Kirk Pledges to Fight against Lake Michigan Sewage Dumping in the Senate

Press Release

Congressman disagrees with Giannoulias on re-reversing flow of Chicago River citing public health risks, unknown economic costs;

Kirk: "We should ban all sewage dumping into Lake Michigan."

Coming off the Fourth of July holiday and with the summer beach season underway, Congressman Mark Kirk today underlined his commitment to banning all sewage dumping in the Great Lakes.

"The Great Lakes are the crown jewel of the Midwest and provide drinking water to 40 million people," said Congressman Kirk, a co-chair of the bipartisan Great Lakes Task Force. "As a Senator, I will fight to protect Lake Michigan and work to ban all sewage dumping into the Great Lakes."

Last year, Congressman Kirk joined with Congressman Dan Lipinski (D-IL) to introduce the Great Lakes Water Protection Act (H.R. 54), which would ban sewage dumping in the lakes. Congressman Kirk also supported the Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act of 2009 (H.R.2093) last year, which would reauthorize the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act through 2014.

An EPA study cited by the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) estimated that nearly 300 people could expect to contract a respiratory illness after swimming in Lake Michigan in Chicago on one summer weekend due to elevated pathogen levels in the water. According to the NRDC, closings and/or advisories were issued for 49 beaches in the Chicago area at some point in 2008.

According to a 2007 study by the Environmental Protection Agency, there are roughly 30 communities whose sewage overflow enters the Lake Michigan basin.

During the press conference, Congressman Kirk noted his disagreement with opponent Alexi Giannoulias with regard to re-reversing the flow of the Chicago River. Last month, Giannoulias told a gathering hosted by the Metropolitan Planning Council that he would support such a plan.

"Chicago made the right decision more than a century ago to reverse the flow of the Chicago River, protect the region's drinking water and keep the shores of Lake Michigan clean," Congressman Kirk said. "Instead of dumping the Chicago River into the lake, I will fight to end all ban sewage dumping into Lake Michigan."

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