Illinois River Is Heavily Polluted According To New Report

According to a new report published by the Sierra Club, "Wasting Our Waterways," the Illinois River ranked 11th in the country for most toxin chemicals released. The report used the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) to analyze the impact on U.S. waterways.

According to TRI, more than 230 million pounds of toxins were discharged into American water in 2007. That includes 8.8 million pounds in all of Illinois, and 3.9 million pounds in the Illinois River. Four of the 12 highest-ranked rivers are in this state, although several of them travel through other states as well. And TRI does not include agricultural uses or sewage treatment plants. (PJStar.com, 10/21/09)