Studies and regulations in the southwestern Illinois karat

Ground water quality in the Southwest Illinois Karst has deteriorated great ly over the past decade. This change correlates with increased development and the increased use of aeration systems for private sewage treatment and disposal. The Mississippi Karst Resource Planning Committee was formed by c oncerned citizens to address the problem. The committee is now engaged in b oth education and research in the sinkhole plain. Some of these activities are supported by a US EPA Section 319 Grant. The data generated and conclus ions drawn should allow for improvement of ground water quality in the regi on through education and, possibly, regulation on the state or local level. Some local karst regulations have been adopted, in part, due to the effort s of the committee. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.