Study: Closing Chicago locks to keep out carp would cost billions
A report released Wednesday by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce says closing two shipping locks on Chicago waterways would cost the area economy $4.7 billion over 20 years.
The study was conducted by a DePaul University economist. It reaches a sharply different conclusion than a recent Wayne State University analysis that concluded closing the locks would cause only about $70 million in economic losses.
Michigan and most other Great Lakes states want the locks closed to prevent Asian carp from using them as a pathway to Lake Michigan, where it's feared they could starve out other fish such as salmon and walleye.
But Illinois officials say doing so would hammer the Chicago economy and is no sure bet to keep the carp out of the lakes.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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