October 15, 2008
John Therriault, Assistant
Clerk
Illinois
Pollution
Control Board
100 West Randolph Street,
Suite
11-500
Chicago,
Illinois
60601
RE: Rule Making R08-009
Dear Illinois Pollution
Control Board:
rV
CLERK’S
OFFICE
OCT
2
2008
STATE
OF
ILLJNOIS
Pollution
Contro
Board
On behalf
of my
family, I
am
writing
to express my
support for the recommended
water
quality standard
improvements
proposed by the Illinois
EPA for the
Chicago Area Waterways
(CAWS)
and Lower Des
Plaines River
as rule making R08-009.
These
changes
are
long
overdue
and recommended
only
after five
years
of study
on the CAWS and seven
on the Lower Des
Plaines. We should all
support the Illinois
EPA’s effort
and approve the changes.
As a recreational user
of the Chicago River,
I think it is
critical that:
•
The Metropolitan
Water
Reclamation
District disinfect sewage
treatment
plant effluent to kill
bacteria and protect
public health and
•
Temperature and
dissolved oxygen
standards
be implemented to protect
fish and
help them
flourish.
Over the
years,
the
entire
CAWS system has changed
dramatically.
The water,
once full
of raw sewage
and industrial filth,
has vastly
improved
through
the leadership
of
agencies
like the Metropolitan
Water
Reclamation District
and its Tunnel and
Reservoir
Plan.
Public access has
increased
considerably
as local
governments incorporated
these rivers into
their master
planning. The
City of Chicago, the Chicago
Park
District, and suburbs
like Blue Island
and Skokie
have poured millions
into river access
for
paddling,
fishing, and
crew. And so much
work has
been
done to improve
habitat and control
pollution that
in the
Chicago
River system, species
of fish have
climbed from
under 10 to nearly 70,
including game fish
favorites
like large-mouth
bass and bluegill and
yellow perch.
Because
a review like this
only comes
along
every
20
years, right
now
we
have a once-in-a-generation
opportunity
to continue our
momentum
by
supporting
the
Illinois EPA recommendations
so
we
can make.
the next quantum leap forward
in water
quality.
There is no
magic bullet and or all-in-one
measure
that
can eliminate
water pollution
but
we
know
that if
we want
the Chicago River
to
continue
to
improve
and serve
our
communities as
a
recreational,
natural
and economic resource,
disinfection and the
rest of
the
Illinois
EPA’s recommendations
are essential.
I believe
that
as
a society it is our moral
obligation
to ensure that
we
work
to achieve the
highest
potential
for
shared
resources,
including and
especially
water.
And as
stewards of these natural
resources,
we
should
not
be
seeking the
minimum
in
improvement,
but the
maximum.
Thank
you, .
...
.
,..
.
Name:
Address:
taipc
Ave
Telephone:
•773-
a-/g77
October 9, 2008
JohnTherriault Assistant Clerk
fl
JL
fl
Illinois Pollution
Control Board
tuQ8
100
West
Randolph Street Suite 11-500
STATE
p
Chicago, Illinois 60601
{J
•POIIUtlOr)
Control
I0Is
°ara
RE: Rule Making R08-009
Dear Illinois Pollution Control Board:
On
behalf of
my family, I am
writing to express my support for the recommended water
quality standard
improvements proposed by the Illinois EPA for the Chicago
Area Waterways (CAWS) and Lower
Des
Plaines River
as
rule making
R08-009.
These
changes are
long
overdue and recommended only after five years of
study on the CAWS and
seven
on the Lower Des Plaines. We should all support the Illinois
EPA’s effort and approve the changes.
As a recreational
user of the
Chicago
River, I think it is critical that:
•
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
disinfect sewage treatment plant effluent to
kill
bacteria and protect public health and
•
Temperature and dissolved oxygen standards be implemented
to
protect
fish and help them
flourish.
Over the years, the entire CAWS system has
changed dramatically. The water, once full of raw
sewage
and
industrial filth, has vastly improved through
the leadership of agencies like the Metropolitan
Water
Reclamation District and its Tunnel and Reservoir Plan. Public
access has increased considerably as
local
governments incorporated these rivers into their master
planning. The City of Chicago, the Chicago
Park
District,
and suburbs like Blue Island and Skokie have
poured millions into river access for paddling,
fishing, and crew. And
so
much work has
been done to improve habitat and control pollution
that in the
Chicago River system, species of fish have climbed from under
10 to nearly 70, including game fish
favorites like large-mouth
bass
and bluegill and yellow perch.
Because a
review like this
only comes
along every 20 years, right now
we have a once-in-a-generation
opportunity to continue our momentum
by
supporting the Illinois
EPA recommendations
so
we can
make
the next quantum leap forward in water
quality.
There is no magic bullet and or all-in-one measure
that can eliminate water pollution
but we know that if
we want the
Chicago
River to continue to improve
and serve our communities as
a
recreational,
natural
and
economic resource, disinfection
and
the
rest of the Illinois EPA’s
recommendations are essential.
I
believe that as a society it is our moral obligation
to ensure that we work
to
achieve
the
highest potential
for shared resources,
including
and especially
water. And as stewards of these natural resources,
we
should not be seeking the minimum in improvement,
but the maximum.
Thank you,
NL.
Address:
LfJ2
Telephone: