November 13, 2008
    John Therriault, Assistant Clerk
    Illinois
    100
    West
    Pollution
    Randolph
    Control
    Street,
    Board
    Suite 11-500
    IO
    ‘D
    Chicago, Illinois 60601
    P4UY
    ‘
    r
    RE: Rule Making
    R08-009
    Dear Illinois Pollution Control
    Board:
    On behalf of myself, 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 kayaker, environmentalist and environmental
    lawyer, 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.
    The water, once full of raw sewage and industrial
    filth, has vastly improved, although the United
    States
    EPA has
    recently made secret
    deals
    with polluters to obstruct citizen
    efforts to clean the river.
    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.
    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.
    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 improvççnt, but
    Thank
    Street, Chicago, Illinois
    60602
    Nov. 14th, 2008
    John
    Therriault, Assistant Clerk
    Illinois Pollution Control Board
    100
    West Randolph Street,
    Suite 11-500
    E
    V
    D
    Chicago, Illinois 60601
    cLEKS
    RE: Rule Making R08-009
    Dear Illinois Pollution Control Board:
    STATE
    OF
    ILUNOS
    oHUti0fl
    CoritrO
    Board
    On behalf of my family, I am writing to express my support for
    the
    rdcommended 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 avid canoe and kayaker, 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,
    Mark A. Miller
    Architect
    7235 N. Sheridan Rd.,
    Chicago, IL 60626

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