Illinois Governor JB Pritzker delayed the $1.2 billion project aimed at preventing the entry of invasive carp into Lake Michigan, citing concerns President Trump and the federal government may not cover its portion of the project, leaving Illinois with millions to fund, reports AP News.
The project, which involves installing various technologies in the Des Plaines River near Joliet, Illinois to help prevent entry of carp to the lake, is a joint project between Illinois, Michigan and the Army Corps of Engineers.
The bipartisan infrastructure law allocated nearly $226 million in federal spending for the project, and in 2024 Illinois and Michigan secured provisions in the Water Resources Development Act that call for the federal government to pay 90% of operation and maintenance costs following completion of the project.
Pritzker’s delay of the project results from concerns over funding after the federal government’s recent freezing of federal grants and loans, and its extensive review of federal spending.
Groundbreaking on the project was delayed after Illinois pushed back turning over property for the project until May at the earliest while it waits for written confirmation of federal funding. Site preparation work will continue despite the delay, reports AP News.
PHOTO: KATE GARDINER / FLICKR
