Statement Regarding the Dyeing of the Chicago River for St. Patrick’s Day
In a January letter to Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director James Jennings, Friends of the Chicago River requested that the agency reevaluate the state’s position on permit requirements in regard to the dyeing of the Chicago River for St. Patrick’s Day. Previously, Illinois EPA declined to require the celebrants secure a permit despite federal law that requires one for any discharge to a waterbody.
Per Statute:
35 Ill. Adm. Code Section 302.203 Offensive Conditions
Waters of the State must be free from sludge or bottom deposits, floating debris, visible
oil, odor, plant or algal growth, and color or turbidity of other than natural origin
Friends has long objected to the lack of a permit which would require scientific inquiry into whether the dye is damaging to the wildlife that lives in the river. Taking a closer look at this event has not been prioritized because for so long the Chicago River faced much more severe pollution, so dyeing the river for St Patrick’s Day was not near the top of the list. That is no longer the case.
When the tradition began in 1962, there were just a few people in a small boat spreading dye, but over the past several years, it has expanded exponentially into the spectacle of crews in big boats distributing large amounts of dye with water cannons. The result is that instead of the candy colored dye visibly lasting a few hours in the river, the visible discoloration now lasts up to 10 days, with no understanding of the effects of the quantity of dye on aquatic ecosystems and wildlife. It is time to understand the full impact of the dye on the river’s ecosystem as well as to require the discharge permit that everyone is obliged to attain as required by the Clean Water Act where statutes include changing the color of a waterway.
In a meeting this week, Director Jennings indicated that Illinois EPA agreed that the increase in the amount of dye being used is just cause for an evaluation of its chemical composition which has been kept secret from the public. That could trigger a formal review process under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit program, which Friends has advocated for in accordance with the rules of the Clean Water Act.
Friends’ concerns are not intended to diminish the cultural pride or the joy of the tradition, but rather highlight the need to weigh the celebration’s benefits against its potential drawbacks. It is time to think of new ways to celebrate that embrace the river’s health and vitality as a natural asset.
The river is not what it was 63 years ago when the tradition started. Then, on average, there was sewage in the river every three days. It was fenced off and so polluted that it would have been difficult to imagine the river as it is today, alive with people enjoying it in myriad ways and all kinds of wildlife including more than 75 species of fish, turtles, herons, beavers and even river otters. Chicago’s river and its vibrant river-based economy rival any in the world.
It is time to protect the river from all forms of degradation, and to comply with the permit requirements of the Clean Water Act for this time-honored tradition.
