Making the Clean Water Act Work in Illinois

By combining persistence, a good antidegradation policy, direct discussions with permit holders, and a little creativity, Illinois conservationists have found that the Clean Water Act really can work.

After successfully pressing Illinois to adopt strong antidegradation regulations, the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club, Prairie Rivers Network, and the Environmental Law and Policy Center were determined to ensure that the antidegradation policy achieved its purpose of maintaining healthy streams. These groups, in concert with several local watershed organizations around the state, began requesting public hearings on each new or expanding discharge that did not demonstrate full compliance with the new regulations.

Specifically, advocates challenged dischargers, including the operators of many sewage treatment plants, to carefully consider and select less polluting alternatives to ensure that new pollution would be minimized. Several communities were interested in exploring alternatives informally with advocates rather than engage in lengthy hearing processes and potential permit appeals. In fact, some communities appreciated the perspective offered by conservationists and agreed that better protections for local streams were feasible and well worth the effort.

As a result, numerous communities have agreed to install more sophisticated treatment systems that minimize phosphorus pollution, and some have decided to divert a portion of the treated wastewater for irrigation rather than discharge directly to local waters.

Some communities have looked beyond their discharge pipes to adopt better protections for their local streams through stronger local ordinances. Because these permitting discussions between conservation advocates and dischargers have been so successful, many dischargers are consulting with Prairie Rivers Network, Sierra Club and Environmental Law and Policy Center before submitting permit applications for new or expanded discharges. The outcome is repeatedly a win for the conservationists, the dischargers and most importantly, the rivers of Illinois.