Green Family Festival Asian Carp Update

Chicago's Green Family Festival April 17 & 18, 2010

Start Earth Day off right - this special, fun, affordable outing will also help you find healthy, natural alternatives that make a world of difference for your children, your family, and Mother Earth.

ASIAN CARP UPDATE PANEL, ONE OF MANY PANEL DISCUSSIONS

Saturday April 17 starts at 2:00 PM

ONE

Commissioner Frank Avila -Moderator

Edward Staudacher has been a Civil Engineer for fifteen years in both consulting and with the MWRD. Currently, he is responsible for operation of the 76 miles of the Chicago Area Waterways and maintenance of 532 miles of small streams in Cook County. Prior to coming to the Waterways Section, Mr. Staudacher worked in a variety of areas of the treatment process from collections and treatment through solids handling. He worked in treatment operations at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant, managed the Lawndale Avenue Solids Management Area, and was responsible for the sewer control sections at the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant and North Side Water Reclamation Plant. He is an active member of the Water Environment Federation and Illinois Water Environment Association. Mr. Staudacher has a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois and a JD from the Chicago-Kent College of Law.

Bill Bolen is currently a Senior Advisor with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Mr. Bolen joined the EPA in 1987 after working in the private sector for 7 years. In this capacity, he serves as a regional and national advisor and provides expert opinions on a variety of subject matters that EPA is engaged in. Mr. Bolen also provides leadership, advice and consultation on Federal policy and program efforts at all levels of government. He has held a variety of senior management positions within the Agency including Emergency Response Program Manager, Superfund Enforcement Coordinator, and RCRA Corrective Action Program Manager. Currently, he is leading the multi-agency Asian Carp Response Strategy. This $78.5 million dollar effort is intended to prevent the Asian Carp from establishing a self-sustaining population in Lake Michigan. He is also considered one of the nation’s leading experts on applying Emergency Response protocols and procedures in combating the introduction and spread of Invasive Species.

Mike Weimer is the Assistant Regional Director (Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Program) of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Midwest Region, headquartered in Fort Snelling, Minnesota. In this role, he oversees all operations carried out by the program’s 6 National Fish Hatcheries, 6 Fish and Wildlife Conservation Offices, and one Fish Health Center in the eight States of the Midwest Region; as well as Service’s role in administration of the bi-national Sea Lamprey Management activities in the Great Lakes basin. The program’s mission is to conserve, protect, and restore native aquatic species and their habitats through its focus on population assessment and management, fish and mussel propagation and stocking, aquatic habitat restoration, and invasive species prevention and control.

Colonel Vincent J. Quarles- As commander of the Chicago District, Colonel Quarles is responsible for water resources development in the Chicago metropolitan area, an area of about 5,000 square miles with a population of about 8 million. The district's primary mission areas are flood damage reduction, navigation, shore protection, emergency management, environmental functions and support for others. He also serves as the Division Commander's representative on various boards of the International Joint Commission.