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Clean Water Advocates Applaud Requirements for Polluters to Pay Fees for Water Pollution Control Permits Pass as Part of Budget PackageChampaign, June 3: Prairie Rivers Network and other clean water advocates from around the state praised the Illinois General Assembly for making polluters pay for the right to discharge into Illinois's rivers and streams.Authority for Illinois EPA to assess fees for water pollution control permits, deposit those fees into a new Clean Water Act fund, and used the monies to carry out the Agency's clean water activities was included in the budget package that was passed in the final hour of the legislative session. Prairie Rivers Network, the Environmental Law and Policy Center, and the Sierra Club have been working for many years to see these fees put in place. Illinois is one of forty-three states with delegated authority from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Water Act to administer a water pollution control permit program. These permits, known as a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits, are required to discharge pollution to any waterbody of the United States. Although it costs millions of dollars each year to process, issue, and monitor compliance with NPDES permits, Illinois was one of only eight states that did not charge fees for issuing them. As a result, Illinois taxpayer dollars were subsidizing the degradation of the rivers and lakes valued for drinking water, wildlife, and recreational opportunities, while taxpayers were similarly being charged license fees to fish or paddle in those same rivers. As a result of the state budget deficit, the Governor' budget proposed many new fees for a variety of government services and permits. The NPDES fees which passed were modeled after SB 1060, introduced by Senator Garrett, and will eliminate subsidies for polluters and provide more than $20 million annually for implementation of the NPDES permit program. Fees will improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat and fishing, and to continue IEPA's work to protect Illinois' waters from the harmful effects of water pollution. "This is a victory for Illinois' rivers and streams, and for it's citizens," said Jean Flemma, Executive Director of Prairie Rivers Network. "During the current fiscal climate in the state, it made no sense for us to continue giving polluters a free ride at taxpayers' expense. If you want o dump pollution into Illinois' waters, there should be a cost." | |