REDUCING VIOLENCE IN CHICAGO.

ILLINOIS IS SIGNING ON TO A PROJECT TO STOP INVASIVE CARP FROM ENTERING THE GREAT LAKES.

THIS COMES MONTHS AFTER AFTER MONTHS OF NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OVER WHO WOULD BE ON THE HOOK FOR THE BILL ADVOCATES ARE APPLAUDING THE STATE FOR JOINING IN SAYING BRANDON ROAD IN OR BASIN PROJECT IS THE LAST CHANCE TO PROTECT WATERWAYS.

JOINING US NOW WITH MORE IS MOLLY FLANAGAN, THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AND VICE PRESIDENT OF PROGRAMS AT THE ALLIANCE FOR THE GREAT LAKES.

MOLLY, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING SO REMIND US WHAT MAKES CART SO PROBLEMATIC FIRST?

YEAH.

THERE ARE 2 THINGS.

2 BIG REASONS.

WE DON'T WANT CARBON.

THE GREAT LAKES.

ONE IS THAT THEY DESTROY THE ECOLOGY OF THE LAKES.

THEY EAT THE SAME FOOD NATIVE FISH EAT.

AND THEY ALSO LIVE IN THE SAME HABITATS.

SO YOU GET CARP.

THEY EAT THE FOOD.

THEY OCCUPY THE HABITATS, YOU LOSE NATIVE SPECIES.

THE SECOND IS THAT THEY HARM THE ECONOMY THAT COULD HARM THE ECONOMY OF THE GREAT LAKES.

SILVER CARP JUMP OUT OF THE WATER WHEN BOTHERED.

SO THINK ABOUT KAYAK, PADDLE OR BOAT MOTOR AND HAVING 30 40, 50 POUND FISH FLYING INTO MOVING PEOPLE CAN BE REALLY HARMFUL.

AND SO IT'S A IT'S A BAD 1, 2, PUNCH WITH HARMING ECOLOGY AND THE ECONOMY OF THE LAKES.

WHAT HAPPENED OR WHAT COULD HAPPEN TO THE ECOSYSTEM?

SHOULD THEY REACH THE GREAT LAKES?

WE'VE SEEN PLACES AND OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY WHERE INVASIVE CARP MAKEUP UP TO 90% OF THE BIOMASS IN RIVERS.

WE DON'T WANT THAT IN THE GREAT LAKES REGION.

WE DON'T WANT IT IN RIVERS THAT FEED THE GREAT LAKES.

WE DON'T WANT IT IN THE GREAT LAKES THEMSELVES.

AND SO IT'S CRITICAL TO KEEP THEM OUT.

NOW, THIS THIS IS ONE OF THOSE IN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE.

IF THEY GIVE WE CAN'T GET HIM OUT, CAN STOP.

AND THEY ALSO SEEM TO BE PLENTIFUL.

YES, THEY ARE THEY'RE VERY SUCCESSFUL BREEDING FISH.

AND SO IT ALLOWS THEM TO REALLY TAKEOVER WATERWAYS RAPIDLY TO LOTS OF THEM ON CAN HAVE AN IMPACT.

IT SOUNDS LIKE ON FISHING, OTHER INDUSTRIES, BUT AT RECREATION AS WELL.

YOU MENTIONS KAYAKING, FOR EXAMPLE.

SURE.

BOATING FISHING.

YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO ENJOYS SPENDING TIME ON THE LAKE IF THEY DON'T ENJOY SPENDING TIME ON THE LAKE THAT HAS RIPPLE EFFECTS FOR COMMUNITIES AROUND THE GREAT LAKES THAT DEPEND ON THAT TOURISM INDUSTRY FOR DOLLARS.

PROJECT HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

WHAT IS THE STATUS CURRENTLY?

YES, SO WE'RE WE'RE REALLY CLOSE TO BREAKING AFTER ILLINOIS, MICHIGAN AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SIGNED THE AGREEMENT LAST WEEK.

IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'LL BE ABLE TO BREAK GROUND AT BRANDON ROAD IN JANUARY OF 2025.

AND BRANDON ROAD IS A NEAR JOLIET.

THAT'S CORRECT.

SO EXPLAINS FOR US WHAT SOME OF THE DETERRENCE THAT THE BRANDON ROAD IN A BASIN USES TO STOP THE FISH FROM GETTING INTO THE GREAT LAKES.

SURE, YOU CAN THINK OF BRANDON ROADS, OFFICIAL GAUNTLET.

SO IT HAS TO GO THROUGH A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS IN ORDER TO GET TO THE GREAT LAKES, WHICH WE HOPE NEVER HAPPENS.

THEIR BUBBLE BARRIERS.

THERE ARE SOUND BARRIERS.

THE FISH DON'T LIKE THESE THINGS.

WHEN THEY GET INTO THEM, THEY SWIM AWAY.

THERE ARE ELECTRIC BARRIERS.

SO WHEN THEY GET TO ELECTRIC BARRIER, THEY ESSENTIALLY GET SHOCKED AND SWIM AWAY.

THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED THE FLUSHING WALK SO THAT IF YOU GET PEGS OR FISH LARVA IN THE ACTUAL LOCK THAT ALL GETS FLUSHED OUT AND BACK DOWNSTREAM BEFORE A BARGE GOES IN AND CAN GO THROUGH.

RIGHT.

AND THAT BARGE WOULD POTENTIALLY CARRY.

TO THE EGGS WITH.

THAT'S RIGHT.

SO THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS DESIGNED TO NOT HAVE AND OBVIOUSLY THAT, LOOK, WE MENTION THAT THIS HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR SOME TIME, BUT NOTHING HAS ACTUALLY BEEN DONE AS FAR AS CONSTRUCTION EVALUATED SITE OR ANY THAT.

SO FAR WHERE THERE'S BEEN THAT DESIGN ENGINEERING FOR THE PROJECT IS DONE THERE'S 274 MILLION DOLLARS IN FEDERAL FUNDING.

READY TO GO.

THAT'S ENOUGH MONEY TO COMPLETE THE FIRST INCREMENT OF THE PROJECT.

THERE'S 114 MILLION DOLLARS IN NON-FEDERAL FUNDING BETWEEN ILLINOIS AND MICHIGAN.

THAT'S THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S NEEDED FOR THE ENTIRE PROJECT.

SO WE HAVE A LOT OF MONEY.

WE NOW HAVE A LOT OF MOMENTUM AND WE HOPE WE CAN KEEP THAT MOVING FORWARD TO STOP AND VINCENT PART FOR MOVING FORWARD.

HOW MUCH SIGNIFICANT OR EFFICIENT IS THIS PROJECT GOING TO BE AT STOPPING THE CART COMPARED TO WHAT'S WHAT'S PREVIOUSLY BEEN DONE?

YES.

SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE DEPENDING ON HARVESTING AND MONITORING AND SOME GOOD LUCK TO KEEP THE FISH ARE MOVING FORWARD TO LAKE MICHIGAN.

THIS PROJECT IS GOING TO BE MUCH MORE PROTECTIVE AND HAD SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF LAYERS OF PROTECTION THAT WE HOPE WILL KEEP.

IT MAKES A CARVE OUT OF THE GREAT LAKES IN PERPETUITY.

WHY IS THIS AT BRANDON ROAD?

WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT?

WAS THAT CRUCIAL?

SO IT'S A CHOKE POINT IN THE RIVER.

THE FISH HAVEN'T MADE IT THAT FAR YET.

AND THERE'S A LOCK AND DAM.

SO IF YOU HAVE CONSTRUCTION AND TECHNOLOGIES THAT THE WALK TO KEEP FISH FROM FROM MOVING, THEY CAN'T GET OVER THE DAM.

AND SO WE HAVE A GOOD PLACE WHERE THE FISH WE CAN BASICALLY IMPEDE THE FISHES MOVEMENTS EVERYWHERE, OK?

SO THEY'LL PROBABLY GET RIGHT AND THEN FLUSHED BACK YOU SAID, OF COURSE, MANY TIMES THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME ON THIS ISSUE.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE THE TIMELINE LOOKS LIKE FOR THIS GOING FORWARD NOW THAT WE HAVE A TIMELINE FOR AT LEAST BREAKING GROUND?

YEAH.

I MEAN, I HOPE THE TIMELINE DOESN'T SHIFT AT ALL.

THE CORPS HAS SAID IF ALL THE FEDERAL FUNDING GETS INTO PLACE, THIS PROJECT COULD BE DONE.

AND 68 YEARS.

THAT MEANS EVERYTHING NEEDS SMOOTHLY.

THAT MEANS WE REALLY NEED TO SEE THIS PROJECT STARTED IN JANUARY.

AS LONG AS THE FISH DON'T SPEED UP.

YES.

AS LONG AS WE DON'T SEE FISH AND I DON'T THINK WE WILL.

THERE'S A LOT OF PROTECTIONS IN PLACE TO MONITOR FOR THOSE FISH AND TAKE ACTION.

THERE ARE ANY SPOTTED IN THE WATER WAYS.

OKAY.

BEST OF LUCK TO TO THE ENVIRONMENTALISTS WHO WORKING