Champaign, June 28, 2000 ­ According to data compiled by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) and released on Wednesday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) as part of their bi-annual National Water Quality Inventory, 12,558 miles of streams and 324 lakes in Illinois fail to meet the fishable and swimmable goals of the Clean Water Act.

Nutrient-based pollution was responsible for 10,716 miles of the impaired streams (85%) and 301 of the impaired lakes (93%). Nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, come mainly from agricultural runoff and farm fertilizers but also from municipal sewage, animal feedlots, and runoff from golf courses and lawns.

"There’s no question that nutrients are Illinois’ main water quality problem," said Robert Moore, Executive Director of Prairie Rivers Network, a statewide river conservation group based in Champaign.

According to Illinois EPA and USEPA, the agricultural industry topped the list of polluters, impacting 10,977 miles of impaired streams. Of these, row crops accounted for 7,051 of the polluted stream miles while animal feedlots accounted for only 124 miles. Agricultural fertilizers are the main source of nutrient pollution in downstate Illinois.

While nutrient pollution is a serious issue in Illinois, it also causes problems far downstream. The Gulf of Mexico "Dead Zone" is an area between 6,000 and 8,000 square miles in size, where oxygen levels are too low to support marine life. Excess nutrients in the Dead Zone allow algae and phytoplankton to thrive, taking oxygen out of the water. The source of the nutrients is agricultural fertilizers in the Midwest.

A federal task force, made up of representatives of federal agencies and states along the Mississippi River has been studying the problem in the Gulf and suggesting solutions.

The task force has examined six detailed scientific studies and has proposed a draft action plan to solve the problems in the Gulf. "Unfortunately, Illinois is balking at solutions," stated Moore.

Despite documented problems with nutrients in Illinois and the Gulf, Illinois officials are reluctant to take action to reduce levels of this pollution.

On June 15th and 16th, at a meeting of a federal task force studying water quality problems in the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico, Illinois’ representative, Warren Goetsch of the Illinois Department of Agriculture, refused to support numerical goals for reducing nutrient-based pollution, despite well documented problems in Illinois.

"Illinois should support these goals because it’s good for Illinois and its rivers and streams," said Moore. "If reducing nutrients also benefits the Gulf, so much the better."

Illinois would certainly benefit from reducing nutrients. Nitrogen and phosphorus not only impact uses such as swimming and fishing, but also drinking water supplies.

Downstate communities like Danville and Decatur experience violations of federal nitrate standards almost every year. Danville’s water supplier recently announced that it would provide free bottled water to customers because of recurring nutrient contamination. Decatur is looking into a $7.5 million upgrade of its treatment plant to remove nutrients from its drinking water.

"Reducing nutrients would clean up our rivers, improve habitat, and provide cleaner and safer drinking water," said Moore. "We don’t understand why Illinois would oppose a goal of reducing nutrients."

On June 13th Prairie Rivers Network and 32 other conservation groups sent a letter to Governor Ryan requesting that he become a leader in efforts to reduce nutrients, if not for the sake of the Gulf of Mexico, then for the sake of Illinois and its citizens. Prairie Rivers sent a follow up letter to the Governor on June 27th requesting that he support a numerical goal for nutrient reduction.