Evening star., 1954-11-28
BY John w. 5tepp

nave LI1OSE washing UO1l 1OBs
Of the last week been giving
you the frets in early morning
traffic? Did you chafe when
occasionally the blanket got
thick enough to delay airliner
flights? Or does that moist vel
Just plain make you moody?
Whatever your fog-wrought
discomforts, Washington Citizen
you have it relatively good. Ask
any one who's been in Los
Angeles when the fog rolls in
mingles with the artificial ex-
hausts of the big city and clings
for days like an acrid pail.
Just last week the people Of
Los Angeles found themselves
stifled by the latest In a per-
sistent series of smogs that have
plagued their city since industry
came of age there and auto
mobiles reached a numerical
peak.
Unlike Washington, the South
ern California metropolis is beset
by a combination of circum-
stances that make smogs all but
inevitable.
Cold Air Trapped.
The most important single fac
tor, according to scientists. is
a meteorological phenomenon
known as temperature inversion.
This condition, which develops
persistently in parts of virtually
the entire world, is almost COM
monplace in the Los Angeles
area. What it amounts to Is
the trapping of a thin layer Of
cold air close to the earth by
"a higher layer of warm air.
TITS as If a huge lid is placed
over Los Angeles" DR.. Harry
Wexler, research director for the
Weather Bureau here, declared
yesterday.
This warm air lid fits pretty
tightly over the Typographical
bowl surrounding the city. On
all but the Seaward side. Los
Angeles is surrounded by noun
tains.
Thus, Dr.. Wexler explains, the
cool air moving in from the Pa
cific is prevented by the noun
tains from continuing inland
and by the layer of warm air
from circulating upward,
AS a result, the smoke and
fumes from the city's hundreds
of factories and thousands of
automobiles hang right overhead
until a favorable atmospheric
change occurs and the air cur
rents flush the exhaust particles
into higher attitudes.
Citizens Burn Trash.
Another factor enters into the
Los Angeles smog dilemma. The
city lacks central incineration
for the refuse of it's nearly 2
million inhabitants. The bulk Of
trash burning is done in back
yards and this, of course, adds to
the murk.
The Nations Capital, on the
other hand, finds itself blessed
on just about every point affect
ing the California city.
Washington lies in no topo-
graphical bowl. 1t gets winds
that are frequent and brisk. It
is no factory town. and the
manufacturing plants located
here are small, careful about
their smoke discharge and care
fully policed by municipal regu-
lation. There were less than 800
smoke law violations here last
year and most of those were
minor.
The Metropolitan Area throws
off plenty of automobile exhaust,
like Los Angeles. But there
again the favorable topography
and winds, as well as the fact
that the layers Of warm and cold
air usually stay in proper place
to provide good circulation.
Although the billowing smoke
that rises daily from the OPEN
air municipal trash dump in
Kenilworth would appear to be
a chronic nuisance. it becomes
botherSome only occasionally
and only in the surrounding
neighborhoods. The city, more
over, has two central incinera-
tion plants. another is nearing
completion and a fourth Is to be
built by 1862.
TO Attend Farley.
Washington's trash disposal
system is considered so efficient,
In fact, that william A. Xanten,
superintendent Of sanitation, has
been invited to this weeks meet
ing Of the Southern California
Air Pollution Conference In Los
Angeles. Mr.. Xanten doubtless
will be called on to discuss, not
Washington's air pollution prob
lem-or absence Of it--but pos
sible cures for the trash burning
dilemma Of the West Coast city,
The Federal Government this
year has at last entered the fight
against air pollution on q Ma
tion-wide basis.