1
    BEFORE THE ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10
    11
    12
    IN
    THE MATTER OF:
    PROPOSED EXTENSION OF ADJUSTED STANDARD
    APPLICABLE TO ILLINOIS-AMERICAN
    WATER COMPANY'S ALTON PUBLIC WATER
    SUPPLY FACILITY DISCHARGE
    TO THE MISSISSIPPI
    RNER
    UNDER 35 ILL. ADM. CODE 304.124 AND 304.106
    )
    )
    )
    )
    )
    )
    )
    )
    AS 2007-2
    (Adjusted Standard)
    13
    14
    TESTIMONY OF DONALD E. SANDIDGE
    WITNESS IDENTIFICATION AND BACKGROUND
    15
    Q.
    16
    A.
    17
    Q.
    18
    A.
    Please state your name and business address.
    My name is Donald E. Sandidge. I work at 101 East Third Street, Alton, Illinois 62002.
    By whom are you employed?
    I am the Mayor of the City of Alton, Illinois.
    19
    PURPOSE OF TESTIMONY
    20
    Q.
    21
    A.
    What is the purpose of your testimony in this proceeding?
    The purpose of my testimony is to: (1) Speak out against lagoon treatment at the Alton plant
    22
    of Illinois-American Water Company; (2) explain that our community does not want
    23
    increased truck traffic on
    our scenic byway; (3) point out that there will be adverse economic
    24
    consequences for
    our residents if the Adjusted Standard is not extended; and (4) encourage the
    25
    Pollution Control
    Board to stay the course with an offset project that is achieving positive
    26
    environmental results.
    27
    LAGOON TREATMENT
    28
    Q.
    29
    A.
    What are your concerns about lagoon treatment?
    When the water company initially contemplated building a new plant in Alton, we held a
    30
    public meeting at the historic Stratford Hotel in July, 1998. Attending that meeting were
    3]
    Illinois
    EPA officials and some of our 30,500 residents. Local homeowners voiced their
    Electronic Filing, Received, Clerk's Office, August 24, 2007
    32
    33
    34
    35
    36
    37
    38
    39
    40
    41
    42
    43
    44
    45
    46
    47
    48
    49
    50
    51
    52
    53
    54
    strong concern about the potential
    of lagoons being constructed at the new water plant. Local
    residents and city officials did not want lagoons to be built at that time. I assure you today
    that these residents and the City
    of Alton still hold the same position-we do not want
    lagoons at the water plant.
    TRUCK TRAFFIC ON THE SCENIC BYWAY
    Q.
    What are your concerns about truck traffic?
    A.
    As I understand the treatment process, soil particles settle into the bottom of lagoons. That
    soil or
    mud is then dredged or excavated from the lagoons and placed into trucks which haul
    the residuals to a landfill. The City has been informed that up to 17 truckloads per day would
    have to travel
    our scenic highway here in Alton. At the very least, proj ections are that two or
    three truck trips would be needed each day. As a result, on-site treatment will lead to
    increased truck traffic along one
    of the nation'smost scenic highways. Incidentally, those
    trucks would also be running near a beautiful new park, Piasa Park, and right over a popular
    bike trail. The City
    of Alton is opposed to that traffic and hopes to avoid it.
    HIGHER WATER RATES FOR ALTON RESIDENTS
    Q.
    What is your understanding of the effect lagoon treatment would have on the rates paid
    by Alton residents, Mayor Sandidge?
    A.
    There will definitely be a financial impact. Lagoons and the residual-handling technologies
    that accompany lagoons are more expensive than the current option, which is to directly
    discharge waste water to the Mississippi River (returning solids to their point
    of origination).
    These additional costs will be passed on to the water company'sratepayers, which includes
    home owners and businesses in Alton.
    Electronic Filing, Received, Clerk's Office, August 24, 2007
    54
    THE ALTON COMMUNITY DOES NOT WANT TO LOSE THE ENVIRONMENTAL
    55
    BENEFITS
    OF THE CURRENT OFFSET PROJECT.
    56
    do you
    understand to be
    benefits of the Piasa Creek Watershed
    57
    58
    A.
    59
    60
    61
    62
    63
    64
    65
    66
    67
    68
    69
    70
    71
    72
    73
    74
    75
    community?
    We are very proud of the environmental impact achieved already by the Piasa Creek
    Watershed Project. I realize that Illinois-American Water Company has been the primary
    contributor to that Project, and I also realize that the Project owes its success to the
    Company's contributions. Sediment reduction projects benefit our community, which is
    partially located in the watershed. Our community is also located in the Mississippi River
    watershed, which benefits from less sedimentation coming out
    of Piasa Creek.
    It
    is my
    understanding that
    if the Adjusted Standard is not extended, Illinois-American Water
    Company will no longer fund the maintenance or upkeep
    of the offset proj ects implemented
    so far and the projects which might otherwise be implemented through
    2010. Since Illinois-
    American Water Company has already achieved an offset
    of 2 to 1, and expects to achieve
    even greater success over the next three years, the City
    of Alton encourages the Pollution
    Control Board to continue this valuable offset project.
    It
    makes no sense to treat residuals and
    allow valuable sediment reduction proj ects to languish and eventually lose their effectiveness.
    It
    only makes sense to continue preventing twice as much sediment (or more) from reaching
    the river as the Alton plant would otherwise discharge.
    Donald E. 'SandIdge
    ~
    Electronic Filing, Received, Clerk's Office, August 24, 2007
    STATE OF ILLINOIS
    )
    )
    COUNTY OF MADISON
    )
    AFFIDAVIT
    I, Donald E. Sandidge, after being duly sworn on oath, state that the foregoing Testimony is
    true and correct to the best
    of my knowledge and belief.
    FURTHER AFFIANT SAYETH NOT.
    bMG,,~~
    Donald. E. Sandidge
    SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to
    before me this _'
    ot:
    day
    of August, 2007
    Electronic Filing, Received, Clerk's Office, August 24, 2007

    Back to top