October 5,

2009

John Therriault,

Assistant

Clerk

Illinois

Pollution Control

Board

100

West

Randolph

Street, Suite

11-500

CT

072009

Chicago

Illinois

60601

RE: Rule

Making

R08-009

?oIlut

STATEion

OF

Control

ILLINOIS

uard

Dear Illinois

Pollution

Control

Board:

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.

It is

critical

that

we not only

support, the

Illinois EPA’s

effort, but

implement

the proposed

changes.

As

a candidate

for Commissioner

of the Metropolitan

Water

Reclamation

District,

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.

I believe

that it is

a

moral imperative

that we work

to achieve

the

highest

possible

water

quality

for

our

waterways.

For too

long

the Metropolitan

Water

Reclamation

District

has spent

time

and money

fighting

the Illinois

EPA,

rather than listening

to,

and

acting

on its findings.

The

Illinois

EPA’s

recommendations

cannot

be

ignored if

we are

truly committed

to improving

the

quality

of our

waterways.

Because

a review

like this only

comes

along every

30

years,

right

now

we have

a rare

opportunity

to

improve

the quality

of our waterways

by

implementing

disinfection

and

the rest

of

the Illinois

EPA’s

recommendations.

Thank

you,

Todd Connor

Candidate

for Commissioner

of the Metropolitan

Water

Reclamation

District

773-355-1377