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General has stated that existing legislation provides the means of coping with the safety problem. And he has acknowledged that not all phosphate-free detergents are hazardous to health.
rn!LLIPORE the technology that separates
Here’s a new, easy way to test untreated waters for coliform bacteria. Simply dip the Millipore Coli-Count into the water to be tested, incubate and count the coliform colonies.Youdon’t have to be a microbiologist-and there’s nothing to prepare or clean up.The Coli-Count Water tester is presterilized and disposable. It’s a simplified version of the standard MF technique,used in 43 states to test the bacterial quality of drinking water. Send for details. Millipore Corporation,Bedford,Mass.01730
Walter L. Schleyer Gocernment and Industry Relations Manager Philadelphia Quartz Co. Philadelphia, P A 19106
Environmental job opportunities
DEAR SIR: I’m writing about the article, “Manpower for Environmental Protection,” in the April 1971 issue of Encironmentai Science & Technology (p 314). This article presents the hypothesis that there will soon be a nationwide shortage of trained personnel in environmental technology. A splashy reprint of this article is currently being distributed by EPA.
A close examination of the article reveals that there is not one scintilla of evidence presented t o support the above hypothesis. The article presents graphs and tables of past, present, and future manpower requirements without any support or backing whatsoever. Beyond that, it degenerates into a mere description of jobs performed by workers in this field. Thus it conveys the misleading impression that there will be great numbers of job openings in environmental technology, which tends t o lure people into the field. This is exactly what happened in aerospace in the 50’s and ~ O ’ S ,until the field was oversupplied with talent. Then the big bust came. You can assure nationwide organization of engineers by continuing t o publish articles about urgent future needs for them. The worst enemy of the working engineer is the technical society which works t o assure a n oversupply. However, the influence of such societies is waning, as many are being taken over by working engineers, and future engineers are learning the truth. There will come a day when you won’t be able t o publish a n article like your “Manpower. . . ” one at all, because no one will read it without laughing. Robert Bruce 15 Johnstone Rd. Great Neck, N Y 11021
Circle NO. 26
302 Environmental Science & Technology
on Readers’ Service
Card
W e are aware that there is skepticism about employment opportunities in the encironmental field: we plan a special report on the subject later this year-Ed.
