September 17, 2008

CLERK’S

OFFICE

John Therriault, Assistant

Clerk

Illinois Pollution Control

Board

£P

182008

100 West Randolph

Street, Suite

1 1-500

Chicago, Illinois

60601

Pollution

STATE

OF

Control

ILLIN

8od

RE:

Rule

Making

R08-009

Dear

Illinois Pollution

Control Board:

On behalf

of me and

my family, I

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

longstanding

resident of

Chicago with

a 14-year old

daughter who rows every

day on the

river,

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 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,

Miöhael

S.

Menisk

Baker

&

McKenzie

130

Est Randolph

Chicago,

IL 60601