RECEIVED
C
LERK'S OFFICE
JUN 1 2 2008
STATE OF ILLINOIS
Pollution Control Board
Page 1 of 2
John Therriault - Chicago River/Des Plaines River
From:
?
Robert Scholtes <appraisalco@hotmail.com>
To:
?
<therriaj@ipcb.state.il.us>
Date:?
6/10/2008 4:53:14 PM
Subject:
Chicago River/Des Plaines River
June 5,2008
John Therriault, Assistant Clerk
Illinois Pollution Control Board
100 West Randolph Street, Suite 11-500
Chicago, Illinois 60601
RE: Rule Making R08-009
Dear Illinois Pollution Control Board:
I Robert Scholtes_ am writing
to express my support for the recommended water quality standard
improvements proposed by the Illinois EPA for the Chicago Area Waterways (CAWS) and Lower Des Plaines River
as rule making R08-009.
These changes are long overdue and recommended only after five years of study on the CAWS and seven on the
Lower Des Plaines. We should all support the Illinois EPA's effort and approve the changes.
As a member of Friends of the Chicago River and Friends of the Morton Grove Forest Preserves, I think it is
critical that:
•
The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District disinfect sewage treatment plant effluent to kill bacteria and
protect public health and
•
Temperature and dissolved oxygen standards be implemented to protect fish and help them flourish.
Over the years, the entire CAWS system has changed dramatically. The water, once full of raw sewage and
industrial filth, has vastly improved through the leadership of agencies like the Metropolitan Water Reclamation
District and its Tunnel and Reservoir Plan. Public access has increased considerably as local governments
incorporated these rivers into their master planning. The City of Chicago, the Chicago Park District, and suburbs
like Blue Island and Skokie have poured millions into river access for paddling, fishing, and crew. And so much
work has been done to improve habitat and control pollution that in the Chicago River system, species of fish
have climbed from under 10 to nearly 70, including game fish favorites like large-mouth bass and bluegill and
yellow perch.
Because a review like this only comes along every 20 years, right now we have a once-in-a-generation
opportunity to continue our momentum by supporting the Illinois EPA recommendations so we can make the next
quantum leap forward in water quality.
There
is no magic bullet and or all-in-one measure that can eliminate water pollution but we know that if we want
the Chicago River to continue to improve and serve our communities as a recreational, natural and economic
resource, disinfection and the rest of the Illinois EPA's recommendations are essential.
I believe that as a society it is our moral obligation to ensure that we work to achieve the highest potential for
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shared resources, including and especially water. And as stewards of these natural resources, we should not be
seeking the minimum in improvement, but the maximum.
Thank you,
Robert Scholtes
5908 Capri Ln.
Morton Grove. II. 60053
847/581-1514
Robert F. Scholtes
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