Mike Cashman, Democratic candidate for Metropolitan Water Reclamation District commissioner

Candidate profile

Mike Cashman

Civic Background: Mercy Home for Boys and Girls (former Junior Board Member)

Irish Fellowship Club of Chicago

Misericordia Home (Volunteer)

Political: Volunteered on Various Political Campaigns

Occupation: High School Teacher and Coach

Education:Northwestern University

B.A. History

The Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board sent candidates for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District a list of questions to find out their views on a range of important issues. Mike Cashman submitted the following responses:

What new strategies would you develop to reduce the impact of stormwater on our area’s sewage, flood control and water systems?

For someone who has spent sixteen plus years in education as a teacher and a coach, I believe educating the public is the key. I would like to initiate a massive public relations campaign to educate the public on the impact of stormwater on our area’s sewage, flood control and water systems.

The two areas I would like to focus on in this public relations campaign are understanding the impacts of stormwater and education in schools. I want to help the public understand what is actually happening and what it means when someone says we are experiencing “100 year storms” on a yearly basis.

In schools, I want to partner with the EPA and the Department of Education to implement programs that focus on green technologies. I believe it is imperative that we education our children at a young age (2nd and 3rd grade) on how our system works. I hope to not only educate for better understanding but also hope to spark interest in the rapidly growing field of green jobs. I truly believe the more the public understands the problems we are facing the more invested they will be in solutions.

In addition to getting the right message out, I think it is necessary for the District to look for new and prompt ways to help communities with flooding.

One way this can be achieved is for the District to work with the Cook County Land Bank to determine if there are vacant parcels of land within the communities residing within the district that can be used as local reservoir sites. I think the district does a good job of carrying out regional solutions but I believe we can make a significant impact on the local level.

What role should the MWRD play in addressing climate change?

I believe the MWRD can be a leader in the fight against Climate Change by working with national organizations like The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) to make it a priority as well as take steps to implement best practices in day to day operations.

The MWRD is the second largest landowner in Cook County. What is the ideal disposition of property owned by the district that is not needed for direct corporate purposes?

I believe the MWRD should continue to lease land to public and private entities for it is a major source of revenue for the agency that brings in millions of dollars of rent a year. The funds that are collected can be used to supplement the tax dollars that pay for the Districts’ operations and or set aside to make large contributions to the pension fund.

As for the land that cannot be leased, it should be used for sustainable purposes such as green space, urban farming, reservoirs, and outdoor.

What should the MWRD’s role be in reducing combined sewer overflows?

The agency was created to keep sewage out of Lake Michigan. At its core, the district’s mission is to protect the water environment. Therefore, the district must take the lead in reducing combined sewer overflows (CSOs). The reality is that the district cannot do this alone. The infrastructure that needs to be updated to reduce CSOs is owned and operated by various municipalities throughout Cook County.

The role of the District should be to work with these municipalities to create a plan. The District should also be looking for new and innovative technologies such as “end of pipe” treatment to reduce the negative effects of CSOs when they do occur.

If elected, I would also push the District to complete the McCook Reservoir that will hold 10 billion gallons of combined sewage out of our waterways ahead of the 2029 scheduled deadline. When we are discussing the health of our water environment, I believe everyday counts.

How do you see the role of wastewater treatment agencies changing over the next 10 years?

Raising awareness through education and public outreach - it is my belief that we will stop thinking of wastewater agencies as “waste” agencies and focus on all the ways we can reclaim/reuse the by-products of our daily lives. The industry is already making progress in this direction with biosolids, water reuse, and methane gas to name a few.

The MWRD is part of a multi-agency group exploring ways to keep chlorides out of waterways. Is the MWRD doing enough to push this issue forward? Please explain.

I think the MWRD has been moving in the right direction by hosting best practice workshops for other agencies and municipalities but could do more in regards to educating the public and raising awareness of this issue. My basic belief as an educator is the more the MWRD and other agencies work together to educate the public and ourselves as institutions, the better off everyone will be to understand the issue and work towards mainstreaming the use of substitutes to salt when applicable.

Do you support installing disinfection technology at Stickney, the world’s largest wastewater treatment plant? Please explain.

Yes, I do support installing disinfection technology at the Stickney plant but before committing to a plan that would cost tax payers millions of dollars, I would ask the District engineers to conduct a full feasibility study to assess how this task can be completed in the most cost efficient and effective way possible.

How would you improve the phosphorus-removal efforts now underway at the MWRD? Do you think this important? Why or why not?

I do think the removal of phosphorus is important and I would explore new technologies like the District has already done with the Ostara project at the Stickney plant. The importance of phosphorous/nutrient removal is critical for marine life to flourish. I’d like to work with the Illinois Department of Agriculture to coordinate efforts with farmers in the southern part of the county and just outside the county to find ways to reduce runoff.

What is the appropriate role of the MWRD in addressing the problem of Asian carp and other invasive species in Chicago area waterways?

The mission of the MWRD is to protect our water environment and invasive species like Asian carp threaten the mission of the district. The MWRD and the Army Corp of engineers should work together to find ways to keep Asian carp out of the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes and Mississippi River Inter-basin Study (GLMIRS) Report suggested that the Brandon Road Lock and Dam would be an ideal placed to implement a barrier for invasive species. If elected, I would support such a project and would work to secure funds from the Federal government and the Great Lakes States to see it become a reality.

What historical figure from Illinois, other than Abraham Lincoln (because everybody’s big on Abe), do you most admire or draw inspiration from? Please explain.

Jane Addams (1860-1925) Founder of the Hull House

I admire Ms. Addams because she led a life of service and empowered people through education. She was a grassroots organizer and brave advocate for social justice who proved problems are not always solved from the top down.

What’s your favorite TV, streaming or web-based show of all time. Why?

This is a tough one but I am going to say “The West Wing” I really liked the fast pace vibe of the series and banter dialogue between the characters.

The characters were portrayed as people who worked very hard, worked as a team, sometimes fell short but always got right back up to fight another day.