Evening star., 1960-02-23
Pollution Bill
IsVetoed by
Eisenhower
Says Responsibility
Lies With States,
Locul Governments
By GARNETT d. HORNER
Star Stan Writer

u
Star Stan Writer
President Eisenhower in
formed Congress today that he
has vetoed a 5000 million water
pollution control bill because
it would provide excuses for
inaction" by State and local
authorities.
The veto was a blow to Po-
tomac River communities. The
District had hoped to speed its
program of separating storm
and sewage lines with the ad-
ditional grants. Many Mary
land, Virginia and West Vir-
ginia communities, which do
not have enough money to
build sewage treatment plants.
had been counting on Federal
funds to construct such
facilities.
The President insisted in q
veto message to Congress that
State and local governments
have primary responsibility for
solving the water pollution
problem because such pollu-
ton 'is a uniquely local blight"
Cooperation Offered
But he proposed a four
point program of appropriate
Federal cooperation" with
States and localities in tackling
the problem.
Asserting that the country's
rivers are a "pricelss national
asset" the President said he
Fundamentally favors such CO.
operation although the princi-
pal responsibility for keeping
rivers clean must be exercised
at a local level"
The vetoed bill would have
authorized an increase in Fed
eral grants to cities for aid
in building sewage-treatment
works ffom $50 million to $50
million annually, and from $500
million to 5000 million in the
aggregate.
"WOuId Tempt Delay"
by holding forth the prom
Use of a large-scale program of
Ilong-term Federal support, "
Mr.. Eisenhower said. lit would
tempt municipalities to delay
essential water-pollution abate-
ment efforts while they waited
for Federal grants"
He added that the Federal
Government should stimulate
State and local actions rather
than provide excuses for mac
ton"
House leaders, sure the veto
would come. already have laid
plans to attempt to override
it, perhaps Thursday. They
aren't optimistic about the
prospects, however. When the
House passed the bill last year,
the 253-142 vote was II short
of the two-thirds needed to
override.
But they do figure some Re-
publicanS may be hurt in the
November election if they vote
to support a veto of a bill that
would offer financial help to
cities over the country for
building sewage disposal plants.
Today's veto was the first of
the new session of Congress.
The President announced
that he has asked Welfare Sec
retary Flemming to arrange
for a national conference on
water pollution to be held next
December to provide a forum
in which all concerned can
confront and better appreciate
their mutual responsibility for
solving this pressing problem.
FOur-Point Program
His four-point program in
cluded these other steps pro-
posed for the Federal Govern
ment:
l. Legislation to strengthen
enforcement provisions of the
Federal Water Pollution Act
so that the Federal Govern
ment can move more quickly
in cases where water pollution
is beyond the powers of single
State.
2. Modest" financial assist
ance for control programs by
States and interstate water
pollution control agencies.
3. Expanded research to help
develop better methods for con-
trolling water pollution.
Mr.. Eisenhower said the
December water pollution con-
ference should help local tax
payers and business concerns
to realize the obligation they
have to help prevent pollution,
1T is unconscionable," he
added, "for one town or city to
dump untreated or inadequately
treated sewage into a stream OF
river without regard to the i'm
pact of such action on the lives
of downstream neighbors.
Local taxpayers should be
willing to assume the burdens
necessary to bring such prac-
tices to a halt. Businessmen
and industrialists must face up
TO the expenditures they must
take if industrial pollutants are
to be removed from the Ma
tion'S waters"