Evening star., 1948-09-12
West Virginia Order
Industries 10 Cease
Po||uting Potomac
By james Birehfiels
Stor StoH Correspondent

Stor Stoff Correspondent
HAGERSTOWN, Md, Sept. Ill
Full cooperation in a program to
clean up the upper Potomac basin
was pledged today by representatives
of the West Virginia Water Com
mission.
In q report to the Interstate Com
mission on the Potomac River Basin
naming the principal pollution Of
tenders in the West Virginia Basin,
K. S. Watson, water commission en-
gineer, said notices were being sent
out with instructions to make correc-
tionS. ','a - ~ '.i9sf. $, 2 @ttsu
I'VE offer full cooperation to
Maryland in solving the pollution
problems of the upper. river" Mr..
Watson said. we are prepared to
60 ahead with an abatement pro-
gram Of the rivers within our State,
but shall proceed slowly in the main
stem of the river until such time as
Maryland authorities are ready to
act.
Must Wait for Maryland.
"It would be useless for West Vir-
ginia to act on the main river" Mr..
Watson explained, until the Mary
land program is launched, since most
of the offenders in that area are in
Maryland territory"
Citing the Martinsburg area as
one of the most heavily polluted
sections in the West Virginia basin,
Mr.. Watson said pollution here
comes from city sewage and from
six industries.
These industries he listed as
Keller g. Lambert slaughter house,
National Fruit Products Co., Berke-
ley Woolen Mill, Dunn Woolen Mill,
interviewer Stocking Co., and the
Martipsburg Gas Co.
Other industries named by Mr..
Watson as sources of pollution in
the West Virginia area are the Kop-
pers Co., Green Springs, Keystone
Tanning and Glue Co., Paw Paw,
Pennsylvania Glass Sand Corp,
Berkeley Springs, Blair Limestone
Co.. Balriton, Davis Coal & Coke,
Bayard, and Halltown Paper Board
Cites Kanawha Basin Action.
Mr.. Watson said a similar report
naming offenders was published for
the Kanawha River Basin. The re-
suit, he said, was that industry
rolled up it's sleeves and went to
work to correct the condition
In connection with Mr.. Watson S
report it was suggested by the COM
missions industrial committee that
Opequon Creek, which flows from
Winchester, Va, into West Virginia
to join the potomac near Martins
burg, be made demonstration area
This would hinge on an agreement
by industries and municipalities In
this area to cooperate.
The commission voted to request
the House Flood Control Committee
for a re-survey of an Agriculture
Department report on the Potomac
River basin prepared under the
Flood Control Act of 1886.
This early report, is was recalled,
emphasized dam construction in the
Potomac rather than proper land
use in the upper watershed as a
means of reducing flood damage.
/ Soil Erosion Discussed.
The commission also voted to de-
vote a full day of its April meeting
/ in Cumberland, Md, to a discussion
by soil conservation district super
visors Of basin States Of the relation
of soil erosion to river pollution.
Discussion the new Federal anti
pollution law. Carl Schwab, senior
sanitary engineer for the Public
Health Service, said program now
being worked out by Public Health
Service will be designed to help
States. municipalities and interstate
agencies in solving pollution prob
lens
Commission officers, all reelected,
are Raymond v. Long, director Of
| the Virginia Planning Board, chair
man; Harold A. Kemp, District Of
Columbia sanitary engineer, vice
chairman: DR.. Daniel L. Seckinger,
assistant District of Columbia health
Iofhcer, treasurer, and Oliver Gasch.
assistant District of Columbia cor
poration counsel, commission coun-
/ sci.
The commissions winter meeting
will be held in December at Wash
ington.
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