Region V Public Report
September
I
Minnesota: The Outdoor Classroom
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news briefs
news briefs
news briefs
Ira L Whitman
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is
sponsoring a series of seminars to explain recently
adopted air pollution control regulations and related
construction and operating permit procedures. The
seminars are largely of a general nature, with a portion
devoted to the specific industry for which the sessions
are scheduled.
All industry personnel interests in air pollution permits
are invited to attend the remaining seminars. The
schedule is as follows:
PAPER AND ALLIED PRODUCTS
October 6, 9:30 a.m., Centennial Building, Springfield
October 13, 1 p.m., Field Museum of Natural History* ,
Chicago
STONE, CLAY AND GLASS PRODUCTS
October 7, 9:30 a.m., Cetennial Building, Springfield
October 14,9a.m., Field Museum of Natural History* ,
Chicago
INCINERATORS
November 2, 9:30 a.m., Centennial Building,
Springfield
November 6, 1 p.m., Field Museum of Natural
History* , Chicago
ELECTRIC. GAS AND SANITARY SERVICES
November 3, 9:30 a.m., Centenial Building, Springfield
November 7, 1 p.m., Field Museum of Natural
History* , Chicago
GAS AND OIL FIRED BOILERS
AND ALLOTHERS
December 9, 9:30 a.m., Centennial Building,
Springfield
December 16, 9 a.m., Field Museum of Natural
History* , Chicago
For information contact: Permit Section, Division of
Air Pollution Control, Illinois Environmental Protection
Agency, 2200 Churchill Road, Springfield, Illinois 62706 or
217-525-2113.
Governor John Gilligan of Ohio has appointed Ira L.
Whitman to head the new Ohio Environmental Protec-
tion Agency. Legislation creating the OEPA combines
under a single authoritative and responsible unit the
functions and programs which have been scattered
through a number of state departments, boards and
agencies. The cabinet level department is expected to
provide the state with a stronger tool with which to clean
up, control and manage the environment.
Prior to his appointment as Director of OEPA, Whit-
man served as Deputy Director for Environmental
Programs in the Ohio Department of Health. Dr.
Whitman has also managed and directed research on
environmental problems at Battelle Memorial Institute
in Columbus and has served as a research associate and
a flood plain management engineer with the Corps of
Engineers. After graduating from Cooper Union and
Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, Whitman went to earn
a Ph. D. in Environmental Engineering from the Johns
Hopkins University in 1968.
With Whitman at its head, OEPA will have authority
over air and water pollution, solid waste disposal stan-
dards, water planning and development, supervision of
sewage treatment and public water supply facilities, and
approval of plans for commercial airports. All the
powers previously held by the air and water pollution
control boards have been transferred to the director of
OEPA. In addition, the director will receive all
regulatory powers over solid waste management
previously administered by the Public Health Council.
In general the director will cooperate with govern-
mental and private agencies, accept grants, obtain
technical and laboratory services, establish advisory
boards, investigate and research environmental
programs and disseminate information on en-
vironmental problems. More importantly, he may also
issue modify or revoke any air or water pollution permit,
certificate, or variance after holding a public hearing on
each specific application.
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news
briefs
news
briefs
news
Judge George J. McMonagle, Common Pleas Court
judge in Cleveland, was cited by the Cleveland Kiwanis
Club on August 3 for outstanding achievement toward
control of water pollution. He was honored for his land-
mark decision establishing the Cleveland Regional
Sewer Authority and "setting a precedent for
establishing means through court proceedings for
controlling pollution."
On July 1 a state-wide burning ban became effective in
Minnesota. Opening burning of brush, trees, grass and
household refuse is allowed without a permit only in
townships with a population of less than 2500. Open
burning is restricted when the population density is more
than 100 occupied dwelling units per square mile.
University of Minnesota Soil Scientist Charles A.
Simkins has found that a well-nournished rapidly
growing lawn can help reduce soil and water runoff and
reduce the pollution of rivers and lakes. Land areas with
good grass cover reduce pollution from erosion and
runoff. In addition, the phosphorous used in fertilizer
materials for lawns is held firmly in the soil and is not
lost unless the soil itself is washed awav.
Recently, EPA Administrator William Ruckelshaus,
took a fact-finding tour of the Cuyahoga River. At /eft,
he is seen being interviewed by the press offer fhe
river trip. Later in the day, he was taped for a
Cleveland television program.
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Reducing
Region V Noise
by Brett Vallquet
Through the actions of a summer noise intern program
sponsored by EPA's National Office of Noise Abatement
and Control, Region V is on its way to becoming less
noisy. Noise abatement projects undetaken include a
survey of the noise around O'Hare Airport, assistance to
state governments in developing effective noise
programs, a youth environmental action program, and
responses to citizen noise complaints.
On August 24 and 28, noise measurements were con-
ducted at 15 locations around O'Hare Airport. The
measurements were made at the request of
Congressman Abner Mikva of Chicago who is currently
sponsoring airport noise legislation. Prior to the survey,
the Environmental Protection Agency discussed the
O'Hare noise problem with the Great Lakes Federal
Aviation Authority Noise Abatement Officer, Mr. Les
Case. "The most promising action for the immediate
future", stated Mr. Case, "is for the airlines and airline
pilots to institute a noise abatement landing procedure
that would permit a higher approach elevation. Such a
procedure has already been approved by the FAA." In
anticipation of airline approval for a noise landing
procedure, survey locations were chosen under landing
patterns at varying distances from the airport. Noise
data measured at these locations may be used at a future
date to judge the effectiveness of new flight procedures.
Copies of the survey data will be presented to the Federal
Aviation Authority, Congressman Mikva's office, and
other interested citizen groups.
Illinois and Minnesota are both well on the way toward
enacting noise limit for a broad category of noise sources
and land uses. Indiana, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Michigan,
who are now only beginning to establish noise programs
were each sent a large packet of noise information
designed to aid in establishing a framework for enabling
legislation and future noise standards.
In response to a request by the Model Cities Program,
the Region V Public Affairs Office participated in the
formation of an environmental action group of the West
Garfield Park Urban Progress Center in Chicago. This
group of high school students, known as the Youth for
Environmental Action (YEA), expressed an interest in
noise pollution problems existing within their neigh-
borhoods. A training session was given in which noise
Brett Valiquet, summer noise intern, making aircraft
noise measurements.
pollution problems and solutions were discussed, noise
measurement equipment was demonstrated, and an
action program designed for their immediate par-
ticipation was outlined. This action program requires the
youths to locate and describe specific noise problems in
their neighborhoods. The noise sources are subjectively
described and the loudness of the noise measured by a
speech interference noise test. The data is then screened
by West Garfield Personnel and a determination made as
to whether the noise problem falls within the jurisdiction
of the Chicago Noise Ordinance. If so, an official noise
complaint is filed with Chicago Environmental Control.
A highlight of this youth program was the filming of the
noise presentation and neighborhood noise tests by a
crew producing a movie outlining environmental ac-
tivities in Region V. Each YEA member is now eagerly
awaiting his or her debut as an environmental movie
star.
Other summer noise activities included a review of the
proposed Cook County, Illinois noise ordinances;
responding to various citizen noise complaints; an in-
vestigation of noisy nighttime refrigerator truck
deliveries to large food stores; and development of a
Region V capability to respond to future noise problems
by compilation of a comprehensive noise information
file.
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Power For The People
(by Frank M.. Corrado)
Shortly after 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning September
19,1972 a gavel began pounding on a wooden table in a
Chicago hotel room thus signalling the reopening of a two
year old debate among State and Federal officials. The
issue: how to control the millions of gallons of hot water
to be dumped into the near shore areas of Lake Michigan
by the late 1970's.
The Lake Michigan enforcement conference's concern
touches on one important part of the single most
significant issue ahead in the environmental movement -
- the energy crisis.
The issue is simple: demand for power is rising, fuel to
generate power is decreasing. But the questions raised
and the side issues involved, like thermal pollution, make
this an exceeding complex problem.
For example, Federal clean air standards for 1975
require that sulfur oxides be removed. In many Midwest
states, there is not enough low-sulfur fuel available to
make the standards achievable by this date and still
meet secondary standards.
And conservationists and State officials - in Min-
nesota, for example, have challenged safety factors in
construction of nuclear generating plants.
But then you return back to the main problem: the
increasing demand, especially in summer and winter
peak periods.
The issue also involves oil import quotas, problems in
developing natural gas fields, and how much increased
emphasis should we put in alternate generating sources:
like magnetohydrohynamics, fusion and breeder
reactors.
The Conservation Foundation, in a recent newsletter,
touched on some ideas for cutting down on consumption,
to hold down the rising demand. Some of the ideas in-
cluded: recycling materials that consume lots of energy,
like aluminum; generating heat from municipal refuse;
increasing rapid transit and more efficient home con-
sumption through better window insulation, for example.
It does appear though, that one of the side issues in this
energy crisis is headed for solution. At least at Detroit
Edison, a commendable start has been made towards
locating power plants where they will have the least
harmful effects on the aquatic environment around them.
This was the whole problem behind the Federal - State
concern on Lake Michigan. Here was a large source of
available cooling water for plants that use millions of
gallons per hour for cooling. And the power companies
took advantage of it. Had their plans included public
disclosure back in the drawing board stage, much of the
debate still going on would have been erased, some of the
plants might have located inland.
And yet Detroit Edison, like so many other companies,
is a bad guy today and a good guy tomorrow and then
maybe a bad guy the day after that. During a recent
"good-guy" phase they announced a billion dollar ex-
pansion program near Monroe, Michigan and in north-
central St. Clair County that will add three million kws.
of power. The unusual point was that the company said it
was not locked into an unalterable course and that the
plans are being announced early to give the public a
chance to have their say early. The projects will have on-
site closed-cycle cooling systems. The plants are, ac-
cording to the company, going to be part of a total en-
vironmental site plan for these areas.
Said William Meese, President of Detroit Edison, "it's
just good business and it's company policy now. For our
new Fermi plant site we went all out to find a site that we
could improve. We ended up with some marginal land
that farmers were happy to sell. When we're done the
company will be willing to give the land surrounding the
plant for a park. I'm proud of what we've done there. It's
the only way to go. This environmental movement will
not go away. The course of action we have laid out is not
cynical. Our motto is that if we act now, we can cope."
Another issue that has bothered conservationists has
been advertising by the power industry, which they say
complains on one hand of imminent brown outs and
possible peak black outs and on the other hand berates
conservationists for fighting against needed new power
plants.
In April of '72 the Michigan public utilities commission
ordered Detroit Edison Co. to make stockholders, not
consumers, pay for ads, explaining the firm's request for
Please turn to last page
William Meese, president of Detroit Edison,
act now, we can cope."
.. If we
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GOOD NEWS
The Norfolk and Western Railway Company has reported that
on June 1 27,000 employees, with cooperation of labor leaders,
worked shoulder-to-shoulder to remove tons of debris from the
company's rights-of-way and facilities, and otherwise spruce up
their 8,000-mile railroad. Company President J.P. Fishwick
labeled the project as one answer to the pollution problem and
expressed hope that the massive one-day effort would develop
habits to keep the railroad clean. Norfolk and Western said it is
spending $4.5 million for pollution control projects now under
way or budgeted for this year.
Significant advances occurred in the fight against pollution of
Illinois waters in 1971, according to the Illinois EPA 1971 Water
Quality Network Summary of Data. A comprehensive collection
of water quality tests results from EPA's statewide network, the
two-volume report summarizes laboratory results on water
taken from 464 sampling stations in 1971. The Illinois EPA
Division of Water Pollution control increased the number of 1971
sampling locations by 101 from the 1970 total of 363. Further
expansion of the sampling network has brought the total of 658
stations for 1972.
North Central Airlines has been cited for its "initiative and
leadership in the field of aircraft noise abatement" by the
National Organization to Insure a Sound-controlled environment
(NOISE). In awarding the airline its distinguished service
citation, NOISE noted that new take - off procedures developed
by North Central resulted in a substantial noise reduction from
jets.
The topic of ecology is the cover theme for this year's Illinois
Bell telephone directories that are being distributed to homes
and businesses in the Bensenville area. G.D. Fitzpatrick, Illinois
Bell manager in Elmhurst, said the directory cover, featuring a
scene of a grove of trees and a quote from the late Adlai E.
Stevenson, "should serve as a year-long reminder of the en-
vironmental protection efforts all of us should be making." He
pointed out that one of Illinois Bell's ecology contributions is
collecting and returning old directories to a recycling mill in
Wisconsin where they are reprocessed into a variety of soft
paper products.
Madison, Wis., has developed a successful program for
recycling its old newspapers, at a level of over 2,800 tons per
year, and the state's capital city is ready to serve as an example
to other cities interested in similar projects, according to the
Appleton, Wis., Post-Crescent. The program was started four
years ago, and today the city is collecting about 40 percent of the
newspapers in the city, considerably above the national average
of 23 per cent. Madison Public Works Director Robert Duszynski
considers having a ready market for the paper "a triple
priority. You've got to have industry involved in this; if you
haven't, forget it."
The Kirsh Foundry of Madison, Wis., has installed a "smoke
scrubber" which will wash smoke from its main stack three
times, changing the smoke from a dark brown to a white plum
containing clean air plus condensed water vapor, according to
the Beaver Dam, Wis., Citizen. Company vice president Jim
Kirsh explained that the installation was necessary to comply
with the new state pollution abatement laws.
Illinois is ahead of the Federal government in the control of
DDT, according to The Farmers' Weekly Review. The Review
quotes University of Illinois and Natural History Survey en-
tomologists as saying the EPA ban on the use of DDT, except for
certain specified uses, will have no effect on Illinois agriculture.
As early as 1949, University of Illinois entomologists discon-
tinued recommending DDT for use on dairy cattle and in dairy
barns. During the 1950's, other less persistent materials
replaced DDT. The last commercial use of DDT in Illinois,
according to the Review, was in 1964 for control of European
corn borer and corn ear worm on sweetcorn. On Jan. 1,1970, the
EPA employees In the Chicago area will have an
opportunity to ride new oir conditioned buses which,
according to the Chicago Transit Authority, are en-
vironmentally, aesthetically, and mechanically the
latest in the United States.
Interagency Committee on Pesticides, composed of directors of
the departments of agriculture, conservation, public health,
transportation, EPA, Illinois Natural History Survey and the
University of Illinois College of Agriculture, took the same
action taken recently by the Federal EPA.
Consolidated Papers, Inc., recently dedicated a $630,000
pollution control plant at Stevens Point, Wis. At the ceremonies,
the corporation's chairman, George W. Mead II, noted that
another $5 million pollution control plant was already on the
drawing boards. The dedication was attended by Gov. Patrick
Lucey.
The Wisconsin Power and Light Co. has installed two elec-
trostatic precipitators at its Rock River Generating Station at a
cost of $2.6 million for the purpose of curbing a volumnious flow
of ash that used to darken the clouds billowing from the plant's
twin stacks. Plant Manager Jim Dudley, was quoted by the
Beloit, Wis., Daily News as saying: "The government will
require all generating stations to have precipitators by 1973, but
we're the first in the state to have them, and we started our
plans before there were any standards."
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has reported
an imporvement in the quality of Illinois air statewide in 1971
over 1970. Specific gains were measured in reduction of air
pollution in the Chicago, Peoria, and East St. Louis metropolitan
areas, according to Dr. John J. Roberts, manager of Illinois
EPA's division of Air Pollution Control. The conclusions are
More on last page
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Minnesota Story
Getting Inside The Outside
When his eyes wander outside the classroom window
one morning this fall at Zachary Lane School outside
Minneapolis, Johnny probably won't get bawled out.
Matter of fact, a teacher may have directed his at-
tention out there to an atrium which has been turned into
an outdoor learning center by students, teachers and
parents.
The architect who designed Zachary Lane never en-
visioned that this 30* x 30' area would be turned into
natural habitat, complete with pond, shrubbery, trees
and a selection of miscellaneous ducks, pheasants,
salamanders and snakes.
"When a student brings an animal to the center," says
social studies teacher Myrna Marofsky, "he has to fill
out a form and log in how he cares for the animal and he
must know about feeding and other habitat
requirements."
Ms. Myrofsky and fellow teacher Jim Arnold are but
two of thousands of teachers in the midwest who are
continuing this fall to experiment with new techniques in
transmitting new environmental attitudes to school
children.
"I think it's more important to get the kids personally
involved in changing attitudes," says Ms. Myrofsky.
"You just can't get them cleaning up shopping centers
and things like that."
Says Arnold: "Some of these kids can give you won-
derful oratory on the environment and the evils of
pollution - and they are the same ones who walk down
the school corridors throwing junk on the floor. They
don't do it on purpose, they're just not aware. They think
of pollution only as 'big businesses' or 'power com-
panies'. But they have to look at themselves first, and
their own yard, their parents, their neighborhood."
Perhaps more significant for Zachary Lane and other
Midwestern schools is the development of new
curriculum materials to go along with a trend towards
getting outside the classroom. At Zachary Lane much
time has gone into the development of a fourth grade
social studies curriculum on the environment. Four
Robbinsdale area school district teachers, including
Zachary Lane's Myrofsky, planned a variety of activities
for fourth grade level students, prepared a work book
and teachers guide all of which are being used in-
creasingly by local teachers.
Among the projects:
* An electrical appliance survey for each student
to make at home. It includes a listing of kinds and
amounts and use each gadget gets and what hours
it's used. Point here: can use be staggered?
* A survey of television advertising.
* Traffic counting on certain roads at various
times of the day.
* Analysis of neighborhood environmental
problems: like noise, congestion, land use.
* A scavenger hunt where points are awarded for
collecting returnable bottles and deducted for
collecting throwaways, etc.
Finally, says Ms. Marofsky, there is the last chapter
where students have to design a utopia, if that's possible.
The teaching of environmental problems to young
children presents a special problem, says Ms. Myrofsky.
"As we continued to study news clippings and discuss
problems and solutions," she said, "the children became
aware that there are more problems remaining than
have been solved, and the children reported having
nightmares and became somewhat depressed." The
doomsday aspect, she said, was removed. "It was just
too traumatic - both for the kids and me."
The teachers at Zachary Lane spent quite a bit of time
this summer thinking out and planning new en-
vironmental projects for the fall. This seemed to be a
trend throughout EPA's Region V during vacation-time.
Please turn to page J'
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EPA PROGRAM NOTES
Message From Mayo
I was pleased to be in Lansing, Mich., Sept. 11 to represent
EPA in signing a landmark inter-governmental pilot industrial
waste water pollution control agreement with the Michigan
Water Resources Commission. The agreement is designed to
strengthen Federal-State efforts to control industrial waste
discharged into the waters of Michigan.
Michigan has been one of the nation's leaders in en-
vironmental protection efforts, and with this agreement, the
State demonstrates that it plans to remain in the environmental
protection vanguard.
As many of you already know, the Federal Government was
enjoined last December from issuing permits to companies for
the discharge of industrial wastes into navigable waters or their
tributaries.
The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have both
passed amendments to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act
which would provide for a national permit system for con-
trolling direct industrial waste discharges. The amendments
are currently before a joint conference committee to resolve
differences.
The Federal EPA has continued to process permit ap-
plications from industrial dischargers in the event that the in-
junction is lifted and, in keeping with its mandate to abate water
John C. Woodford, chairman of the Michigan Water
Resources Commission, looks on as Francis T. Mayo,
left, and Ralph Purdy, executive secretary of the
Water Resources Commission, sign the agreement.
pollution throughout the nation, is currently seeking voluntary
abatement commitments from industries.
The agreement furthers the aim of obtaining voluntary
abatement commitments from industrial dischargers because,
under it, EPA and the MWRC will work jointly to secure such
commitments. One of the major thrusts of the agreement is to
maximize State participation in obtaining voluntary abatement
commitments.
The agreement, which'affects 129 dischargers, calls for:
*As a minimum level of control, the application of the best
practicable control technology currently available.
* A greater degree of control where such higher level of
control is necessary to meet water quality standards.
* That a discharger not applying the level of control required
shall enter upon a program to attain such level of control.
*Thal such a program shall provide a definite schedule,
including interim dates, for achieving the requisite level of
control in the shortest reasonable time and in no case later than
January 1, 1976.
EPA has been developing guidance material for a number of
industrial categories, reflecting effluent levels attainable
through the application of the best practicable control
technology. The five industrial categories already completed
are pulp and paper, steel, beet sugar, canning and frozen fruits
and vegetables, and meat packing.
New Planning Chief
Harlan D. Hirt has been appointed Chief of the Planning
Branch of the Air and Water Programs Division of Region V,
according to R J. Schneider, Director of the AWP Division. Hirt
succeeds C.R. Ownbey who has been appointed Ohio River
Basin Coordinator for Region V. "Mr. Hirt brings to his new
position a broad background of experience in water quality
management planning and water resource planning," said
Schneider. Hirt has been associated with Region V's planning
activities for the past five years, most recently as Deputy Chief
of the Branch.
Environmental Education Workshop
More than 100 students and educators from northern Illinois
and southern Wisconsin secondary schools are scheduled to
meet at George Williams College Camp in Lake Geneva, Wis.,
for three days, Oct. 6-8, to develop environmental concern into
constructive action.
The goal of the program is to provide training in the principles
and techniques of environmental problem solving. Using a local
problem as an example, the workshop will give participants
experience in monitoring pollution sources, understanding the
structure and function of the EPA and other agencies with
jurisdiction, learning about legislative processes, surveying and
mobilizing school-community involvement, and contacting local
organizations and governments.
Hearing Held
An informal hearing on a 180-day notice issued by Region V
against the Gary, Inc., Sanitary District for violation of Federal
- State water quality standards was held OB Sept. 7 at Gary.
The Gary Sanitary District has been charged with five
violations of water quality standards : (1) Failure to construct
advanced waste treatment facilities: (2) Failure to control
pollution of storm and combined sewer overflow; (3) Failure to
provide disinfection of storm and combined sewer overflow; (4)
Failure to provide continuous disinfection of waste treatment
plant effluents throughout the year; (5) Failure to construct and
operate phosphorus reduction facilities in order to achieve 80
percent reduction in total phosphorus discharges.
The purpose of the hearing was to outline the pollution
problems which led to the issuance of the 180-day notices and to
determine what necessary remedial action can voluntarily be
taken by each of the accused to satisfactorily resolve the
situation.
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LOCAL AND NATIONAL
Violation Notices Issued
Region V has issued 180-day notices against Wayne County,
Mich., and the City of Riverview, Mich., for violation of
federally approved water quality standards and announced the
scheduling of joint hearings with the Michigan Water Resources
Commission for the two communities. The Federal-State action
will seek effective and timely abatement schedules to bring the
two communities' discharges into compliance with the water
standards.
In the case of Wayne County, EPA and the Michigan Water
Resources Commission have charged that its Wayndotte
Municipal Sewage Treatment Plant has failed to meet the im-
plementation schedule and effluent loading requirements
contained in the state adopted and federally approved Interstate
Water Quality Standards which called for completion of con-
struction of secondary treatment facilities by Nov. 1, 1970.
The City of Riverview is charged with dumping 2.9 million
gallons per day of inadequately treated effluent from its sewage
treatment plant into the Trenton Channel of the Detroit River in
violation of state adopted and federally approved water quality
standards.
An informal, joint Federal-State public hearing for the pur-
pose of outlining the pollution problem and ascertaining what
necessary remedial action may be taken on a voluntary basis
has been scheduled at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, for Wayne
County and 1:30 p.m. for Riverview at the Holiday Inn-Taylor,
located at the junction of Eureka Road and Interstate Highway
75.
Referral To Justice
EPA Region V Administrator Francis T. Mayo has referred to
the y.S. Department of Justice a request for prosecution of the
City of Whiting, Inc., for violation of State and Federal water
quality standards. In his request to the Department of Justice,
Mayo alleged that the City of Whiting has failed to abate
pollution resulting from the discharge of solid and liquid
municpal wastes from the city's combined storm water and
sewage outlets into the waters of Lake Michigan.
"This discharge," said Mayo, "reduces the quality of the
waters of Lake Michigan below the Federally approved water
quality standards promulgated by the State of Indiana pursuant
to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act." In October of 1971,
Whiting was served a 180-day notice by EPA for violation of
State and Federal water quality standards. Whiting is the first
municipality in EPA's Region V to be referred to the Justice
Department for suit following expiration of a 180-day notice.
Lake Michigan Enforcement Conference
The fourth session of the Lake Michigan Enforcement Con-
ference designed to examine the subject of pollution of Lake
Michigan and its tributary basin in the states of Michigan,
Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin, was held Sept. 19-21 at the
Sherman House in Chicago, 111.
The purpose of the session was to review established remedial
programs and implementation schedules for the abatement of
the pollution of Lake Michigan and to recommend additional
action or improved programs as may be necessary. The parties
to the conference were the Illinois Environmental Protection
Agency, the Michigan Water Resources Commission, the
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Indaian
Stream Pollution Control Board, and the EPA.
Items on the agenda included: review of status of compliance
of Federal, State, municipal and industrial waste dischargers
into the lake; report of the Phosphorus Technical Committee;
report of the Pesticides Committee; a chlorides report; and the
problem of thermal pollution with reports from each state in-
volved.
Environmental Information Symposium
EPA sponsored a National Environmental Information
Symposium enetitled "Agenda for Progress" in Cincinnati,
Ohio, Sept. 24-27. Midwest Regional Administrator Francis T.
Mayo said, "The symposium was primarily designed for the
user of environmental information, including citizens, govern-
ment officials and businessmen. It should provide a better
understanding of what information is available, where it is
located and how it can be obtained."
For purposes of the symposium, environmental information
was divided into four groups: scientific and technical; legal,
legislative and regulatory; management and planning; and
socio-economic. Information services covered in each of the
groups were information and data centers, publications, and
document services and referral activities.
Cincinnati is the site of an EPA National Environmental
Research Center, which hs been designated as the Central
Scientific and Technical facility with the Agency's library
system.
EPA Releases Funds
EPA has released $330,000 for the remaining five months of
the 1972 calendar year to the City of Chicago for its air pollution
control program as a result of a July 28 amendment to the
Illinois air implementation plan, it has been announced by
Region V Administrator Francis T. Mayo. The amendment to
the Illinois plan reflects an agreement between the Illinois EPA
and the City of Chicago on a mutually supportive program on
construction and operating permits for air emission sources in
the city.
Mayo noted that although the city had originally requested
$485,457 for the remaining five months of the 1972 calendar year,
the entire request could not be honored because of limited
Federal funds available. "However," he added, "the total 1972
calendar grant of $826,202 is substantially larger than the
previous year's grant which totaled $712,000."
Division Director Named
A specialist in the physical aspects of thermal pollution, Dr.
Robert W. Zeller, has been named Director of the Region V
Surveillance and Analysis Division.
The appointment was announced by Region V Administrator
Francis T. Mayo who said, "Bob Zeller brings to EPA's
technical support programs an excellent background in both the
technical and administrative areas of environmental control.
He will be very valuable to our Midwest operation with our in-
creasing need for strong technical backup for enforcement
activities."
Zeller, who most recently served as Chief of the Water
Programs Branch for EPA's Northwest Region in Seattle,
Wash., will be in charge of Region V's five district offices in
Chicago, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Detroit and Evansville, Ind.
He also will provide overall guidance for Environmental Impact
Statement activities, oil spills and other field activities.
More program notes on last page
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YOURS FOR THE ASKING
Non-Technical Publications Available From EPA
Teachers
Needed: Clean Water
Needed: Clean Air
Noise and You
Man and His Endangered World
General
Toward a New Environmental Ethic
Environmental Protection 1971 (EPA Anniversary
report)
The Mess We're In - Ranger Rick's Nature Magazine
Bibliography Books on the Environment
71 Things You Can Do to Stop Pollution
Can The U.S. Win The War Against Pollution?
Special Interest
Mission 5000 A Citizens' Solid Waste Management
Project
Grant Assistance Programs of the EPA
Information on Rapid Tax Amortization
Noise
Noise and Transportation
Noise in the Environment
Unwanted By-Product of Modern Life
The Ultimate Insult
EPA's Noise Abatement Program
Radiation
Nuclear Power Plants Q. & A.
Never Do Harm
Solid Waste
Solid Waste - It Won't Go Away
Safe and Sanitary Home Refuse Storage
Sanitary Landfill. . . An Answer to a Community
Problem; a Route to a Community Asset
Sanitary Landfill Facts
The Solid Waste Disposal Act
The Solid Waste Glossary
EPA's Office of Solid Waste Management Program
The Role of Packaging In Solid Waste Management 1966
to 1976
Air Pollution The Facts
Air Quality Criteria for Carbon Monoxide, Summary and
Conclusions
Air Quality Criteria for Photochemical Oxidants,
Summary and Conclusions
The Clean Air Act, December 1970
Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans
Federal Register
July 27, 1972 Volume 37 Number 145
Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plants
Federal Register
May 31, 1972 Volume 37 Number 105
State Plans for Implementation of National Ambient Air
Quality Standards
Federal Register June 14, 1972 Volume 37 Number 115
Water Pollution
What You Can Do About Water Pollution
Clean Water for the 1970's
Federal Guidelines, Design Operation and Maintenance
of Waste Water
Treatment Facilities, September 1970
Water Quality Standards: Better Water for America
A Primer on Waste Water Treatment
Our Troubled Waters: The Fight Against Water Pollution
Heat Can Hurt - Better Water for America
A Critical Study of the Great Lakes
Who Owns the Water?
A Small Oil Spill
Standards Must be Enforced
Clean Water: It's Up To You
The Water Pollution Control Act
Fish Kills Caused by Pollution in 1970
Bumper Stickers and.Decals
Protect Our Environment
I Can Save The Earth
Jacket No. 456-920 April 1972
Jacket No. 456-922 April 1972
Jacket No. 456-921 April 1972
Air Pollution
Citizen Role in Implementation of Clean Air Standards
Air Pollution Episodes - A Citizen Handbook
Take Three Steps to Clean Air (PHS)
A citizen's Guide to Clean Air
A new film brochure is now available describing free
loan environmental films available from Region V EPA.
The brochure may be obtained by contacting the Office of
Public Affairs, EPA, One North Wacker Drive, Chicago,
Illinois 60606 or calling 312-353-5800.
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Achieving the goal of a clean and healthy environment
must ^ done by us a'l • by every American.
We ^an reac^ th?1 goal in *'s decatle
And in reaching it we can trigger a chain reaction of
confidence and hope that will help us to achieve
all of our great goals for the seventies.
MHtl iT»TtS EKVWOKMtimu PHOTf CTWK AGOICV
Left; one of a series of posters available from E.P.A.
Above: Deco/s. Be/ow: Bumper stickers. A// of these
materials may be obtoined from the Office of Public
Affo/'rs, One North Wocker Drive, Chicago, Illinois
60606. Reasonable requests, pi ease I
protect our
environment
Getting Inside the Outside Con't.
Here is just a small sample of some activities that went
on this summer in the region:
* In Bemidji, Minnesota, an Upward Bound class
this summer studied the different ways recycled
materials can be used.
* In Ripon, Wisconsin a summer school course
offered to eighth and ninth grade students included a
series of nine field trips to points of natural interest.
*At the University of Wisconsin's Green Bay
campus senior Girl Scouts, high school youths and
adult leaders met for two weeks this summer to
study environmental deterioration. On the schedule
were an environmental play, games and roleplaying,
films, multi-media and light shows, field trips and
outdoor recreatonal activities.
* In late July a tentative environmental education
plan for Michigan was discussed at a special state-
wide conference in Lansing. The points of view of
many segments of the state community were sought.
* In August, 32 students in the Watertown Unified
School Distirct in Watertown, Wisconsin attended a
week-long environmental study at a camp near
Ashland. The purpose of the camp visit was to study
environmental conditions of Northern Wisconsin
regarding plant, animal and water conditions.
Projects included succession study, spring study,
fish population and migration, water analysis, insect
population and larvae study and similar projects.
* During August, 20 junior college teachers, who
plan to set up environmental education programs for
65 thousand students at six southeastern Michigan
community colleges, began a five week intensive
training program at Wayne State University in
Detroit.
*In Lafayette, Indiana area, 20 South Newton high
school students participated in a three-week course
in Environmental Biology. Among the topics of these
special program were soils, exposed coal slams, a
cave, wildlife management, conservation practices,
public relations, electricity production, sewage
disposal, natural history and legislative procedure.
*In late July 192 teachers attended four en-
vironmental seminars at the Trees for Tomorrow
Center near Wausau, Wisconsin. The one-week
session focused on social studies in relation to the
environment. In addition there was a profile of a
northern Wisconsin community's approach to
solving solid waste problems.
This sign wos erected by students to protect newly
planted trees from snowmobi/es.
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1. In this first exercise, students should map their travels on
this sheet for two days. Then they should ask how many
trips were taken by car? by bike? by foot? Why the dif-
ference? Where might the busy streets in the community
be? Guess where' the cars might be going?
MAPPING TRIPS RECORD SHEET
N
S
LEGEND •
Transportation Line
on foot
bike
car
bus
train, plane.
DIRECTIONS
Decide on the approximate distance
of each trip, and put an X at your
destination. Connect the X to your
home with a 'colored line indicating
the type of transportation you used.
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INNER CITY NOISE, SOLID WASTE
AND AIR POLLUTION SURVEYS
2. Here are the forms used by Youth For Environmental
Action (Y.E.A.) West Garfield in Chicago for surveying
inner-city/ neighborhoods. The forms, put together by
Region V Office of Public Affairs and the Chicago Dept of
Streets and Sanitation, are filled out by inner-city students
and turned over to municipal authorities for action.
Y.E.A.
West Garfield Youth Development, 3952 W. Jackson, Chicago
Date: Name:
Address:
Business: • Apt: House:
PROBLEMS:
ABANDONED AUTOS
(on street )
Address: / u . .
(off street )
Make: Color: Year:
VACANT LOTS
Address:,
Kind of Bulk Trash:.
LITTER AND GARBAGE
Streets
Alleys
Yards
Parkway.
Other
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LITTER BASKETS
Filled
Need at:
Address:
Broken Down.
Turned Over.
STREETS
Clean
Dirty
ABANDONED BUILDING
Address:
AIR (Use Ringleman Chart)
Percent:
Any burning
Address: _
V
Smokestack
Address: _
Time:
NOISE:
dB Level
100
90
80
70
60
50
Test (at noisiest part)
Shout in ear
Shout at 2 feet
Talk very loud at 2 feet
Talk loud at 2 feet
Talk loud at 4 feet
Talk normal at 12 feet
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OTHER DANGERS:
MY REMARKS:
\
OFFICE USE
Date Referred:
Unit Number: .
Supervisor:
SMOKE CHART
INSTRUCTIONS
Hold the chart at arm's length. Look through the
hole at the smoke rising from the stack.
Avoid looking toward the sun. The background
immediately beyond the smoke plume should be
clear of buildings or dark objects. Your line of
sight should be at right angles to the direction of
smoke travel, and your position not less than 100
feet or more than ]A mile from the stack.
Compare the smoke with the chart to determine
the sector [marked from "No. 1-20% dense" to "No.
5-100% dense") which most nearly corresponds to
the shade or density of the smoke.
Percentage figure refers to amount light is reduced
by smoke density — Based on the Ringelmann
Smoke Chart, U.S. Bureau of Mines Information
Circular 8333 dated May 1967, giving graduated
shades of gray.
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Power for The People Con't.
a rate hike and ordered the company to give a higher
percentage increase to larger customers who pay less
per kilowatt hour than small customers.
The big issue with conservationists at this point now is
energy conservation. Some industry spokesmen say that
advertising stimulates interest in appliances which are
used in off-peak or normal low use hours.
But the biggest problem facing the power industry is
not so much pressure from conservationists at the
moment, but the exceedingly complex process that has
been seemingly thrown-up in their path by State and
Federal licensing agencies.
And, here's a closing thought; a recent report on the
North Central Power Study Phase I Report indicates that
"further development of the vast coal field of the North
Central Region of the U.S. is almost a certainty." The
report concluded that massive coal-fueled plants in the
North Central states would be able to provide 35 years of
plant operation. This would overshadow any develop-
ment in the Southwest Four Corners Area.
Good News Con'f. From Pope 6
drawn from a summary of the 1971 Annual Report on Air Quality
in Illinois.
The Otter Tail Power Company has installed electrostatic
precipitators which remove over 99 per cent of the particulate
matter from stack gases at its Hoot Lake Generating Station at
Fergus Falls, Minn. The precipitators exceed all applicalbe
State and Federal standards and replace mechanical dust
collectors installed when the plant was built.
Visitors gathered recently in Fulton County, Illinois
for the Dedication of the Metropolitan Sanitary District
of Greater Chicago's new sludge land disposal site.
The plan, first conceived by the district nearly six
years ago co//s for disposing of sludge, the solid
materials from treated sewage, as a liquid fertilizer,
in an area that has been heavily strip-mined.
REGION V PUBLIC REPORT is published monthly by the
Office of Public Affairs, Region V Environmental Protection
Agency at One North Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606
for distribution in the states of the Region (Illinois, Indiana,
Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan.)
Regional Administrator Francis T. Mayo
Director of Public Affairs Frank M. Corrado
Editor Helen P. Stan-
Art Director Ann N. Hooe
FROM:
Office of Public Affairs
United States Environmental Protection Agency
One North Wacker Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60606
POSTAGE AND FEES PAID
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
EPA-335
TO:
U.S Environmental Protection Agency
Region 5 Library
77 W. Jackson Blvd. (PL-16J)
Chicago, IL 60604-3507
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