The Washington times., 1936-04-17
COUNTY GIVEN
INC|NERATOR
PROPOSAL

SILVER SPRING, Md. April II.
Plans are being formulated here
today for the early installation Of
an incinerator in the abandoned
power plant of the Capital Trac-
ton Company, at Chevy Chase
Lake on Connecticut Avenue, 1t
was learned from members Of the
board Of Montgomery county COM
missioners.
j. F.. Conrad, Of washington,
notified the county board mem
bers this week that he had in
spected the abandoned power
plant building, and was willing to
finance and install an incinerator
at this location If county officials
would insure him that no permits
would be issued for the erection OF
another such plant in this vicinity
in the next is or 20 years.
Mr.. Conrad estimated that it
would cost approximately 5000
to install a first incinerator unit
which would be sufficient to care
for the couTsy'S present needs.
This could be added to at any
time the needs required at small
additional costs, he said.
Plans Revealed
According to present plans the
disposal plant would be OF the
some design as that operated by
the District of Columbia on K
Street in Georgetown. and the
present power plant smoke stack
would be extended sufficiently to
carry off the small amount OF
smoke or fumes that might result
from the burning Of trash and
garbage, the commissioners said.
Since the proposed site for the
incinerator is located in q COM
mercial area, it was believed by
some that the commissioners could
issue a permit for its installation
without publication of notice Of
their intentions. But Commls-
Sioner Paul M. Coughlan, declared
today he thinks permit for such
a structure would have to be
handled in the usual manner Of
disposing of building permit ap-
plications, which would neceSSi-
tate publication and the holding
of q public hearing before grant
ing the permit.
Although county health officials
and Mr.. Conrad stand ready to
guarantee that an incinerator at
this location will not cast off
( smoke and fumes that would prove
disagreeable to nearby residents,
the Kensington Chamber of Com.
Inerce has served notice 1t will op-
pose its installation at their meet
ing next week, Mr.. Coughlan said.
Fire Shows Need
The vital needs Of an inciner-
ator in the county as a medium
for closing the open dumps and
rubbish burning places now in
operation was vividly portrayed
here yesterday, when fire believed
to have started at burning dump
on the East-WeSt Highway, rapidly
spread through the nearby woods,
and for time threatened several
dwellings in both Montgomery
county and the District Of Co
lumbia as well as a riding stable.
Five volunteer fire departments
from Maryland and one Washing
ton company were called before
the blaze was brought under con.
troll.
A drive was launched in the
county several months ago by
residents of Chevy Chase, Md, to
close the dump on the East-West
highway which is the most active
in the county, serving not only
Montgomery county residents, but
many from Washington and Vir-
ginia as well. They charged that
1t was not only a nuisance but
created a traffic hazard, since
smoke from burning rubbish often
practically blots out vision of
motorists between Bethesda and
Silver Spring.
But to close these dumps before
providing some other means Of dis
posing of the rubbish would only
encourage persons to dump their
trash and refuse on vacant lots
and along the roadside, CommiS-
sioner Coughlan declared.