The Public Health Service and Industrial Pollution d Stat& P&kc Heal , .. ,
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.ple should not continue to tolerate the present gross pollution of a n o n g indup . our public waters. Each of us needs to use the stream, for
[email protected] of 111&ing purposes. We should reoagniw the common necessity of bderniaation. , leaving a stream clean for the next users. ' 'The plea is often made that certain industrial wastes cannot and construction of t?reatm&it plank'can'now go beyond the planning stage. A full diktmsion of current measures and activibe treated satisfactorily, that all we can do with them is get rid of them quicUy'by dumping them into the nearest stream. It ties in pdlution control is fundgmental to an understanding of the subject. is inconceivable that the technicians who have developed AmeriThe 6rst step toward solving B problem is understanding its orican industry to its predominaut position should confess defeat on Pin. The three. F i o r sources of stream pollution are errxion and such a 'datively minor technical problem. Actually, wherever sidace 'drainage,do6Gstic sewage, and industrial Waste; Each of "the& is a desire to eliminate harmful results of wastes, technicians these is amenable to,control; but each ?net be controlled in its cm find a way. Adequate methods to treat most liquid waste are QWU way by a particuhl segment of our citiaenry. already known; other$ cm be devised. Many industries have Erasion is of concern primssily,to .a@cultur@ts. CO~UKNSC s o l d their own problems, frequently with h c i a l bene6ts m tion m e a s u p to retain topsoil on the farm naturally result ip , crUing. . Further -arch will certainly uncover further fats in keeping thst soil out of the rivers and, moreover, PreSeNe~aVithis direction. tal natural resouice. Several steps can be taken dong other %es. At present, police .Treatment &domeatic wasti is primnrily a municipal responsi'power Ito regulate stream pollution resides in the states. Standbility. Today sewerage system$ serve about 71,000,000 people. . ards for legislation should be set up so that the effects wiU be uni-. Appwximately 40% of the total sew& is disqharged,untreated form from state to state. Industry should not be unduly hard$ectly into s e a m . The rest being treated to some extent, .med by varying approaches and standards, nor should any state 80 that the total amount of waste materid entering oUr rivers is be forced to feel that it is handicapping itself by taking the lead. equivdent t0 the FaW sewage from 47;000,000 people. Treatment One way to achieve this is through the stimulation of regionalauis being &ended and;improued,. howeiw, and within the next thorities'and the extension of interstate compacts. Here, pfew years that 6gure:should be eoneiderably reduced. . . sibly, federal grants and loans might be used to encourageresearch Waste prcducta from our industrial processes constitute, the . . and the development and construction of treatment works. la!pst,Turce of ,pollution. , While they n nature from do,We.shouldcontinue specific evaluation of intensity of pollution meatic waates, i n d & h l w&+s in ts have'a great& of 'dour river systems. This type of study has already been dettiihental:effect on'&e.ie-Witeisinto J' are diicharged.' 'corhpleted for cat+ limited a r w . We-must continue to have the beMfitsof such s ~ & s ,conducted by a Single state, an inter. ' . state agency, a federal agency, or any combination of thex that e t mete locd eonditioils. The basic pattern of dl these surveys . ,should be mutually agreed upon so that, whatever the source or . ' sGbokhip, the @t& froin all ean be collated into a nation-wide p i c W 6 f conditio&. come8 to m!e&O.h'wa.ters 6t ftir human cotmumpthn: ,Wh@ ex- , :" '
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We need research on all levels,
water. Pollution' also destroys nece~~~sy remationd. facilities, and .lowers living standatds in areas adjacent to unsigatly and.. insmnitwy s$.yms and lakes, , Pollution interferes with and increases the cost of manufacturing.proc-s. Most indwtries need clean water for one or more steps in produc%ion--Oooling,washing, dilution, u6e in boilersand are finding it increaeingly necessary to treat polluted water before'using it. A recent report to the Americm Institute of Chemical Engineers states that the utilization of impure water results in higher equipment maintenance costs and lower quality , . of product or &ciency of operation, casting industry millions of ' dollars annually. in any federal legistation dealing with .the pollution control of Industry has not accepted fully its responsibility to prevent interstate wateiz which includks the following item: development of acondition which today reactsnot onlytoitsown 1. fiovision foi a federd agencyto as coor~natorand detriment, but to that of many other groups. The American PO- advisor in matters pertaining to water pollution and its abate
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May 1941
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IN B U S T 8 I A L : A N D .-EN O i:&&E qlN:G 0 H E M I8T B,Y
ment, with authorihi,tocarry on invastigationa and other activi-
8. Pmvkionfor amadvisory board .tot h e k n c y ; the mepober&ip of which d l mclude,reprmut&ives 0f.federd agencies ofScially concerned with u m and. control of water resources which may be rtflected by pollution. 4. Permiasion for stattea t o form interstate compacts for 00operative &ort in the prevention and abatemeut of pollution of interststewatera. 5. Au@orizatiou for appropriation ~f funds for allocation to states for promotion, investigations, and preparation of engineering repoh and progrms'necessary 'for the prevention and abateeeut of water pollution. 6.. Authorization for appro riation of funds for manbin-aid or loans to civil subdivisions o?goverwent, and loans,to p.emns for the purpose of construcding sewage and waste treatment works. ..
7. P r h i o n for continuing interest by the federal authority in the e5cient operstion of completed projects, to ensure tet . maximum benefits are .derived from improyement works on which federal funds have been expended.
We make DO recommendations at this time on the nature or de-
fortunaw in the superb syswm of r q t d .a+. $emuroo9.with which it is tdessed. Thmugh..care~Psne~,apg~t.tentiO?.,this systemhas beenseriously i m p + d . lte,re+torat&l,$.a Chabw to American industry and ingenuity. We w . n c y e r retw tn the days of virgin foreste and clear warkling s t r e w rwy?kW themountain headwaters totbe oceans. Butxe am, Ww&%be full eooperatiau of all, check the pressnt &@ricaation,and:w.wee the trend. The lurlurd m u r c e s of our eouUWw~dbhe:b$Slth of the Nation depend upon such mperation. ThePuhlia Wth Gervice pledges ita full aid in ahatcver progmm'm auIA06xd by
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State Responsibility in Stream Pollution Abatemem
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HE literature of stream p dismmio? on the reaponsib w+ou law or statutory law. been prepared on the subject, and
&mer has the right to
