Environmental Progress - Spring 2002

Environmental Progress : Spring 2002

Initiatives and Milestones

"Green Pays" is new, Clean Water Act is 30 years old

by Director Renee Cipriano

This issue of Environmental Progress includes articles about some exciting initiatives and milestones in recent months that illustrate the contributions individual citizens and community organizations can make to a healthier and cleaner environment.

I am particularly excited about this summer's "Green Pays on Green Days" initiative launched for this summer in the Chicago metropolitan area by Governor Ryan, Illinois EPA and the Partners for Clean Air. It is both a fun educational campaign and a celebration of an historic milestone. As the last issue of Environmental Progress reported, for the past three years the Illinois portion of the Chicago metro area had no violations of the federal one-hour health standard for ground-level ozone or smog. That means the area is the largest region in the country to qualify for "attainment" status. The Chicago area is also the first and only region in the nation that was classified as "severe nonattainment" under the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, to meet the health standard.

Chicago region largest area in US to qualify

The actions of individuals and the more than 300 employer organizations who have joined Partners for Clean Air have made an important contribution to this achievement. We estimate their voluntary actions on "Ozone Action Days" when weather conditions are favorable for smog have resulted in 20 tons of volatile organic materials not going into the air that otherwise would have contributed to unhealthy air quality.

We are asking more individual citizens in the metro region to "take the Clean Air pledge"

Through "Green Pays on Green Days" we are asking more individual citizens in the metro region to "take the Clean Air pledge" to implement a variety of "green actions." This will not only help us maintain our compliance with the one-hour ozone standard but help us meet the more stringent eight-hour standard we expect U.S. EPA to implement over the next several years.

Everyone submitting their pledge/entry form also is eligible for drawings of daily and monthly environmentally-friendly prize packages, as well as the grand prize at the end of the summer of a new super ultra low emissions electric hybrid Honda Insight. The vehicle was donated by Grand Honda of Elmhurst and all of the other prizes are also made possible by generous contributions from Illinois companies and associations listed in the article in this month's Progress.

Another exciting milestone deserves recognition the 30th anniversary of the passage of the federal Clean Water Act, signed on Oct. 18, 1972. In the 30 years since then, Illinois has seen uncontrolled industrial and municipal discharges to the state's waterways virtually eliminated. We've invested more than $7 billion in improving sewage systems and treatment works and committed $70 million to help unsewered communities install sewer systems. We've assessed many more stream miles and lake acres and seen big increases in the percentage of those rated "good" and "fair." Recognizing the impact of the Clean Water Act, Gov. Ryan on Earth Day proclaimed 2002 the Year of Clean Water, and October 2002 Clean Water Month in Illinois.

As always, we welcome your feedback and your creative ideas on how we can work together to encourage everyone's commitment to do their part for our environment.