Evening star., 1951-10-09
.ouseUnitPIan
Early Probe Of
Pollution Here
Alexandra and
Arlington Described
As First forget

A congressional investigation Of
Potomac River pollution in nearby
Virginia Is expected to get under
way soon.
The probe, authorized by the
House. is to be started in Alex
andria and Arlington County.
according to Representative VOL
,ott. Republican, of Michigan.
'anking minority member Of the
House Banking and Currency
Committee.
Mr.. Wolcott, who was a mem
Der Of a House group that looked
nto sewerage problems In Alex
andria and Arlington in August.
described conditions he found
here as a terrible mess"
He announced that. under q
resolution passed yesterday by
the House, a subcommittee of the
Committee will be ap-
pointed for the investigation by
Committee Chairman Spence, who
also was on the inspection tour.
The committee. was authorized
BY the House to investigate Gov
ernment loans for private housing
in cases where such housing In
defective with respect to con-
struction, drainage, sanitary con-
ditions and other features" This
authority was included in q House
resolution authorizing the COM
mittee to look into American loans
to Europe.
Sees Epidemic Possible.
In a speech on the House floor
yesterday. Mr.. Wolcott warned q
serious epidemic might result from
pollution in the Potomac.
He told the House he will not
go overseas with a subcommittee
looking into foreign loans. Instead,
he said, he will make a sacrifice"
and try to find out something
about the housing situation In the
United States.
"We should first start right here
at Alexandria," he told his col
leagues" and find out why the
FILA is approving loans for large
houses alongside creeks
which carry open sewage into the
Potomac River.
THAT is something that must
be investigated and something
that this Congress has to take
cognizance Of very shortly. or else
we might have one Of the worst
epidemics in this locality that you
have ever seen in your life.
Suggests Inspection.
Go down there and take a look
at it. You will be absolutely
ashamed of the fact that that
stencil prevails here at the Capt.
tai of the United States; raw sew
age running down the Potomac
River, right by these palatial resi-
dences which the FILA has ap-
proved.
"Of course, they should not
have approved those projects un-
til the Federal Government or
some agency Of the State Of Vir-
ginia, acting separately or to-
gether. had cleaned up that ter
rible mess"
Later Mr.. Wolcott told a re-
porter he was referring to Hunt
ing Creek and the nearby Hunting
Towers. an apartment develop
ment, where he said he had
smelled the stencil.
He also mentioned Four Mile
Run. where overflow of the made
quate Arlington County sewage
disposal plant is being discharged.
This stream runs into the Poto-
mac. The plant is overloaded, he
said, because of the great increase
in population in the area served.
" Guided by Health Official.
At the Pentagon. Mr.. Wolcott
said, the sewage disposal plant In
so efficient that the water dis
charged into the river is "purer"
than that received by the Penta.
gon.
Other members of the group
who made the inspection tour in
cluded Representatives Brown Of
Georgia and Hayes of Ohio, Demo-
Gratis. and Cole of Kansas, Re.
publican The tour was conducted
by Carl Schwov. chief of the divi-
sion Of water pollution control of
the United States Public Health
Service
Nearby Virginia communities,
are proceeding with an
survey of their own
IN an effort to solve the Potomac
River pollution problem. Alex
Arlington, Fairfax and
Falls Church are sharing the cost
of the $4,000 survey.
In a preliminary report last
week. the engineers stated about
Is per cent of the pollution comes
from the District and Maryland.
The report adds. however, that an
expansion program at the District
treatment plant will reduce the
load in 1855. and author
zed expansion Of the Arlington
County plant will reduce pollu.
ion contributed from that juris-
fiction. Fairfax County is about
o build a treatment plant. Alex
lndria has been allowed by the
State Water Control Board to hold
Up construction OF its proposed
treatment plant while the current
engineering survey is conducted.