Dear Editor,
The Asian Carp infestation of Lake Michigan has gained much attention in Ohio, as well as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers consideration to shut down the Chicago waterway. I have previously advocated that Asian Carp would disrupt the ecosystem of the Great Lakes and that a permanent solution is needed. However there is little evidence that the USACE needs to close the locks. The current barriers are effective and shutting down the locks could cause economic distress.
According to a recent study by DePaul University, data shows closing the shipping locks would cause a loss of more than $582 million in the first year and $4.7 billion over the next 20 years to the Chicago-region. Closing the locks would have a ripple effect in the Great Lakes region and hurt small business and manufacture jobs in Ohio.
Shipping by barges is less detrimental to the environment and reduces the number of trucks on the road. It also provides a safer transport of potentially hazardous materials. For more than 160 years boat traffic has moved through natural man-made waterways linking rivers to the Great Lakes – now isn’t the time to change that process.
The USACE should rely on facts and not inconclusive experiments before taking action. The Great Lakes are an economic lifeline for Ohio and must be protected.
State Senator Joe Schiavoni
Ohio 33rd District
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