Baldwin Lake reopens

<span>After being closed for two weeks due to a Feb. 4 sewage spill, Illinois Department of Natural Resources Public Information Officer Chris Young announced in a Feb. 19 news release that Baldwin Lake is now open to public access.</span>

<span>The lake, located within the Kaskaskia River State Fish and Wildlife Area near Baldwin, was closed after an estimated 100,000 gallons of toilet waste was discharged into the lake from a fractured air release valve on a sewage pipeline.</span>

<span>The pipeline is part of the Baldwin Energy Complex, owned by Dynegy Midwest Generation LLC.</span>

<span>According to the release, the valve has been repaired and water sampling was conducted at seven locations around the lake. Tests showed the lake, which is leased to the IDNR, is safe for public recreational use.</span>