Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-06-27
MAY INTERFERE WITH
j. S. WAR PROGRAM
Chemical Alliance Asks Congress
Not TO Prevent Acid Dis
charge in Rivers.

The Chemical Alliance of the United
States has prepared detailed report for
the Information of the War Department,
and of Congress, on the effect of acids
discharged from manufacturing plants into
the rivers of the country This report ~
made because there is now under consider
alton "A House bill. the enforcement OF one
section of which would seriously interfere
with the workings of munItion plants and
chemical manufacturing establishments on
which the nation Is dependent Tor material
with which to win the war. The House
of Representatives. eliminated the section,
but it was restored IN the Senate. The
question is now before conference com
mttce.
Investigations by the Chemical Alliance
showed that the section was inserted
primarily because Of the condition of the
Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio rivers
where II was contended that the presence
of acid and acid salts had resulted IN the
deterioration OF boilers and hulls of steam
boats, and damage to the submerged
metal parts OF government locks and
dams The acid waste IN these rivers 1T
was estimated was causing damage
amounting to s:57 900 a year.
The Chemical Alliance took the matter
UP with tHnfTAi Nfttis W ktit Noiihtitttff
on Inland Waterways, and he asked 1t to
make written report. committee
found that most of the trouble IN the
western Pennsylvania rivers was due TO
the waste water from the coal mines,
particularly abandoned mines They re-
ported that II was the feeling of the chem
ica manufacturers, most OF whom are
vltally interested IN the governments
war program, that the provision, # put
INTO effect, would either result IN the clos
ing down Of practically every chemical
plant IN the country or knowingly operat-
ing IN direct violation of the law
II was found that as against this loss OF
So 900 per annum 1t would require an
expenditure of 5000, 900 for the purchase
OF lime TO ncutralizc the Il, 500 tons of acids
discharged into the three western rivers
every dav This amount OF lime, the cost
of which is gwen without including freight
and handling charges, IS very large
proportion Of the total produced IN the
| nted states last wear It's use for this
purpose would seriously cripple the agrI-
cultural industry and the expense would
hc 50 far out Of proportion 10 the damage
caused bv the acids that the enforcement
Of this provision would be extremely poor
business policy.
II was pointed out that such enforce
ment would virtually close up chemical
works In the country untl provision
should have been made 20 ncutrallze the
acid waste from not only the mines, but
from the IRON works. tan plate works all
dive works and explosive works, including
the government powder plants and
picTic acid plants
Ii was also pointed out by the Chemical
Alliance that IN very few places through
out the country has the flow OF acid INTO
rivers produced any serious deietcnous
effect as is shown by the fact that local
authorities which watch such matters
closely have found that the alleged pol
luton OF the rivers Is not great enough 10
have anv effect on the fish or the drinking
water, or the water used In boilers This
Is due to the fact that almost all streams
carry enough alkah to neutrallze the acid
which Is run into the rivers by chemical
works and as consequence few com
plants Of any serious import have been
made In the few instances where evil
effects have developed they have been
easily remedled.
The Chemical Alliance has figured that
at one OF the government powder plants
which has Just begun operations, the acid
waste will be taken care of by the alkalIn-
ity Of the river and that rs matter of fact
in modern plants the acid waste rs com
paratively small.
Discharges from number Of large
chemical works along the Delaware river
have had little or no effect on that stream
Most of these plants are taking the same
water to be used IN their boilers and have
found that no damage is done. The large
flow of water and the alkah earned by the
river is sufficient TO take care Of any acld
which is discharged into II from the
factories
Concluding its report TO General hel-
Ter the alliance SAYS We feel very con
fident YOU viii agree with us that after
considering the conditions outlined, tins
section should at least for the period OF
the war. be eliminated entirely IL the
conditions continue to be serious as out
lined in the letter OF the chief engineer of
the Monongahela river, we would suggest
that the question Of overcoming this
difficulty be taken up by the Engineering
Department and the manufacturers who
are complained of and that method be
developed to overcome the local trouble.
The Chemical Alliance is made up Of
leading chemical manufacturers Of the
L nited States, who are In close touch with
the business and economic problems in
v0lved in the conduct Of large industries
They are particularly active in devising
plans for the elimination Of all dangers
from an economic standpoint and they
have expressed themselves as especially
anxious that no local trouble, however
serious. shall be made the basis for sweep
ing legislative action which may interfere
in any way with the important war work
IN which nearly every chemical organlza-
ton III the country now is engaged