Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-14
Area Allotted
$5OO,OOO in
Federal Funds

Potomac River Basin authors
tiles will meet tomorrow to learn
details of the tentative allot-
ment of well over 100000 in
Federal funds apportioned to
help the Washington area rid
its streams of pollution.
Public Health Service Regional
Engineer C. H. Atkins is slated
to confer with Ellis S. Tisdale.
director. and David v. Aud. leg
islative committee chairman, Of
the Interstate Commission on
the Potomac River Basin. Mr..
Aud is director or sanitary en-
gineering for the District Of
Columbia.
The D. C. area fund is part
of $50 million approved for
Nationwide distribution under
the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act of 1856.
All but SO million of the app
preparation will be used in the
construction of sewage treatment
work. OF the SO million, two.
thirds goes toward assisting 10.
cal jurisdictions in planning for
pollution attachments. while the
remaining 81 million covers Fed
eral administrative expenses.
Limit On Grants
The limit on each grant to
be made on a matching basis
is 80 per cent-or $3.50. 900. which
ever is less-of the cost of the
individual construction projects.
Each project must meet stand
ards established by the health
service which administers the
act.
The amount allotted to five
States whose waters constitutes
the Potomac basin totals more
than $50 million. The break
down by jurisdiction:
District - $445 $50; Maryland
l-$750.350; Virginia-$1 OPT ,450;
West Virginia-$89l ,525; PENN
sylvania-$2 .097 $50.
Speaking as chief of the Dis
trict's pollution abatement pro-
gram, Mr.. Aud asserted the con-
struction program here is "suf.
ficiently big to use all the Fed
eral money that has been alr
, loted to U.S."
Two Priority Jobs
He referred to the city's two
top priority jobs: construction OF
, the second half of the secondary
treatment plant at Blue Plains
and the separation of the storm
! water-sanitary sewage system Of
Southwest Washington in con-
nection with the redevelopment
program there.
More than one-half of the $12
million addition to the treatment
plant already is under contract.
Federal aid could apply only to
. the balance not yet contracted
/. for. Waste disposal plans for
the Southwest still are in a pre-
liminary stage. u,
Part of Maryland's Federal
apportionment could be applied
to help pay for the treatment
plant improvements at Blue
Plains. This is so since the
State, through the Washington
, Suburban Sanitary Commission,
has agreed to share proportion.
ately in the cost of sewage facil.
tiles operted by the District.
Suburban sections controlled by
WSSC ultimately will contribute
about 80 per cent of the sewage
to be treated at Blue Plains.
Alexandria Program
The Alexandria Sanitation
Authority which recently COM
: pleted an extensive sewage col
lection and treatment system for
; the city and parts of Fairfax
County probably will be entitled
to receive Federal aid in a pro-
gram to separate an old com.
!. bined sewage system in Alexan.
dria proper.
: When Arlington County de.
lcides to improve its present pri-
mary sewage treatment plant
lit. too. may be entitled to some
of the Federal grants appof-
toned to Virginia.
Relatively minor amounts Of
the allotments to West Vir-
ginia. Virginia and Pennsyl-
vania could be applied toward
clearing pollution in the up
stream reaches Of the Potomac's
basin.
Potomac Commission officials
hope for at least $4,000 in Fed.
eral grants-part OF a sum ap-
propriated under the act to help
finance Interstate pollution
abatement agencies across the
country. That amount is the
present operating budget OF the
commission.
An additional $4,000 would
enable the commission TO begin
a comprehensive study Of Wash.
ington area pollution problems
such as that envisaged by now
dead legislation which proposed
a $250.000 expenditure toward
that end.