October

9, 2008

John Thcrriault,

Assistant

Clerk

g

V

ED

Illinois

Pollution

Control

Board

S

OFF/CE

Chicago,

100 West

IllinoisRandolph

60601

Street,

Suite

11-500

OCT

23

ij

STATE

OF

ILLINOIS

RE: Rule

Making R08-009

0llUtiOn

Control

Board

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 lllinois 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:

Telephone:

-

.UCk/7I&I4iQ1

P

: