EPA funding to help 45 community groups clean banks of Illinois streams and lakes         

[MARCH 16, 2005]  SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois EPA Director Renee Cipriano announced Monday that grants ranging from $500 to $3,500 have been approved for 45 local cleanups of stream banks, riverbanks and lakeshores under the Illinois EPA's Streambank Cleanup And Lakeshore Enhancement Program, known as SCALE.

The grants come entirely from federal funding through the U.S. EPA and are being allocated to Illinois to encourage local groups to carry out this kind of cleanup event. Gov. Rod Blagojevich described SCALE as "a creative way of getting positive environmental results statewide for limited monetary outlays."

"These groups are working with local citizens to improve our stream and lake shores and demonstrate a wonderful grass-roots approach to protecting our environment," Cipriano said. "Illinois EPA supports these efforts. The SCALE grants will make it easier for them to do that by helping with expenses like safety attire, litter bags, dumpster rentals or landfill fees, and other costs they have previously had to meet on their own," she said.

This is the third year for the SCALE program. In 2004, 42 groups involved 10,205 participants in local stream and lake cleanups. Together they collected 269 tons of garbage from 754 miles of stream banks and 605 acres of lakeshore.

A list of recipients, grant amounts and benefiting waterways follows.

Applicants approved for grants of $3,500 each:

• Friends of the Chicago River
• Friends of the Illinois River, Illinois River Sweep
• ORSANCO -- Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission

Applicants to receive $1,750 each:

• Chicago Cares Inc. -- Chicago River and tributaries
• Fox Waterway Agency -- Fox River
• Friends of the Fox River
• Lake Michigan Federation, Living Lands and Waters
• Northern Illinois Anglers Assn. -- Kankakee and Iroquois rivers
• Conservation Foundation -- DuPage River and tributaries

Designated for $1,000 grants:

• Forest Preserve District of Cook County -- North Branch, Chicago River
• Friends of Morton Grove Forest Preserves -- North Branch, Chicago River
• JoDaviess Conservation Foundation -- Mississippi River, Pool No. 12
• Lewis & Clark College -- Piasa Creek
• Lower Kaskaskia Stakeholders
• Salt Fork River Partners – Danville-Champaign area
• Thorn Creek Restoration Coalition -- Thornton area

Receiving $500 grants:

• Boone County Conservation District -- Kishwaukee River
• Chicago Area River Paddlers -- Little Calumet area
• Dixon Park District -- Rock River
• Elgin Community Network -- Tyler Creek
• Flora Chamber, Boy Scout Troop 282 -- Little Wabash River
• Friends of Clinton Lake
• Friends of Sangamon Valley -- Sangamon River, South Fork
• Great Rivers Land Trust -- Piasa Creek
• Hegewisch Chamber of Commerce -- Wolf Lake
• Hyde Park Elementary School, Mrs. Asma's fifth grade -- Waukegan River
• Illinois Smallmouth Alliance -- Fox and Kankakee rivers
• Keep Salem Beautiful -- Salem City Reservoir
• Keep Vermilion County Beautiful, Middle Fork Canoe Outfitters -- Vermilion River
• Kennedy High School Canoe Club -- Fox or Little Calumet River
• Long Lake Improvement & Sanitation Association -- Long Lake, Lake County
• Loyola Academy -- North Branch, Chicago River
• Mackinaw Canoe Club of Central Illinois -- Vermilion River into Illinois River
• Macon County Conservation District -- Sangamon River
• Medinah Homeowners Association -- Meacham Creek
• River Forest Park District -- Des Plaines River
• Round Lake Management Commission -- Lake County
• Springfield Lake Shore Improvement Association
• Valley of the Fox, Sierra Club -- Fox River
• Vermilion River Cleanup Project
• Village of Antioch -- Sequoit Creek
• Village of Northbrook -- North Branch, Chicago River
• Wildwood Nature Center, Park Ridge Park and Recreation Department -- Des Plaines River
• Wooster Lake Conservation & Control Association -- Lake County

[Illinois Environmental Protection Agency news release]