Evening star., 1937-10-16
ANT|-POLLUT|0N
STATUTE IS CITED
P. W. A. Officials Call At.
tention to PennsyI-
vania Law.

The Public Works Administration
called attention today to a recent
Pennsylvania statute requiring indus
trial establishments, under conditions
threatening stream pollution, to pro-
vide adequate facilities for the purifi-
cation of their own sewage waste.
All information bearing on the regu-
lation Of industrial waste will be turned
over in time to Corporation Counsel
Elwood H. Seal, who is drawing Up
the draft Of bill designed to protect
the Districts new sewage disposal
plant from industrial exploitation.
Secretary Ickes Is primarily interested
because the P. w. A., of which he is
the head, advanced $4.125,000 for the
construction Of the sewage plant.
Seek Advantage of System.
The construction of q modern sew
age system In Washington, Secretary
1ckes has stated repeatedly. is one Of
the chief reasons why the Adolf Gobel
Co. is 20 anxious to rebuild its
slaughter house in the Benning area.
For that reason, the P. w. A. has sup
ported the Collins bill which was intro
duced at the last session Of Congress
with q view to charging industrial
concerns for the treatment of any
excessive amount OF sewage waste
e. H. Foley, jr., general counsel for
the p. w. A., is gathering material
on the subject. Omcials said there are
numerous statutes regulating indus
trial waste and pointed to the Penn
sylvania act as indicating the extent
to which the police powers Of the
States has been used in such regula-
ton.
Pennsylvania, one of the great in
dustrial States in the Union, saw fit
to tighten up its regulations last June.
It declared any discharge of in
dustrial waste into the waters of the
Commonwealth that Is "inimical or in
FURIOUS to public health or to animal
or aquatic life, or to the use Of water
for domestic or industrial consumption
or recreational purposes to be unlawful
and to constitute q nuisance"
d. C. Has 3s-Year old Law.
The District has q 39-year-old
statute Of similar nature which Mr..
Seal believes would be effective for its
own use.
The Pennsylvania act, however,
makes specific provision for the treat
ment of sewage waste. Before an in
dustrial plant Is given a permit to
operate it must satisfy the Sanitary
Water Board that its discharge OF
waste would not constitute nuisance
under the act.
In all cases where the discharge OF
waste might be regarded as constitut-
ing q nuisance, the plant is required
by the act to provide proper and
adequate treatment works" before it
can operate.
The fact that the act is retroactive
in that it also affects any plant that
has been temporarily closed and later
reopens, Is regarded by officials here as
Of particular significance.
p. w. A. Omcials Active.
P. w. A. oficials said they will
support any legislation in the District
looking to the proper safeguarding Of
the local sewage disposal plant. While
recognizing that the taxes paid by an
industrial concern entities it to q
reasonable. amount Of sewage treat
ment, they claimed that any excessive
amount Of sewage should be charged
for at rates to be determined by the
Commissioners.
A p. w. A. study disclosed that 1t
would cost the District anywhere
from $55, 900 to $4,000 per annum to
treat the estimated amount Of sewage
from the proposed Gobel slaughter
house. It Is proper, Secretary Ickes
proposed to the Commissioners. that
large industrial users should be made
to bear IN equitable share Of the tax
burden.