MWRD Board Observer Reports

ETHOS Requests Soil Testing at Old US Steel Site

5/20/2025

0 Comments

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD)
Board of Commissioners Meeting
May 15, 2025
Public Speakers

Speakers from the Calumet Harbor area environmental group, ETHOS, asked the MWRD to monitor water pollution issues that could occur at the old US Steel site at 8080 S. Lake Shore Drive. The last EPA soil tests are from the 1990s. The group wants to get updated testing on the soil and is concerned that disturbing the soil during construction will lead to massive air and water contamination.

Agenda Items Discussed

Com. Waller pulled items #11&12, 25-0349, 25-0351 to make sure that when the MWRD hires attorneys to begin the process of eminent domain in flood areas, that they are required to do community engagement plans that include small group education, in addition to town hall-style meetings. Director Murray assured them that MWRD requires small breakout groups to give community residents a chance to ask questions before a larger meeting occurs. He will forward communication plans.
Coms. Brady-Davis and Waller discussed item #28 25-0365, The Bally’s casino development at the old Chicago Tribune plant on the Chicago River. Com. Waller was concerned about ensuring public access and emergency egress, while Com. Brady-Davis was thankful that the MWRD was proactive at the site. Director Murray said this is not MWRD land and so it has no Chicago River jurisdiction other than to protect MWRD infrastructure.
Coms. Davis and Waller discussed item#32, 25-0398, the sub-lease of land by Lakeshore Recycling Systems to ORA composting. Com. Davis was concerned that ORA could be an SIU (significant industrial user of water), while Com. Waller wanted to make sure emergency egress was possible at the site. Director Murray assured her that a marina was adjacent to the site. The board will be apprised of water usage by ORA.

Stormwater Management

Passed without comment were 15 intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) for stormwater management through green alley re-pavement and roads with Arlington Heights, Berwyn, Calumet City, Cicero, Countryside, Forest Park, Glenview, LaGrange Park, Lyons, Markham, Maywood, Oak Park, River Forest, River Grove, and Westchester.
The board also passed an IGA with the Forest Preserve for land acquisition, concept planning, and engineering for a multi-benefit flood control project located in Southeast Cook County

New Business

Com. Waller announced the PFAS regulation bill moved from the house to the senate, HB 2516, with Julie Morrison as sponsor. She urged people to call their senators to get the bill passed.
Com. Davis announced the Federal cuts by 90% to EPA Clean Water Revolving Funds ($3billion).

No Executive Session Held All 9 commissioners in attendance
Observer: Amy Little

0 Comments

MWRD Hears Concerns from ETHOS Regarding the Proposed South Works Project

4/17/2025

0 Comments

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD)
Board Meeting
April 17, 2025

The request to advertise a contract to furnish and deliver lamps and emergency lighting was deleted by the Acting Executive Director (Agenda Item # 18, 25-0294). All other agenda items were approved, with no discussion of the merits.

Ann Hokum of ETHOS (Environment, Transportation, and Open Space, a registered block club in the South Shore Community) raised concerns about the proposed Quantum Computing development at the South Works site and the potential toxic pollutants at the site that could impact Lake Michigan through storm water run-off. The group is also concerned about the issue of industrial water usage at the site and wants to make sure there is a closed system used to prevent any discharges.
Commissioner Waller did pull the reappointment of two people to the MWRD’s Ethics Commission for discussion, but in order for an explanation as to how the public can find out how to submit a complaint to the Ethics Commission. Acting Executive Director John Murray said that the information is on the MWRD web site. Note: This Observer did a search on the MWRD web site and found the information is located at https://mwrd.org/what-we-do/management-and-administration/ethics-commission-and-ethics-advisor
During the New Business section, President Steele and Commissioners McElroy Kirkwood and Brady-Davis talked about the MWRD’s trip to Springfield the prior week to meet with legislators of both parties to lobby for their legislative priorities. Commissioner Waller mentioned one bill that the MWRD supported, HB2515, that has passed out of the House and is now in the Senate. This bill is called the PFAS Wastewater Citizen Protection Act.

While not discussed, there were 2 items pertaining to Stormwater Management:

A report on submittals from municipalities and townships seeking assistance through the MWRD’s Voluntary Flood-Prone Property Acquisition Program (Agenda Item #29, 25-0308.) There were 3 submissions, identifying 40 properties. After review, 2 of the 3 proposals in Lyons and Markham are recommended as projects, but for a total of 22 properties. There will be a subsequent request for Board approval to negotiate intergovernmental agreements.
A request for authority to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the Village of La Grange Park for the MWRD to fund $4 M of the total estimated cost of $13.2 M for a Central Area Sewer Separation Project. This project is expected to mitigate flooding, benefitting an estimated 522 structures, and to reduce impacts on local roadways by increasing sewer capacity ad providing detention for excess stormwater runoff.

Length of Business Meeting: 30 minutes, with an Executive Session of 1 hour and 10 minutes prior to New Business at the end of the meeting.

Observer: Priscilla Mims

0 Comments

MWRD Board Establishes Office of Independent Inspector General

4/9/2025

0 Comments

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD)
Board Meeting,
April 3, 2025

After unsuccessful negotiations with the Cook County Office of the Independent Inspector General to renew its Intergovernmental Agreement for investigative services, the MWRD moved ahead to establish its own office and prepare to begin a search for an experienced person to lead the department. The board also approved the appointment of retired Cook County Inspector General, Patrick Blanchard, to work for the MWRD as the Interim Inspector General. Mr. Blanchard was in charge of the MWRD’s IIG responsibilities under the intergovernmental agreement until his retirement in late 2023. Items #2&3 25-0277, 025-010

Other Items of Interest

The board approved advertising for very high-skilled laboratories to respond to the MWRD’s request for analysis of per and polyfluoroalkyl substances and absorbable organic fluorine in wastewater samples. Will also test biosolids. Commissioner Steele said that only the best of the best labs can do this right now; which, down the road, might be worth bringing in-house. Commissioner Waller made several requests of a technical nature, and President Steele asked that Waller send her an email containing both her requests and her comments. #12 25-2406
At the March 20, 2025, Commissioner Garcia deferred two furnish and deliver contracts asking that Procurement look to see if the contracts can be “unbundled” to allow for small minority and women owned businesses to compete. At this meeting, he voted to approved the contracts after hearing that neither unbundling or changing from one to a two-year contract to meet the dollar threshold for furnish and deliver contracts to come under the diversity requirements of the District were not practical in this instance. President Steele said that this long-time vendor for the glass and plastic labware was very good. Garcia asked for an analysis over a 10-year period on whether prices change that much from year to year. #22&23 25-0226, 25-0236
Several 2024 excellence awards were received in financial reporting, budgeting, retirement fund and its health care fund.

New Business

President Steele announced that 2025 is the 5th year of MWRD’s current Strategic Plan and that Interim Executive Director, John Murray, will roll out a plan in May to start the process of developing the next five-year plan.

Deleted or Deferred Agenda Items

Interim Executive Director Murray deleted Item #34-0273 which is the authority to negotiate an intergovernmental Agreement with the Chicago Transit Authority for the Red Line Extension Project.

NO Executive Session

Observed by: Diane Edmundson Meeting Length: 63 minutes

0 Comments

MWRD Board Bids Adieu To Executive Director Perkovich

3/31/2025

0 Comments

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting
March 20, 2025

Resolution lauding retiring Executive Director Brian Perkovich. Commissioners joined in wishing the ED well and thanking him for his 31 years of service at the MWRD.

Board Action:
Commissioner Garcia requested agenda items #21 and #22 be considered together.

The items involved the awarding of a contract to Furnish and Deliver Glass and Plastic Labware, etc.
Commissioner Garcia had many questions about how many vendor bids were received, how long the procurement would take and whether there were participation goals. How many were one-year contracts vs multi-year? Wouldn’t it be more efficient to do multi-year contracts which would increase the amount so that MG goals can be applied?
ED Perkovich was not able to answer these detailed questions at the meeting but said he would respond.
Commissioner Garcia’s requested deferral of both items.
Commissioner Kirkwood stated that asking these questions before the meeting would be better. Commissioner Waller suggested that smaller contracts were good for diversity.
Commissioner Sepulveda stated a need to understand the logic for smaller contracts, asking how do we assess which is better? 25-0225 and 25-0227

Agenda Item #31 gave authority to approve an Amended Agreed Order of Settlement for MWRD v. Electronic Plating Co.

The MWRD Legal Department stated that compliance with the hearing officer ruling is best for the MWRD. Commissioner Davis asked if this would deter future noncompliance and asked what monitoring device would be used to ensure this. Would the monitoring be daily? weekly? Answer: there would be sampling every day
Commissioner Waller expressed wish for deferral and an exploration of a new settlement. She stated that she would be voting no.
Commissioners Flynn and Brady-Davis expressed reservations but would vote yes.
Commissioner Sepulveda chastised the company for violating board orders; MWRD will be increasing penalties in the future.
Counsel for the company stated that his client will comply.
ommissioner Davis stated that this is a lesson that the Board needs to revisit the compliance penalties. Commissioner Kirkwood requested a roll call vote. Aye: 8 Nay: 1. 25-0154

Deferred or Deleted Agenda Items:

Deleted by Executive Director: # 19 (25-0201) and #27 (25-0224)
Deferred: Items #21and #22 by Garcia (see above)
#23-0236 by Steele with no discussion. Resolution to award a $14.9 million contract for chemical phosphorus removal in treated water at the O’Brien plant before release into the river.

New Business:

Commissioner Flynn raised issue of industrial hemp as a new cultivar. She proposed that the Board investigate this.

Observer: Georgia Gebhardt Meeting Length - 109 minutes - No Executive Session

0 Comments

MWRD Board Seeks Information on PFAS-Related Operations

3/17/2025

0 Comments

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting –
March 6, 2025

PFAS Toxins (Bio-solids disposal)
Commissioner Dr. Sharon Waller pulled three items from the consent agenda for public discussion and asked they be considered together. All are linked to the District’s regular disposal of sewage by-products (biosolids) containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
PFAS are commonly known as “forever chemicals.” The three items were:

Item #17. 25-0118 (deferred from February 20th meeting).
Staff sought authority to pay Synagro Central, LLC (an Agricultural resource company) $3.8 million to remove, transport, distribute and use air dried solid by-products from the Stickney and Calumet wastewater treatment plants.
Item #19. 25-0168. In a similar request staff asked for approval to pay Stewart Spreading, Inc. $29.1 million to remove air dried solid by-products from the Stickney and Calumet wastewater treatment plants.
Item #18. 25-0166. This item awards $3.8 million to McGill Construction for heavy equipment and operators. The contract includes the use of minority subcontractors. It appears the men and equipment will load the PFAS-affected biosolids into trucks for transport.

During discussion:

Commissioner Waller noted the District produces 150,000 dry tons of biosolids each year and she would like to see the MWRD end current practice of land application of sludge products on farm fields. Her constituents are concerned about this issue. She’d like the agency to adopt a policy to reuse water and solids after treatment. Current practice of selling biosolids for application on farmland meets “evolving” EPA regulations, but change is needed. She requested roll call vote on items 17 and 19.
Commissioner Davis agreed the District needs a solution to the biosolids disposal issue and asked when a Black & Veech engineering report commissioned in July 2024 would be available to the Board. Executive Director Perkovich replied the consulting contract goes through 2026, and that preliminary results might not be available until late 2025. Operations Director John Murray said the Biosolids removal “season” begins in late March and early April, and encouraged the Board to approve the items and allow staff to answer questions later.
Commissioner Corral-Sepulveda said the Board has been waiting for Federal direction on how to proceed with this issue—an EPA mandate. It doesn’t appear that’s coming. The District needs a contingency plan, which is the point of the engineering study. Without information from the study, the Board doesn’t have new options.
President Steele Directed Mr. Perkovich to transmit to the Board a report on the information the District currently has on the solids disposal issue.
After a roll call vote, Items 17 and 19 were passed 8 to 1; Commissioner Waller voted no on each item. Item 18 passed with all commissioners voting yes.

Industrial pollution settlement deferred

Item #25. 25-0154 The MWRD legal department presented the Board with an Amended Agreed Order of Settlement in a case of Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago v. Electronic Plating Co.
Commissioner Davis deferred the item, saying the settlement raises concerns voiced at earlier meetings by several commissioners about the District’s penalty process. He noted that Electronic Plating was a chronic offender – 27 violations over a decade. Given the District’s cap on penalties, he suggested circuit court as an effective deterrent.

Executive Director Perkovich to retire April 1

Item #32. 25-0196. The Board approved without discussion a motion to appoint John Murray as Acting Executive Director. There was not a formal announcement, but Commissioners mentioned during the meeting that Mr. Perkovich would retire April 1.

St. Patrick’s Day resolutions and labor recognition:

The morning’s meeting opened with a 16-minute celebration of the 70th Anniversary of Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade and recognition of the Irish heritage of the many labor unions that helped build and maintain the MWRD’s infrastructure.
Vice President Flynn introduced James Coyne, business manager of Plumber’s local 130 and Chair of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Mr. Coyne entertained the Board with the Parade’s history and introduced the 2025 Parade Queen and her court. The celebrants were piped in and out of the meeting by the Shannon Rovers Pipe Band in full regalia. The Board passed 2 Resolutions related to St. Patrick’s Day, and President Steele introduced more than a dozen leaders of various local unions who were in attendance.

Observer: Laurie Morse Meeting length: 2 hours and 23 minutes including executive session.

0 Comments

MWRD Board President Defers Public Discussion of PFAS-tainted Bio-solids

3/7/2025

0 Comments

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) Board Meeting –
February 20, 2025

PFAS Toxins in sewage byproducts (Bio-solids)

Staff asked the Board for authority to pay Synagro Central, LLC $3.8 million to remove, transport, and use air dried solid by-products of the Stickney and Calumet wastewater treatment plants. Commissioner Dr. Sharon Waller pulled the item from the consent agenda for public discussion. #22 25-0118
Board President Kari Steele followed and stated that she was removing Item #22 from the agenda without discussion. President Steele then deferred the item to the March 6 Board meeting.
The Board of Commissioners unanimously sponsored and approved a resolution supporting legislation in the Illinois General Assembly that addresses per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Neither the Board nor the agenda identified the bill the resolution addressed. #6 25-0147

Stormwater Management/Flood Control

The Board approved rights of way required to allow long-planned flood control projects to proceed near the Midlothian Country Club, improving drainage of Cal-Sag Channel area C; and on Prairie Creek in Maine Township at and near Lutheran General Hospital. That right-of-way will facilitate installation of new storm sewers and excavation of a stormwater storage pond. #3 and #4, Ordinances #R25-001 and #R25-002
The Board raised the amount it would pay the Law firm Neal & Leroy by $48,500 to a total of $2.3 million for legal services required to acquire flood-prone properties in six communities within the Addison Creek Channel Improvements project area. #25. 25-0135
The MWRD continues the buy back of flood-prone properties, with the board approving $115,000 to purchase and remove a flood-prone residence in Flossmoor. #35 25-0150

Recreation:

As part of the consent agenda, the Board granted the City of Palos Hills a 16-year easement to construct and operate a bicycle path on District real estate along the north side of the Cal-Sag Channel between Roberts Road and Southwest Highway in Palos Hills, Illinois. #34 25-0135

Other:

Executive Session: Yes. Personnel issues
Commissioners absent: Marcelino Garcia
Meeting length: 2 hours and 40 minutes including executive session

Observer: Laurie Morse

0 Comments

<<Previous

ETHOS Requests Soil Testing at Old US Steel Site

MWRD Hears Concerns from ETHOS Regarding the Proposed South Works Project

MWRD Board Establishes Office of Independent Inspector General

MWRD Board Bids Adieu To Executive Director Perkovich

MWRD Board Seeks Information on PFAS-Related Operations

MWRD Board President Defers Public Discussion of PFAS-tainted Bio-solids

Author

Archives

Categories