Central Illinois Professional Wastewater Operators
Volume 60, Number 3-- October 2001
The summer meeting of CIPWO was held July 25 at
Equistar Chemicals, near Tuscola.
Following registration and opening announcements,
approximately 60 members and guests heard a discussion of "Weed
and Brush Control: Effective Solutions and Alternatives with Environmental
Consciousness," by Loretta M. Ortiz-Ribbing, visiting extension
educator for the University of Illinois Champaign extension center.
Her talk focused on proper use and licensing for herbicide applications.
Tony Hall, operator of the Westville-Belgium Sanitary
District plant and new CIPWO coordinator, presided as "chef"
at the grills for the annual cookout lunch. In addition to burgers,
brats, cookies and "extras," there was a drawing for
door prizes. In addition to an assortment of tools that were donated
as prizes, CIPWO offered two cash prizes.
Following lunch, Chris Bland, HSE manager for Equistar
Chemicals, gave an overview of the firm's ethanol manufacturing
process, as well as its industrial wastewater treatment process.
The group then boarded two school buses chartered by Equistar
for a tour of the plant where ethanol is manufactured from natural
gas, and the plant's processes for handling and treating high
carbon wastewaters generated by the process. The buses were required
as safety measures.
