RECEiVE D
Village
of
CLERK’SOFF~CE
onrieovilie
~
Community
with Pride
CoritrolEoard
Mayor
Fred P. Dewald
—
Trustees
Linda S. Palmiter
Edward “Doc” McCartan
Dennis Veseisky
Ms. Dorothy M. Gunri, Clerk
November 30, 2004
Steve Spandonidis
Thomas Weinrick, Sr.
Illinois Pollution Control Board
Marty
Duffels
James R. Thompson Center
100 West Randolph Street
Suite 11-5000
Raymond E. Holloway
Chicago, IL 60601
Director
Dan Bromberek
Re:
Docket No. R-04-021
Revisions to Radium Water Quality Standards
Dear Ms. Gunn:
The Village of Romeoville provides potable water from twelve (12) fully
operating wells, consisting of seven (7) shallow and five (5) deep, located
throughout the Village’s 30+ square mile Facilities Planning Area(FPA). We
provide water to the residents of the Village of Romeoville (est. pop.33,000)
and portions ofUnincorporated Will County (est. pop. 13,000).
Romeoville has entered into a compliance commitment agreement with the
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency requiring compliance with the
maximum contaminant level for combined radium 226 and 228 by December
31, 2007. The Village has performed an extensive evaluation ofall options and
has chosen the co-precipitation of radium with Ion Exchange, concurring with
the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s designation as the best available
technology. Romeoville will be constructing
5
treatment plants at our facilities.
The Romeoville Wastewater Treatment Plants have been receiving influent
containing radium since they were first constructed. The Romeoville Northside
Wastewater Treatment Plant #1 was placed in service in
1956
and the
Romeoville Southside Wastewater Treatment Plant #2 was placed in service in
1964.
The Village of Romeoville Wastewater Treatment Plants incorporate a
combined outfall to the DesPlaines River just south of 135th street. It is
anticipated that plants discharging to effluent dominated streams could easily
exceed the current standard of 1.0 picocuries per liter radium 226.
Department of PublicWorks
615
Anderson Drive
Romeoville, IL 60446
Tel. 815/886-1870
Fax
815/886-3596
www.romeovil1e.org
Radium is already being discharged to streams in Illinois and these discharges
have been in place for many years with no known negative impacts. The
Village ofRomeoville strongly supports the continuation ofthe current practice.
Furthermore, there will be no increase in radium as a result of the Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal that no standard is necessary.
Although the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a water
quality standard without a numerical value, we believe a standard should be
established with a numerical value. The Illinois Environmental Protection
Agency proposal has been mischaracterized as encouraging more radium
pollution and this perception will be eliminated with the implementation of a
standard with a numerical value. Measurable limits will allay the concerns of
those residents of the State that additional pollution will result from the
approval of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal.
The Village ofRomeoville has not noticed an impact on fish and wildlife from
radium discharged from our wastewater treatment plants, nor have we been
notified by any State or Federal Agency of such. No increase in radium
concentration in the receiving stream will result from the approval ofthe Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal. As a result, there will be no
increase in the concentration in the receiving stream and no impact to aquatic
and riparian life associated with the stream.
We believe that Water Supplies and Wastewater Treatment Plants should be
allowed to make their own decisions concerning the appropriate method of
compliance for their community. Standards should be established based on
science and treatment methods selected by communities.
Our community is faced with the cost of implementing compliance with the
drinking water standard. The approval of an overly restrictive water quality
standard will require the additional expenditure of public funds without a
proven associated benefit to the public.
The Village of Romeoville is
committed, per our agreement with the Illinois Environmental Protection
Agency, over the next twenty years of capital costs of $11,251,000 and
additional operating and maintenance costs of $40,287,000, for a total
anticipated cost of
$51,538,000
to address Radium issues in Drinking Water.
Water Treatment Plant number one is currently under construction, with Water
Treatment Plant’s two and three currently in the design engineering phases.
The establishment of water quality standards that eliminate existing discharges
will result in the increased costs to our community and residents without
additional benefits to the environment.
We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments to the Illinois Pollution
Control Board on this important issue to our community.
Sincerely,
Village ofRomeoville
red Dewald
arian T. Gibson
Mayor
Village Manager
c.c.
Board ofTrustees
Congresswoman Judy Biggert
Senator Larry Walsh
Senator Edward Petka
Representative Tom Cross
Representative Brent Hassert
