Document G656wynyy7OakpOdnO5D8NKmv

American Bottoms Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility i AMERICAN BOTTOMS RQAO 9AUGET, ILLINOIS 82201-1076 <eta> 337-1710 FAX (61BJ 337-B616 FAX 314/340-3139 Letters From the People St. Louis Post Dispatch 900 N. Tucker Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63101 June 24, 1993 Dear Editor: The Post's June 22 article on "polluted sewer systems" muddied the issue of water quality. Wastewater treatment plants are built to treat "polluted" or contaminated water from the community. It should not be surprising and certainly not such an important new concept to deserve front page of the editorial section status that sewers leading to a wastewater treatment plant carry "polluted" water. Wastewater treatment plants, today, must operate under strict environmental permits which ensure their discharges are protective of human health and water quality regardless of the material in the incoming wastewater. Furthermore, the article would lead you to believe that the pollutants in the sewers pass untreated to the river. This slmolv is not true. For example, the wastewater facilities for the Village of Sauget neutralized almost 21 million pounds of equivalent hydrochloric acid in 1991. This was accomplished by adding lime which results in an innocuous salt, calcium chloride. Many industries produce unrecoverable acids as by-products of their manufacturing processes and neutralize the acids on their property. When handled in this manner, there is no report of "toxic" discharges. The only reason why our customers must report their acid discharges in the annual EPA survey is that their discharges leave the industries' properties and are treated at a municipal wastewater plant. ' One can expect environmental distortions from activists groups as they pursue their political agenda, but a more thorough discussion of the facts should be expected from the Post. Sincerely, Jdiby. George R. Schillinger General Manager American Bottoms Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility 00/300 cny of east st. louib village or Sauoet commonf'flos of Cahof'a Puslic Watia District - Village of camowa metho east sanjtaay oistmct DSW 134925 SWO11O0 NV0IH3HV 6169 LZ2 9190 3 = 11 96/^3/90 ................ ................. .................. STLCOPCB4034884 St. Louis Post Dispatch June 22, 1993 Sewer Systems Badly Polluted, TOI POLLVITEHf, I.ISTFO Area Consumer Groups Warn By Christina Berteleon and Estela Villanueva Of the Pt*Oltpteh Staff HINKING OF GOING flsliins or swim Tming in a local lake, river dr stream this summer? Better think again, says Heidi Hill, a cleanwater activist with the Missouri Public Interest Research Group. The sewer systems of Illinois and Missouri -- which ultimately discharge treated water into rivers and streams -- are among the most heavily polluted tn the nation, accordingto reports issued Monday by the Illinois and Miss ouri public interest research groups. "For consumers' health this summer, they should find out what chemicals have been dumped into the rivers," Hill said. "Find out if there are any fishing or swimming advisories." The research group's smdies were based on 1991 pollution reports that industries must file each year with the federal Environmental Protection Agency, The figures are the most recent available. illlnoie Industrie* reported discharging the most toxic releases <39 million pounds) in the nation to sewage treatment plants in 1991, accordingto the repot! Three industries in the Metro East area were among the worst pollut ers in the state. They are: Monsanto Co.'s chemical plant In Sauget. which ranked first in the state and second in the nation with 20.5 million pounds of toxic material sent to sewage treatment plants. * Harems Pigments Inc. of East St. Louis, which ranked fourth in the state by releasing 2.5 million pounds. Amoco Petroleum Additives Co. in Wood River, which was tilth with 2.4 million pounds. Between 1989 and 1991, the Harcros plant reduced release of the chemical to its treat ment facility by 80 percent, said spokesman James Valentino. "We're trying to reduce those releases that are considered to be toxic," Valentino sa(d- "Through 1995 we should continue to see re ductions to get at or below the level allowed by the EPA.:' Missouri ranked sixth in the nation, with more than 2$ million pounds of industrial chemicals released to sewage-treatment piantB. * Columbian Chemicals Co. led the list, dis charging 14.4 million pounds of toxic waste. Columbian Chemicals operates two piano in St Louis. "Ail our permanent discharges go to the sewer system," where they are treated, said Gary Juno, senior counsel for Columbian Chemicals In Atlanta. "They do not go to the waters of the U.S. The goal of the company is to be environmentally responsible." Columbian Chemicals makes iron oxide, a pigment used for paint and building materials. Gary Barton, director of environmental communications tor Monsanto Co., said the discharges from its Knimmrich plant in Sau get an acids that are neutrailzed before they end up in the MIssisaippL "What goes into the Mississippi Is really not a problem," Barton said. "The water is treated and rendered non-toxic, and treated a second time," Ammonia discharged from Monsanto's . Queeny plant in SL Louis is treated by the Metropolitan St Louis Sewer District before it goes into the river, Barton said. Illinois industries discharged more than 8 million pounds of poiiutano to surface waters. In Missouri, industries dumped more than 1.2 million pounds of pollutants to surface waters. The consumer groups urged industries to cut the amount of chemicals they use, rather than dump them into sewage systems that were not designed to handle toxic chemicals. The consumer groups in more than 30 states have joined forces with the Sierra Club, the Audubon Society and the Nature Conservancy to lobby for a stronger Clean Water Act The law is up for reauthorizatioit this year, and hearingsare under way in Congress. Illlnoie Top Five Poflutere of Sewer Systems Monsanto Co., Sauget Rockford Wire Technology, Rockford Com Products and Best Foods, Bad' ford Park Harcros Pigments. East St. Louis Amoco Petroleum Additives Co.. Wood River Top Five Polluters of Surface Water 3M, Cordova IBP Inc., Genaseo B.F. Goodrich, Henry Phoenix Chemical Co., East ubuque Allied-Signal Inc., Metropolis Missouri ___________________ Top Five Polluters of Sewer Systems Columbian Chemicals Co., St. Louis MalUnckrodt Specialty, St. Louis Monsanto Co., St. Louis Blue Side Cos, Inc., St. Joseph Chrysler Motors Corp., Fenton Top Five Polluters of Surface Water Ireco Inc., Louisiana IC1 Explosives USA Inc., Joplin Biokyowa Inc., Cape Girardeau LaRoche Industries Inc., Crystal City Mllea Inc., Kansas City tn Missouri, information on health, swimming or fishing advisories for stream* is available from the Depart- - merit of Health at (314) 751-8002 or the Department of Natural Resources at i (314)751-1300. j In Illinois, information on pollution In waterways Is available from the Oepanmentor Public Health at (217) 782 4977 or the Illinois Environmental Pro tection Agency at (217) 782-3397. I > 00/600121 SWOIXOa NVDIH3WV DSW 134926 6168 L 8190 W-U E6/fr2/90 STLCOPCB4034885