New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-26
ICHAMPLAIN POLLUTION.
BEhLTH EXPERTS REPORT
Recommendation to Require Mus 20
STOP Discharging Refuse.

-, @sssass of the experts of the New-York
State Health Department, In its speclSi It r.,
t;bverno- odeIl by whose order the ihEes1sao 80
was Instituted It was carried on ny FrolessoI
N rAndrefh the departments consulting eneheei'
With the aid OF Professor Willis G. TUCKER oepaa
,,jent chemist and DR.. C. C. Whippie sanitary
biologist Of New-York City, until recently olrectof
81 the Mount Prospect Laboratory OF the Ne"
vb-k water Department, end formerly biologist OF
ne BOSTON wa.erworks. Two classes OF poHuuon
x,e-e alleged and investigated: they are described
Iu Professor Iandreth's report es follows
rst-Tha which the g0lluting material ca1 rtse1l
esaaes ne Wood refuse and black ash waste from
tde WIllsbcro mills and the wooo stuo sbs FORKS
Eecon6-That due to the growth and decay OF me
sa.ssfie veeetaton which constitutes a part Of the
objectionable CONDITIONS
The first class Of pollution was complained OF
ESPECIALLY in the two rivers themselves aho IN te
t-tnediate vicinity Of the outlets OF the rFeis l
T.ka r,banplain: the second related more par
e,I,,s-l m conditions along the Essex County ana
-yIlvbbor3nr shores Of Lake Champlain. On the
YIst mint the engineer asserts there need De no
discussion He says;
certain refuse materials are discharged into the the
sresms at the t lake and The Causes Of this
al pollution evident. and the 1espoh tbe Te
so5s ere more complex and tie responsibility less
esct The pTo9ef Pefse materials discharged
from the mills, and certain observer ds sione
I ms and The Iake~to what extent If any,
are these observed conditions the result Oh lne us
charge Of the refuse stateo9
The complaints investigated and the sources OF
sileged pollution considered concern particularly
tsvo CORPORATIONS the New-York and Pennsylvania
Company with mills at Willsboro. on the boquet
ztiver and the J. G J. Rogers Company, with mnis
ei Au Sable Forks. the Au Sable River The
fsew-York and Pennsylvania Company Penn
s4lvania corporation. operates chemical wood
Tbre NTH. making wood pulp by the sooa-ash
process: the Rogers company uses the suiphlte OF
lime process Professor Landreth declares that the
conditions IN both justify the complaints
made and that In the case Of the New-York and
Hennsyivania Company the corporation has failed
sb comply with the terms Of an agreement made
Ry ST with the State Forest Fish and Game
tbounnisson IN 1901 designed to abate the evils
stained OF, and accepted by the State as a con-
eation of the discontinuence Of legal proceedings
s;gainet the corporation He says he is unable TO
ssnd that any authoritative permission was ever
given to the corporation TO deviate from or waive
.nis agreement.
with reference to the J. s. ]. Rogers Company.
the engineer reports that IT'S refuse has greatly
damaged the supply and system OF the village
az Keeseville. in addition to the alleged general
pollution Of the Au sable River and Lake Cham
plain; he finds that the corporation has in good
faith sought remedy the damage it is alleged TO
have inflicted. but is hampered by the non-discov-
cry of any but exceedingly costly for the
disposal of the refuse involved in the suphite OF
Professor Landreth holds that e solution of the
difficulty is practicable He says. however, that
the company declared itself as about to install
Experimental plant in attempt to discover
practicable means of disposng of its deleterious
iefuse-
Professor Landreth up the result of his in
Fesugaton IN. fourteen separate conclusion Of fact
and On their basis presents four recommendations
which Commissioner Daniel Lewis of the Health
Department in transmitting the report TO Governor
sfodel, suggests the lines on which an execu-
1--WE order should be issued These recommends
tions are. in substance. follows:
First-That the Nes-York and Pennsylvania Com
esbapee eg m re Pfeaqenty to discontinue the
any oa1 Sot2Fy stream qs or into Lake Chanplain
@.ss pe required perm Anently discontinue the
River tributary stream or into snv May [au SSD.e
sS may nnd It's way into the said river or tributary
IhlrdaThat in view Of the Importance of the
gafaly OF me waters Of Lake Charnplan and Lake
snte nabn relating to the discharge Of sewage
Ito hes ise 'eIs De strlfly enforced with regard
FouFthIIhat il upon investigation by this depart
oeroga are discharging or allowing to ESCAPE into
s z st lee pulp mil refuse of any kind. the
i'niHs as are recommended for the WiIsboro mills
Professor Ladreth's conclusions of fact from his
investigation. together with chemical analyses by
professor Tucker and microscopic and biological
investigations by DR.. c. c. Whipple a well known
sanitary biologist of New-York city. NAV be
summed up follows:
Fsrss-The natural pollution by the nonuJst,or IN
tie drainage area concerned IS not an impopfant
second-ghe refuse mattel from the Ne,v-yor,,
and PENNSYLVANIA Companys WilIsboro mills Il
The basin IS not PnS aoc oDT
ancs win the agreement entered into on February
L. ~ asao Came Commission, basis for the
lNiihorawal by the said commission OF its action
agslnst The said company.
5asd. IT fleet q The black ash waste. wood
nged mainly 70 the river at its mouth and 0 to che tbo
Saore immediately adjacent: although slow
tributes along with The black esh waste 70 The the
Stoen q earbonic doxide which is the chief source
ot food for the vegetable life which thriyes shun
iuanuy along the lake shores. ~'HA
discharged from this mil in its e o0aase Of lime
pIesclplsaleo chemical appears be carried
syer ana within the region Of It's transporta tion
70 20 impair the quality OF the lake water
F1fth-No fibre or pulp from the Willsboro mills
torn one OF he eh ins lake shore deposits which
eixth-.fhs extensive accommodations and d.
nearly a points examined are dae 10 h shore
sSoMpess1non OF masses Of aquatic micFo-organIsms
loinerent species OF green aIge and datoms r6 0a
vog ~ ~ m sst coating on the rocks and stones
snors sooye water line is due 70 the drying and
some extent sy m i 1rgaSe matter intensified 20
{Ss5enty slceons matter and Carbonate Of i lime
That the waste products from the Wisborao e a
eoatrouie materially to the growth of the aga on
ilghh-Ihs dseharge OF refuse sulphite liquor
,lip Rms ~ 1eneT wood waste from the suIpnte
Saole oIks amounting TO at least 600 o0S bounds
2Gnuuoa net only in the Au Sable River. but Ia the
Nintll-The pollution Of the An ssb,. p,,,.. e.
1s sa2hite pulp mills Sable Forks dsc oiOn
10 nss5y glses u e strong odor which is offensive
49, E rs psnhc water supply OF the village Of