If you’ve ever thought about participating in one of the Illinois Marathon races (5K, 10K, half or full marathon, or 5K walk), 2012 is your year!

Prairie Rivers Network is fielding a charity running team. Just sign up through our website and raise money on behalf of Illinois’ rivers and streams.

Whatever your level, there is a race for you. Ask a friend to join you in your race and help protect clean water while having fun at the same time.

Benefits of Running for Prairie Rivers Network

• Supporting a cause you believe in – donations that you bring in from the friends, family, and co-workers that sponsor you will go directly to supporting our Clean Water Act enforcement work
• Guaranteed lowest race registration fee when you register here
• Team Tech T-shirt and Prairie Rivers Network hat
• Rain barrel awarded to biggest fundraiser

We need your help.
Sign Up TODAY and run for your rivers!

Voice your support for stronger rules on air pollution from power plants

After years of delays and court orders the EPA is making a strong stand for public health and wildlife, proposing new rules that would require large polluters to stop emitting mercury, arsenic, dioxins, and other air toxics from their smokestacks.

Many of these pollutants, especially mercury, end up in rivers and lakes where they pollute water and build up in fish and other animals. In Illinois, the state advises people to not eat too much of several types of locally-caught fish because of harmful amounts of mercury in them.

EPA’s proposed rule will reduce releases of mercury to the air by 91%. Now, it is up to us to demonstrate powerful public demand over the next few months to keep the rule strong against industry attacks. EPA is accepting public comments now and will finalize their rule by November 2011. {Continue Reading »}

Citizens from all over the Midwest will be gathering on September 16th in Chicago to show their support for federal regulations of coal ash waste that will protect our drinking water.

Date: September 16, 2010

Time: 10 am to 12 pm, 1 pm to 5 pm, 6:30 pm to 9 pm

Where: Hilton Chicago, 720 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago

Pre-Register: http://www.epa.gov/wastes/nonhaz/industrial/special/fossil/ccr-rule/ccr-form.htm

Please contact Traci Barkley (tbarkley@prairierivers.org, 217/344-2371) to coordiante carpooling to public hearing.

Thank you to all of our members who signed our petition to get the hearing in Chicago.
Your voice was heard.

SAVE THE DATE!

When: Monday, August 30th, 5:30 – 8:00 pm

Where: The Field Museum in Chicago – Simpson Theater. (entry through West door)

What: The Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Chicago Wilderness, City of Chicago Dept. of Environment, Openlands, and the Field Museum invite you to:

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD AT A FORUM on Parks, Open Space and Nature.

Young people are particularly encouraged to come and share their views.

TALK TO Federal environmental officials from: White House Council on Environmental Quality, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Hear success stories from this region, and give Federal officials your ideas on open space recreation, conservation, biodiversity, and ways to link people (especially youth and children) from urban, suburban and rural settings with nature and the outdoors. What’s working, what tools and resources would increase success, what are the barriers and obstacles, and what role can the federal government play?

There is no cost for this event. (Please note – it does not include a reception – please arrive by 5:30)

View PRN’s Prairie River Notes – Summer 2010 Newsletter (pdf) with the following articles:

• Big Wheels Keep on Rolling – Update on Traveling Science Center
• A Message from our Executive Director
• PRN Annual Dinner – October 29th
• River Steward Nominations
• Helping Champaign Homeowners Manage Stormwater Through Rain Gardens and Rain Barrels
• Illinois Contaminated by Coal Pollution
• How You Can Help Reduce Illinois’ Coal Pollution Problem
• PRN Studying Public Waterway Rights
• Ready to Unveil! Webpages for Watershed Groups
• Thank You Interns and Volunteers

Action Deadline:  TUESDAY JUNE 29TH, 10 AM

Bighead carp captured in Lake Calumet on 6/22/10 (IDNR)

Members of the House and Senate are circulating a letter among their colleagues asking them to sign on. The letter is to President Obama and urges him to immediately strengthen the barrier and implement all other measures necessary to stop Asian carp from migrating into the Great Lakes. It also asks that the Administration expedite its study to develop an aggressive strategy for permanent hydrologic separation of the Mississippi River and Great Lakes basins. These steps are necessary if we are to keep Asian carp out of Lake Michigan and prevent countless other invasions between the two basins. This issue is particularly urgent given the recent discovery of a live Asian carp near Lake Michigan.

Please take a moment to contact Senators Durbin (202-224-2152) and Burris (202-224-2854) and your Representative (look up here) and urge them to sign onto this letter.

The deadline to sign on is Tuesday, June 29 at noon. Congressional members can contact the following staff to sign on: Katie Murtha (Rep. Dingell), Ben Gielow (Rep. Ehlers), Alice Yates (Sen. Levin), or Lauri Hettinger (Sen. Voinovich).

The following members have already signed on: Reps. Dingell (MI), Slaughter (NY), and Ehlers (MI), and Sens. Levin (MI) and Voinovich (OH).