There are other legal avenues to a cleaner Bubbly Creek according to Mark Templeton, a University of Chicago law professor. Templeton’s Abrams Environmental Law Clinic advocates for better water quality in Bubbly Creek and the rest of the Chicago River.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is considering renewing a permit that allows Chicago to continue unloading its sanitary sewers into the Chicago River. The new permit could demand stricter rules, Templeton said.

And the state sets water quality standards based on how people use each stretch of water. Bubbly Creek is rated for industrial uses. The Industrial Pollution Board, which sets the standards, could reconsider in light of the recreational activities being pursued on that part of the river.

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