Evening star., 1937-08-18
SLAUGHTER HOUSE
WARNING IS ISSUED
BY CITY OFFICIALS
Plant Possible Menace to
1 Sewage Disposal, GobeI
Is Informed.
REPORT OF DR.. PARRAN
CITED IN STATEMENT
Commissioners Offer to Hold
Hearing Before Firm 1ncurs
Expense of Construction.

Adolf Gobel, Inc, was warned by the
Commissioners today that operation Of
Its proposed slaughter house in Ben
ming, now under construction, is re-
garded as potential menace" to the
Districts new sewage disposal plant.
AS the Gobel company must apply
to the Health Department for IL
cense before it can operate in the Dis
trict, the Commissioners offered to
arrange for a hearing on the sewage
matter at the companys convenience.
Notice to this effect was being given,
the Commissioners asserted, before
the company incurred further con-
Struction expenses
The warning was issued in the form
OF letter drafted at yesterdays board
meeting and made public today by
Corporation Counsel Elwood H. Seal,
with whom the Commissioners have
consulted on the problems arising out
of the building permit issued to the
Gobel company IN April 81. 1t was
signed by Commissioner Melvin c..
Hazen as president of the board.
The action taken by the Commits
sioners was interpreted as warning
that an operating license would be
withheld unless the Gobel company
can furnish convincing evidence that
the amount of sewage from it's
slaughter house would have no harm
full effect on the capacity of the dis
posal plant at Blue Plains.
Since the disposal plant was erected
to modify the amount of pollution in
the Potomac River, fear was expressed
by Secretary of the Interior Ickes and
Surg. Gen. Thomas Parran, jr., of the
Public Health Service that an over
load of slaughter house waste would
reduce the amount of sewage treat
ment.
Letter to Gobel Firm.
Inc commissioners letter follows:
August 18, 1887.
Adolf Gobel. Inc,
"3737 Benning road northeast.
"Gentlemen:
Recently it has been called to our
attention that the operation of your
proposed abattoir at 3737 Benning road
northeast, Washington, D. c., is a
potential menace to the sewage dis
posal plant being constructed by the
District of Columbia.
"The building plans, now on file
With tho IpSrootNr of
the capacity of your proposed plant
TO be: IA cattle, 300 hogs, $50 sheep
and rs calves per hour (allowing for
the TACT that cattle would not be killed
Vhen sheep and calves are being
killed. per eight-hour day for six
days week.
lhe Surgeon General of the United
States Public Health Service has re-
ported that an average of 5OO-6OO pal-
IONS OF waste per animal killed. re-
earoless OF the type of animal, NAV
oe expected and that on the basis
Oh maximum daily killing of 1852
ANIMALS and volume of waste of
ooo gallons per animal, the organic
content OF the daily waste from YOUR
proposed abattoir may be equal to
That OF approximately 100000 people
A copy OF the Surgeon Generals report
Is hereto attached for your informa-
ton.
We desire to give you sufficient no.
uce OF these facts before YOU incur
the expense of construction. You
might wish to have hearing on this
matter, namely, the effect of the on
erations OF your plant on the sewage
disposal system of the District at this
time rather than at the time of appli-
calon Tor your license. If you desire
such hearing We shall arrange for
u 70 meet your convenience"
Al the building inspectors office it
was said today construction work was
going ahead without interruption on
the Gobel site in Benning. The Tur-
ner Construction Co. of New York
w was said, has put to work a full
crew OF laborers and carpenters.
1nere was no reason to believe the
packing house firm would not welcome
the opportunity of an advanced hear
ing on the sewage question in view of
tne TACT it already has been put to
considerable extra expense in making
1ts plans conform to certain standards
previously imposed. Corporation Coun-
sci Seal was eager to have the Senate
District Subcommittee reopen its
hearings on the anti-nuisance bill 50
that he might 60 more fully into the
question OF pollution and sewage.
Secretary Ickes had demanded that
the Commissioners take some steps to
protect the public investment in the
s$4,125,ooo sewage disposal plant which
rs financed through a P. w. A. loan
ID grant. The proposed hearing, II
s said today, is a partial answer to
Inc P. w. A. administrator.
ne disposal plant at Blue Plains.
now nearing completion, is a primary
piafht affording only partial sewage
treatment. Any considerable overload
OF industrial waste, it was feared.
might necessitate the building of Sec
ont1ary treatment features at an ex-
pense Of several million dollars.
There is also pending in Congress
DILL empowering the Commissioners
to charge industries for any excessive
amount OF sewage treatment at thu
disposal plant