Evening star., 1951-01-05
Pollution Curb
'0rder Expected
Alexandra
State Hearing Ends
Without Decision, but
EorIy Action Is Seen
By Mary Lou Werner
Sior Stoff Correspondent

ESeiOb ID SSStI
By Mory Lou Werner
sior stoff Correspondent
RICHMOND, Va, Jan. 5.-Or'
ders from the Virginia Stat,
Water Control Board to curb pol
luton of the Potomac River ar,
expected soon by Alexandria cit.
officials.
Board members clearly indicated
during a day-long hearing yester
day that they want Alexandra
to stop discharging untreatee
sewage into the river Immediately
The board adjourned without an
nouncing a decision.
Even a plea by Alexandria fol
time to see if a joint sewage dis.
posal program would be cheaper
than separate plants in the va
rious Northern Virginia com.
munities was regarded by Watel
Board members as an attempt tt
delay.
"Too Much Delay"
There has been too much de-
lay in Alexandria about dolns
something to abate pollution" sait
E. Blackburn Moore of Berryviile
beard chairman. The recore
shows that very we'll"
Alexandria City Manager w
Guy Ancell replied that city Off
cials are well aware of the fac
that certain amount of pollution
exists in water adjacent to tn.
city" and pointed out that th'
City Council is on record for pro-
viding sewage treatment "at tht
earliest reasonable and practicable
time"
Alexandria did not have the
right to issue bonds for a sewage
disposal system or to operate suct
"a system until the new city char.
ter was adopted in the 1850 ses-
sion of the General Assembly
Before the charter took effect the
city filed an annexation suit
against Fairfax County. The an
nexation case still is unsettled
Fairfax has appealed the decision
favorable to the city-and the le-
gality of any bond issue referen-
dunn held before the case finally
is decided could be questioned.
Study Under Way.
Mr.. Ancell told the board q
study is under way to consider
the feasibility of a regional sew
age disposal program by Fairfax
Arlington, Alexandria and Fall
F.! Church.
"The feelings of this whole
area in that regard are, l believe
| fairly represented by two leading
/ editorials appearing in The Eve
ming Star. one of the Nation
more reputable newspapers" saie
/ Mr.. Ancell. He introduced init
| the record the two editorials en-
couraging nearby Virginia com
munities to see if they could dis.
/ pose of sewage more cheapl.
by a joint program than by pro-
ceeding independently.
| THE city wants to solve it
pollution problem. but does no
want to spend large sums of tn.
| taxpayers money needlessly, Of
prematurely. / ask that we b.
! allowed to continue our studie:
| Jointly with the other adjacent
! Jurisdictions for a reasonable
/ period of time. I also ask thai
we be allowed to await a fina
decision in the annexation case
before We take any final steps.
said Mr.. Ancell.
Dangerous Condition"
/ Cant you see it would be very
difficult to get several jurisdiction.
together-to apportion costs. ad.
ministration and other things:
Can't you see that would cause
great delay? Can't you see yol
have a very dangerous condition
in the river?" asked Mr.. Moore.
| Harold A. Kemp, director o1
sanitary engineering for the Dis.
trict, said he did not think 6
regional disposal program woulc
necessarily mean further delay. He
said Alexandria and other Virginia
communities should look into the
possibility of pumping sewage un-
der the Potomac River to the Dis
trict plant at Blue Plains for treat.
ment.
| Declaring that such SUI.
yey could be made in two months
Mr.. Kemp said this would be off.
set by the shorter time required
for construction of a pipeline un.
der the Potomac than for con-
struction of complete disposa
plant in Virginia.
| Lower Costs Cited.
| Mr. Kemp said the District plant
could treat sewage cheaper thar
smaller plants in each Virginia
community. and that the initial
construction costs would be lower
for pipeline.
Mr.. Kemp told board members
he hoped they would not allow
any further delay in requiring
pollution abatement facilities o1
some kind. He said tests of the
Potomac River showed it would
be septic if the summer flows
become as low as that during the
dry years of 1880, 1881 and 1882
Edwin R. Cotton. director of the
Interstate Commission on the
Potomac River Basin, said many
members Of his group consider
the pollution problem so urgent
that pollution abatement facil-
tiles should be installed at the
earliest possible moment, with as
little delay as is humanity pos
sible."