[Riverweb] FW: Clean Water Action Alert

Tue Aug 28 10:52:43 CDT 2007

Illinois Clean Water Action Alert for August 28, 2007

The Lieutenant Governor would again like to thank everyone who signed the
online petition to save Lake Michigan from the increased pollution at the BP
Whiting refinery.  This citizen action sent a strong message to those
responsible that increasing pollution in our waterways is unacceptable.  If
you have signed the petition, you are automatically added to Clean Water
Action Alert list.  If you want to be removed, please refer to the bottom of
this message.

The Office of Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn periodically sends out Action
Alerts to provide information on meetings, news and action items, events,
and other useful information on issues of clean water, the Illinois River
Coordinating Council, Great Lakes, and other initiatives from Lt. Gov. Pat
Quinn.

Topics covered in today's Action Alert:
1.	Wabash and Ohio Rivers Coordinating Council 
2.	Statement by Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn on signing of the Great Lakes-St.
Lawrence River Basin
3.	Great Lakes Commission Annual Meeting 
4.	It's Our River Day
5.	Clean Water Tip of the Day

Wabash and Ohio Rivers Coordinating Council

On August 13, Governor Rod Blagojevich signed House Bill 987 into law,
creating the Wabash and Ohio Rivers Coordinating Council and naming Lt.
Governor Pat Quinn as chairperson.  Lt. Governor Quinn already serves as the
chairperson for the Illinois River Coordinating Council and the Mississippi
River Coordinating Council.  These councils bring together members of state
agencies, elected officials, and local citizens to address issues along
their respective rivers.

Statement from Lt. Governor Pat Quinn Regarding the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence
River Basin Water Resources Compact

As vice chairman of the Great Lakes Commission, I would like to commend
Governor Blagojevich and members of the General Assembly for taking action
to ratify the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact.
The Great Lakes are an incredible shared natural resource, and it requires
cooperation by all the states that border the lakes to protect this
resource, both for our own use and for future generations.

Illinois is now the second state to ratify this compact, which will limit
the amount of water that can be withdrawn from the Great Lakes. I hope the
other Great Lakes states will soon follow Illinois' example and ratify this
important agreement.  By limiting total consumption of lake water and
balancing our own water needs with those of our neighbors, we can honor our
joint responsibility to act as thoughtful stewards of this unique natural
resource. 

I look forward to working with representatives from the other Great Lakes
states, along with the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec, to protect and
improve water quality in our shared Great Lakes.

Great Lakes Commission Annual Meeting: Sustainable Living on the Lakes  

Dear All:

We are pleased to invite you to the 2007 Annual Meeting of the Great Lakes
Commission, Oct. 1-2 at the Radisson Hotel and Suites in Chicago, Illinois.
Additional information about the meeting, including online registration, is
now available at www.glc.org/meeting

Please mark your calendars and plan to attend this important and informative
event, which will have the theme "Sustainable Living on the Lakes" and
showcase one of the region's premier cities. Panel discussions will address
climate change, adapting to its potential impacts on the Great Lakes,
growing the region\'s economy through renewable energy, and water
conservation and efficiency.

In addition to Michigan Lt. Gov. John Cherry (chair of the Commission) and
Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn (vice chair of the Commission), special invited
guests include Chicago Mayor Richard Daley; Dr. Rosina Bierbaum, dean of the
University of Michigan\'s School of Natural Resources and the Environment;
and members of the Great Lakes congressional delegation. 

Participants will benefit from field trips to the Center for Green
Technology and the Electric Aquatic Nuisance Species Dispersal Barrier. The
meeting will also feature policy actions and updates on federal ballast
legislation, implementation of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration, the
Great Lakes Water Resources Compact and other high-priority Great Lakes
issues.

We encourage you to make your travel and lodging arrangements soon. A block
of rooms has been reserved under the name "Great Lakes Commission" at a
special rate of $173 (double or single) per night plus tax. Please call the
Radisson Hotel and Suites before Sept. 12 to get this special room rate;
phone 312-787-2900. Additional information is available at
www.glc.org/meeting/lodge.html

We look forward to seeing you in Chicago!

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 Great Lakes Commission
2805 S. Industrial Hwy., Suite 100
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-6791
Ph: 734-971-9135 Fax: 734-971-9150
Email: register at glc.org
Photos: Illinois Bureau of Tourism, Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau
and NASA Visible Earth  

It's Our River Day (IORD)

The 4th annual 'It's Our River Day' celebration will take place on Saturday,
September 15 at locations all across the state.  The goal of this day is to
promote education, conservation, and recreation on our state's waterways.
Each week until September 15, we will be highlighting an event in the Clean
Water Action Email.  Up this week:

Alton It\'s Our River Day Festival

Riverfront Park, Alton

At this event, there will be booths on ecology, native plants and animals,
and recycling, along with arts and crafts, food vendors, litter clean ups,
and a bike ride. For more information visit www.altonmarketplace.com or
contact:

Sara McGibany
618.463.1016
sara at altonmarketplace.com

A complete list of events is located at:
http://www.standingupforillinois.org/cleanwater/events.php.

For more information on IORD, contact:

Jeremy Kruidenier
Office of Lt. Governor Pat Quinn
414 Stratton Building
Springfield, IL 62706
Phone: 217.558.1845
Fax: 217.782.9879
Email: jeremy.kruidenier at illinois.gov

Clean Water Tip of the Day

When washing a car, give a quick rinse, use a bucket of soapy water and rag
or sponge to wash the car, and then give it a second quick rinse to reduce
water usage.  Use a nozzle to stop the flow of water from the hose between
rinsing.

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We encourage you to pass this email message along to your colleagues and
friends.  For more information on Clean Water Illinois, please visit:
http://www.CleanWaterIllinois.org.

If you want to contact Lt. Governor Pat Quinn, click on the contact link
below.
http://www.standingupforillinois.org/contact/
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To read the Lt. Governor's Privacy Notice, click below.
http://www.standingupforillinois.org/legal/privacy.php
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If you would like to have your email address removed from our list, click
below.
http://www.standingupforillinois.org/contact/email_remove.php