Evening star., 1955-11-11
By DON s. WARREN

Legislation to step UP controls
over the pollution Of the Po-
tomac River Basin may be rec
commended by the Morse SUBJ
committee Of the Senate District
Committee.
This possibility emerged from
yesterdays all-day hearing on
the plan Of the Potomac Electric
Power Co.. to build q huge power
plant upstream Of Great Falls
lin Loudoun County. Va.
Senator Morse, Democrat OF
Oregon, said remedial legislation
certainly will be considered. He
said this viii include his pro-
posed bill for Federal grants and
loans on a matching money
basis for more anti-pollution
work along the Potomac.
The PEPcO plans call for the
development Of q 500 million
steam generating plant on a $50
acre tract In Loudoun County.
Col. Ray Adams, District en-
gineer Of the Army Corps OF
Engineers, which is responsible
for Washington's water supply.
testified that. II the PEPCO plant
were built at the planned loca-
tion, the Government would lose
Its chance for the later develop
Iment Of a dam at River Bend to
provide q great water reservoir
there for Washington's future
water supply.
Col. Adams said this dam may
be needed within the next Is
years, although it had previously
been calculated the need would
mot arise until the year 1000.
Senator Morse said he is still
Withholding Judgment as to the
Loudoun County site for the
IPEPCO project. But he told The
Star:
Other Sites Considered
'T am very favorably i'm
pressed with the testimony OF
Mr.. Roy Dunn. president OF
IPEPCO, who made clear to the
committee that the company was
giving careful study to the adj
visibility of selecting some al
Iternative site for the plant.
I'm view Of the protests that
the plant would serve as q bell
wether for future Industrial de-
velopments Of the Potomac,
think a careful consideration
should be given to the possi-
|bility Of locating this plant at
Ia point either higher up on the
Potomac or farther downstream
aOne Of the most impressive
points made by Col. Adams was
that the building Of the power
plant at the site recommended
by the company undoubtedly
would scuttle any possibility In
the future Of building q food
control dam at River Bend"
Senator Morse emphasized the
obligation of the present gener-
alton to guarantee an adequate
supply Of pure water here for
the future generations.
Former March Recalled
Representative Smith, Demo-
crat OF Virginia, attending the
hearing by invitation, recalled
that the Army Engineers plan
/ for construction Of IA dams iip-
stream from Washington were
halted few years ago by q
march on Washington" by pro-
testing farmers, who didn't want
their lands flooded.
Mr.. Smith brought out that
the chief Of Engineers Of the
Army, at that time, said he had
not approved Of these dam pro-
posals. Col. Adams said ac-
tually the chief Of Engineers ct
the time had neither approved
fnor disapproved the proposal,
which had been drawn UP by
subordinates.
Top PEPCO officials yesterday
defended their tentative plans
for development Of the new plant
at L0udoun County.
Mr.. Dunn said the company
Is deeply interested in Washing
ton and its environs and that
|PEPCC would do nothing con-
sidered adverse to the National
Capital.
We win do everything in our
power" Mr.. Dunn said, ITO pre-
serve the welfare Of the District. !.
Reports that PEPCo had