Chem bombs away!
In a last-ditch effort to hault the migration of razor-toothed Asian carp, state officials will begin waging chemical warfare tonight in a six-mile stretch of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Romeoville.
The weapon of choice: gallons of rotenone, a toxic chemical used by wildlife officials for decades to eradicate invasive fish.
During the operation, which is expected to last several days, the canal will be closed to boats between CSSC Mile Marker 291 and CSSC Mile 298.
Officials will add a diluting agent to the rotenone to prevent its spread beyond the target area.
Asian carp are not native to Illinois, but they've spread rapidly and threaten to invade the Great Lakes, where they could upset the region's $7 billion fishing industry.
The carp have steadily eaten their way toward the Great Lakes for the last 15 years.
