Governor Quinn Should Appoint Laurene von Klan to MWRD Vacancy

Governor Quinn is off to a good start with the environmental aspects of his administration. He pleased conservation groups with his appointment of Marc Miller as the new head of the state Department of Natural Resources, reversing an 11th hour appointment by former Governor Blagojevich, and he has re-opened the seven state parks that Blagojevich had closed for budgetary reasons.

Another important decision that Quinn is expected to announce soon is his appointment to fill a vacancy on the board of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. MWRD is a little known entity, but it is responsible for handling sewage and stormwater for 5.3 million residents in Chicago and nearby suburbs. It employs 2,300 people and controls an annual budget of $1.6 billion. It operates the largest wastewater treatment plant in the world, and typically handles over 1 billion gallons of water per day, and sometimes as much as 2 billion gallons.

As reported in January by Jennifer Slosar in the Chi-Town Daily News, Patricia Young, one of the district's nine elected commissioners, resigned to take a better-paying staff job with the District. Governor Quinn will appoint someone to serve the remainder of her term. A great appointment by Quinn could be one of the environmental highlights of his administration.

The Chicago Sanitary District was created in 1889, at the peak of the "Make No Little Plan" era, 18 years after the Chicago Fire and four years before the Chicago World's Fair. In those days, sewage, garbage and horse manure washed into the Chicago River, which flowed into Lake Michigan and then washed back up onto the city's beaches, or occasionally drifted over to the intake pipes for the city's drinking water. After a series of epidemics of infectious diseases, such as cholera and typhoid fever, the city and the District undertook an audacious solution. In one of the most remarkable feats of civil engineering of the century, the District dug two canals and built a lock where the river meets the lake, reversing the flow of the Chicago River, so that Chicago's sewage now flows away from Lake Michigan, to the Des Plaines River and eventually to the Mississippi River.

In 1989, to celebrate its 100th birthday, the Sanitary District built Centennial Fountain, that neat water cannon shooting over the river at McClurg Court, and changed its name to the less icky, but also less descriptive, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.

Today the MWRD is facing some important decisions and milestones. While the MWRD uses chlorine to disinfect sewage from the suburbs, no such treatment in used for Chicago's sewage, making Chicago the last big city in the U.S. that still routinely dumps sewage untreated for bacteria and other pathogens into public waterways. But the Illinois Pollution Control Board is nearing completion of a long investigation into whether the District should be required to begin disinfecting all sewage. In February, the District approved a program to test ultraviolet radiation to disinfect wastewater, as a possible alternative to disinfecting with chlorine.

At the same meeting that the commissioners approved spending $75,000 for the UV study, they also approved spending more than ten times that amount for legal fees in their ongoing effort to convince the Pollution Control Board not to require any further disinfecting. Let's hope that is not an illustration of the District's priorities going forward.

Additionally, the colossal Deep Tunnel project may finally be nearing completion. Throughout the history of the city, as more and more areas became paved, rainwater had less surface area to be absorbed into, and therefore flooding in the city increased. In the early 1970s, the city embarked on an ambitious project to address the flooding problem by building and extensive series of tunnels and reservoirs. 35 years and $3 billion later, the District is still digging more and bigger tunnels and reservoirs, yet the city continues to be plagued by flooding after severe rainstorms, perhaps worse than ever. The Deep Tunnel project now consists of over 100 miles of tunnels, up to 30 feet in diameter and 150 to 300 feet underground. (Take the YouTube tour here.) The final 7.7 miles of the planned 109 miles are now in the final design stage.

So as we finally can see a light at the end of the Deep Tunnel, advocates are urging the district to take a look at alternatives to endlessly expanding its network of pipes and concrete. They recommend "green infrastructure" solutions, such as green roofs, rain gardens, pocket wetlands, native vegetation, and different surfaces for streets and parking lots.

In fact, the recently passed federal stimulus package designates 20% of the funds for water related investments to go to green infrastructure projects. And an Illinois "Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act," sponsored by Representative Elaine Nekritz, and supported by the Chicago-based Center for Neighborhood Technology is pending before the General Assembly in Springfield.

Finally, the District is beginning to investigate the possibility of turning its waste into a new source of renewable energy. Sludge from the wastewater system can be processed in digester tanks to capture methane gas, which can then be used to heat office buildings or for industrial processes.

With these near-term challenges and opportunities facing the MWRD, Laurene von Klan would be an outstanding appointment to the board. Last month, she left her position as CEO of the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, where she transformed what had once been a dusty old science museum into a vibrant, innovative and leading institution for environmental education in the region.

Prior to that, she led the Friends of the Chicago River for thirteen years, dramatically growing that organization in terms of membership, resources, and influence.

There are other candidates for the spot with green credentials. Mariyana Spyropoulos came up short when she ran for the seat last year, despite an endorsement from the Sierra Club. The Green Party is supporting Nadine Bopp, and offers a platform for greening the MWRD.

But Laurene is the "shovel-ready" candidate. No learning curve here. She has quite literally been up to her knees in the Chicago River, and these issues, for more than 20 years. And her expertise in environmental education would be a boon to the vitally important yet poorly understood MWRD.

The Governor is expected to announce his choice any day now. Let's hope he picks a board member with a deep experience in the issues facing the district, and a demonstrated commitment to protecting and improving the ecology of Chicago's lake and rivers.

Comments

[BJaneB]

I can't think of a better candidate for MWRD than Laurene. I've know her for many years, and her commitment to the environment is strong and unwavering, as evident in her service at Friends of the Chicago River and Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Laurene is smart, dedicated and has seemingly unlimited energy! MWRD, because of its responsibilities for our precious water resource, has enormous potential to affect us all. We need someone of Laurene's caliber to join the board. Governor Quinn should appoint her to the MWRD Board of Commissioners without delay.

[Uchi]

I totally agree that Laurene would be a perfect fit for a local government post, with her great propensity for hiring her friends, even if they are woefully underqualified for the post, as she did repeatedly at the Nature Museum, I would think she would be an ideal candidate for the corrupt way business is conducted in Springfield.
To suggest that she changed the Nature Museum in any way for the good is a huge stretch, she and her cronies only just failed (thankfully) to convert the Museum into a third rate art gallery, she did however, almost succeed in pushing it to the brink of financial disaster before she was let go. To give her any credit at all for having anything to do with the creation of the glorious butterfly exhibit is quite preposterous and a downright insult to all the excellent people who were actually involved in the creation of that beautiful exhibit. This, and numerous other excellent exhibits were in place long before she was ever a part of the institution. Whoever wrote this article really should do their homework a little more thoroughly.

[JulieLoran]

Laurene has a new website:

http://www.laurenevonklan.com/

[JulieLoran]

I've been asked to post this endorsement from Albert E Pyott.

" To Gov. Quinn.
Laurene von Klan would be an outstanding choice to fill the MWRD commissioner vacancy. She is smart, energetic, always well prepared and scrupulously honest. She will be a credit to your good judgement and an outstanding public servant. Albert E Pyott"

Mr. Pyott is a longtime environmental leader. Here is hisbio:
http://www.wetlands-initiative.org/BioAPYOTT.html

So that's a wonderful endorsement.

-jp

[Shelly Smith]

Governer Quinn,
Laurene von Klan is very talented innovative, and energenic individual and displays all qualities necessary to restore the Chicago River to its full potential.
She clearly displays all required traits and has proven herself to be an excellent canidate.

[David McGowan]

Laurene von Klan is an excellent candidate for the Board of the Water Reclamation District. Throughout her career, she has exhibited creative thinking to difficult issues. One of her best attributes is reaching out to communities to get involved in the decision making process.

[NatureLoverGirl]

The choice is very clear to me, Laurene von Klan is the only one qualified for this position. Laurene is a vibrant person who walks the walk and talks the talk. She is a strong advocate for environmental education and with her experience working at the Friends of the Chicago River would bring more to this position than any other candidate listed. Her passion is something that would greatly enhance the MWRD and to not appoint her would be a disservice to this City.

[luckydean]

Please Gov. Quinn appoint Laurene von Klan for MWRD commissioner!

[Browdell]

Jimmy Seidita is absolutely right. Laurene von Klan would be the best pick for MWRD. Having someone who actually knows the issues backwards and forwards and who doesn't need to learn on the job would be incredibly refreshing. Governor Quinn should make this appointment right away.

[idsinchi]

Some things that make me think twice of your recommended candidate:

"Illinois Department of Natural Resources" is practically an oxymoron from enviro view. For instance, the State Beach is contaminated with asbestos and between clean coal and corn ethanol, Illinois is leading in the destruction of natural resources.

The Chicago River is not a river, it is a ditch, whatever the "Friends of the River" like to call themselves.

Flooding has never been more damaging than recently and the deep water tunnel's last 7% is probably of little signifigance.

Centennial Fountain is lame.

Peggy Notebeart Museum is practically brand new and never a "dusty old science museum."

[Jimmy Seidita - Huffpost Blogger]

ids-
I don't have anything to add to or respond to your first three points.
As far as whether the fountain is lame or cool, I urge readers to talk a walk along the river some sunny day this spring and decide for themselves.
Re: your final point, I'm referring to the PNNM's previous incarnation as the Chicago Academy of Sciences. Opened in 1857, and in Lincoln Park since 1894, the CAS, while beloved by many, was indeed a dusty old science museum.
The current space opened in 1999, and where the old museum had a nice collection of butterflies preserved under glass, the new museum has a huge sunny room full of a bazillion live butterflies that land on your nose and shoulders. Laurene did inherit the shiny new space, but I believe much of the credit for its excellent environmental education program is hers.

[Missy Kunze]

Water is so important to our world, not to just Illinois or Chicago.. Laurene knows so much about the water because she has so knowledge about it. Please Gov. Quinn appoint her now!

[Twildermuth]

An easy choice: Laurene's the one. She knows the river better than nearly anyone else, she knows the MWRD, she knows Chicago and the rest of MWRD's territory. And, most important, she has a long track record of setting high expectations for the River's future and then working pragmatically to get us there.

[suedavenport]

Oh, dear Governor Quinn, please heed the recommendations of longtime river activists and appoint Laurene von Klan to the MWRD! Now we have to tell kids to not put even a finger in the river! Laurene is experienced and dedicated, with a track record to assure her effectiveness in office. Create the local leadership we need to make Chicago waterways the safe and innovative environmental resource we can be proud of.

Thanks to the Post, Jimmy Seidita and Jennifer Slosar for journalism that matters.
Sue Davenport

[David Fink]

As a former board member of Friends of the Chicago River, I think Laurene would be a great choice. I hope she gets appointed.­...David Fink

[Ed Zotti]

I worked with Laurene back in her Friends of the Chicago River days and can think of no one better qualified to serve on the MWRD.