Evening star., 1955-09-21

A4AVO CkA40 w 0tCl 4SloO04 OCop
lst approve any use of water
lels the Potomac on the Mary
land side.
II understand that the park
service told Pepco that it couldn't
cross the c. & o. canal-that
insipid little ditch" Mr.. Gingery
told the council.
I'm all for parks" the PLAN
ming commissioner added, "but
those national park people are
too jealous sometimes about
looking out for their turtles and
squirrels"
The tax money Montgomery
could derive from a 500 million
plant would build two new
schools a year, Mr.. Gingery es-
timated. He pointed out the
power the proposed plant would
manufacture would be used IN
Maryland, not Virginia
After Mr.. Gingery's plea, the
Council unanimously moved to
direct County Manager Reese to
ARRANGE q conference with Pepco
Ioficial as soon as possible.
Montgomery Taxes Higher
Mr.. Gingery did not mention
one Of the disadvantages of q
Montgomery County site that
obviously occurred to Pepco Of
ficials: Property taxes are con-
Isiderably higher in Motgomery
than in Loudoun.
Today's conference in the Of
flee Of Col. Ray Adams, District
Engineer. is understood to have
been suggested by Oliver Gasch.
counsel for the Interstate Com
mission on the Potomac River
Basin. Mr.. Gasch also is first
assistant United States Attorney
for the District of Columbia.
Aside from Mr.. Gasch, Engi-
Ineer Corps officials and repre-
Isentatives Of the Basin Commits
sion, others scheduled to attend
were Paul Mckee, director of the
Maryland Water Pollution Con-
troll Commission, and David v.
Aud. director of the District
government Sanitary Engineering
Department.
The Engineer Corps interest
in the Pepco plant concerns not
Ionly its effect on Washington's
water supply, but possible inter-
ference with the Potomac as q
Inavigable stream. A Pepco re-
quest for permit from the corps
would be based solely on the
company premise that the plants
water intakes would not impede
navigation in the area-7 miles
Iupriver from Great Falls.
i Location Near Bank
| A Pepco official pointed out
that the intakes and outlets of
river water-used in cooling the
plant condenSers--would be To-
Gated close enough to the river
bank so as not to get in the
way of any stray craft travelling
above the falls.
The company's power installa-
Ition on the Potomac at Alexan-
ldria now has four 36-inch in
take and outlet pipes-one set
for each generator. The pro-
posal for the new plant calls
ultimately for a maximum of six
generators requiring as many
sets Of intake-outlet lines.
Although the District Utilities
Commission made no announce.
ment. on its hearing date deci.
sion, 1t was learned that the
regulatory body wants to with
hold any action pending rulings
by the Virginia State Corpora.
ton and the Corps of Engineers.
The scope of any order by
the city commission would in
Iclude only the need of the Dis
trict for an additional power
plant to meet the needs of this
community.
To Study Transcript
The Virginia body would act
on Pepco's petition to acquire
the proposed site for the plant.
The company now holds only an
option on the 519-acre tract in
Loudoun County.
Another reason for the District
commissions desire to delay its
proceedings is that its members
want to study the transcript Of
the hearing in which the
Loudoun County Board of Zon-
ing Appeals rezoned the proposed
1epco tract Ior industrial use.
The District Health Director.
DR.. Seckinger, said in his radio
statement: The Pepco plant
would raise the temperature of
the water. We don't know Just
how much, but it would increase
the pollution effects.
DR.. Seckinger said "a co-ordi.
mating body with power to act
In the interest of the people" is
needed to clean UP the river.
Senator Morse and Represent
|ative Broyhill, Republican Of
Virginia, have announced they
will introduce. bills to set up a
commission to coordinate anti
pollution measures. DR.. Seek
niger said such legislation "ap-
pears to be the answer to the
y,,.ah1n,~.