Evening star., 1953-07-07
Bad Pollution
CondifionsCited
By Senators
Humphrey and Morse
AssoiI Rock Creek,
Potomac Situation

Two Senators declared yester-
day that there is deplorable pol
luton In Rock Greek and the
Potomac River.
Senator Humphrey. Democrat,
of Minnesota. teamed up with
Senator Morse, independent, of
Oregon. on the Senate floor to
denounce conditions in District
and other streams.
"Of all the examples of ma
grant violations of the rules of
conservation, health and de-
cency." Senator Humphrey said,
none is worse. none is more
explicit, than what we find on
the beautiful Potomac River. It
is a polluted river. It is a ma
tional disgrace"
The same is true of Rock
Creek Park, he added, where
whole vast tracts of it. after
every rainstorm. are polluted. |"
He said he spoke from expert
ence because Rock Creek runs
within three blocks of his Wash
ington residence.
Blames Federal Government.
IF any one wants a shocking
experience" he continued, "all
he has to do is to 60 down to
the Potomac River" He said it
is filthy because of the lack of
an anti-pollution program and
he charged that the Federal
Government, instead of setting
a good example "setS the exam
pie of being the worst offender"
There is nothing more dis
graceful" he concluded. than
to live in the District and find
the kind of pollution which
exists in Rock Greek and the
Potomac River. They ought to
be ashamed of themselves"
Senator Morse, who announced
a campaign against stream pol
luton here when he recently
became a member of the Senate
District Committee. told the
Senate:
Poets sometimes refer to the
beautiful Potomac. However, no
realist could take boat ride on
the Potomac today and refer to
it as either beautiful or per-
fumed - using the expression
perfumed in the pleasurable
sense. Instead. it has become
a sinking river"
Yet, it could be one of the
great boating rivers of the United
States, he protested.
Sees Filthy People"
with all the scientific mod
ernization that has overtaken
our society,"" Senator Morse said,
1T is sad that we still let our
selves remain a filthy people.
THAT is nasty word, but it
is true. We are a filthy people
when it comes to the problem
Of the pollution of our streams.
We boast to the world about our
modern plumbing and our bath
rooms as material evidence of
our civilization; but we do not
follow through and observe the
results of the present means of
disposal Of raw sewage"
District officials pointed out,
after the Senators spoke. that
the District Is spending more
than $4,000 to replace a brok-
en- trunk sewer along Rock Greek,
which caused 19 picnic areas to
be closed a year ago.
They explained the District
has an appropriation of 81 mil
lion to begin the construction of
a secondary treatment plant at
Blue, Plains TO supplement the
costly primary treatment plant
there. Between So million and So
million more will be needed to
complete this plant in the next
six or seven years, they said.
Cooperating With States.
The District is cooperating
with nearby States in other ef-
forts to clean up the Potomac,
particularly pollution from the
Anacostia River, which the Dis
trict officials described as worse
than either Rock Greek or the
Potomac.
In his Senate speech Senator
Morse also called the attention
of the Senate to slum housing
that still exists near the Capitol.
The District, however, now is
embarking on a multi-million
dollar slum redevelopment pro-
gram, with first projects slated
for blighted areas in Southwest