An Act to amend the Water Pollution Control Act in order to provide for the control of air pollution.
PL 84-159 (S.928), enacted 07/14/1955

PUBLIC LAW 159-JULY 14, 1955 
[69 S T A T . 
July 14,1955 
[S. 928] 
Public Law 159 
CHAPTER 360 
AN ACT 
To provide research and technical assistance relating to air pollution control. 
Air 
p o l l u t i o n 
control. 
Authority. 
S u r v e y s 
upon 
local request. 
Reports. 
^propriation. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That in recognition 
of the dangers to the public health and welfare, injury to agricultural 
crops and livestock, damage to and deterioration of property, and 
hazards to air and ground transportation, from air pollution, it is 
hereby declared to be the policy of Congress to preserve and protect 
the primary responsibilities and rights of the States and local govern-
ments in controlling air pollution, to support and aid technical research 
to devise and develop methods of abating such pollution, and to pro-
vide Federal technical services and financial aid to State and local 
government air pollution control agencies and other public or private 
agencies and institutions in the formulation and execution of their 
air pollution abatement research programs. To this end, the Secre-
tary of Health, Education, and Welfare and the Surgeon General of 
the Public Health Service (under the supervision and direction of 
the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare) shall have the 
authority relating to air pollution control vested in them respectively 
by this Act. 
SEC, 2. (a) The Surgeon General is authorized, after careful inves-
tigation and in cooperation with other Federal agencies, with State 
and local government air pollution control agencies, wdth other public 
and private agencies and institutions, and with the industries involved, 
to prepare or recommend research programs for devising and develop-
ing methods for eliminating or reducing air pollution. For the pur-
pose of this subsection the Surgeon General is authorized to make 
joint investigations with any such agencies or institutions. 
(b) The Surgeon General may (1) encourage cooperative activities 
by State and local governments for the prevention and abatement of 
air pollution; (2) collect and disseminate information relating to air 
pollution and the prevention and abatement thereof; (3) conduct in 
the Public Health Service, and support and aid the conduct by State 
and local government air pollution control agencies, and other public 
and private agencies and institutions of, technical research to devise 
and develop methods of preventing and abating air pollution; and (4) 
make available to State and local government air pollution control 
agencies, other public and private agencies and institutions, and 
industries, the results of surveys, studies, investigations, research, and 
experiments relating to air pollution and the prevention and abatement 
thereof. 
SEC, 3. The Surgeon General may, upon request of any State or local 
government air pollution control agency, conduct investigations and 
research and make surveys concerning any specific problem of air 
pollution confronting such State or local government air pollution 
control agency with a view to recommending a solution of such 
problem. 
SEC. 4. The Surgeon General shall prepare and publish from time to 
time reports of such surveys, studies, investigations, research, and 
experiments made under the authority of this Act as he may consider 
desirable, together with appropriate recommendations with regard to 
the control of air pollution. 
SEC. 5. (a) There is hereby authorized to be appropriated to the 
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare for each of the five 
fiscal years during the period beginning July 1,1955, and ending June 
30,1960, not to exceed $5,000,000 to enable it to carry out its functions 
under this Act and, in furtherance of the policj'^ declared in the first 
69 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 160-JULY 15, 1955 
328 
section of this Act, to (1) make grants-in-aid to State and local gov-
ernment air pollution control agencies, and other public and private 
agencies and institutions, and to individuals, for research, training, 
and demonstration projects, and (2) enter into contracts with public 
and private agencies and institutions and individuals for research, 
training, and demonstration projects. 
Such grants-in-aid and con-
tracts may be made without regard to sections 3648 and 3709 of the 
Revised Statutes. 
Sums appropriated for such grants-in-aid and con-
tracts shall remain available until expended, and shall be allotted by 
the Surgeon General in accordance with regulations prescribed by 
the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. 
SEC. 6. When used in this Act— 
(a) The term "State air pollution control agency" means the State 
health authority, except that in the case of any State in which there 
is a single State agency other than the State health authority charged 
with responsibility for enforcing State laws relating to the abatement 
of air pollution, it means such other State agency; 
(b) The term "local government air pollution control agency" 
means a city, county, or other local government health authority, 
except that in the case of any city, county, or other local government 
in which there is a single agency other than the health authority 
charged with responsibility for enforcing ordinances or laws relating 
to the abatement of air pollution, it means such other agency; and 
(c) The term "State" means a State or the District of Columbia. 
SEC. 7. Nothing contained in this Act shall limit the authority of 
any department or agency of the United States to conduct or make 
grants-in-aid or contracts for research and experiments relating to 
air pollution under the authority of any other law. 
Approved July 14, 1955. 
Grants-in-aid 
and contracts. 
60 Stat. 809. 
31 use 529; 41 
use 5. 
Definitions. 
Public Law 160 
CHAPTER 367 
JOINT RESOLUTION 
To modify the authorized project for Ferrells Bridge Reservoir, Texas, and to 
provide for the local cash contribution for the water supply feature of that 
reservoir. 
July 15,1955 
[S. J. Res. 77] 
Resolved hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled^ That the general plan for 
flood control on Red River below Denison Dam, authorized by the 
Flood Control Act of 1946 (Public Law 526, Seventy-ninth Congress) 
is hereby modified to include in Ferrells Bridge Reservoir approxi-
mately two hundred and fifty thousand acre-feet of increased storage 
for water supply: Provided^ That local interests shall contribute the 
increased cost, including appropriate interest charges, of planning, 
constructing, operating, and maintaining such added storage as deter-
mined by the Chief of Engineers: Provided further^ That this con-
tribution may be made on a percentage basis as construction of the 
project progresses or in a lump sum as soon as a reasonably certain 
date of completion can be given: And provided further^ That pay-
ment of such contribution, irrespective of the method selected, shall 
be made no later than at such time as may be determined by the Chief 
of Engineers that will assure orderly construction to proceed to com-
pletion without interruption or delay. 
Approved July 15, 1955. 
Ferrells Bridge 
Reservoir, Tex. 
60 Stat. 647. 
Local 
tion. 
contribu-