GLIN==> Address Chicago?s Lake Michigan Sewage Overflows

Allliance for the Great Lakes

For Immediate Release
Friday, April 2, 2010

Contact: Lyman Welch
312-939-0838 x230; lwelch at greatlakes.org


Alliance: Address Chicago’s Lake Michigan Sewage Overflows

The public has until Thursday, April 8 to submit concerns about state permits governing sewage plants responsible for sending millions of gallons of sewage-tainted stormwater into Lake Michigan from the greater Chicago area.

Past work on a comprehensive Tunnel and Reservoir Plan, meant to serve as a temporary reservoir for raw sewage when it exceeds plant capacity, has reduced the frequency of these flow reversals into Lake Michigan – yet they still occur.

Notably, three rain events in 2009 sent a total of 413 million gallons of combined stormwater and sewage through the locks into Lake Michigan. More than 11 billion gallons were sent in two events in 2008.

Permit renewals are now proposed for three Chicago-area sewage treatment plants operated by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago: the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant (WRP), the Calumet WRP, and the North Side WRP, each of which must address how to properly dispose of excess stormwater and sewage. 

“These permits are typically reviewed just once every five years at best, so it’s critical this problem of sewage overflows is addressed now,” said Lyman Welch, Alliance Water Quality Program manager. “Beaches are closed when sewage is sent into Lake Michigan. It’s time for Chicago and its suburbs to accelerate their efforts to stop these preventable sewage discharges.”

The diversion of these combined sewer overflows (CSOs) into one of the Great Lakes is a public health concern because of the myriad types of bacterial and chemical pollutants people are exposed to as a result of the sewage.

Contamination from bacteria, usually measured by levels of E. coli, can cause serious medical problems including nausea, vomiting, severe stomach cramping and diarrhea. Severe symptoms are more prevalent in children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.

"MWRD has been very vocally using its CSOs as a get out of jail free card to avoid disinfection,” said Ann Alexander of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “There's no reason to disinfect the plant effluent, they tell us, because the real problem is the CSOs, and water quality will never improve until you clean those up with the TARP project.

“Now the district won't commit to a timeline for TARP, either, telling us it will take at least another 16 years,” Alexander said. “No more excuses: It's time for the district to clean up its sewage, no matter what the source."

In addition to addressing the problem of sewage overflows into Lake Michigan, hastening the completion of the tunnel and reservoir plan – known as TARP -- would reduce the frequency of lock openings that could allow invasive Asian carp into Lake Michigan.

Welch, who spoke at a March 9 public hearing on the permits and whose comments are included among those submitted by a coalition of seven environmental groups, said key issues the state must address include:

• The permits should require public notification whenever locks are opened to release sewage into Lake Michigan during heavy rains. 

• The permits should require installing equipment to disinfect wastewater and remove harmful bacteria.

• Deadlines for TARP completion should be sped up and the permits should include interim benchmarks to measure progress. Specifically, the permits should require that construction of the Thornton Composite Reservoir and Stage 1 of the McCook Reservoir be completed before the permit expires in 2015.

• Plant operations should be improved to maximize sewage flow into the plants and thus reduce the amount of untreated sewage flowing into the water via combined sewer overflows.

 As the Stickney WRP has had a steady decline in treatment capacity in recent  years, its permit should define flow maximization, include enforceable conditions to ensure it occurs, and require that the problems causing the decreased treatment  capacity be addressed.

• These measures must be enforceable, rather than voluntary.

More information, see: http://www.greatlakes.org/mwrd

Mail comments to: Hearing Officer Dean Studer, Mail Code #5, Re: MWRDGC NPDES Permits, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, 1021 North Grand Ave. East, P. O. Box 19276, Springfield, IL 62794-9276. Mailed comments must be postmarked by April 8, 2010.

E-mail comments to: epa.publichearingcom at illinois.gov. E-mailed comments must specify “MWRDGC NPDES Permits” in the subject line of the e-mail and received by April 8.

For more info on each of the three permits, contact: 
Stickney WRP -- francis.burba at illinois.gov
Calumet WRP -- abel.haile at illinois.gov
North Side WRP – amy.dragovich at illinois.gov

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Formed in 1970, the Alliance for the Great Lakes is the oldest Great Lakes citizens’ organization in North America. Our mission is to: conserve and restore the world's largest freshwater resource using policy, education and local efforts, ensuring a healthy Great Lakes and clean water for generations of people and wildlife. More about the Alliance for the Great Lakes is online at www.greatlakes.org. 



Susan Campbell
Communications Manager
Alliance for the Great Lakes
414-540-0699
Visit http://www.greatlakes.org





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