Minnesota joins four other states in Asian carp lawsuit

Five states are suing the federal government and Chicago's water department in federal court, demanding stronger action to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes. According to the Associated Press, Minnesota Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania filed the lawsuit today, July 19, in U.S. District Court in northern Illinois.
 

The lawsuit seeks an order to close Chicago shipping locks and gates that could provide a pathway to Lake Michigan for the voracious fish. The U.S. Supreme Court twice refused this year to order the locks closed. But state officials say the situation has become more urgent since a live Asian carp was found within a few miles of Lake Michigan in June.
 

The suit also asks for an expedited study of permanently separating the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins.