RECE~VED
CLERK’S OFFICE
BEFORE THE ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL
BOARD
JUN 03201)4
STATE OF ILLINOIS
Pollution Control Board
REVISIONS TO RADIUM WATER
)
QUALITY STANDARDS: PROPOSED
)
NEW
35
ILL. ADM. CODE 302.307
)
R04-021
AND AMENDMENTS TO
35
ILL. ADM.
)
Rulemaking
-
Water
\(
CODE 302.207 AND 302.525
)
)
NOTICE OF FILING
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Environmental Law & Policy Center and Illinois
Chapter of the Sierra Club have filed the COMMENTS OF ELPC AND SIERRA CLUB.
Albert F. Ettinger (Reg. No. 3125045)
ELPC Senior Attorney and Water Issues Coordinator for
the Illinois Chapter. of the Sierra Club
Environmental Law & Policy Center
35 East Wacker Drive, Suite 1300
Chicago, IL 60601
312-795-3707
June 3, 2004
BEFORE THE ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
JUN 032004
p~j~TE
OF
ILLINOiS
REVISIONS TO RADIUM WATER
)
Ofltrol Board
QUALITY STANDARDS: PROPOSED
)
NEW 35 ILL. ADM. CODE 302.307
)
R04-021
AND AMENDMENTS TO 35 ILL. ADM.
)
Rulemaking
-
Water
CODE 302.207 AND 3 02.525
)
)
COMMENTS OF ELPC AND THE SIERRA CLUB
The Environmental Law and Policy Center and the Sierra Club urge that the Board
reserve judgement on the proposed standards chances until it has received some clear
information regarding:
-
the potential effect ofradium on aquatic life, and
-
the costs ofutilizing processes for removing radium from drinking water that do not
result in the discharge ofradium.
The record in this case indicates that there is no data in the record on the potential effect
ofradium on aquatic life but that radium is a known carcinogen. The current standard is believed
by the Agency to be unnecessarily stringent. (Mosher Testimony, April 1, 2004 Tr. 24, 26) We
are not told if radium can be bio-accumulative or whether filter feeders or other forms of aquatic
life can be expected to be exposed to concentrated amounts ofthis pollutant.
We are told that the purpose ofthis proposal is to facilitate the discharge ofradium into
Illinois waters (Kuhn Testimony, April 1 Proceeding Tr.13), although there are alternatives to
•allowing such discharges (Duffleld Testimony, May 6 Proceedings Tr. 12). No analysis ofthe
cost of these potential alternatives is before the Board. It is true, as stated by an Agency witness,
that before granting any permit allowing new discharges ofradium, the Agency must carefully
consider alternatives under the antidegradation regulations (Mosher Testimony, April 1, 2004,
Tr. 27). However, if the proposed revision to water quality standards is allowed, the Agency also
expects to permit some continued discharges ofradium into Illinois waters without consideration
ofalternatives. (Tr.
50)
In short, the Board is now being asked to change water quality standards to allow a
radioactive carcinogen to be more freely discharged into Illinois waters. The proposed revised
standard should not be adopted on the basis of a record that contains no evidence on the potential
environmental effects ofradium on receiving waters and that explores the potential costs and
benefits ofthe proposed revisions in only the most superficial manner.
Albert F. Ettinger(Reg.
.3125045)
•
ELPC Senior Attorney and Water Issues Coordinatorfor
the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club
•
Environmental Law & Policy Center
35 East Wacker Drive, Suite 1300
Chicago, IL 60601
312-795-3707
June 3, 2004
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I, Albert F. Ettinger, certify that •on June 3, 2004, I filed the attached COMMENTS OF ELPC
AND SIERRA CLUB. An original and 9 copies was filed, on recycled paper, with the Illinois
Pollution Control Board, James R. Thompson Center, 100 West Randolph, Suite 11-500,
Chicago, IL 60601, and copies were served via United States Mail and via facsimile to those
individuals on the included service list.
Albert F. Ettinger (Reg. No. 3125045)
ELPC Senior Attorney and Water Issues Coordinatorfor
the Illinois Chapter ofthe Sierra Club
Environmental Law & Policy Center
35 East Wacker Drive, Suite 1300
•
Chicago, IL 60601
312-795-3707
June 3, 2004
SERVICE LIST
Deborah J. Williams
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
1021 N. Grand Avenue East
P0 Box
19276
Springfield, IL 62794
Roy M. Harsch
Gardner Carton & Douglas
191 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 3700
Chicago, IL 60606
Jeffrey C. Fort
Soimenschein Nath & Rosenthal
8000 Sears Tower
233 S. Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60606
Letissa Carver Reid
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal
8000 Sears Tower
233 5. Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60606
Joel J. Sternstein
Office ofthe Attorney General Petitioner
188 W. Randolph,
20th
Floor
Chicago, IL 60601
Matthew J. Dunn, Division Chief
Office ofthe Attorney General Petitioner
188 W. Randolph,
20th
Floor
Chicago, IL 60601
Dorothy M. Gunn, Clerk ofthe Board
Illinois Pollution Control Board
100 W. Randolph St, Suite 11-500
Chicago, IL 60601
Amy Antoniolli, Hearing Officer
Illinois Pollution Control Board
100 W. Randolph St, Suite 11-500
Chicago, IL 60601
Claire A. Manning
Posegate & Denes
111 N. Sixth St.
Springfield, IL 62701
Jonathan Fun, General Counsel
Illinois DNR
OneNatural Resources Way
Springfield, IL 62702
Lisa Frede
CICI
2250 E. Devon Ave., Suite 239
Des Plaines, IL 60018
William Seith
Total Environmental Solutions
631 E. Butterfield Rd, Suite 315
Lombard, IL 60148
Abdul Kablique
Metropolitan Reclamation District
6001 W. Pershing Road
Cicero, IL 60804
Richard Lanyon
Metropolitan Reclamation District
6001 W. Pershing Road
Cicero, IL 60804
