Concern At U.S. River Pollution

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31032, 12 April 1966, Page 10

Concern At U.S. River Pollution

[From FRANK OLIVER, N.Z.P.A.Special Correspondent.)

WASHINGTON, April 8,

In about 15 years, unless “something is done about it,” the discharge of sewage and oilier organic wastes into rivers will remove all oxygen from the 22 main rivers of the United States during their dry-season flow.

Complete pollution is coming, and coming fast. The time has come, says a report by the National Academy of Sciences, when man can no longer use land, sea and air as his “trash basket.”

Oxygen is removed from the rivers by bacteria that feeds on the organic waste and already this has had catastrophic effects on the fish in Lake Erie and in many other lakes and rivers of the country. If the trend is not checked it threatens fish life in almost all waters inside the country. Polluted water, says one newspaper, is a sign of political breakdown. Rivers are polluted because they run through too many States, cities and counties, none of which has the power to enforce standards on its neighbours. A typical example is cited concerning the estuary of the Delaware river. Sections of this great river flow through three States, 11 counties, and 377 municipalities containing some 4000 civic organisations and all these organisations and authorities would be concerned in any regional programme concerning the lower sections of the river.

Interests Conflict Some of their interests are

in conflict and the chances of getting general agreement for a regional programme are regarded as far from good. The pollution problem is growing much faster than the solutions proposed to date. The outlook is dark. Pollutants from the stacks of power plants will double by 1980 and redouble in the next 20 years, even if by then half the country’s power comes from nuclear plants.

The flow of sewage from municipalities will double by the end of the century. Household refuse is increasing by 4 per cent a year and the cost of its disposal is third in public service, topped only by schools and roads.

Chemical pollution of the air is increasing and causes 325 million dollars worth of damage to crops annually. Carbon monoxide is believed to be partly responsible for what is called “turnpike fatigue” which leads to so many car accidents. It is indicated in the report that almost no research on the threatening pollution problem is being done and it recommends the establishment of special research centres and Federal support for pilot projects. Three Recommendations

The report makes three strong recommendations to the Federal Government for the creation of Federal institutions. The first is a centre for criteria and standards which would study “acceptable levels” of contamination for the guidance of regional and local bodies. No water or air is absolutely pure and this institution would endeavour to establish “safe” levels of impurity. Second, there should be a development centre which would work closely with

Government and professional and private institutions on the development of waste disposal and related matters. The third is for a national centre for environmental protection, whose business it would be to advise the President on matters relating to preservation and proper use of national resources. It would also have the pur-

pose of promoting national awareness of the need and opportunities “to preserve the health and beauty of our national environment.” In addition the report covers a variety of other subjects, such as legal problems involved in enforcing compliance with legislation, when passed, to control pollution of air and water.