Water, Air, and Waste Disposal Exposition Huge Houston exposition takes an integrated interrelated problems-and their solutions environmental management and con
Overall. More than 90 exhibifors offered a wide variety of equipment and other wares fo more than 2000 exposifion visifors Last month, the first National Pollution Control Exposition and Conference offered the opportunity for another discussion among representatives of governments, industries, and the public. The exposition and conference took an integrated look at the problems,
technology, sociology, and science relating to pollution involving air, water, and solid waste. The meeting, which brought together representatives from federal, local, and state governments, industrial corporations, manufacturers of control equipment, and research
institutes, attested to the growing concern in the U.S. to take major action in the fight against pollution. The exposition and conference, sponsored by the Houston Junior Chamber of Commerce, featured more than 90 papers given by experts in the field and Volume 2, Number 5, May 1968 371
Integrated. The Houston exposition brought together. a diverse group to discuss air, water., and waste problems
sentative shows o f f the company’s new floating aerator
more than 90 exhibits of pollution control and related equipment. At the three-day gathering (Houston, Tex.) in the Astrohall, more than 2200 attendees exchanged ideas, information, business cards, and telephone numbers. But more important, these attendees established some essential interfaces to help each of them better perform his role in the battle to create.and maintain a wholesome environment. Today, pollution is an everyday word. “The poisoning of our air and waters, growing steadily by the years, poses one of the greatest problems to the health and welfare of this country in history,” said Louie Welch, mayor of Houston, in his welcoming address. “In many cases, industry and government are cooperating in an effort to abate the problem,” Mayor Welch noted. “This pollution control exposition and conference is, in my opinion, a major step forward in communicating the technology and methods that are being attempted in this country and the world,” he continued. Keynote speaker, Samuel Lenher, vice president and director of E. I. du Pont de Nemours, Inc., warned, “Our physical environment is being contaminated faster than nature and man’s present effort can clean it.” Mr. Lenher, the industry representative of the six man task force which produced “A Strategy for a Livable Environment,” said, “We must reverse this process before it is too
Mr. Lenher, coordinator of pollution abatement programs for the world‘s largest chemical firm, said that Du Pont had spent $118 million in pollution control facilities by the end of 1967. He expects the company’s expenditures to more than double this investment over the next five years. Furthermore, he added, Du Pont is spending more than $7 million annually on antipollution research projects that employ 180 scientists, engineers, and technicians in a wide variety of projects.
vironment and start to improve it.” “Industry has often wished to be involved in government decision making that affects its operations. Never has there been a better opportunity or a clearer ,te speaker added.
of secondary sewage treatment, may not be uniformly necessary for all outfalls everywhere in the country,” Daddario noted. Another example: “All 1968 model automobiles met federal exhaust emission standards which were based on California’s unique requirement-no
372 Environmental Science and Technology
Government panelists The first day of the conference featured three government panels, one each on air pollution, water pollution, and solid waste disposal. Rep. Emilio Q. Daddario (D.-Conn.), member of the air pollution panel, pointed out that scientific activity cannot provide the complete answers to our environmental quality problems. Additionally, he pointed out that the complex of political, institutional, social, and economic considerations in this environmental issue is staggering. “There is a tendency to leapfrog the criteria-standards sequence and go on to hard and fast abatement regulations,’’ the congressman said. “This impatience to fight pollution has a commendable quality, but it may return to haunt us,” he cautioned. For example: “We now are hearing that some of the derived water quality
Oil booms. On display were Slickbar plastic booms, shown here being used to isolate a beach from oil spills federal criteria for hydrocarbons or carbon monoxide have been issued yet,” the congressman observed. Setting the record into proper perspective, Daddario stressed: “Lest anyone think that I am advocating a hiatus in abatement activity in order to do research, let me say clearly that this is not necessary nor should it be tolerated. The point is one of priorities.” “The pressures for improved environmental quality should motivate industrial research laboratories to develop cost-effective abatement techniquesbecause the market is certain to be there when they are available,” the congressman from Connecticut concluded. Permanent controls At a luncheon speech the same day Max N. Edwards, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Water Pollution Control, reaffirmed the predominant view of the participants on the three government panels. “Pollution control is here to stay,” he said. “Effective waste management must become a permanent installation of American life-a standard consideration for cities and government and industry.” “Yes, the nation’s call, the Congressional mandate, and the President’s directive will be answered,” the assistant secretary concluded. The second and third days of the conference featured discussions of industry’s involvement in problems of environmental control and management. Technical papers were presented on numerous aspects of various pollution problems, including the medical, financial, and educational aspects. These papers were presented by 1 eprcac~irarrvcs of industries that included petroleum, petrochemical, chemical, power gener-
Dust control. A n industry representative describes the operation of Dustraxtor dust control equipment
Water treatment service. Hercules and its recent acquistion, Aquatrol, offer treatment f o r industry's waste waters
At home. ES&T and assistant editor Stanton Miller welcome visitors at the Houston wafer, air, and waste show
ation, transportation, pulp and paper, mining, and heavy industries.
samplers. All these items are part of the nation's arsenal against air pollution. In addition exhibitors showed equipment for controlling water pollution and for assisting or accomplishing solid waste disposal. This equipment category included aerators, self-contained sewage units, incinerators, pyro-decomposition systems for pumpable waste, screen aids fnr r.rm well disnosal. mnhile mnnitor. .. d_. _ ~ . r . ... ~, ~~...~~. ~ ~ ~ ing units, reverse osmosis processors, and chemicals such as Rocculants. Monitoring and recording equipment,
essential for the documentation of pollution loadings, be it air or water, were also displayed. One of the monitors could monitor as many as 20 pollutant parameters simultaneously. The arsenal of equipment, it would seem, is inexhaustible. Invariably, however, the equipment is costly. For example, a price tag of $15,000 was on a noise the tvve . ~recorder ~ ~of ~ .... used to measure aircraft noise at Washington Na tional Airport and in adjacent areaS (ES&T, December 1967, page 976).
Displaying wares
Throughout the three days of the exposition, exhibitors displayed and explained their pollution control equipment to the attendees. The exposition ran the gamut of pollution control eauioment includina- bass. -. filters, and the like; electrostatic precipitators, fume scrubbers for corrosive and odoriferous air pollutants; air ~~~~
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J. Caleb Boggs (R..Del.), Member- Sen. William B. Spong, Jr. (D.-Va.), Mem- Sen. Joseph M. Montoya (D.-N. Mex.), Member-Senate Committee on Public ber-Senate Committee on Public Works Senate Committee on Public Works Works; Member-Senate Subcommittee and Scibcommittee on Air and WateiI Rep. John A. Blatnik (D.-Minn.), Member. House committee on Public Works; on Air and Water Pollution Poliuti(i n .~ (u.-Lonn.), Chairman-HouseSubcommitteeon Riv- Mr. Richard Vaughn, Chief-Solid Waste Rep. Emiiio v. uaaaario Program; National Center for Industrial ers and Harbors Member-House Committee on Science and Urban Health a n d Astronautics and Chairman-House Mr. Joe G. Moore, Jr.,, CammissionerFederal Water Pollui.inn Control Ad- Iblr. Charles C. lelehart. Jr.. Director-Solid Subcommittee on Science, Research, Waste Program, Kentucky State Deministration and Development partment of Health Dr. John T. Middleton, Director-National Mr. A. S. Koch, Road Commissioner and Center for Air Pollution Control County Surveyor, Orange County, Calif. Mr. Charles R. Barden, Executive Secretary-Texas Air Pollution Control Board Mr. Austin N. Heller, Commissioner-New York Department of Air Pollutic trol .I.
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