The other day, the U. S. Supreme Court refused to issue an immediate order closing the Chicago locks to prevent the Asian carp from gaining a foot (fin)hold in the Great Lakes. The Court did not give a reason for its refusal. Then, lo and behold, the Corp of Engineers that oversees the canals receives DNA evidence from December 2009 the fish might already be in the lakes.
According to an article in the Jan. 21, 2010 edition of The Detroit News, the Corp received that information FOUR DAYS before the high court issued its ruling but never turned that information over to the court. U.S. Solicitor General Elena Kagan sent a letter to the Supreme Court Clerk’s Office explaining that the new DNA testing data was not passed along in time for the justices’ decision because the Solicitor’s Office learned of the evidence the same day the court ruled.
Now I am not a cynic, however it strikes me as kind of…well, fishy…that the Corp, which oversee the locks and so has a stake in keeping them open, receives evidence that just might influence the Court to immediately close the locks but somehow doesn’t pass that information along, not until FOUR DAYS later.
Luckily (insert sarcasm here), the White House is stepping in to host an immediate summit on the problem. Of course, that crew came out against closing the canals so it will be interesting to see what decision comes out of the summit. I bet the answer will be “a study.”
What’s really sad is this problem has been brewing for years and now that the horse is out of the barn (or the carp is into the lakes) it is finally getting some attention. However, I figure that by the time any action steps are taken, the question of whether or not to close the canal will be moot; the carp will be in Lake Erie.
Carpe Diem or Carpe Carp.
Trains, Reins and Shantyboys 