COMMISSIONERS

PublicKathleenHebererBuildings&Property

‘!Ittp

of ~ratbtuoob

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Michael Grace

141 W. Main Street

Pub/ic Health & Safety

Braidwood, Illinois 60408

Fay Smith

(815) 458-2333

Streets & Alleys

Fax (815) 458-6074

MAYOR

CITY

CLERK

Wayne T. Saltzman

CLERK’S OFFICE

DEC 07 2004

STATE OF ILLINOIS

Pollution Control Board

Ms. Dorothy M.

Gunn~Clerk

Iffinois Pollution Control Board

James R. Thompson Center

100 West Randolph Street

Suite 11-5000

Chicago, IL 60601

Re: Docket No. R-04-021

Revisions to Radium Water Quality Standards

Dear Ms. Gunn:

I appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to the Illinois Pollution Control

Board on this important issue to our community.

Sincerely,

David W. Tutterow

City ofBraidwood

Head Operator

Water and Wastewater

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COMMISSIONERS

(Cttp

Fax (815) 458-6074

KathI~enHeberer

Accounts & Finance

Bob Jones

Public Buildings & Property

Michael. Grace

Pub/ic Health & Safety

Fay Smith

Streets & Alleys

Suggested comments to the illinois Pollution Control Board

R-04-021 Modifications to the Radium Water Quality Standard

Describe your community and water supply

The City ofBraidwood has a population

of 5,203

and is in Northeastern Illinois,

south ofJoliet. The public water supply is based on

5

deep wells.

Describe your compliance requirement

The City ofBraidwood has been in compliance with the Illinois Environmental

Protection Agency reguarding the maximum contaminant level for combined radium226

and 228 for 10 years. The ion-exchange plant was built in 1994.

Describe your wastewater system and discharge

The City ofBraidwood has been pumping from the deep wells for over 100 years.

The wastewater plant has been receiving influent containing radiumsince 1977. In years

priOrto the construction ofthe treatment plant, all homes had septic tanks.

The CityofBraidwood treatment plant discharges into the Clay Pool drainage

ditch on the north side oftown.

Support

for the IEPA Proposal

Allows contiuation ofcurrent practice

Radium is already being discharged to streams in Illinois

The discharges have been in place for many years

No increase in the radium will result from the Illinois Environmental Protetion

Agency proposal

Sue Grygiel

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~1

The issue of land application ofsludge containing radium is not the subject of

this rulemaking and should be addressed elsewhere

Information providedby the City ofJoliet demonstrates that the land application

ofsludge poses

no

risk

to

future residents on the land

The safety ofworkers at the wastewater treatment plants is adequately protected

by existing fucilities and our employees are

not

at risk as a result

of

radium in the

influent

or sludge

Support a Numerical Standard

Although the IEPA has proposed a water quality without a numerical standard, a

numerical standard should be established. The IEPA proposal has been mis-

characterized as encouraging more radium pollution and this perception will be

elimin~itedwith the implementation ofa numerical standard.

Measurable limits will respond to the concerns ofthose residents ofthe state that

additional pollution with result from the approval ofthe IEPA proposaL

Discuss impact on Fish and Wildlife

No discharger in Illinois hasreported noticeable impact on fish or wildlife from

radium~dischargedfrom wastewater treatment plants.

Support

local

decision

making

Water supplies and wastewater treatment plants should be allowed to make their

own desicions concerning the appropriate method ofcompliance for their

community. Standards should be established based on science and treatment

methods selected by communities.

Support wise use ofpublic funds

The establishment ofwater quality standards that eliminate existing discharges

will result

in

the incresed costs to communities nd their residents without

addition impact to the environment.