Evening star., 1952-01-12
Action Agency
Urged in Basin
Development
Commission Urged
To Take Leadership
In Pollution Fight

The Interstate Commission ON
the Potomac River Basin had q
recommendation today from its
technical committee that the COM
mission assume a position of lead
ership in the development Of the
river BASIN.
At the commissions final win
ter session yesterday in the Hotel
Statler, the technical group urged
that the commission constitute it
self as the undisputed leader in
basin development.
The committee, which will work
out a basin-wide program for poll
luton abatement, said data will
be asked from the various basin
States and that this will make
possible formulation of a concrete
program.
Thus, the committee stated, tha
commission will prove itself an
action agency, placing itself in .
position Of basin leadership.
The commissions land commit.
tee also reported a project that
will provide a body of research
data never before available to the
commission.
10-Point Program.
A 10-point program, assigned to
members Of the committee, will
assemble original data that may
be used In a comprehensive cam
paign to improve land use in the
basin.
For example, the program calls
for the development Of new re-
search projects on matters related
to soil and water. It was pointed
out that Agricultural Experiment
stations in the basin States may
fill an important gap by con-
sidering some Of the little-ceai-
sidered elements Of land and water
use.
DR.. Daniel L. Seckinger, District
health director, pointed out that
an important field Of research
deals with the use of sludge from
sewage treatment plants, now
almost entirely lost to the soil in
the United States.
II believe" DR.. Seckinger said.
that the day will come when we
no longer will be able to afford
to allow this material to escape
from the land.
I'VE have the scientific knowl-
edge to solve this problem" DR..
Seckinger said. If we put our
minds to it."
Field Meeting Planned.
A field meeting of the commits
sion, under the sponsorship of the
land committee. will be held either
in May or June in the South
Branch area Of the Potomac. This
meeting will consider some of
the small watershed developments
in that area.
The commissions industrial
committee urged a proposed re-
search project into acid mine
wastes, to be conducted jointly
with Johns Hopkins University.
avoid duplication of work now
being done at the University Of
West Virginia and the Mellon
Institute in Pittsburgh.
Commission Chairman H. Gard
Knox said Pennsylvania is solving
the acid mine waste problem in
connection with strip mining.
He said the Mellon Institute
scientists have found that acid
mine waste can be prevented, If
the mine operators keep three ele-
ments from meeting. These are
the sulphur materials from coal.
water and air.
Mine Turned Into Lake.
In Pennsylvania. he said. the
State requires strip mine opera
tors to cover surphur- bearing ma
Iterials with clay. This prevents
the formation of sulphuric acid
when the mines are worked out.
He said one abandoned mine Is
being turned into a lake for re-
creational purposes. The water ID
well balanced and is non-acid.
It was suggested that, in the
event Johns Hopkins is not sue
cessful in locating a researcher to
take over the project, commission
funds might go to assist projects
now underway. .
Mr.. Knox said the coal industry
this year, for the first time, is con-
ltributing money for acid mine
waste research.
The commission will hold its
spring meeting in June at Cum
berland. Md.
Gov. Lausche viii Seek