Some of our friends upriver are speaking out for the Gulf and the Dead Zone! The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago is one of the largest municipal sources of nitrogen and phosphorous pollution that pollutes local waters, as well as causes the Dead Zone in the Gulf every spring and summer. Despite this, this sewage treatment plant has no limits on the amounts of phosphorous and nitrogen pollution they dishcarge into local waters. Also, during rain events, the MWRD releases raw sewage into Lake Michigan and the Chicago River! Because of violations, the Prairie Rivers Network, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Sierra Club have issued an intent to sue letter to the MWRD. Check out the coverage of this issue in the New York Times, as well as the press release.GRN works with groups like the Prairie Rivers Network an NRDC as a part of the Mississippi River Collaborative. We thank them for helping us in the fight for a clean Mississippi River and Gulf!
