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Water Issues
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- Illinois EPA’s Environmental Facts Online (ENFO)
- Source Water Assessment and Protection
program information for public water supplies
- Comprehensive Groundwater Protection Program
- The Interagency Coordinating Committee on Groundwater (ICCG), chaired
by Illinois EPA, the Groundwater Advisory Council (GAC), and four Priority
Groundwater Protection Planning Committees (designated by Illinois EPA)
coordinate the implementation and development of groundwater assessment
and protection programs. For example, the Pesticide Subcommittee of
the ICCG developed Illinois Generic Pesticide Management Plan for the
Protection of Groundwater. Details on these efforts can be obtained
from the ICCG’s
Biennial report.
- Army Corps of Engineers Section 404 Permit and Illinois EPA Section
401 Water Quality Certification
- Construction projects in Illinois waterways, floodplains and wetlands
often require both State and Federal authorization. A joint
application packet is available at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
for project authorizations from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the
Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and the Illinois EPA. The
instructions include information about each agency’s requirements,
including the Section 401 Water Quality Certification.
- Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Grant Program
- Nonpoint
source pollution occurs when water run-off picks up pollutants and
carries the pollutants to lakes, rivers, and groundwater. Grants for
this program, also known as Section 319, are available to implement
corrective or preventative projects. The Section
319 Nonpoint Source Livestock Projects web page contains a summary
of two grant projects implemented for the agricultural industry. Additional
information about this program is available at the Nonpoint
Source web page. Nonpoint Source Pollution Control/Section 319 grant
forms
are available online.
- Private Wells
- The Illinois Department of Public Health provides a variety of fact
sheets about private wells. U.S. EPA’s web page, Private
Drinking Water Wells, offers information about testing and protecting
private wells.
- Fish Contaminant Monitoring
- Fish are able to accumulate contaminants and are thus a key indicator
for determining water quality. Contaminant levels in fish are monitored
through a cooperative effort between the Illinois Departments of Agriculture,
Natural Resources, Nuclear Safety, Public Health, and the Illinois EPA.
This effort is commonly referred to as the "Fish
Contaminant Monitoring Program (FCMP)."
- Fish Advisories in Illinois
- Because some fish have become contaminated with chemicals, Illinois
has established fish advisories for certain bodies of water in the state.
These advisories are issued by the Illinois Fish Contaminant Monitoring
Program (IFCMP), which consists of staff from the departments of Agriculture,
Natural Resources, Nuclear Safety, and Public Health, and the Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency. A copy of the current
fish advisory can be obtained where fishing licenses are sold.
- Illinois Council on Best Management Practices
- The Illinois Council
on Best Management Practices (C-BMP) is a coalition of agribusiness,
agricultural organizations, and University of Illinois Extension. The
council serves as a clearinghouse on current research to protect water
quality in Illinois. The council provides information and support to
local watershed groups and cooperates with water quality initiatives.
- Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)
- Total Maximum Daily Load determines
the greatest amount of a given pollutant that a water body can receive
without violating water quality standards and designated uses. TMDLs
set pollution reduction goals that are necessary to improve the quality
of impaired waters.
- Well Sealing
- Well sealing is defined as the sealing and permanent closure of a
well no longer in use.
- General Storm Water Permit
- You will need a General
Storm Water Permit for Construction Activities if your construction
project disturbs 1 or more acres of land through clearing, grading,
or excavating.
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