Evening star., 1926-06-06
EXPERTS OF VARIOUS NATIONS
TO CONFER ON OIL POLLUTION
Farley Opening Here Next Tuesday Seeks Uniform
Protection of Navigable Waters by Governments.
Injurious Effect Upon Fish Proves Very Costly.

polluted with oil that bathers have
come from the water fit subjects for
dry cleaning plant.
Oil pollution of coastal waters. ex
tending to some degree to territorial
waters when driven in by wind and
tide, is a matter Of real concern in
every maritime nation. 1t is costing
the United States hundreds of thou.
sands Of dollars every year in depre
ciated property and fire hazard, not
to mention the effect upon fish, and
it is costing the people in the region
effected something in health. too. be-
cause of the deterrent influence upon
sports which add to health.
Inland streams have their own
pollution problem. what with in
creasing discharge of oil from ga
RACES and other factors, but that is
another story. Oil pollution. so far
as it is a grave problem, is caused
mainly by oil-burning ships and OIL
carrying vessels. In the span of a
world has changed until now more
by oil-burning vessels. Experts esti.
mate that although tankers consti-
tute only q third Of the oil-burning
~AASA "
than half of the oil pollution.
Improved regulation, by law and
by shipowners. who are inspired by
economy as we'll as propriety, has
reduced the pollution of navigablo
waters so that 1t is not as great this
wear as two years ago despite an
ever-increasing number of vessels
which consume oil as fuel. But 1t
remains sufficiently serious to justify
international consultation as to what
to do about it.
Most of the pollution by oil comes
from bilge water or ballast water. A
law enacted in 1924 in the United
States prevents discharge Of such
wastes in territorial waterv-within
three miles Of the coast-while most
foreign nations have similar laws.
The trouble is that even though dis
charged far at sea, the Oil floats along
the surface, If light. or creeps along
the bottom, If heavy. until it brings
up against the shoreline. The fish
get away from there and stay away;
the bather gets a nice tarry rim
around his neck and sometimes en-
twined in his hair, and a high inflam-
mable deposit is incrusted on piers
and docks, and other disagreeable
things come to pass.
Under congressional authority halt
a. dozen DEPARTMENTS and bureaus have
been cooperating In the investigation
OF this subject. An inteedepartmen&al
COMMITTEES on oil pollution was organ
ized to direct this work and made va
rious studies and experiments. Tt re
ported to the Secretary Of State In
March AS a result this Government
feels it knows something definite
about oil pollution. it's extent. costs
dangers. causes, effects and possible
remedies. Hence, the call to IL for
egn governments to send representa-
tivcs to a preliminary conference
opening next week.
Although preliminary in nature
this international conference probably
will recommend rather definite steps
looking at least toward uniformity OF
action by the various governments.
And It may 60 further. for the Bu
reaM Of Standards has been testing
ana experimenting with various types
OF sepaxators-apparatu which sep
asates the oil from the water-result'
ing in q. saving which might nearly
pay for the installation Of such ma
chine on oil-burning ships.