October 15, 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:

rV

CLERK’S

OFFICE

OCT

2

2008

STATE

OF

ILLJNOIS

Pollution

Contro

Board

On behalf

of 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 recreational user

of the Chicago 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, .

...

.

,..

.

Name:

Address:

taipc

Ave

Telephone:

•773-

a-/g77

---

October 9, 2008

JohnTherriault Assistant Clerk

fl

JL

fl

Illinois Pollution

Control Board

tuQ8

100

West

Randolph Street Suite 11-500

STATE

p

Chicago, Illinois 60601

{J

•POIIUtlOr)

Control

I0Is

°ara

RE: Rule Making R08-009

Dear Illinois Pollution Control Board:

On

behalf of

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 recreational

user of the

Chicago

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,

NL.

Address:

LfJ2

Telephone: