The sun., 1904-12-30
OF STATE WATERS
Gov. Odel Fails TO Act on the Report Of
the State Health Department.

FALBANY Dec. 29.-The complaints Of the
pollution of the waters Of Lake Champlain
and of the Boquet and Au Sable rivers by
the refuse products of wood pulp mills
at Willsboro and Au Sable Forks, Essex
county, are strongly corroborated by the
findings Of the experts Of the State Health
Department in its special report to Gov.
Odell. Prof. Oin FL. Landreth. the State
Health Departments consulting engineer
was aided in the investigation by Prof.
Willis G. Tucker, department chemist, and
DR.. G. c. Whipple. sanitary biologist.
The complaints investigated and the
sources of alleged pollution considered
concern particularly two corporations, the
New York and Pennsylvania Company,
with mills at Willsboro, on the Boquet
River. and the s. j. Il j. Rogers Company.
with mills at Au Sable Forks on the Au Sable
River The New York and Pennsylvania
Company. Pennsylvania corporation op-
crates a chemical wood fibre mill. making
wood pulp by the soda ash process. The
Rogers company uses the sulphite Of lime
process.
Prof. Lapdreth declares that the con-
ditions in both cases justify the complaints
made. and that in the case of the New York
and Pen nsylvania Company the corpora
ton has failed to comply with the terms
of an agreement made by 1t with the State
Forest, Fish and Game Commission in
1901 designed to abate the evils complained
Of, and accepted by the State as a condition
OF the disoontinuance of legal proceedings
against the corporation. He says he is
unable to find that any authoritative per
mission was ever given TO the corporation
to deviate from or waive this agreement
With reference to the s. j. 4 j. Rogers
Company, the engineer reports that its
refuse has greatly damaged the water
supply and system Of the village Of Keese-
vile. in addition to the alleged general
pollution Of the Ausable River and Lake
Cham,plain, but he finds that the corpora
the damage It is alleged to have inflicted
but is hampered by the non-discovery
Of any but exceedingly costly processes
for the disposal Of the refuse involved in
the s,ilphite Of lime method. In spite
of this obstacle, however. Prof; Landreth
holds that a solution of the difficulty is
practicable. He says, however, that the
company declared itself as about to install
an experimental plant in an attempt to
discover practicable means Of disposing
of it's deleterious refuse. Prof. Landreth
presents four recommendations:
/. That the New York and Pennsylvania
Company be required to permanently dis
the Boquet ct Flyer aSs rI, or any tributary stream
" ?. That the j. J. q j. Rogers Company
likewise be required TO permanently dis
continue the discharge OF It's refuse material
into "the Au Sable River or tributary stream,
or into any place where IL may find It's way
into the said river OF. tributary stream"
3. That in view Of the Importance Of the
purity Of the waters of Lake Champlain and
Lake Geor ge, the laws. regulations and author-
ity OF this department relating TO the dis
charge OF sewage into public waters be strictly
enforced with regard to these lakes and all
tributary streams.
4 That II upon Investigation by this de-
partment II shall be found that the pulp mills
at Ticonderoga are discharglng or allowing to
escape into any, stream pulp mill refuse OF
any kind the same orders be issued 10 tho
owners or operators OF these mills as are
above for the Willsboro mills.
Although Gov. Odell had the report In
his possession weeks before election. he
ignored his plain duty under the law to
issue an order under the seal Of the State
directing the offending corporations to
comply forthwith with the recommends
tons made by Prof. Jandreth to remedy
the evils complained Of, But politics
and public health are mixed under the
present State regime. and 1t is likely that
the complainants in this case will not be
able Ia get any redress until Governor
elect Frank ". Higgins assumes Office
on Monday next.