Evening star., 1954-04-28
Upper Potomac
Plan Urged 10
Curb Pollution
Project Proposed
For D. c. Offered
At Cumberland
By jones Birehfield
Stor Staff Correspondent

AA@SAAV 10 SJSSVB 1A4AAAAeA4 W OAIG P1O@
posed several years ago for the
Washington Metropolitan Area,
has been suggested here as a
means of solving pollution prob
lens in the upper Potomac River
area.
Ralph E. Fuhrman, deputy
sanitary engineering director
for the District of Columbia,
made the suggestion in a report
here yesterday at a special one
day meeting of the Interstate
Commission on the Potomac
River Basin.
Mr.. Thurman said the regional
project, under which sanitary
and industrial wastes would be
piped from the Cumberland
Luke area to a treatment plant
below Cumberland, would be a
means of creating a clean river
at the points it is most needed.
He said such q project would
make the Cumberland area more
attractive to future industrial
development because it would
provide a source Of clean water
for industrial use.
Diversif1catiOn Benefits.
It was pointed out by other
sources here that Cumberland
would benefit by greater indus
trial diversif1cation. Under pres
ent river conditions, new indus
tries cannot find suitable sources
Of industrial water. Some in
dustries already here are forced
to draw on city water supplies
for industrial water. Others it
was said have failed to locate
here because of the scarcity Of
industrial water.
It was also pointed out that q
regional project had been sug-
gested before. but no action has
been taken Cumberland now
faces a suit by the State Board
of Health to require 1t to provide
sewage treatment facilities. The
city has plans for a treatment
plant but has no financial ar
rangements at this time.
Mr.. Thurman. whose 15O-page
report. sponsored by the COM
mission, dealt mainly with in
dustriai wastes, explained that
about 70 per cent treatment is
needed,to relieve problems in the
upper river.
Self-Purification Weighed.
He said the study took into
consideration the ability of the
river to purify itself. q consid-
Grafton necessary in financing
treatment facilities.
Mr.. Thurman said the Luke
(MdO plant of the West Vir-
ginia Pulp and Paper Co. and
the Cumberland Celanese Corp.
plant contribute between them
the waste load of q population
of 100000. He said this is about
10 per cent greater than the
ability of the river to handle.
Al 70 per cent reduction, he
said. would provide industrial
water and would relieve the sum-
mer odors in the river during
periods of low flow.
Mr.. Fuhrman's report was the
second attack by the commission
on the trouble spots in the Po-
tomac. Recently it issued a re-
port calling for a $50 million
program to relieve pollution in
the Washington Metropolitan
Area. Washington and Cumber-
land are considered the worst
offenders in the basin.
State Program Advocated.
George L. Hall, chief engineer
for the Maryland Health Depart
ment. advocated a Statewide
"clean streams program"
Mr.. Hall said the idea was
not an official department policy.
He said the State should partici-
pate in such q program giving
financial aid in developing treat
ment facilities with State par
ticipation. He said communities
could get lower interest rates in
financing facilities. The plan, he
added, would work something
like the State roads system, with
the State helping to keep and
maintain clean streams for all
of the people.
Outlining pollution abatement
progress in Maryland. Mr.. Hall
said IA new treatment plants
we're either completed, placed
under construction or improved
during last year.
He said so new sewer systems,
plus 80 new treatment plants,
are needed in Maryland. He es-
timated the cost Of the needed
projects at $40 million.
Cost vs.. Tax Problem.
Mr.. Hall said the principal
deterrent to treatment facilities
in the Cumberland area Is the
high construction costs in rela-
tion to the low tax base. He said
the greatest need is q method of
financing needed facilities.
The Fuhrman report was pre-
pared from data obtained in
river studies during the summer
flow periods in 1850. 1851 and
1852. In addition to being
commission document, it also is
a thesis for a doctor Of philoSo-
ply degree from Johns Hopkins
University.
Yesterdays meeting here was
attended by representatives of
local industries and municipali-
ties and by health and water
control officials from Maryland
and West Virginia.
Foirfox c. A. P. Dance