The Carp Hunt Continues

A new phase in the hunt for the Asian Carp begins today, as state and federal agencies begin an operation on a 2-mile stretch of the Cal-Sag Channel, on the inland side of the O'Brien Lock and Dam. This particular stretch has been a hotspot for Asian Carp DNA, and is thought to be good habitat for the invader.

This week's operation is improved based on the lessons learned from December's poisoning. In that operation, we don't know if/how many Asian Carp were killed and sank to the bottom. This time, they are netting the bottom first, so all fish should be recovered. They will also will all be sorted and counted, which should tell us if there are Asian Carp there, but also tell us a lot about the state of the waterway's recovery. The more different kinds of native fish they find, the healthier the water is.

Before poisoning the water (with a plant-based toxin that will then be neutralized to avoid downstream impacts), they will electro-shock it, which only stuns fish. Native species will be collected, kept alive, and returned to the water after the operation is complete.

We're very encouraged to see the Obama and Quinn Administrations mobilize like never before to try to protect our Great Lakes from Asian carp. The immediate actions to find and kill Asian carp near Lake Michigan appear to be necessary. It is also a reminder, however, of the urgent need to begin planning for a permanent solution - undoing the artificial connection of the Great Lakes and the Illinois/Mississippi watersheds. That will take time and very careful planning, and we need to begin now so this period of occasional poisonings and other short-term measures is as short as possible.

The Revenge of the Polluter Bailout

The General Assembly is really bending over backward in an attempt to bail out a chronic polluter by making you buy the electricity they generate burning tires that could be recycled.

IEPA has notified the Ford Heights tire incinerator of numerous violations of clean air laws. Now some state legislators want to reward their chronic violations with financial support - from you.

First, they tried to classify tire incinerators as "renewable" energy, so they utilities buying the power they generate could count it against the clean energy they have to buy every year.

See how your legislators voted here. Look at the May 4th vote for your Senator - thank them if they voted No.

That didn't pass the laugh test with most legislators. So, backers of the polluter made up a new definition - "reusable energy" - for tire incineration. What's in a name? Well, SB 380 would give "reusable energy" sources access to renewable energy grants that you pay for on your monthly electric bill. They also would get to sell their power to you, through your utility.

That scheme passed the Illinois House - barely - with 61 votes. Last night, it failed in the Illinois Senate, by a wide margin, but that hasn't stopped them from trying again. The same proposal is on the Senate's agenda again for action tonight or tomorrow.

I know bad ideas never die, but surely Springfield has better things to do with their time than bailing out those who routinely break our clean air laws. Let's hope the Senate rejects them again. This is getting to be like a bad horror movie.

See how your legislators voted here.

Cool Joliet?

What's the first word you think of to describe Joliet?



Was it cool? If not, it may be soon, if the wonderful women at the heart of the Cool Joliet coalition have anything to say about it. And believe me, they do!

Last week I was in Joliet for a wonderful ceremony to celebrate Joliet's signing of the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement, making them the 50h "Cool City" in Illinois. The event was a great rally celebrating what Joliet has committed to do to make a dent in global warming pollution. Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson, State Sens. Linda Holmes (who authored the Illinois Cool Cities Act) and A.J. Wilhelmi, Joliet & Will County officials all pledged their support.

This is all the work of a remarkable coalition of volunteers who call themselves "Cool Joliet". They have a great work ethic, and a wonderful vision for their city as a clean, prosperous hub of innovation thanks to aggressive greening measures.

Can Joliet, a city that has been hurt more than most by the decline in manufacturing and the current recession, some day soon be a green city of the future? Having met the amazing women of Cool Joliet, and hearing the support local leaders are giving their vision, I wouldn't doubt it for a second.

Cool Joliet?

What's the first word you think of to describe Joliet?

Was it cool? If not, it may be soon, if the wonderful women at the heart of the Cool Joliet coalition have anything to say about it. And believe me, they do!



Last week I was in Joliet for a wonderful ceremony to celebrate Joliet's signing of the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement, making them the 50h "Cool City" in Illinois. The event was a great rally celebrating what Joliet has committed to do to make a dent in global warming pollution. Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson, State Sens. Linda Holmes (who authored the Illinois Cool Cities Act) and A.J. Wilhelmi, Joliet & Will County officials all pledged their support.

This is all the work of a remarkable coalition of volunteers who call themselves "Cool Joliet". They have a great work ethic, and a wonderful vision for their city as a clean, prosperous hub of innovation thanks to aggressive greening measures.

Can Joliet, a city that has been hurt more than most by the decline in manufacturing and the current recession, some day soon be a green city of the future? Having met the amazing women of Cool Joliet, and hearing the support local leaders are giving their vision, I wouldn't doubt it for a second.

Asian Carp: Supreme Court Denies Michigan Suit - Can We Focus on Real Solutions Now?

Hopefully now that the U.S. Supreme Court has denied the State of Michigan's attempt to force the closure of Chicago's Lake Michigan locks, everyone can focus on long term solutions.

I certainly sympathize with those who want all reasonable options on the table to keep the carp out of the Great Lakes, but I also doubt that closing them would actually work. And, I know that the Michigan case and the fight about lock closure has been a big red herring, distracting us from planning for the only long-term solution to the problem of invasive alien species moving between Lake Michigan and the Illinois/Mississippi River system - restoring the natural divisions between these two great aquatic systems.

By re-separating these watersheds (they were artificially connected a century ago to send Chicago's sewage towards Joliet, Peoria, and points south) far inland, we would close the alien species superhighway that exists now between the two. There would no longer be any threat of closing the Lake Michigan locks, in fact, we could probably remove them for good. Recreational access to Lake Michigan wouldn't be threatened, it would be made easier.

Separating the watersheds isn't easy or cheap, but it will work, and there might be tremendous secondary benefits for our region. If it's done as part of an overall upgrade to our freight transportation network, it bolsters Chicago's position in the global economy. It would bring substantial infrastructure investment to our region, creating a large number of high wage jobs.

It's an option that has to be on the table, and a serious study initiated as soon as possible. Until we implement such a solution, we have little choice but to take steps to find and eradicate the carp near Lake Michigan. Those may be our main options now, but the faster we take a hard look at hydrologic separation, the more likely we are to keep Asian Carp and other alien species out of the Great Lakes, and allow the Chicago River system to continue its recovery.

Learn more about hyrdologic separation here.

Is It Earth Day in Springfield?

I'm generally very upbeat on Earth Day. To me it's a day to celebrate - the Earth, how cool it is, what each of us can do to protect it, and how much progress we've made since the first Earth Day 40 years ago.

However, I've been spending time in Springfield lately.

Granted, they have a lot on their plate, but the recent sessions that have delivered big, landmark clean energy policy changes have not exactly been calm and orderly. For 2010, environmental advocates, very mindful of the budget crisis and the economy, put forth a package of proposals that would create good jobs, protect public health, and not cost the state a dollar.

With the legislative session potentially winding towards a mid-May adjournment, there's been a lot more thinking than acting going when it comes to creating new jobs and protecting our health:

-The Illinois RENEW package would create at least 28,000 jobs by 2015 by jumpstarting the Illinois solar energy industry and maintaining the growth in the wind industry. So far, there hasn't even been a substantial committee hearing on much of the package. Today, Earth Day, the Senate Energy Committee was set to shelve legislation merely to study creating jobs in installing renewables on large rooftops. (On the bright side, a proposal to help homeowners and businesses finance the cost of clean energy projects has cleared the Senate and awaits action in the House.)

-A proposal to protect babies by taking toxic bisphenol A out of baby bottles, sippy cups, and infant formula containers still awaits a vote in the State Senate.

While the environmental agenda awaits, polluters are largely having their way with the process. For example, a proposal to hamstring Illinois EPA's ability to issue protective pollution permits (that IEPA says will cost taxpayers an extra $1.4M per year) sailed through the Senate, as did a bill to lift the decades-old moratorium on new nuclear power plants.

All is not lost - the agenda is still alive, and this week negotiations over the clean energy package gathered steam. However, if this General Assembly is going to make Illinois cleaner and more prosperous, there's a lot left to do in the weeks ahead.

I, for one, would be happy to have another Earth Day after the session ends to celebrate the enactment of these environment and energy proposals.

Susan Hedman Named EPA Region V Administrator

Great news from USEPA today!

Susan Hedman is great choice to lead the Environmental Protection Agency's efforts here in the Midwest. I have known and worked with Susan for many years, and she is smart, a very hard worker, and firmly committed to serving the public interest. She brings decades of experience in environmental protection around the Great Lakes region, the country, and indeed the planet. Her appointment is another strong sign that professionalism and integrity are important goals for Administrator Lisa Jackson in leading USEPA.

Susan has been a strong advocate for cleaner air and water during her public service as Environmental Counsel and Senior Assistant Attorney General to Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. She has been at the center of the landmark clean energy policy changes made in Illinois in recent years that have created thousands of good paying jobs across our state, and will create thousands more in the years to come. She has fought for better air pollution controls to protect people with asthma and respiratory disease, and to clean up pollution in Illinois' rivers and drinking water. Illinois is a cleaner, and greener place because of her work here.

The environmental challenges and opportunities facing this region are great. Susan Hedman's experience, skill, and dedication make her the ideal choice for such an important job. Her appointment is great news for all of us who love the Great Lakes, who want to protect our children from pollution, and who are ready to create good jobs in a new, clean energy economy. I know she will always put the people's interest in a healthy environment first.