J/~N

052001

STATE

OF

Ms.

Dorothy Gunn, Clerk of the Board

‘~

COfltTO/

~

Illinois Pollution Control Board

100W. Randolph St., Suite

11-500

Chicago, Illinois

60601

Re: illinois EPA’s

Proposed Antidegradation Rules

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Dear Ms. Gunn:

As

a person concerned about Illinois’ streams, I urge the Illinois Pollution Control

Board to

adopt a strong antidegradation policy.

Such a policy is essential to

protecting the well being of Illinois’

waters

and to

guarantee that our waters are

free ofpollution.

I encourage the Board to adopt rules that will

keep our waters clean and safe for

fishing, swimming,

and other recreational activities and that will protect the

diverse communities of aquatic organisms which depend on our waters.

Specifically I would like to request that the Board the final rules accomplish the

following:

•

Ensure that new or increased sources of pollution are not allowed to

degrade

water quality;

•

Guarantee that

fish, mussels, and other aquatic organisms are not harmed by

new or increased levels of pollution to

our waters; and

•

Protect existing uses ofour. waters to make sure that they are safe for drinking,

swimming, paddling,

hunting, fishing, and recreational

activities of all types.

illinois has done much to cleanup our waters since

1972.

In order to make sure

the water quality gains of the past

are not lost

in the future, we urge you

to

adopt

strong antidegradation rules.

Thank you,