Eric C. Yor dorf
2722 West
Fargo. venue
Chicago,
IL
60645-1316
Novemb
r
1 1,
2008
NOV
24200
STATE
OF
ILLINOIS
Pollution
Control
Board
John 1 bet
tarOt
Assi.
t
aat C
lerk
Illinois Polk tion
Control
Board
100 \est
Randolph
Sticet Suite
11-500
rteao, lii
ots
6061)1
RL
Rule
Making
R0$-009
0
Z
flea
llhnoi
Poliutior (out ol
Bt ard:
N
On
(dm11 o a d
“lv and F
rEnds ol the Chicago
Rise,, 1
am
a
ritir( to express my a
pert
0. the
rec oim ‘nded
water
qu rlity standard
improvements
proposed
by
the Illinois EPA
br the Cl iea4o
A ea
m sass
(C
\WS)and
Cower
Des
Plames
River as rule making
R08-009.
[hese
cna
ices
are
long
overdue and
recommended only after
five years of
study
on the C’A\4 S and
seven
on
Oi
Lowet I es Platoes.
We six
uld all support the Illinois
EPA’s
effort
and approve the
changes.
s
lilt
d
)t th Chicago
Riser and
a
paddler I
think that
t
is essential that
•
1 be
Metropolitan
Water
Reclamation District
disinfect sewage
treatment plant effluet
to kill
bacteria
and protect
public health and
•
I
em crature
and
dissolved oxygen
standards he
implemented to protect
ish
and help
them
(bun,
h.
Over he years
the entire
CAWS
system
has
changed dramatically.
‘Ihe
water,
once
full of
rasv
essage
and
industrial
111th, has
sastlx
improved
through
the
leadership
of
agencies
like
the
Metropolitan
Water
Re,lamation
District
and
its lunue
and
Reservoir
Plan.
Public access has increased
con;iderabl
as
keal
governments
incorporated
0 ese
rivers
into
their master
planning. I he
City
of Chicago,
the (‘I teage Park
fits ‘itt, and
suburbs
like Blue
Island and
Skokie
hate
poured
millions into
riser access for paddling,
tishiny arid
crest. 6nd so
much
work
has been
done
to
improve habitat
and
control
p
$lution lv
tin the
(‘hietpe
Riser system,
species 4 fish
have climbed
from
tinder
10 to netrly 70
including
me fish
favorites
like
large-tar uth bass
and bluegill and
yellov
perch.
Becau
c a
review
like
this
only
come along
even 20 years,
tight nosy
sve
ha e
a
once-in- t-generation
OPI
irtunits n
continue
our
momentum
by
supporting
the Illinois EPA
reeot mendati
sns
so
we
can make
I e
next quantum
leap
forsvard in
svater quality.
1 here
is no magic
bullet and
a’
all—in—one
measure
that can
eliminate ater pollution
hut w k
row
.hat
i
ste stain the C
hicago
Riser
to continue
to
improve
and
serse
our
communities
as
a
r ‘ereationrl natural
an
I
ecor
mic
rest urce,
dis’nfection
and the rest of
the
Illinois EPA’s
recommendtions
are
essential,
Ib’
icy
tbtt ss
u
icty P ts ut
r noral ohi atior
to
cnsurc thct
ac
‘york
0
aeheee
,he
lEt;he
peteatal
tor sI
ared r
sources
rc1udin
and especially water.
And as
stewards
of
these natural
resources
s
e
h
tile
not be e
kink
the
aitniniuni
in improvement,
but
tue
naximum.
I haak on,
-
I
/