FILE

RECEIVED

SIGRID

PILGRIM 2750

BERNARD PLACE EVANSTON, IL 602~ERK’SOFFICE

847-328-0145

OC

October 27, 2000

STATE

OF IWNOIS

000

Ms. Dorothy Gunn

Pollution Control Board

Clerk ofthe Board

illinois Pollution Control Board

100W. Randolph St., Suite 11-500

-4~~~2

#‘/

Chicago, Illinois 60601

1/

Re: Public Comment re R01-13

Dear Ms. Gunn:

As an Illinois resident and frequent recreational user ofIllinois’ waterways, I hereby

request and urge that The Illinois Pollution Control Board should adopt strong rules to

prevent degradation ofIllinois’ rivers, lakes and streams. No new or increased pollution

should be added to our waterways that could potentially harm aquatic life or contribute to

additional pollutant loads within and beyond any particular watershed.

I also urge your organization to ensure that no new or additional pollutants be added to

our waterways unless it can be shown that these are harmless to the environment or no

viable technology to prevent pollution exists. Costs associated with preventing the release

of pollutants to businesses affected, should not become the major determinant in

permitting the release of pollutants to currently unpolluted waterways.

I also ask you to ensure that those few remaining and still unpolluted waters should be

entirely protected from degradation and that the economic/profit interests ofdevelopers

should not be the only factor in considering the value ofa river, stream or other body of

water. Furthermore, I request that you permit citizens and/or citizen groups to petition to

place high quality waters offlimits for increased pollution without the significant

restrictions currently imposed on such efforts.

The value ofclean water cannot be overestimated as is evidenced by the great efforts

made to restore the nation’s polluted waters. However, these efforts should not distract

that equally, if not ofgreater importance, is to maintain the integrity ofthose waters not

yet degraded by pollution.

On behalfofthe Illinois Paddling constituency, as well as a resident of Illinois, I urge you

to make every effort to protect the few unpolluted rivers in our state and to create strong

antideg~~ation7es.

Vice President,

ILLINOIS

PADDLING COUNCIL

State Representative, AMERICAN CANOE ASSOCIATION, MW DIVISION