?CEVED

Evelyn

Alford

S

OFFICE

1617

Judson Ave

DEC

31

2008

Evanston,

IL 60201

‘oIItjo

STATE

OF

Control

ILLINOIS

Goarcj

December 23, 2008

John

Therriault, Assistant

Clerk

Illinois Pollution Control

Board

I

100

West

Randolph Street, Suite 11-500

Chicago,

Illinois 60601

RE: Rule Making R08-009

Dear Illinois Pollution Control Board:

I want us to have clean water not

only for our health, but our recreational use.

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.

I am a

citizen

in

Evanston. My

family enjoys canoeing in the Skokie

Lagoons and swimming

in

the lake.

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

improved dramatically. Because a review like

this

only comes along

every 20

years,

right

now we ha

yea 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.

I

think disinfection and the rest of the Iffinois EPA’s recommendations are

essential.

I

believe that as a

society itis

ourmoral 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,