IEPA Working To Reduce River Pollution
By: Sophie Nielsen-Kolding WMBD/WYZZ TV
Updated: September 6, 2012
PEORIA- The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is working to clean up the Illinois river.
The IPEA outlined its plans in a meeting Thursday. The project is aimed at reducing pollution in two watersheds that feed into the river, one in Peoria, the other in East Peoria.
The pollution is caused by erosion, storm water runoff, sewer overflows and sometimes road salt. IEPA is suggesting things like street sweeping, education and "pet waste" programs to help clean up the water, saying the river has a direct effect on the people living around it.
"The less erosion we can get coming from upland the less we'll have in our rivers, the cleaner it will be for drinking purposes, recreation purposes too," said environmental specialist, Jennifer Clarke.
IEPA is still in the planning stages, it hopes to finish the project by the end of the year.
The IPEA outlined its plans in a meeting Thursday. The project is aimed at reducing pollution in two watersheds that feed into the river, one in Peoria, the other in East Peoria.
The pollution is caused by erosion, storm water runoff, sewer overflows and sometimes road salt. IEPA is suggesting things like street sweeping, education and "pet waste" programs to help clean up the water, saying the river has a direct effect on the people living around it.
"The less erosion we can get coming from upland the less we'll have in our rivers, the cleaner it will be for drinking purposes, recreation purposes too," said environmental specialist, Jennifer Clarke.
IEPA is still in the planning stages, it hopes to finish the project by the end of the year.
