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ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

March 26, 2008

Jack Lavin, Director

Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

620 East Adams Street, S-6

Springfield, Illinois 62704

ControlElro:oaiDted

3 1 2008

Re: Request for Economic Impact Study for:

Proposed Amendments to

Groundwater Ouality Standards, 35 II. Adm. Code 620

(R08-18)

Dear Director Lavin:

On March 20, 2008, the Board accepted a proposal for hearing in Proposed

Amendments to Groundwater Quality Standards, 35 Il. Adm. Code 620 (R08-18). I

am writing to request that your Department conduct an economic impact study

concerning this proposal. This rulemaking, filed with the Board by the Illinois

Environmental Protection Agency (Agency), proposes to update the Board's

groundwater protection regulations.

As the Agency stated in its initial filing with this rulemaking proposal, the

amendments to the groundwater standards are intended to account for new scientific

data, update the groundwater standards that have been amended at the federal level,

update technical references that are in the Incorporations by Reference, and address

any additional groundwater parameters that have been discovered.

Since 1998, Section 27 (b) of the Environmental Protection Act has required

the Board to:

1) "request that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

(formerly the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs)

conduct

study of the economic impact of the proposed rules. The Department may

within 30 to 45 days of such request produce a study of the economic impact

of the proposed rules. At a minimum, the economic impact study shall

address a) economic, environmental, and public health benefits that may be

achieved through compliance with the proposed rules, b) the effects of the

proposed rules on employment levels, commercial productivity, the economic

growth of small businesses with 100 or less employees, and the State's

overall economy, and c) the cost per unit of pollution reduced and the

variability of company revenues expected to be used to implement the

proposed rules; and

ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

(2) conduct at least one public hearing on the economic impact of those

rules. At least 20 days before the hearing, the Board shall notify the public of

the hearing and make the economic impact study, or the Department of

Commerce and Economic Opportunity's explanation for not producing an

economic impact study, available to the public. Such public hearing may be

held simultaneously or as a part of any Board hearing considering such new

rules." 415 ILCS 5/27(b) (2004).

The Board is in the process of scheduling initial hearings in this rulemaking.

Although there is no decision deadline in this rulemaking, the Board intends to

proceed expeditiously with this rulemaking, and asks that you respond to this request

as soon as you conveniently can. If I, or my staff, can provide you with any

additional information, please let me know.

Thank you in advance for your prompt response.

Pollution Control Board

cc: Warren Ribley, DCEO

John T. Therriault, Assistant Clerk of the Board