Earlier this month we pointed out that, while Governor Quinn claimed Illinois and Michigan officials were “working together” on the Asian carp crisis, there seemed to be a much greater sense of urgency on the other side of the lake.

Now, far from “working together,” Michigan’s attorney general is suing Illinois.  He’s taking the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, asking for an immediate closure of locks and gateways – and for a permanent severing of the man-made connection between the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River.

“The actions of Illinois and federal authorities have not been enough to assure us the Lakes are safe,” Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox said, the New York Times reports.

Quinn tells the Tribune that this amounts to “strangling our economy,” referring to “a great many jobs that depend on shipping.”

The Christian Science Monitor has some details, citing the barge industry association’s claim that closing the waterway, even temporarily, will cost 400 jobs.  This may be a problem, but it’s not strangulation.

According to the American Waterways Operators, Chicago canal shipping generates $30 million in annual revenues for the industry.  That compares to the Great Lakes fishery, with an annual economic output estimated at $7 billion.

There’s also the matter of the ecological integrity of the largest body of fresh water in the world.

A study released last year by the Alliance for the Great Lakes and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (reported on by Newstips at the beginning of this month) said the watersheds of the Mississippi and the Great Lakes could be permanently separated with minimal impact on the flow of goods and on recreational boaters.

A spokesperson for IDNR told the Detroit Times “there is no schedule or timeline” for a decision on closing the canals.  But the Supreme Court could rule on the motion for a preliminary injunction within a week or two.

UPDATE:  At NRDC’s Switchboard, Thom Cmar adds this:

“Although Chicago still uses its Sanitary and Ship Canal to move both sewage and goods, a permanent disconnection of the canal system from Lake Michigan could actually be good for Chicago if it is turned into an opportunity to make long-needed investments in upgrading this 19th Century infrastructure.

“It is long past time for MWRD to upgrade its sewage treatment and begin disinfecting the human waste that it dumps into the canal system.  And Chicago’s once vaunted transportation system has long needed an overhaul to a more sustainable, modern, and efficient network.”