Howard J. Hamilton, PE- CFM

RECEIVED

CLERK’S OFFICE

DEC

072004

25020 ~

~“

~.ivuuup Board

Plainfield, Illinois 60544

Ms. Dorothy M. Gunn, Clerk

Illinois Pollution Control Board

James R. Thompson Center

100 W. Randolph Street, Suite 11-5000

Chicago, IL 60601’

December 6, 2004

Re:

Docket No. R-04-021

Revisions to Radium Water Quality Standards

Dear Ms. Gunn:

I have spent my entire professional career, and most ofmy youth, studying the environment and

ways to protect it. As an Environmental-Water Resources Engineer and licensed wastewater

operator, it is my opinion that imposition ofwater quality radium standards which will indirectly

lead to radioactive waste requiring storage at one of our nation’s few, and already challenging

radioactive waste facilities makes little sense. Radium in naturally occurring concentrations has

not been shown to be a significant environmental or health risk. To place an arbitrary water

quality limit upon it that requires production of a radioactive waste material which will be both

an environmental and a health risk, causes a problem ratherthan solving one.

I urge the Board to consider water quality limits which are typical for the natural occurring

radium concentration of the ground waters of our state.

Thank you for your consideration ofmy comments.

HJH/rt