~ECE~V~C~

CLERK’S OFFICF

Re: Proposed amendments to dissolved oxygen standard (R04-25)

j~j~l/

01 2004

Dorothy Gunn, Clerk

STATE

OF

lLLlNo~

Illinois Pollution Control Board

Pollution

Control Boarc~

James R. Thompson Center

100 W. Randolph St.

Suite 11-500

Chicago, IL 60601

~

~

1)ear Ms. Gunn,

In A1 ~ri12004, the Illinois Association of Wastewater Agenci~s(IA’WA)~ubmitteda proposal to the Illinois Pollution

Contrc ~1Board proposing to lower the dissolved oxygen criteria from

5.0

mg/I to 3.5 mg/I during the months of July

through

February. I am wnting you to ask that you reject IAWA”; request. The proposed reduction in dissolved

oxy~~ci~ teria will not improve the condition of Illinois streams such as the Fox River, rather it will have the

oprosite eft ~ct by fu~therdegrading water quality and h’iiiiiii aquatic life. The current Illinois standard for

dissolved

?~

‘gen follows U.S. Environmental Pr~’otectionA’~ency~idelines and past scientific studies do not

support

a Iow~

~dard. Ther~fore.theJ’illinois Pollution Control Board should reject the proposal to lower

dissolved oxyg~

ts.

Robert Schanzel

~ving comments on behalf of the Illinois Chapter of the American Fisheries Society

regarding the p~

-

iois Chapter of the American Fisheries Society does not support relaxing Illinois

existing dissolv

~..nstani~.

iecause insuffiuent evidence is available that such action will not have senous

and irrevocable ~~isequencesfor the sta~. ~a~aaticbiota

-

that is. the science does not support the proposed

changes.’ Schanzel also states “To lower qua1it~ ~vstandards now, ~oi 14 not serve the best interests either of Illinois’

citizens or its aquatic resources.”

The condition of the Fox River is impacted by multiple stressor~. As these stressors become intensified the

ecosystem deteriorates. The degradation of the Fox River has and

,

will continue to affect the well being of its

residents. In February 2004, over 150,000 residents in Aurora were re~~‘ommended to boil their water. A report

prepared by Weston Solutions indicated that the majority of the blame for ‘he boil order could be placed on the

deterioration of water quality in the Fox River. The proposed rula change b

~r

IAWA will not improve the condition

of the Fox River, but it has the potential to accelerate its declining condition.

Thus, it should be rejected by the

Illinois Pollution Control Board.

Thank you very much foryour time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Jr

2002, the Fox

reasons for the ri~

Fox are well docui.

River will also nega.

sensitive to low disso

negatively affecte(

deteriorating wate~

dissolved oxygen

£egoriz~das impaired by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. One of the

nent is low dissoFved oxygen. The effects of low dissolved oxygen in rivers such as

~xtrenie1ylow oxygen levels, fish kills result. Low dissolved oxygen levels in the Fox

t

fish species that spawn in late summer, and sportfish such as smallmouth bass are

:Ii levels. Freshwater mussels and other aquatic macroinvertebrates are also

iived oxygen. The aquatic fauna in the Fox River is already threatened by

several species becoming extirpated;.from the watershed in recent decades. Lower

acerbate the problems the Fox River faces.

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7 l~

______

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~

.

Dcrothy Gunn, Cleuc

11 inois Pollution Control Board

J ames R. Thompson Center

100 W. Randolph Str~et

Soite 11-500

Chicago, IL 60601

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