alurnet

Ecological

Park

Association

Robert

Kelliher,

President

12932

S. Escanaba

Avenue

Chicago,

Illinois 60633

(773)

646-4773

September

9,

2008

1

.EP

I

2UOg

John Therriault,

Assistant

Clerk

STATE

o,z

ILLINOIS

Iliinois

Pollution

Control

Board

OllUtIofl

Control

Board

100

W.

Randolph

Street,

Suite

11-500

Chicago,

lilmoas

60601

—>

—

I

—

W/.S7

Dear

Mr. Therriault:

The

Calumet

Ecological

Park Association

(CEPA)

supports

stronger

water

quality

standards

for

the

Chicago

Area Waterways,

including

the

Calumet waterways.

For

the first

time

in thirty

years, the

Illinois

Environmental

Protection

Agency (TEPA)

has proposed

stronger

water

quality

standards,

and

the Iffinois

Pollution

Control Board

is currently

reviewing

the IEPA

proposed

rules.

The

new

standards

would

require

the

Metropolitan

Water

Reclamation

District

to disinfect

billions

of

gallons

per

day

of

treated sewage

that flows

into

our

waterways

from

its Calumet,

North Side

and

Stickney

wastewater

treatment

plants.

This would

kill

or greatly

reduce

pathogens,

such as Giardia

and

Salmonella

that

can

infect

people

and wildlife.

The

new standards

would

better regulate

temperature

and

increase the

amount

of oxygen

in the water

to

support fish,

mussels

and

other aquatic

species.

These new

standards

will

greatly improve

our waterways

and

be

very beneficial

for people

and wildlife.

CEPA

was the

lead

organization

in efforts

that

resulted

in

the

1998

a

National

Park

Service

feasibility

study.

The

feasibility

study

map, inside

the CEPA

brochure,

shows

all

the

important

natural

resources

in

the

Calumet,

including

wetlands, prairies,

lakes

and rivers.

People

use

the

Calumet

waterways

everyday to

fish,

paddle,

row, and

ride power

boats.

A

CEPA

brochure

is

enclosed.

Please

approve

stronger

water

standards

for

the

Chicago

Area

Waterways.

Thank

you for

your

consideration.

Sincerely,

i

&c-

ODD

Robert Kelliher

President