Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-08

loI deaItn ana PUBIC Servico
Commission. Two Of the agen-
cies, the Pollution Board and
Department of Mines. gave the
gas company a measure Of APP
proval when they permitted
construction Of test wells.
Inert gas Chemically mac
tive) was pumped into the test
well. The company said the
test was a complete success.
The Washington Gas Light
Co. began its exploration work
in q l2-square-mile rectangular
area II miles southeast Of
downtown Washington in 1858.
These explorations established
that 1900 to 1900 feet beneath
the surface lay q large sand
stone formation In the shape Of
an inverted bowl.
Tight Clay Cap
Under this lay q thick band
of clay and water and above a
dense. gas-tight clap cap. In
their educational campaign, gas
company representatives ex-
planned to area residents that
these underground formations
were similar to actual gas fields
that invisible molecules Of
gas pumped into the sandstone
would merely duplicate the
manner in which nature stores
gas.
The company cited the sllc-
cess Of gas storage in depleted
fields in Kentucky, Pennsyl-
yania, Illinois and elsewhere.
In their appearances before
civic and service groups they
explained that such fields have
been in use since 1919 with ex.
cellent safety records. Today,
there are over 200 underground
storage fields in operation in
the United States.
One Of the early arguments
of those opposed 10 the field
was that seeping gas would
contaminate water supplies.
Biologists answered this by ex-
| planning that the inverted bowl
shape of the clay cap will keep
it from "seeping cut" at the
ends Of the field. They also
/ point out that the deepest water
wells in the area were less than
500 feet while the gas storage
wells would be 1900 feet deep.
These wells will be separated
from the water-bearing sand by
the clay cap.
Recently, opponents Of the
gas storage plan argued that !
field at Hersher, H., leaked gas
after 1t was put into use in
1858.
Had Old Wells
what was not pointed out. I"
said a gas company official, lis
that this was q field with many
old wells. Some of them may
not have been sealed up"
Since the trouble in 1858,
the leaks were stopped and the
Herscher field is being used
for gas storage.
The campaign Of the oppon-
ents of the Brandywine gas
storage field has contrasted
sharply with the educational
program of the company. The
utility sent its representatives
from home to home. to meet.
ings-and the legislature-ex.
planning the desirability of the
gas storage field. The firm
bought full page newspaper adj
vertisements and sent out cards
to Prince Georges County Gus.
toners. The cards urged app
proval Of legislation sought by
the company.
While the company's cam.
paign was a big one, it was
primarily a "Soft-sell." The
company depended on persua-
sion with facts and SHE'D away
from emotional appeals.
The utility cited the in
creased cost Of gas piped $500
miles across the country from
Louisiana and Texas. Along
with the price 1t pays for gas.
the company also pays a de
mand" charge. This. says the
company. sis a fee based on the
greatest amount of natural gas
the mpaI1y requires the
transmission company to de-
liver in any single day" II
added:
Costs More
This charge is al
most 10 per cent Of total pay
ments to the pipeline company.
This charge continues to be
levied each month regard
less of whether the maximum
amount Of gas is being deliv-
cred or only a fraction Of the
pipeline capacity is needed.
ION a cold winter day the
Metropolitan area uses almost
10 times as much gas as on
a hot midsummer day. Because
of this demand charge, one
especially cold day can result
and has resulted-in a mil
lion dollars of additional
annual payment"
Opponents Of the field have
carried on different kind of
campaign. best illustrated by
newspaper advertisements they
have run. One ad said:
Attention property owners!
Should Brandywine District
property owners stand to be
condemned to a gas house dis
trict? Will you risk this cloud
upon the title of your property?
1t has been alleged that such
storage may affect your water
supply and may create a
danger of explosion"
The response to these adver-
tisementS. as calculated from
letters received by the Prince
Clearance C0,,,afy dolo0oH;o,,