Gov. Jim Doyle met Monday with federal officials and governors from Illinois and Michigan to discuss strategies to limit the spread of Asian carp into the Great Lakes.
Doyle said President Barack Obama's administration plans to work with states to prevent the invasive species from reaching Lake Michigan, which would allow their movement into the other Great Lakes.
""[The administration is] doing a great deal of testing and scientific work throughout the region and have committed significant resources in the $75-80 million range,"" Doyle said in a news conference call.
Although the governors and federal officials found many common solutions, Doyle said the officials could not be persuaded to close navigational locks, which lead into Lake Michigan. However, he said, this option is still on the table.
""While they did not agree to that today, they did indicate that they will expedite very rapidly a report on all the various options with respect to the locks,"" he said. Officials hope to have a final report by next month, which will provide more information about the navigational locks.
However, Doyle said, ""Closing the locks is not the single answer to this by any means.""
According to Doyle, the navigational locks were not built as fish barriers, so closing them will not necessarily prevent the carp from reaching the Great Lakes.
Gov. Pat Quinn of Illinois said shipping from Chicago would have to be rerouted at currently undetermined costs if the navigational locks are closed.
Doyle said that despite these challenges, it is important to act quickly to prevent the invasion of Asian carp into the Great Lakes.
""What I have said and tried to convince the administration is that the long-term effects of allowing the carp are irreversible,"" he said. ""The effects of closing the locks and moving some of that shipping to rail and truck are not.""
