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Environmental Progress - Spring 2000

Governor's Environmental Forum Draws Crowd to Springfield's UIS

Daylong in-depth look at water issues attracted hundreds

Despite continuing industrial expansion, a growing population, and the accompanying increase in amounts of waste to be disposed of, Illinois water pollution control management programs have achieved general statewide improvement in the quality of our waters, IEPA Director Tom Skinner told a capacity audience at the Governor's Environmental Forum in Springfield in early January. Skinner delivered the keynote address for Gov. George Ryan, who was unable to attend.

Point source regulations have been highly successful in limiting direct discharges of pollutants to the state's waters, Skinner said, creating a need to go in new directions to deal with non-point source issues. "Most of the low hanging fruit has been picked," he said. "Expanding on environmental protection is going to be more challenging in the future."

During the day, speakers and breakout sessions explored sometimes conflicting views of water quality concerns, particularly Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) and expanding stormwater regulations.

TMDL Development Focus of Meeting

As an outgrowth of the successful Governor's Environmental Forum in Springfield last January, a public meeting was held Feb. 15 at the Illinois EPA headquarters on development of the state's first Total Maximum Daily Loads.

The session was held to receive public input on the process, and to allow the public an opportunity to discuss the process directly with the IEPA and the consultants who will be developing the limits.

The Illinois EPA has selected Harza Engineering Co. and CH2MHILL to develop the state's first TMDLs for 25 waterbody segments in six Illinois watersheds. The segments include parts of the East Fork of the Kaskaskia River in Clinton and Marion counties; the East Branch of the DuPage River and tributaries in DuPage County; the Cache River in Union County; the Big Muddy River and a tributary in Franklin County; Rayse Creek in Jefferson County; and Salt Creek and tributaries located in Cook and DuPage counties.

These stream segments were identified by the Illinois EPA in the two year schedule of the Agency's 1998 303(d) list, which has been approved by U.S. EPA. Section 303(d) of the Federal Clean Water Act requires states to identify and prioritize streams identified as having water quality problems.

Harza will be developing the TMDLs for the East Fork of the Kaskaskia River, Rayse Creek, Cache River, and the Big Muddy River watersheds. CH2MHILL will be developing the TMDLs for the watersheds of Salt Creek and the East Branch of the DuPage River.

The TMDLs will determine the load limits allowed for specific pollutants from point and nonpoint sources identified for each waterbody segment. In addition to the TMDLs, implementation plans will be developed identifying management practices to be implemented, associated costs and institutional arrangements necessary to implement the management practices.

Approximately 70 people attended the session. Questions and comments from the meeting will be posted on the Agency's website at www.epa.state.il.us

Development of TMDLs, required under the federal Clean Water Act, must be a significant Agency priority in a process that will require "millions, or tens of millions, of dollars in coming years," Skinner said.

Director Tom Skinner

Approximately 400 people attended the event at the campus of the University of Illinois/ Springfield on Jan. 12. The Forum drew representatives from state and federal agencies, environmental activist groups, private sector and professional organizations, local governments and the regulated community. It was designed as the first in an ongoing series of annual gatherings to provide in-depth consideration of major environmental issues.

Bureau Chief Jim Park

"Water is one of the most important environmental issues today," Illinois EPA Bureau of Water Chief Jim Park told the attendees in introductory remarks at the Forum, adding "and fortunately water is something we're in a position to do something about."

Following a brief outline of water pollution control efforts in the years following the creation of the IEPA in 1970, he discussed the methods by which the Bureau develops the 303 (d) list which identifies waters meeting federal criteria for "threatened" and "impaired" waters. These will require TMDLs.

Later in the day's program, representatives of two firms awarded contracts to develop the first TMDLs in the state outlined the steps taken by their firms to begin the development process. In all, 25 streams segments in six watersheds located in parts of seven counties will be evaluated and TMDLs will be established for those waterbodies.

Following the opening remarks, those attending separated into groups focusing either on TMDLs or on the expanding stormwater regulations and Illinois' implementation of the federal requirements. Park moderated the TMDL session, and Tom McSwiggin, head of the permit section in the Bureau of Water, was moderator for the stormwater panel. Theme for that group was "Stormwater Permitting: Impacts and Opportunities."

Panelists for the stormwater group were Jack Farnan, of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago; Ward Miller, Lake County Stormwater Management Commission; Roy Hengerson, member of the U.S. EPA FACA committee on Phase II stormwater regulations, and Bill Ward, representing the Illinois Home Builders Association.

On the TMDL panel were Albert Ettinger, of the Environmental Law & Policy Center; Dennis Dreher, Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission; Jean Trobec, Illinois Agricultural Alliance; Sid Marder, Illinois State Chamber of Commerce, and Ken Kirk, Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies.

During breakout sessions that concluded the day's events, those attending were invited to submit observations or ask questions about specifics. This information, and the Agency responses where needed, will be posted on the Agency's homepage at www.epa.state.il.us