Evening star., 1950-05-04
Virginia Urged
To Fix Fund for
Pollution Study
Ellis Tells Meeting
Way Open for Joint
Community Action
By jones Birchfield

Virginia communities were urged
today to set up Joint fund for
pollution abatement study.
The Interstate Commission on
the Potomac River Basin is holding
its spring meeting at the George
Mason Hotel. Alexandria.
w. T. Ellis. jr.. chairman Of the
Water Supply and Sanitation
Committee of the Northern Vir-
ginia Planning Commission, told
representatives Of the Virginia
communities that $4,000 should
'be provided for an engineering
study Of pollution problems.
Mr.. Ellis said he would like to
see an impartial analysis made
He said the study should take
into consideration the economic
advantages of constructing one
or more sewage treatment plants
or the possible advantage OF
pumping all Virginia sewage to
Cne DlSCrlct plant Tor treatment.
Way Open For Action.
He said the Virginia problem
is accented by four distinct politi-
cal subdivisions but added that
a bill introduced by Edwin Lynch,
Fairfax County member of the
House of Delegates and passed
at the last session of the General
Assembly, paved the way for joint
action by the Virginia communi-
ties.
Under this act. Mr.. Ellis said,
Virginia communities now are al
lowed to take joint action to solve
common problems.
Opening the discussions, which
were planned by the commission
to emphasize the condition in the
Potomac River near the District,
Oliver Gasch, assistant District
corporation counsel and commits
sion member from Washington
said the condition of the Potomac
here was a matter of concern to
all residents of the area.
Pointing out that Fairfax
County and Alexandria have no
sewage treatment facilities and
that Arlington provides only pri-
mary treatment for about one half
of its sewage load. Mr.. Gasch
said the discussions were being
held in an attempt to help reach
some solution to the problem.
Has No Police Powers.
II want to emphasize, he said,
that the Potomac River COM
mission has no police powers
There are State agencies with
those powers. But where pollution
is of an interstate character, the
commission feels that co-opera-
tive action may help in its abate-
ment."
Referring to the District side
Of the river. Mr.. Gasch said that
Washington and Maryland COM
munities now are removing about
80 per cent Of the impurities, and
that during the next five years
improvements are contemplated
that will allow these communities
to remove about 10 per cent.
Mr.. Gasch estimated that prop
erty damage along the 20 miles
Of river between Chain Bridge
and Mount Vernon amounts to
millions of dollars because of the
polluted condition of the river.
100000 Damage Annually.
He said damage to wharves and
boats is estimated at about $780,
600 annually. and that it costs
power companies in the area from
100000 to $50O,000 to treat
water used for generation of
power. In addition, he said, shore
property values are depressed by
SO per cent.
Members Of the panel include,
in addition to Mr.. Gasch and Mr..
Ellis, j. Maynard Magruder, Ar
lington County member of the
House of Delegates; Mr.. Lynch
from Fairfax County, Franklin
Backus, Alexandria mayor; r. M.
Writ, director of the Arlington
County Public Service Depart
ment; James J. Corbalis, Fairfax
County sanitary engineer, and
DR.. George Lemeshewsky, repre-
senting the Alexandria chapter
Izaak Walton League.
Earlier. Gard Knox, technical
advisor to the Pennsylvania San
itary Water Board and vice chair
man of the commission, intro
duced members of the new COM
mittee on wildlife and recrea-
ton. Mr.. Knox presided in the
absence of Chairman Harold A.
Kemp. District sanitary engineer,
who is i'll.
Highlighting this evenings
meeting will be an address by K
Blackburn Moore, speaker of the
Virginia House Of Delegates and
chairman Of the Virginia Water
Control Board.