Evening star., 1955-11-10
Engineer Concerned
On River Industries
Voter Supply
Donoers Seen
In PEPcO Site
By DON S. WARREN


pressed concern over the Dis
trict's water supply If more in-
dustries are built along the
Potomac above Washington.
Col. Adams is District Engineer
Of the Army Engineer Corps. in
charge of the Capitals water
supply. He,w one of the initial
witnesses as the committee
opened hearings on the Potomac
Electric Power Co. proposal to
build steam generating plant
above Washington in Loudoun
County. Va. The views he ex-
pressed have generally been ex-
pressed before by him.
The proposed plant presents
"a very perplexing problem from
another aspect. !" Col. Adams said.
This would result from the loca-
ton of an expensive plant on
low-lying ground when the time
comes for damming the river.
The purpose of this would be
to create water reservoirs to as
sure an adequate water supply
for the Capital. He warned that
this may have to be done in the
next Is years.
PEPCO Officials Attend
PEPCO officials, including
President Roy Dunn, were among
a large group attending the
hearing. The company officials
will be called later to state their
case.
Col. Adams. in his testimony,
advanced these two conclusions:
/. The location of two medi-
um-sized industries discharging
organic wastes within any 10
mile reach upstream of the
PEPCO site would support a quite
serious growth giving rise to se-
rious problems of water taste
and odor. The heat added to
the water by the PEPCO plant
would aggravate this condition" !"
2. THE location of industries
above our intakes discharging
sulphates into the river would
raise most difiicult taste and
odor problems which. however,
would not be aggravated by the
addition Of heat at the PEPCo
site"
Based on Findings
| Col. Adams, who based his con-
illusions on findings Of technical
consultants said that for these
reasons ''tlle prospect Of further
tirldustrialization is q seriously
objectionable feature Of the pro-
posed site
PEPCO has an option on q
large tract in Loudoun County.
This expired November / but
the owners of the land have
given the power company a 60
day extension. Meanwhile Mary.
land interests are waging a de-
itermined campaign to persuade
lPEPCO to build its new plant in
Montgomery County, arguing
that virtually all of the power
developed would be sold to Mary
land consumers.
The subcommittee is headed
by Senator Morse, Democrat of
Oregon. Other members of the
subcommittee are Senator Nc
lNamara, Democrat Of Michigan.
and Senator Beall. Republican
lof Maryland.
Gen. Lane Is First Witness
First witness was Brig. Gen,
Thomas A. Lane. District En-
gineer Commissioner, who de-
,clared there was an urgent need
for establishing firm long,
range Federal program for the
sound development of the Po-
tomac Valley.
Senator Morse, who has been
demanding much greater efforts
ito eliminate pollution from the
Potomac, said he was convinced
that all members of the District
Committee were prepared to
recommend whatever is neces-
|sary to protect the health Of the
National Capital.
Gen. Lane said the Commis-
|sioners have two principal in
terests in the PEPCO project.
One is an interest in keeping
electric power rates in the Dis
trtct low and therefore in keep
ing the operations of the utility
company as efficient and eco
nomical as practicable.
"On the other hand" Gen,
Lane said. District residents ara
dependent TO rtheir water supply
upon the Potomac River above
the District boundaries. They are
concerned about the quality and
cost of this water and the ade-
quacy of the supply"
Tells Of Pressure
Col. Adams. in presenting a
mass Of technical information,
said the concern of the Army
Engineers was based in part in
q marked increase" in recent
months of pressure for residen.
tial. commercial and some Fed
eral Developments in the water
shed OF the Potomac above the
Capital.
The position Of Col. Adams
was based in part on technical
advice he obtained from DR..
Charles E. Rem, professor Of
sanitary engineering and water
resources. of Johns Hopkins
University. who testified briefly.
!: Gen. Lane was asked today il
the District Public Utilities Com
mission had taken any position
as to the proposed power plant
site. Gen. Lane said it had not
but that he felt differences over
the sites could be reconciled. He
said the Utilities Commission had
not yet acted on the application
OF PEPCO for permission to