Klobuchar: Urgency needed in Asian carp bill

DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar says time is a key factor in the legislation she and DFL Rep. Keith Ellison introduced this week to try to slow the spread of Asian carp.

The bill would require the Army Corps of Engineers to study the feasibility of closing the Upper St. Anthony Falls Dam in downtown Minneapolis on either a temporary or permanent basis. Klobuchar said the bill asks the Corps to complete the studies within six months and a year, respectively, after it passes.

"If we had just written a letter to the Army Corps and said 'oh will you look at this,' it could be years away," she said. "What we're trying to do is expedite this and put in an emergency provision if the carp are getting closer."

The legislation has the backing of several other members of Minnesota's congressional delegation, as well as Gov. Mark Dayton and the state's Department of Natural Resources.