lakes' ecosystem, and jeopardize billions of dollars in annual fishing industry revenue. Michigan Rep. Kevin Elsenheimer, who sponsored the measure, says, "The Asian carp is perhaps the largest threat to the Great Lakes in our generation. This is something our economy, our lifestyle and our culture cannot sustain." more ›

Is it any surprise that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers couldn't properly maintain a levee to hold up against a hurricane when they can't even seem to keep a fish out of Lake Michigan? New word from the Corps in the fight against the Asian carp is that they've discovered the fish's DNA beyond an electronic barrier that was set up along the Illinois River to keep the fish out of the Great Lakes. The new evidence was found a mere 7 miles from Lake Michigan, and at this point if the carp makes its way through a navigational lock it's home free from there, and its feeding habits will wreak havoc on the Great Lakes native species. Cameron Davis, from the Environmental Protection Agency, said that the DNA evidence is "very accurate" in terms of indicating the fish's presence. more ›

Oh sure, it's usually health care reform this and nuclear Iran that, but Congress is also tackling the big issues, like preventing Asian carp from entering Lake Michigan. The carp, which can be up to 4 feet long and weigh 100 pounds, eat a whole lot of food and threaten to disrupt the food chain of the native fish that live in Lake Michigan and the entire Great Lakes ecosystem. The fish has been found in the Illinois River, so the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers placed an electronic barrier on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, and so far the barrier has kept the carp from getting into the lake. more ›