August

29,

2009

John

Therriault,

Assistant

Clerk

Illinois

Pollution

Control

Board

j

‘

Suite

11

-500

‘>

LE

RE:

Rule

Making

R08-009

\

009

°lILflfr

‘

Dear

Illinois

Pollution

Control

Board:

‘COfl,O,

‘-“S

°arcJ

On behalf

of the

Lean

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 citizen

of Illinois

and

a recreational

canoeist,

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,

Mary

Jane L

4941

N.

Oconto

Ave.

Harwood

Heights,

IL

60706

708-867-6317

---

August

28, 2009

CLERKS

OFFICE

John

Therriault,

Assistant

Clerk

AUG

3i

2UOq

Illinois

Pollution

Control Board

STATE

OF

ILLINOIS

100

West Randolph

Street,

Suite 11-500

OIlutton

Control

Board

Chicago,

Illinois

60601

RE Rule

Making

R08-009

Dear Illinois

Pollution

Control Board:

On behalf

of

Thomas

and Deirdre

Graziano, 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

property

owner in

the Ravenswood

Manor neighborhood

50 feet from

the 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.

/7

Thank

you,

I

(92

‘‘

“

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‘