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THE ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR
POLLUTION ABATEMENT
.~.......... ~.. ~ ......... ~ ......~. ~ fl...
HEARINGS
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON
SCIENCE, RESEARCH, AND DEVELOPMENT
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON
SCIENCE AND ASTRONAUTICS
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
EIGHTY-NINTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
VOLUME II
JULY 20, 21, 26, 27, 28; AUG. 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 17; AND SEPT. 19, 1966
[No. 7]
Printed for the use of the Committee on Science and Astronautics
0
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFIOE
68-2400 WASHINGTON : 196G
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COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND ASTRONAIJTIC:5
OLIN E. TEAGUE, Texas
JOSEPH E~ KARTH, Minnesota
KEN HECHLER, West Virginia
EMILIO Q. DADDARIO, Connecticut
J. EDWARD ROUSE, Indiana
JOHN W. DAVIS, Georgia
WILLIAM F. RYAN, New York
THOMAS N. DOWNING, Virginia
JOE D. WAGGONNER, JR., Louisiana
DON FUQUA, Florida
CARL ALBERT, Oklahoma
ROY A. TAYLOR, North Carolina
GEORGE B. BROWN, Ja., California
WALTER H. MOELLER, Ohio
WILLIAM R. ANDERSON, Tennessee
LESTER L. WOLFF, New York
WESTON B. VIVIAN, Michigan
GALE SCHISL1IIR, Illinois
WILLIAM J. GREEN, Pennsylvania
EARLE CABELL, Texas
CHARLES F. D1YCANDER, Executive Director and Chief Counsel
JOHN A. CARSTARPHEN, Chief Clerk and Counsel
PHILIP B. YDAGER, Counnel
FRANK R. HAMMILL, Jr., Counsel
W. H. BOONE, Chief Technical Consultant
RICHARD P. HINES, staff Consultant
PETER A. GERARDI, Technical Consultant
JAMES B. WILSON, Technical Consultant
HAROLD A. GorVD, Technical Consultant
PHILIP P. DICKINSON, Technkai Consultant
JOSEPH M. Fsi~rOy, Counsel
ELIZABETH S. KERNAN, Scientific Research Assistant
FRANK J. GIROUX, Clerk
DENIS C. QUIGLE!, P4~blicat4ons Clerk
J. EDWARD ROUSH, Indiana CHARLES A. MOSHER, Ohio
JOHN W. DAVIS, Georgia ALPHONZO BELL, California
JOE D. WAGGONNER~ JR., Louisiana BARBER B. CONABLE, JR., New York
GEORGE B. BROWN, JR., california
WESTON E~ VIVIAN, Michigan
GEORGE P. MILLER, California, Chairman
JOSEPH W. MARTIN, JR., Massachusetts
JAMES G. FULTON, Pennsylvania
CHARLES £ MOSHER, Ohio
RICHARD L. ROUDEBUSH, Indiana
ALPIIONZO BELL, California
THOMAS M. PELLY, Washington
DONALD RUMSFELD, Illinois
EDWARD J. GURNEY, Florida
JOHN W. WYDLER, New York
BARBER B CONABLE, JR., New York
SUBCOMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, RESEARCH, AND DEVELOPMENT
EMILIO Q. DADDARIO,, Connecticut, Chairman
II
PETER A. GERARDI, Technical Consultant
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* CONTENTS
VOLUME II
Appendix 1: Responses by witnesses to questions subsequently submitted
by the Subcommittee on Science, Research, and Development:
Responses by witnesses from the Department of Health, Education, Page
and Welfare (see testimony starting on p. 31, vol. I) 606
Responses by witnesses from the Federal Water Pollution Control
Administration (see testimony starting on p. 133, vol. I) 725
Responses by witnesses from the Department of Defense (see testi-
mony starting on p. 154, vol. I) 771
Response by Mr. Bertram C. Raynes, Rand Development Corp.
(see testimony starting on p. 189, vol. I) 783
Response by Mr. David C. Knowlton, Knowlton Bros., Inc. (see
testimony starting on p. 207, vol. I) 785
Response by Mr. William E. Warne, California Department of Water
Resources (see testimony starting on p. 225, vol. I) 791
Response by Bureau of Mines, Department of Interior (see testi-
mony starting on p. 257, vol. I) 793
Response by Mr. P. N. Gammelgard, American Petroleum Institute
(see testimony starting on p. 297, vol. I) 796
Response by Dr. Arthur M. Bueche, General Electric Co. (see
testimony starting on p. 325, vol. I) 800
Response by Dr. Charles A. Bishop, United States Steel Corp. (see
testimony starting on p. 334, vol. I) 819
Response by Dr. Cohn M. MacLeod, Executive Office of the President
(see testimony starting on p. 347, vol. I) 820
Response by Dr. John L. Buckley, Department of the Interior (see
testimony starting on p. 365, vol. I) 822
Response by Mr. John 0. Logan, Manufacturing Chemist's Associa-
tion (see testimony starting on p. 391, vol. I) 823
Response by witnesses from Tennessee Valley Authority (see testi-
mony starting on p. 413, vol. I) 826
Appendix 2: Prepared statements:
R. K. Linsley, Stanford University 830
Mill Creek Research Council, Inc 836
B. Allegaert, International Pipe & Ceramics Corp 842
R. Dubos, Rockefeller University 844
A. Radin, American Public Pow~er Association- 847
G. A. Hoffman, University of California 853
W. A. Lyon, Pennsylvania Department of Health 873
P. Sporn, American Electric Power Co., Inc 881
E. L. Wilson, Industrial Gas Cleaning Institute, Inc 890
Congressman Don Edwards (California) 893
E. P. Partridge, Calgon Corp~ 897
Atomic Energy Commission 899
J. R. Garvey, Bituminous Coal Research, Inc 908
III
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APPENDIX 1
RESPONSE BY WITNESSES
TO QUESTIONS SUBSEQUENTLY SUBMITTED
BY THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON SCIENCE,
RESEARCH, AND DEVELOPMENT
605
PAGENO="0006"
RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS OF THE SUBCOMMrrrEE ON SOIENCE, RESEARQH,
AND DEVELOPMENT BY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND
WELFARE
Question 1: Please provide a listing of all contracts and grants con.-
cerning research and development in the area of pollution abatement
within the jurisdiction of your agency for the last several years, up
to the most current date for which statistics are available. Included
in such listing should be a breakout by category of contract versus
grant; university, industry, in-house effort; or other; basic research,
applied research, and development; and general subject of research
contract or grant. Also provide estimated amounts of funds to be
obligated during fiscal year 1967, by type of research and by type of
pollution research area.
Answer: The requested information, broken out by air pollution
activities and those pertaining to solid waste pollution activities is
contained in the following summary tables. Detailed listings of all
in-house research projects, grants, and other activities for both areas
are available in the committee files.
TABLE No. 1.-Air pollution research and development by performer
[In thousands of dollars]
Year
I State
Federal and
operations lo,al
egencles
Univer-
sities
Other
nonprofits
Profit
organiza-
tions
Other
Total
Fiscal year 1964~ 5, 266
Fiscal year 1965.~. 5, 722
Fiscal year 1066.... 7, 041
Subtotal...... 18, 029
Fiscal year 19671..
Total
118
120
64
4, 154
4, 655
4, 974
679
959
1, 224
188
397
607
2
10, 407
11, 853
13, 910
302
13, 783
2, 862
1, 192
2
36, 170
17, 784
1:_il
954
I Estimate.
TABLE No. 2.-Air pollution research and development by type ~f
research
[In thousands of dollars]
Year
Basic
Applied
Develop-
ment
Total
Fiscal year 1964 1, 449
Fiscal year 1965 1, 517
Fiscal year 1966 1, 922
Subtotal 4, 888
Fiscal year 1967 1
Total
7, 591
8, 878
9, 987
1, 367
1, 458
2,001
10, 407
11, 853
13, 910
26, 456
4, 826
36, 170
17, 784
1 Estimate.
606
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ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLtJTION ABATEMENT 607
TABLE No. 3.-Air poZlv~tion research and development by research
activity
[In thousands of dollars]
Year A
B
C
Total
Fiscal year 1964
Fiscal year 1965
Fiscal year 1966
Subtotal
Fiscal year 1967 1
Total
5,490
6,539
7, 945
3, 156
3,483
4, 137
1,761
1,831
1, 828
10, 407
11,853
13, 910
19, 974
10, 776
5, 420
36, 170
17, 784
1 Estimate.
Nopz.-Subcategory A equals identification, measurement, and control of air pollution. Subcategory
B equals medical and biological studies. Subcategory C equals community and other field studies.
Office of Solid IlTastes applied research contracts by performer for
fiscal year 1966 to fiscal year 1967
(In thousands of dollars]
Fiscal year 1966 Fiscal year 1967 1
Number Amount Number Amount
University
Nonprofit organizations
Profitmaking organizations
Total
1
3
10
271
8
2
5
300
50
300
4
381
15
650
1 Estimated.
Office of Solid Wastes project contracts by performer for fiscal year
1966 to fiscal year 1967
(In thousands of dollars] /
Fiscal year 1966
Fiscal year 1967 1
Number
Amount
Number
Amount
University
Nonprofit organizations
Profitmaking organizations
Federal agencies
Total
._._ ._ ..___ --- ....._ ..~._ ._........ .* .. ---- - ._
1
1
86
370
2
1
1
`~
50
25
395
2
.....__ ..____ .___
456
._____-_-_ -~-~
7
- -
545
-~-
1 EstImated.
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608 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
Office of Solid Wastes demo~strcttion grants by performer for fiscal
year 1966 to fiscal year 1967
(In thousands of dollars]
Fiscal year 1966
Fiscal year 1967 1
Number
Amount
Number
Amount
University 3
State government agency 1
Local government agency 14
Other nonprofit organizations 1
Total 19
253
134
1, 352
250
5
4
35
2
720
440
3, 340
500
1, 989
46
5, 000
1 Estimated.
Office of Solid Wastes research grants for fiscal year 1966 to fiscal year
1967
(In thousands of dollars]
Fiscal year 1966 Fiscal year 1967 1
Number
Amount
Number
Amount
Universities
State government agencies
Local government agencies
Other nonprofit organizations
Total
18
2
4
699
62
92
36
4
5
1, 450
140
17D
24
853
45
1,769
1 Estimated.
Office of Solid Wastes graduate training grants to universities for
fiscal year 1966 to fiscal year 1967
[In thousands of dollars]
Fiscal year 1966
Fiscal year 1967 1
Number Amount
Number
Amount
Universities
Total
4 150
8
350
4 150
8
350
1 Estimated.
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ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 609
OffIce of Solid Wastes State and interstate planning grants for fiscal
year 1966 to fiscal year 1967
[In thousands of dollars]
Fiscal year 1966
Fiscal year 1967 1
Number
Amount
Number
Amount
State
Interstate
Total
14
400
29
1,000
14
400
29
1, 000
`Estimated.
N0TE.-In accordance with the Solid Wastes Disposal Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-272) these grants are
awarded only to State and/or interstate agencies.
Question 2. If all desirable research, in the view of yowr agency, were
to be funded, what would be the estimated funds on an annual basis
needed for what type of research and in what areas~
Answer. In his prepared statement to the subcommittee on July 21,
Mr. Arthur C. Stern, Assistant Chief of the Division of Air Pollution,
presented a detailed discussion of the present status of technology for
the control of air pollution and needs for additional research and de-
velopment in such areas as control of pollution from motor vehicles,
fuel combustion, and various industrial operations. Mr. Stern also
discussed needs for additional knowledge of the health hazards of air
pollution. The accompanying report, entitled "Research in Air Pol-
lution: Current Trends" (see p. 612) provides additional information
from the Division of Air Pollution. The other reports enclosed in this
section provide assessments of the current situation from the stand-
point of publications which are widely circulated in science and
industry.
Over the past several years, Federal expenditures for research in air
pollution have increased steadily. The combined annual expenditure
for in-house, grant-supported, and contract-supported research has
grown approximately sevenfold since 1960, from slightly more than
$2 million to some $14 million. A further increase of about $4 million
is contemplated in the pending appropriations request for the air pol-
lution program for fiscal 1967. In addition, Senate bill 3112, passed
by the Senate on July 12, 1966, would authorize additional appropria-
tions for fiscal 1967. Of the proposed additional amount, about $2.1
million would be devoted to research. Thus, the total research invest-
ment in fiscal 1967 may be in the area of $20 million.
That a still greater investment in research will be necessary in sub-
sequent years is beyond question. The enactment of the Clean Air Act
(Public Law 88-206) in 1963 and major amendments (Public Law
89-272) to it in 1965 have substantially expanded the research and
development responsibilities assigned to the Federal air pollution
program. In addition to a broad directive for Federal research on
the causes, effects, extent, prevention, and control of air pollution, the
Clean Air Act, as amended, calls for special attention to the develop-
ment of improved, low-cost techniques for controlling sulfur-oxide
pollution arising from fuel combustion, research on the control of air
PAGENO="0010"
610 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
pollution from gasoline-powered and diesel-powered motor vehicles,
and the development of air quality criteria indicating the kind and
degree of adverse effects on human health and welfare which may be
expected from the presence in the air of specific pollutants or combina-
tions of pollutants in various concentrations. To meet these responsi-
bilities and to take advantage of new developments in technology, the
Federal Government must clearly be prepared to increase its invest-
ment in air pollution research.
To provide, a basis for estimating future needs for Federal activity
in the air pollution field, goals have been established in a number of
important categories. With respect to research and development ef-
forts, the goals that are most germane are those relating to reduction
of pollution from industrial and municipal sources, reduction of motor
vehicle pollution, control of sulfur-oxide pollution arising from fuel
combustion, and the development of air quality criteria.
For industrial and municipal sources of air pollution, the goal is a
25-percent reduction in emissions by 1975. Industrial operations, in-
cluding manufacture of chemicals, cement, and pulp and paper,
petroleum refining, mining, and metallurgical processes, and munici-
pal activities, primarily refuse disposal, constitute major sources of
air pollution in most parts of the country. Emissions from most such
sources can be significantly reduced through the application of cur-
rently available technical knowledge and equipment; the fact that this
technical capability is not being fully utilized is mainly a reflection
of the inadequacy of State and local governmental air pollution con-
trol programs. Expansion of regulatory control programs is clearly
the most important single step that must be taken to achieve the 1975
goal with respect to control of industrial and municipal sources of air
pollution. But there can be no doubt that additional research and
development will also be required; a need clearly exists for more
effective and more economical control techniques. The estimated
requirement for Federal spending for research in this area through
fiscal year 1970 is $20 to $30 million.
For motor vehicle pollution, the goal is a 25-percent reduction in
emissions by 1975, a 40-percent reduction by 1985, and the development
of an essentially pollution-free automotive propulsion system by 1985.
The reasons why increasingly stringent control of emissions from the
present-type motor vehicles will be needed in the next 20 years and
why other approaches to this problem may be needed in subsequent
years were presented in detail in testimony by Tinder Secretary Cohen
and Mr. Stern. Through fiscal 1970. the needed Federal expenditure
for research and development in this area is estimated to be $20
million.
For sulfur-oxide noilution arising from combustion of fossil futels,
the goal is to establish by 1970 the technical and economic feasibility
of various engineering control methods and, in the meantime, seek
the application of available measures, e.g., greater use of low-sulfur
fuels, for preventing further worsening of this problem in urban areas
where it is already very serious. This problem was discussed in some
detail in the prepared statements by Under Secretary Cohen and Mr.
Stern. For the period 1966-70, the needed Federal expenditure is
estimated to be $25 million.
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ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 611
The final goal is the development by 1970 of air quality criteria for
all major classes of air pollutants known to be harmful to man, ani-
mals, plants, and materials. There is already a substantial body of
scientific evidence relating to the adverse effects of air pollutants
acting alone or in combination with one another. This evidence pro-
vides ample justification for strenuous efforts to reduce air pollution
in all parts of the United States. But as control efforts are expanded
and as knowledge of the impact of air pollution improves, guidelines
indicating the degree of control needed to protect the public health
and welfare against various adverse effects of air pollution will be
increasingly useful. The development of such guidelines-in the form
of air quality criteria-is already in progress. The additional activity
directly involved in developing criteria and in seeking needed addi-
tional knowledge of the harmful effects of air pollution will require
an estimated expenditure of $55 million at the Federal level during
the next 4 years.
Thus, in th~ four areas discussed above, the requirement for research
and development efforts at the Federal level in the next 4 years is
estimated at $130 million. This figure does not include expenditures
for research and development concerned with other aspects of air
pollution or for such activities as Federal technical and financial
assistance to State and local control agencies, abatement of interstate
air pollution problems, administering regulations for the control of
motor vehicle pollution, and the various other responsibilities assigned
to the Federal program by the Clean Air Act, as amended. The need
for continuing increases in Federal budgeting for air pollution activi-
ties is quite clear. Senate bill 3112, passed by the Senate on July 12,
would authorize appropriations of $46 million for the current fiscal
year, $70 million for fiscal 1968, and $80 million for fiscal 1969. These
figures are in line with projections made by the Division of Air
Pollution.
But the Federal Government should not-and cannot-be expected
to bear the total responsibility for dealing with the modern air pollu-
tion problem. State and local governments must certainly be expand-
ing their activities and increasing their budgets for air pollution
control; moreover, industry is still not engaged in research and control
efforts commensurate with its contribution to the air pollution prob-
lem and its proper share of the responsibility for bringing the problem
under control. The total expenditure needed to deal effectively with
air pollution in the next few years will inevitably be several times
greater than present levels of spending by government and industry.
The cost of a truly effective control effort will indeed be substantial,
at least in terms of the dollars that must be spent for research and
control programs and for control equipment. But to the Nation as
a whole, the result will clearly be a net gain, for air pollution is
already costing billions of dollars in economic losses every year-far
more than it will cost to achieve better control; moreover, the benefits
of better control will also include an' immeasurable saving in terms of
protection against the serious hazards which air pollution now poses
to human life and health.
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612 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
Reprinted from AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Vol. 55, No. 7, July, 1965
Copyright by the American Public Health Association, Inc., 1790 Broadway, New York, N. Y. 10019
Air pollution has been recognized as one of our major environmental health
problems, but much about it requires investigation. A review of current
research trends is presented in terms of two over-all categories:
medical-biological and physical-engineering. As more is learned, the
nature of the problems becomes clearer, and it becomes possible
to approach further investigation and control of air pollution
more rationally.
RESEARCH IN AIR POLLUTION: CURRENT TRENDS
John H. Ludwig, Sc.D., F.A.P.H.A., and B. J. Steigerwald, Ph.D.
IN 1963 there were approximately 500
I air pollution projects totalling about
$20 million under investigation in the
United States. This presentation includes
the following: (1) a very brief discus-
sion of the classification of these projects
into medical-biological and engineering-
physical science categories, and of the
types of organizations conducting and
funding this research, and (2) a dis-
cussion of the more important research
problems now under investigation in
these two major categories. The discus-
sion of the medical-biological field will
be more limited than that of the engineer-
ing-physical sciences. We will attempt
in both areas to extend our discussion of
present research into areas of future
need, at least as these needs are antici-
pated at the present time.
Current Air Pollution Research Projects
The total dollar effort in air pollution
research in 1962 was divided roughly
into 29 per cent for medical.biological-
epidemiological studies, 31 per cent for
survey and monitoring, and 40 per cent
for engineering-physical sciences projects.
Of the latter 40 per cent, 18 per cent:
was expended in chemistry and physics,
8 per cent for meteorology, and 14 per
cent for engineering studies.
Roughly 37 per cent of the total re-
search was conducted by universities, 31
per cent by federal agencies, 15 per cent
by industry, 8 per cent by private re-
search organizations, and 9 per cent by
state and local governmental agencies.
Sixty per cent of the support for these
projects came from the federal govern-
ment, 15 per cent from industry, and the
remaining 25 per cent in about equal
amounts from universities, state agencies,
local agencies, and various private
groups.
As might be expected, a large share
(22 per cent) of this research was con-
ducted in California; 19 per cent in
Ohio, most of which reflects the work of
the Robert A. Taft Sanitary Engineering
Center; 10 per cent in New York; 10
per cent in the District of Columbia,
again reflecting federal efforts; 7 per
cent in Michigan, and the balance in
other states.
The federal funding which represents,
as previously indicated, 60 per cent of
the total, was expended approximately
as follows: 35 per cent in Public Health
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ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 613
Service facilities, 11 per cent in facilities
of other federal agencies (Bureau of
Mines, National Bureau of Standards,
Weather Bureau), 18 per cent by con-
tract research outside the government
(universities, industries, etc.) and 36
per cent in research grants, the largest
share of which went to universities.
Medical-Biological Research
Medical-biological research specifically
related to air pollution has been carried
on extensively only since the inaugura-
tion of the federal air pollution program
in 1955. Extensive background data, a
good deal of which are directly trans-
ferable to the air pollution field, are
available from previous studies spe-
cifically related to other areas of interest,
principally industrial hygiene or occu-
pational health. Current medical-bio-
logical studies may be divided into two
major areas: controlled biological ex-
perimentation and epidemiological in-
vestigations.
The former is confined mainly to the
laboratory and uses as experimental sub-
jects for measurement of effects the
gamut of biological systems ranging
from microorganisms, biochemical sys-
tems, such as enzymes and tissue cul-
tures, to plants, animals and humans-
Exposure studies also have been carried
to the field to avail the researcher of
actual polluted atmospheres rather than
laboratory simulations. The extensive
animal studies under way at several lo-
cations in Los Angeles and the citrus
studies at Uplands, California, are exam-
ples of the latter,
Epidemiological investigations may be
subdivided into two major areas. The
first of these comprises field investiga-
tions, in which mortality, gross morbid-
ity, or some indicator of health status,
vegetation damage, corrosion, and the
like, are measured and correlated with
current air pollution levels. Since the
main avenue of insult of air pollution
to the human is through the respiratory
system, these studies have stressed and
continue to emphasize respiratory ill'
nesses of many types or respiratory
function testing. The second area of epi-
demiology encompasses studies of mor-
tality and morbidity records and their
correlation with existing demographic,
soclo-economic, meteorological, and air-
quality information. As one might ex-
pect, such statistical studies tend to
provide leads for further intensive field
investigations rather than definitively
indicating cause-effect relationships.
Today's areas of emphasis for medical
effect research in air pollution are veer-
ing considerably from traditional in-
vestigations of the past. Because of the
low-concentration, long-term nature of
air pollution exposures, present investi-
gations center on the evaluation of and
search for functional changes in both
epidemiological and laboratory studies
in contrast to previous studies that used
mortality, gross morbidity, gross lung
damage, and the like, as indicators of
biological stress.
In the epidemiological field, research
now encompasses the more subtle tech-
nics, such as lung function testing or in-
vestigation of illnesses restricted to sensi-
tive portions of the population, e.g.,
asthmatics, or to those considered to be
of less serious clinical significance, e.g.,
the common cold. The emphasis is on
uncovering biological indicators of re-
sulting chronic diseases, particularly
those involving or related to the respira-
tory system. Because of the low concen-
trations of the exposures, laboratory
studies are being extended to investiga-
tions of the more subtle effects of ex-
posure, such as reaction time, color per-
ception, learning rates, spontaneous ac-
tivity, fertility, mutations in the cells
of exposed animals, and biochemical
studies.
T~e sçcond area of divergence of
~presi~4t~day medic~al research in air pol-
lution from the traditional practices
PAGENO="0014"
614 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
stems from the complex nature of the
pollution insult. Air pollution involves
a complex and constantly changing mix-
ture of gaseous, liquid, and solid chem-
ical compounds resulting in an infinite
number of dosage patterns. In addition,
the physical association of these mix-
tures is a complex, confusing, and little
understood phenomenon that is prob-
ably directly related to the insult on the
biological system. There is still much
to be learned concerning the physical
nature of pollutant mixtures to help
clarify the nature of the biological ef-
fect; this will be discussed in more de-
tail later. Medical research cannot wait
for this clarification, however, and stud-
ies are under way even though the ex-
posure system is not clearly defined. The
best examples are studies of the syner-
gistic or potentiating effects of aerosol-
gas systems, which to date have in-
volved mainly sulfur dioxide as the
gaseous component, and the use of real-
istic multicomponent exposure systems.
In addition to the complexity in
composition of the pollutant, other non-
air pollution factors may be of major
contributing importance in chronic or
infectious illness stemming from pollu-
tion of the air. Consequently, much em-
phasis is being given to studies involv-
ing pollutants plus infectious agents and
the interaction of pollutants and weather
factors. The effects of meteorology (bio-
meteorology) and of socio-economic fac-
tors further complicate the exposure
pattern of pollution insults.
Lastly, air pollution medical research
will be hard put to keep up with the
investigations of all the combinations of
pollutant mixtures that may be signifi-
cant in the development of chronic dis-
ease. Hence, it would be of significant
benefit if adequate screening technics
could be developed to point the way for
more extensive medical investigations.
A case in point, is the present attempt
to use microbiological systems (para-
mecia) as indicators of the potential car-
cinogenicity of fractions of organic ma-
terial extracted from the suspended par-
ticulate of community atmospheres. This
project is of particular interest, in that
the chemical nature of the fractions is
for the most part unknown. Information
uncovered via the biological indicator-
animal experimentation route can be
used to point up the need for chemical
identification of the specific compounds
in the fraction, tracing them back to
their sources in the community for pos-
sible control. Only a few per cent of
the organic fraction of atmospheric pol-
lution have been identified and quanti-
fied, so that any leads to candidate ma-
terials of suspected health significance
are welcome.
Air Qualify Criferia
The last item we will briefly discuss
under the medical-biological areas of
air pollution research is the develop.
ment of air quality criteria.' It is dis-
cussed here principally because man is
the air pollution receptor ~f primary
concern. The determination of air qual-
ity criteria will be greatly assisted by
medical-biological investigations, both
laboratory and epidemiological, directly
related to man or in connection with
systems that can be more or less extra-
polated to man. This by no means sig-
nifies that the physical sciences, engi-
neering investigations, and sociological
studies in air pollution are not con-
cerned with air quality criteria. Rather,
the situation should be viewed as an
ecological system with man's health as
the principal focus of attention. The ur-
gent need for cleaning the air suffi-
ciently, to assure only minimal effects
on man's health can no longer be de-
nied. This goal automatically demands
a sequence of knowledge of what levels
of pollutants are consonant with such
minimal effects; what is the status of
man's air environment; where these pol-
lutants come from, and how these
PAGENO="0015"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FO~ POLLUTION ABATEMENT 615
sources may be controlled or eliminated.
The quality and character of the air
environment, the sources of pollutants,
and their control are obvious arenas for
engineering and physical sciences re-
search.
Engineering and Physical Sciences
Research
Space does not permit an area-by-
area or project-by-project discussion of
current research in the engineering and
physical sciences. This discussion will be
directed to the principal areas under
study, focusing on those items that in
our opinion are the most pressing for
the immediate future. This approach
will not allow the discussion to proceed
in neatly tied packages representing pro-
fessional disciplines, but this is the inter-
disciplinary nature of research in the
environmental field, and particularly in
air pollution. Engineering and physical
sciences research in air pollution re-
quires a multiplicity of talents: organic
and inorganic analytical chemists; photo-
chemists, physical chemists, meteorolo-
gists; physicists; sanitary, electronic, elec-
trical, chemical, mechanical, and auto-
motive engineers; statisticians, mathe-
maticians, and data-handling specialists.
Studies closely associated with these dis-
ciplines require others, such as econo-
mists, urban planners, sociologists, and
information specialists. The field is
broad, and the talents of many are
needed.
Vehicle Emission Research
The most widely publicized area of
air pollution research concerns the na-
ture, effects, and control of vehicular
emissions. The term "vehicle emissions"
is used rather than "automobile ex-
haust" because it includes all moving
transportation sources-both gasoline-
and diesel-fueled automobiles, trucks,
and buses; and all emissions-tailpipe
exhaust, crankcase ventilation, and
evaporative losses. There is also some
concern over pollution from aircraft.
Although considerable effort has gone
into this area of research over the past
10 to 15 years, the results have mainly
served to improve our understand-
ing of the complex physical-chemical-
engineering systems involved and to
delineate areas of fruitful research for
the immediate future. Gone is the hope
for finding "the" chemical compound in
the atmosphere responsible for all effects
of California-type smog, from whence
we could trace the "culprit" to its
source and eliminate it. In lieu of this
panacea has come some understanding
of the complex nature of the problem
of vehicle emission pollution and asso-
ciated photochemical phenomena. This
understanding is vital and points the
way toward eventual solution of this par-
ticular problem through a series of com-
plicated developments and innovations.
The disconcerting aspect of what has
been learned is the probability that
additional significant photochemical sys-
tems, involving pollutants from sources
other than the automobile, may be on
the horizon.
The outlook for the vehicle emission
pollution problem involves three phases:
(1) control of vehicle emissions from
the types of power plants used today.
This will be an interim measure lead-
ing to (2) modification of the power
plant to so improve its combustion effi-
ciency that it will meet presently sought
goals, e.g., the state of California stand-
ards: 80 per cent reduction in over-all
hydrocarbon emissions and 40 per cent
reduction in carbon monoxide emissions.
This again will be an interim measure
leading to (3) development of new-type
power plants with essentially no emis-
sions as we know them today.
The delineation of emissions into
chemical species indicates a potpourri of
organics, most of which are hydrocar-
bons, although this does not insure by
PAGENO="0016"
616 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOI~ POLLUTION ABATEMENT
any means that hydrocarbons are our
major headache for all types of emis-
sions. Photochemical studies indicate
that various classes of compounds, e.g.,
olefins and certain dimethyl and tn-
methyl substituted benzenes, are more
reactive than other classes, and vary in
reactivity within the class. Hence, there
will always be a need to measure quan-
titatively the various chemical species by
class or individually. This now requires
and will continue to call upon the adap-
tation of the most sensitive advanced
technics for chemical separation and
identification, including sampling proce.
dures that will insure determination of
exhaust constituents rather than those
resulting from the sampling method.
As more knowledge of the presence
and reactivity of specific hydrocarbons
is amassed, it is reflected in consideration
of improved criteria for control devices,
and sets in motion a whole new chain
of events involving instrumentation de-
velopment, inspection requirements, and
the like. The concept of controlling only
portions of the exhaust from vehicles,
e.g., hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide,
but not nitrogen oxides, poses questions
as to the effects on the pollution pic-
ture after such controls are implemented.
The role of organics other than hydro-
carbons has already been mentioned.
This is precisely the problem in diesel
exhaust pollution. In the diesel engine,
combustion takes place in a large excess
of air as compared to combustion in the
spark.ignited engine, which operates at
air-fuel ratios in such a way that all of
the hydrocarbon cannot be completely
combusted. The diesel engine is com-
paratively efficient, and diesel exhaust
will meet the present California stand-
ards without need for control devices.
However, the large excess of oxygen in
diesel combustion results in the syn-
thesis of oxygenated organic compounds,
which are malodorous. They are very
obnoxious and public complaints are
numerous, even though diesel fuel usage
in urban areas is small in comparison
to gasoline consumption, e.g., in Los An.
geles County it is only 1 to 2 per cent.
In the area of engine modifications,
effort at the present time relates to ef-
fects of fuel composition, ignition, en-
gine timing, combustion chamber de-
sign, and fuel carburetion and distribu-
tion. The Chrysler proposal for exhaust
reduction, tested for certification by the
state of California, utilizes the advan-
tages of lean carburetion operation
coñpled with spark retardation at low
speeds (idle), which increases the com-
bustion time during low-load, low-speed
conditions when hydrocarbon concen-
trations in the exhaust are normally
high. The systems* to be used by Gen.
eral Motors and Ford involve the in-
jection of air into the exhaust manifold
at the valve parts to combust unburned
hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide in
the exhaust.
In our own laboratories in Cincinnati
we are working on the feasibility of
an economical system of distributing
fuel to each cylinder individually to
overcome problems of unequal distribu-
tion inherent in the present system. Car-
buretor and manifold wetting, and un-
equal air-fuel mixture delivery, due to
the tortuous channels in the present car-
buretor-intake manifold system, may be
an important factor in emissions. It is
obvious that tuning the engine to in-
sure combustion in the "poorest" cylin-
der of present engines results in over-
rich mixtures in all others.
These are only a few engine modifi-
cations that should be explored. The
need for such an interim program is
twofold: (1) from an over-all point of
view this approach is considered to be
superior to the use of tailpipe devices
as a method for control, in that control
is built into the engine and the cost will
be offset in part or in full by fuel sav-
ings, and (2) such modifications can
be applied to the present engine and
can be improved as the demand war-
PAGENO="0017"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 617
rants, pending the long lead time re-
quired to develop, tool up, and produce
new engine types to replace existing ve-
hicle power plants. What these new en-
gines will eventually be, is difficult to
ascertain. Turbine and stratified-charge
engines are in the testing stage; develop.
ment of radically new engines, such as
those incorporating fuel cells, is also
under way.
Afmospheric Chemhfry and Physks
There is a need to adapt existing
methods and instrumentation to the
quantification of chemical pollutants in
the atmosphere, both gaseous and par-
ticulate, and to develop more specific
and more sensitive technics. This need
becomes greater as efforts are directed
to specific effects of interest in the estab-
lishment of air quality criteria. During
the past eight years or so, analytical
methods, in particular those developed
for industrial hygiene purposes, have
been applied to air pollution problems,
and fortunately these have proved ade-
quate for many situations.
Previously we indicated that one
phase of air pollution medical research
-that dealing with laboratory animal
studies-is going through a transition
from studies of clinical effects utilizing
exposures to single pollutants at high
concentrations to those using multicom.
ponents at concentrations more con-
sonant with polluted atmospheres, so
that threshold functional changes that
may be precursors of chronic disease
may be uncovered. These studies estab-
lish the need for the development of
methods for the separation and quanti-
tation of the host of chemical air pollu-
tants that may be of health significance
in relation to chronic diseases, such as
cancer and cardiorespiratory ailments.
Efforts over the past ten years or so
on a worldwide basis have stressed a
group of hydrocarbon compounds corn-
monly known as polynuclear aromatics
or polycyclic hydrocarbons. Among
these, benzo (a) pyrene is the best known
because of the established relationship
of this compound to production of skin
tumors in animal experimentation. It is
disconcerting to note, however, that
known polycyclic hydrocarbons obtained
from the organic fraction of air particu-
late constitute only about 1 to 2 per
cent of the total organic particulate in
air. The status of other organic materials
of significance in cancer research, in-
cluding cocarcinogens and anticarcino-
gens, is largely unexplored in the chem-
istry of community atmospheres. In-
formation on the role of organic com-
pounds containing oxygen, nitrogen,
and other minor constituents is virtually
nonexistent.
Recently national attention has been
focused on the use of agricultural chem-
icals, particularly pesticides. The im-
portance of these compounds, in relation
to body insult through the respiratory
route, is an air pollution responsibility
which must be coordinated with the
work of others in this field. Pesticide
exposure by any route may well pro-
duce effects in individuals which are
enhanced by exposure to other air poi-
lutants. In other words, pesticide expo-
sures may produce impaired individuals
more susceptible as a result to commu-
nity air pollution.
Another area of need concerns the
low-molecular-weight organics. These
exist in the atmosphere principally as
vapors in contrast to the high boiling-
point compounds previously discussed,
which for the most part are adsorbed on
atmospheric particulate. These low-mole-
cular-weight reactive hydrocarbons were
mentioned previously in connection with
vehicle emissions, but it is obvious that
vehicles are not the only source of or-
ganic vapors to the atmosphere.
Still another chemistry area that
merits increased effort is the develop-
ment of more specific and more sensi-
68-240 0-66-Vol. 11-2
PAGENO="0018"
618 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
tive technics for quantitative analysis of
inorganic air pollutants. Although chem-
ical methods for nitrogen oxides and sul-
fur oxides, as two examples, may sound
"old hat" to many analytical chemists,
there is a particular need to establish
more precise laboratory and field meth-
ods to distinguish nitric oxide from
nitrogen dioxide at low concentrations
and to understand more precisely the
conversion of nitric oxide in the atmos-
phere. Renewed interest in sulfur oxides
in the air pollution field stems from
both epidemiological and laboratory in-
vestigations currently under way. One of
these epidemiological studies indicates
that asthmatics show increased reactions
at very low levels of sulfur oxide, and
another shows excellent correlation be-
tween respiratory infection rates and
average sulfate pollution.
Laboratory studies indicate that the
physiologic effects of sulfur dioxide are
greatly enhanced by the simultaneous
presence in the inhaled air of certain
particles of size appropriate to deep
penetration in the lung. This synergistic
effect, it has been found, depends not
only on the size of the aerosol-the ef-
fect generally increasing with decreas-
ing size-but on the composition of the
aerosol. Our abilities to quantify sulfates
by size fraction of the particulate are
presently quite limited; the solution to
the problem involves improved frac-
tionating samplers or improved micro-
technics for sulfate analysis, or both.
The fact that pollutants, individually
of only minor concern, react in the at-
mosphere to form new obnoxious com-
pounds of physiologic,' economic, and
aesthetic interest, adds a new dimension
to environmental health investigations.
Although it was universally agreed that
reactions between pollutants (such as
oxidation reactions) did occur, the role
of sunlight as an additional source of
energy to acj~ivate complex chain re~c-
tion systemi, whi~ch create new obnox~'
ious end products, was a' concept that
emerged from investigations of the Los
Angeles smog situation. This work re-
sulted in the now commonly used term
"photochemical smog," and established
the need for applied investigations with
a tool that previously had been more or
less relegated to more exotic pursuits in
the physical sciences.
Fifteen years of research in this area
has indicated that solar irradiation in-
deed plays a significant role in air pol-
lution chemistry, and even though our
understanding has increased many-fold,
the questions still requiring answers have
increased directly with our knowledge.
Deficiencies in our ability to develop
practicable methods for the control of
the precursors to photochemical smog
have further sharpened the need for in-
creased understanding of the detailed
mechanisms of smog formation. This is
not a simple field for investigation, and
it offers a challenge as great as any
in the physical sciences today.
Present interest in the application of
analytical methods ranges from routine
monitoring of community atmospheres
to precise laboratory experimentation.
Hence the need to adapt and package
feasible micromethods into monitoring
instruments, and to extend our capabili-
ties for precise quantitation to labora-
tory studies or to exploratory field stud-
ies in order to establish pollutant levels
in existing atmospheres, as they relate to
the need for additional biological or
physical research.
The subject of aerosols or particulates
has been touched on in relation to med-
ical research and the development of
analytical methods. The field to date has
been explored only. in a gross fashion
for its air pollution significance. Detailed
investigations have concentrated on the
general physical properties of aerosols,
eg, the effects of size, shape, density,
and the like, on settling rates, deposi-
tion, agglomeration, optical properties,
and so forth.
The suspended particulate fraction for
PAGENO="0019"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 619
the most part has been chemically quan-
titated only in gross terms, such as total
weight of particulate, weight of the ben.
zene.extractable organic material, and
the weight of a number of metals and
anions such as sulfates, chlorides, and
nitrates. This is not without reason,
since the routine collection of masses of
such data is not inexpensive and the
work to date has utilized existing prac-
tical methods for both sampling and
analysis.
Effects studies clearly indicate the
need for aerosol studies to relate the
physical and chemical properties of
aerosols, as they exist in the atmosphere
to biological and physical effects of
atmospheric pollutants. Of immediate
concern is the determination of chem-
ical composition oi particulates by size
fractions, principally as these relate to
biological systems. Specific examples are
sulfuric acid, sulfate aerosols by gross
sulfate levels, and specific chemical com-
pounds, lead by total weight and by spe-
cific compounds, and organics by total
weight and by specific compounds. Not
only must sampling and analytical meth.
ods be developed to enable these studies
to be done at realistic atmospheric p0!-
lution levels, but their application to
field measurement is highly desirable.
Other areas of interest involve aero-
sols that are photochemically induced,
e.g., typical Los Angeles haze, or those
that occur naturally, and their relation-
ships. Study is also needed in the broad
area of gas-aerosol interactions, par.
ticularly as related to biological or phys-
ical effects. Not only is it important to
know the chemical and physical bonds
of pollutants in aerosols of various com-
positions, but it is equally important to
understand how pollutants are eluted
from inert particulates under various
environments after they have been de-
posited, e.g., in the biological environ-
ment of the respiratory tract, or in the
physical environment of material sur-
faces in relation to corrosion.
Meteoroogkal Research
In our discussion of atmospheric
chemistry, we indicated that the activa-
tion of chemical reactions by sunlight
had introduced to environmental health
problems the new dimension of photo-
chemistry. The meteorological aspects of
air pollution introduced the third space
dimension to environmental problems, in
that other environmental health disci-
plines are generally confined to areal
distribution on the surface of man's liv-
ing space. Even the areal problems of
the earth-atmosphere interface are much
more complex for the air environment,
in that topography confuses the the-
oretical picture rather than dictating it
in its entirety, as in stream pollution. In
air pollution, we are dealing with multi-
ple multicomponent pollution sources,
injected into the base of a three-dimen-
sional fluid. This fluid is mainly sub-
ject to the influences of the general
worldwide atmospheric circulation, upon
which are superimposed general and lo-
cal diurnal influences, general and local
topography, and the social habits of
man and his works. We are interested
in the interaction of air pollutants and
meteorological factors, not merely in the
significance of meteorological processes
to air pollution.
Research to date has been primarily
concerned with the interrelationship of
meteorological parameters and measure-
ments of air quality, the development of
technics for forecasting stagnating air
conditions conducive to the buildup of
pollution (provided there are sources),
and the development and field-checking
of mathematical models to predict the
dispersion .and transport of pollution for
a variety of source configurations and
atmospheric conditions. Present empha-
sis is on the latter two areas.
Relative to air stagnation forecasting,
there is a need to sharpcn ~ur abilities
to superpose local diurnal and topo-
graphical effects on the general synoptic
PAGENO="0020"
620 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
picture. In the development of mathe-
matical models for dispersion and trans-
port, there are two areas of interest:
(1) intraurban models for use in con-
nection with local air pollution control
programs or with long-range air re-
source management associated with
urban planning; and (2) interurban
models for the long-range transport of
pollutants. The solid extensive urban
complex referred to as "megalopolis" is,
in terms of air pollution, a reality today
o~ the northeastern seaboard. The area
from the nation's capital to Boston is
oriented somewhat parallel to the gen-
eral circulation in the northern hemi-
sphere, and the transport of pollution
up the Atlantic seaboard poses a signifi-
cant problem in the long-range develop-
ment of this entire area.
The importance of this problem should
be determined before it becomes acute,
and consequently the Public Health
Service is tooling up for a major study
on the potential for intercity transport
of pollution along the northeastern
megalopolis. Development of models and
practical means for checking their valid-
ity are under study. For the latter there
is a need to produce several types of
tracer materials, which must be non-
toxic, chemically stable, nonexistent as
pollutants in the atmosphere, and so dis-
tinctive in chemical structure that they
may be monitored after thousands to
millions of dilutions. Fluorescent parti-
cles look promising in the lower dilution
range indicated, and new sensitive ana-
lytical technics, such as gas chromatog-
raphy with electron capture detectors,
make the prognosis promising for suc-
cess in the higher range.
Other meteorologically oriented stud-
ies of importance concern the develop-
ment of ground-based methods for meas-
urement of atmospheric properties in
situ, e.g., determination of temperature
discontinuities (inversions) or pollution
discontinuities, the latter usually being
associated with inversions. Improved
methods for visibility determination, or
instrumentation for monitoring solar
energy by wave-length distribution, are
also of interest.
Control Methods Research
Research on methods for control of
air pollution has been dictated to a large
extent by the status of methods and
equipment available when air pollution
emerged as an important community
problem after World War IL Practicable
methods for particulate control are avail-
able to meet today's needs, albeit im-
provements that will increase collection
efficiency and reduce equipment and
operating costs are always desirable. In
the future our increasing industrial base
and mounting population will require
ever-increasing efficiencies of collection
even to maintain the status quo, let
alone reduce present levels. The prog-
nosis is toward atmospheric loadings
with an over-all decrease in average
particle size, and with consequent in-
crease in the portion penetrable into
the depths of the respiratory system. It
is imperative, then, that we improve our
basic understanding of removal proc.
esses and the engineering of these into
more economical as well as more effi-
cient control devices.
The control of automobile exhaust
has already been discussed. A great deal
of effort has gone into this area and
will continue because of the economic
promise of return on such control de-
vices and their anticipated widespread
mandatory use.
The control area of greatest need, af-
fecting the nation as a whole, concerns
sulfur oxide emissions from combustion
equipment that uses fossil fuels con-
taining appreciable quantities of sulfur.
The association of sulfur oxides with
health effects has already been discussed.
The enormous quantities of fossil fuels
consumed daily, and the future outlook
for vast over-all increase in usage to
PAGENO="0021"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 621
meet the nation's ever-mounting energy
demands, further emphasizes the need to
develop economically feasible methods
for control. Two approaches are being
pursued: (1) removal of sulfur from
fuel, and (2) removal of the sulfur
oxides formed during combustion from
the stack effluent. Coal contains sulfur
as inorganic pyrite and also as combined
organic material; sulfur in oil is in the
combined state.
Investigations are currently under
way to reduce the sulfur content of both
coal and residual fuel oils; the road-
blocks involve the technology of the
basic processes involved as well as eco-
nomics of application. Investigations of
removal of sulfur oxides from stack efflu-
ents are proceeding along several lines:
use of packed or falling beds for sorp-
tion of sulfur dioxide and sulfur tn-
oxide, with recovery of the sulfur as ele-
mental sulfur or sulfuric acid and re-
generation of the bed material; conver-
sion of the sulfur trioxide to sulfate by
chemical reaction with additives, and re-
moval as particulate; and conversion of
the sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide by
catalytic conversion, and removal as sul-
furic acid or as sulfates. Several of the
processes are in the pilot stage of de-
velopment; their ultimate acceptance
will be based on their over-all economic
feasibility. Here is an area where a
technological breakthrough would be of
major significance.
Control of nitrogen oxides also is
being investigated in some depth. The
search for more efficient vehicle power
plants or the use of tailpipe converters
theoretically postulates increased fixa-
tion of atmospheric nitrogen, a reaction
that occurs in all types of combustion.
Methods for reduction of nitrogen oxide
production from all combustion proc-
esses, including vehicle power plants, are
under study. Three avenues are being
investigated: (1) the use of catalytic
converters, (2) recirculation of combus-
tion products to reduce the over-all con-
centration of oxygen available for com-
bustion, and (3) the use of two-stage
combustion to reduce the over-all tem-
peratures involved, thereby inhibiting
the rate of reaction for nitrogen fixation.
Associated Research Needs
The problems in research in the phys-
ical and biological sciences have their
counterpart in the social sciences. Meth-
ods for assessing the economic impact
of air pollution on our society need de-
velopment and application. There is need
for better methods of informing the pub-
lic of existing and potential environ-
mental health situations and, in turn,
of proper interpretation of the public
wishes by responsible officials. The so-
cial structure of our society plays an
important role in economic problems,
particularly in relation to the impact of
control measures needed to meet mini-
mum air quality criteria. The need to
incorporate air resources management
into urban planning is just now being
recognized as another of the many
problem areas of importance in urban
resource development. With our burgeon-
ing population and urban development,
we can no longer logically hold to the
concept of growth based on chance;
space no longer is available to provide
the factor of safety against severe air
pollution situations that we have relied
upon up to the present stage in our na-
tional development.
Summary
What, then, is the over-all status of
current research in air pollution? Great
strides have been made in the 15 years
since World War II, which gave suffi-
cient impetus to our industrial growth
and urbanization so that in certain
areas our air resources were overtaxed.
This growth has continued, adding to
the over-all problem. Assessment nation-
PAGENO="0022"
622 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY, FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
wide, and research on the physical.bio.
logical~engineering problems involved,
have resulted in a clearer understanding
of the nature and magnitude of the
problem. It has made possible a more
rational approach to both continued re~
search and means for bringing po~hi.
tion under control.
Dr. Ludwig is chief and Dr. Steigerwald is deputy chief, Laboratory of
Engineering and Physical Sciences, Division of Air Pollution, Robert A. Taft
Sanitary Engineering Center, Cincinnati, Ohio.
This paper was presented at the Second Conference on Air Pollution Control,
Purdue University, Lafayette, md., October 21, 1963, and submitted for publica-
tion at that time.
PAGENO="0023"
FORTUNE
November 1965
A Fortune Proposition:
We Can Afford Clean Air
by Edmund K. Faltermayer
Reprinted from the November, 1965 Issue of FORTUNE Magazine
by Special Permission; © 1965 TIME INC.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATIONAND WELFARE
Public Health Sonolce
623
PAGENO="0024"
624 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOF~ POLLUTION ABATEMENT
A Fortune Proposition:
[November 1965]
We CanAfford Clean Air
by Edmund E. Faltermayer
Polluted air is corroding metals, menacing
health, and degrading the human spirit.
For around $3 billion a year, equitably
shared, we can erase the outrage.
An astounding 133 million tons of aerial garbage is now
being dumped into the U.S. atmosphere each year. If it
could be placed on a giant scale, it would outweigh the
country's annual steel production. The charts on the oppo-
site page, based on estimates by the U.S. Public Health
Service, show which human activities are responsible for
this rising torrent of contamination, and what each ac-
tivity's ugly brew consists of. The charts show only the
five pollutants that account for most of the over-all ton-
nage; not shown are scores of other gases and stinks that
defile the nation's air.
These pollutants are eating away at fabrics and metals.
They are defacing buildings and spoiling crops. The gov-
ernment estimates the propertydamage alone at$11 billion
a year, and this does not include the decline in real-estate
values in neighborhoods with air that is second class or
worse. Air pollution also represents a prodigious waste of
potentially valuable resources: the harmful sulfur dioxide
that is vented to the atmosphere each year, for example,
contains about $300 million worth of sulfur at today's
prices. While medical researchers have not proved that
any of these pollutants is injuring large numbers of people,
this junk obviously is doing our systems no good. "There is
no longer any doubt," Surgeon General Luther L. Terry
declared nearly three years ago, "that air pollution is a
hazard to health." In agreement, the American Medical
Association recently called for "maximum feasible reduc-
tion of all forms of air pollution."
Besides damaging health and property and wasting re-
sources, air pollution dejects and degrades the human
spirit in ways that a civilized society should not tolerate.
The acrid smog associated with automobile exhausts, once
confined to Los Angeles but now turning up elsewhere,
probably does not kill people. It merely envelops them in
an ugly yellow haze that blots out the view and smarts
the eyes. The pride of Denver-the prospect of the Rocky
Mountainsfromdowntown streets-isoften obscuredthese
days by a man-made cloud of pollution. New Yorkers,
plagued with 12,000 soot-spewing apartment-house incin-
erators, liteyally inhale a portion of their own garbage. In
St. LouisA survey showed, 39 percent of the people are
dogged bj noisome odors. After poor schools and inade-
quate play space, air pollution is probably the most impor-
tant single factor driving the middle class to the suburbs,
and a portion of the country's commuting woes must be
ascribed to it. Renascent cities are trying to lure these
citizens back, but they recoil from air that is dirty, malo-
dorous, and menacing.
The U.S. has both thetechnology and thewealth to reduce
pollution drastically. Even though thousands of factories
are still discharging their wastes into the public air, most
of the devices for controlling emissions from industrial
plants were invented years ago. "We can handle just about
any pollution-control demand that is likely to be made,"
says John H. Schork, president of Research-Cottrell, Inc.,
a leading maker of pollution-abating devices. Cleaning up
automobile emissions and the sulfur dioxide from electric
power stations still presents engineering problems, but
solutions will undoubtedly be found in the next few years.
Money is not a problem, either. The nationwide applica-
tion of the best techniques either already or soon to be
available would cost the country far less than is generally
believed. An expenditure of less than one-half of 1 percent
of the gross national product-probably about $3 billion a
year-would reduce air pollution by at least two-thirds.
By drastically reducing that $11 billion a year of property
damage, the expenditure would easily pay for itself.
With the technical skills and the monetary means at
hand, it is incredible that we put up with this needless out-
rage. With an awakened public, there would be no need to
employ susbsidies and other economic gimmicks to hasten
industry's cleanup, as some experts have proposed. Cor-
porations can absorb many of these expenditures anyway,
and consumers would not notice them in the prices of
the things they buy. Indeed, households would probably
feel the costs of a national rollback of air pollution only in
the prices of two items, electricity and new cars. But these
two items are so universal that price increases, rather
than subsidies, would be a perfectly equitable way to
distribute the burden. The role of the federal government,
FORTUNE believes, can largely be confined to the setting
of standards, and to aiding stste and local governments
in enforcement.
PAGENO="0025"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 625
What's done is too little
A good deal is already being done about air pollution, to
be sure. Thanks to the Clean Air Act of 1963, which for
the first time made matching federal grants available for
state and local enforcement efforts, dozens of localities
have set up control programs. While many companies have
waited until local authori4 ~` forced them to clean up, some
enlightened managemes `ave designed new factories
more tightly controlled ~an local regulations require.
Exact figures are not available, but industry is probably
spending about $300 million a year on the installation and
operation of special equipment, changes in materials and
production processes, and on research designed to abate air
pollution. Spending by government at all levels on enforce-
ment and research now is running at $35 million annually,
about three-fifths of it federal money. The national effort
may grow larger now that Congress has passed a bill by
Senator Edmund S. Muskie of Maine that, among other
things, enables the Secretary of Health, Education, and
Welfare to order the nationwide installation on new cars
of devices to limit the pollution from tail pipes.
But all the present efforts, even combined with those
under serious consideration, may not permit us to hold
our own. During the next forty years the population of the
country's urban areas is expected to double, and industrial
output and automobile ownership in these same urban
zones will grow even faster. The emissions from each fac-
tory chimney, automobile tail pipe, and other sources will
have to be reduced more than 50 percent on the average,
just to keep the urban air from becoming any fouler than it
already is. If the air is to be improved, the clampdown on
emissions will obviously have to be even tighter.
In the case of "stationary" sources of sir pollution like
factories, incinerators, and electric power stations, the
present effort is far too small to bring about any significant
advances. The only pollutants of this kind that have been
reduced noticeably are the nongaseous, largely nontoxic
dusts and fumes that come under the general heading of
"particulate matter." Chicago's "dust fall" has declined
since the 1930's, and Pittsburgh and St. Louis no longer
experience darkness at noon. But this improvement was
helped along by the switch from coal for heating, and the
switching is nearly complete. As the rainfall of dust and
soot on Manhattan's East Side (eighty tons a month per
square mile) testifies, particulate matter is still an abomi-
nable nuisance in many areas. In fast-industrializing cities
like Denver, it is on the increase.
Meanwhile, emissions of the far more dangerous gaseous
pollutants are rising dramatically. If recent trends con-
tinue, the emission of sulfur dioxide from electric power
5~~tion~_thelargestsingle5OUrce-will increasesixfold by
the year 2000. The control devices recently ~eveloped for
autos, even if adopted across the nation, will b'5i~ng no last-
ing rollback in carbon monoxide and hy4rocar~on emis-
sions, since these gains will be more than cance1~d out by
rising automobile registrations, which are doubling every
twenty-five years.
In the longer-range future, the increase in the airborne
wastes thrown off by man's activities may require some
drastic solutions. The tremendous rise in the worldwide
use of fossil fuels, some authorities say, is putting carbon
dioxide into the atmosphere faster than plants and the
ocean can absorb it. This gas, which is the unavoidable
result of all combustion, is nota "pollutant" in the ordinary
sense of being harmful or annoying. But carbon dioxide
produces a "greenhouse effect," and tends to block the
radiation back to outer space of some of the heat energy
that the earth absorbo from the sun. The carbon dioxide
concentration in the atmosphere has increased about 8 per.
cent since 1890, and may account for the slight warming
up of the Northern Hemisphere since then. In a study
two years ago, the Conservatioii' Foundation found this
carbon dioxide buildup "not yet alarming," but said it
might eventually cause the polar ice caps to melt, submerg-
ing many of the world's cities. To this kind of threat, the
only answer might be a large-scale switchover to nuclear
power, which produces no carbon dioxide.
The dump has its limits
While the carbon dioxide buildup will bear close watch-
ing in the years ahead, the immediate task is to cleanse
the air of those 133 million tons of dirt and poison that are
annually pouring into it. The atmosphere's limitations as
a dumping ground for this kind of junk have already be-
come obvious. There are 90 trillion to~o of air over the
forty-eight contiguous states at any given time. Last
year'è load of pollutants, if released in an instant and
evenlydispersed, would amount to only 1.5 parts per million
in the air. Since the contamination actually is spread over
a year and continually falls to the ground or is washed out
by rains, the average concentration in the nation's total
air supply is considerably less than that. But half of this
pollution is emitted from less than 1 percent of the U.S.
land area, where 50 percent of the population lives. When
winds are slack, this far heavier outpouring can build up
to thousands of times the national average.
Things can get even worse when there is also a tempera-
ture inversion, in which a warm layer of air aloft acts
as a lid atop the contaminants in the cooler surface air.
This phenomenon was once thought to be peculiar to Los
Angeles, where the lid drops to 500 feet or less 40 percent
of the time. Actually, it occurs commonly throughout most
of the U.S. In New York and Philadelphia, for example,
low-level inversions occur 25 percent of the time, and even
more `often in the fall. The only real difference is that
Los Angeles' inversions tend to be lower, and are accom-
panied by below-average winds. But New York throws off
much more non-automotive air pollution. The air above us
is not a boundless ocean. Much of the time it is a shallow,
stagnant pond, and we are the fish at the bottom.
In Los Angeles, compulsion brings results
The most rigid emission standards in the U.S. today are
applied in the Los Angeles County Air Pollution Control
District. Faced with acute smog conditions, Los Angeles
authorities have forced the installation of pollution-limit-
ing devices on California automobiles. They have also
forced industryto reduce its emissions by nearly 80 percent
since the late 1940's; an estimated 5,000 tons of pollutants
a clay from stationary sources are now being kept out of
the sky. What would be the cost of a "Los Angeles treat-
ment" for all manufacturing? We can get some indication
by looking at a few of the major air polluters, such as steel
and chemical plants and oiL rednerles.
PAGENO="0026"
626 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
The orange clouds of dust--mainly iron oxide-pouring
out of smokestacks carry the major pollutants that the
steel industry generates. Not long ago steel companies In
Chicago, with a combined ingot capacity of about 13 mil-
lion tons a year, agreed to eliminate all dust by 1971 at a
reported capital cost of approximately $30 million. This
suggests a coot of about $2.50 per ton of capacity. Since
steel companies in several other cities are pushing ahead
with controls or replacing open hearths with basic oxygen
furnaces-all of which have controls-it appesrs that as
much as two-thirds of the country's approximately 150
million toils of steelmaking capacity may be operating
with `clean stacks" by the early 1970's. Generously assum-
ing that it might cost as much as $5 per ton of capacity to
equip the remaining third, or about $250 million, the in-
dustry would have approximately to dopble its spending on
air-pollution equipment in the years ahead.
The chemical industry, turning out thousands of differ-
ent products, emits a bewildering variety of gases and
exotic odors. Lots of chemical plants, as one industry
spokesman concedes, are "quite flavorsome" to human
noses, which have a remarkable sensitivity to itoisome
odors. A lot of the effluent is potentially dangerous, too.
The phosphate fertilizer plants in Polk and Hillsborough
counties in Florida used to emit large quantities of fluorid
that damaged citrus crops and caused the teeth of cattle
to drop out. But in the last five years the plants have in-
stalled about $22 million worth of equipment and cut emis-
sinus by more than half, while increasing production 43
percent. One of them, faced with a shutdown by a court
injunction, managed to reduce its daily fluoride emissions
from 900 to 300 pounds in only sixty days. The members of
the Manufacturing Chemists Association, which embraces
most of the industry, have invested a total of $212 million
in air-pollution control facilities to date, and expect to
spend another $49 million in the next five years, This does
not include additional operating costs or research, which
together come to $26,600,000 a year. Rough estimates of
what it would cost to bring all the country's chemical
plants up to the level of the cleanest ones range up to
$500 million just for equipment, not counting outlays al-
ready planned, but half that amount might do the job.
The cleanest petroleum refineries in the nation are to
be found, not surprisingly, in the Los Angeles area. Stand-
ard Oil of California's refinery at El Segundo, partly
screened by trees, emits little besides innocuous steam to
the atmosphere and cannot be smelled more than half a
block away. To comply with Los Angeles' strict rules, oil-
men say, would probably add between 5 and 10 percent to
the cost of a new refinery. While no recent figures are avail-
able, a 1961 survey showed that U.S. petroleum refineries
were spending about $18 million a year on pollution-
abatement equipment. But 44 percent of the money was be-
ing spent on the West Coast. Bringing all U.S. refineries up
to Los Angeles standards, therefore, might require the ex-
penditure of an additional $10 million a year on equipment.
Some of this would pay for itself by recovering valuable
substances. Indeed, it has been estimated that four-fifths of
the sulfur dioxide which U-S. petroleum refineries might
otherwise be venting to the atmosphere is now captured as
sulfuric acid or elemental sulfur.
The particulars on particulate matter
The troublesome pollutants from electric power stations
are particulate matter, in the form of fly ash, and sulfur
dioxide. The first comes almost entirely from coal-burning
generating plants, and the techniques for controlling it
have been around for decades. In 1962, according to the
Edison Electric Institute, private power companies kept
nine million tons of fly ash from entering the sky, far more
than the approximately two million tons that escaped.
Electrostatic precipitators in the newest plants catch 99
percent of the stuff, and a still newer unit at a mine-mouth
plant going up in western Pennsylvania will be the figst
in the U.S. to remove 99,5 percent. Unfortunately, new
plants are still being built in some areas with mechanical
collection systems that keep no more than 70 percent out of
the air. To bring all the country's 130 million kilowatts of
coal-burning generating capacity up to the 99.5 percent
level might cost about $300 million.
The cost of collecting fly ash has only a negligible effect
on the price of electricity-well under 1 percent by one
estimate, counting the write-off of equipment. The control
of sulfur dioxide, on the other hand, could have a sizable
effect on consumers' monthly bills. Electric generating
stations are the country's biggest single source of this
gas, and capturing it before it goes out the stack is one
of the really tough problems in cleaning up the air. Most
of the gas comes from the burning of coal, which contains
about 2.5 percent sulfur on the average, and which is used
to generate 54 percent of the nation's electricity. Oil ac-
counts for a much smaller share, but heavy residual fuel
oil, which generally has about the same percentage of sul-
fur, is used extensively in places like New York City.
Sulfur dioxide is the most worrisome of the major pollu-
tants, and 23 million tons of it are currently being dis-
charged into the country's air. It has been implicated in
most of the famous air-pollution disasters, such as the
1948 one at Donora, Pennsylvania (twenty dead), and the
400 "excess deaths" recorded during a fifteen-day smog
episode in New York City early in 1963. While not toxic
to man in the concentrations ordinarily found in the atmos-
phere, it can cause acute crop damage in relatively small
concentrations. In industrial regions it causes nickel to
corrode twenty-five times as fast as in rural air, and copper
five times as fast. And under certain conditions it kills peo-
ple. One of its derivatives, sulfuric acid mist, can get past
the body's natural filtration system and penetrate deep into
the lungs, causing severe damage. While the sulfur dioxide
in New York City, which has the highest concentration,
averages only 0.16 parts per million, it has flared up as
high as 2.64 ppm-enough to kill some persons already
suffering from respiratory ailments.
Until now, no economically feasible way has been found
to curb the emissions of this gas from coal- and oil-burning
power stations. The only solution has been for the electric
companies to build tall stacks so that the sulfur dioxide
will not reach the ground until it is far away and greatly
diluted. But electric-power consumption in the U.S. is dou-
bling every twelve years, and the consumption of coal by
utilities is expected to rise almost as rapidly in the years
ahead. Some air-pollution men already question the sf5-
cacy of building ever higher stacks in the nation's fast-
PAGENO="0027"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 627
spreading metropolitan complexes. Nor will atomic power
or natural gas-which contains very little sulfur-be of
much help in the years just ahead.
There appear to be only two ways out. In the case of
residual fuel oil, local authorities could require power com-
panies to switch to No. 2 oil, which is low in sulfur but
costs 80 percent more. Or petroleum companies could take
part of the sulfur out of residual oil, raising its price 20 to
30 percent. As for coal, the only answer is to trap the sulfur
dioxide after the fuel is burned, and to convert it to market-
able acid or elemental sulfur. The Department of Health,
Education, and Welfare is planning to spend $7 million to
build pilot models of some systems that show promise of
being able to make such a conversion economically. Re-
cently, officials of the Bureau of Mines estimated that any
one of the three leading processes would impose an added
cost, even when allowance was made for the sale of acid
or sulfur, equivalent to an increase in fuel costs of 10 to 25
percent. The estimates, it should be noted, are based on the
installation of these processes in a new, 800,000-kilowatt
plant. The capital expense of fitting them into existing
power stations, other studies show, would be much higher,
perhaps doubling the augmented cost.
These figures are not quite so gloomy as they look. Fuel
represents only about one-seventh of the total cost of gen-
erating and distributing electricity, or about 2.5 mills per
kilowatt-hour. Even if the power companies were forced
to burn low-sulfur fuel or were directed both to install
sulfur dioxide recovery systems in new coal stations and to
fit out similarly all the existing ones, the cost of the elec-
tricity generated by them-about 600 billion kilowatt-
hours last year-would probably not rise by more than
$600 million a year.
Traffic in carbon monoxide
In terms of sheer tonnage, the automobile is the coun-
try's No. 1 air polluter. According to Public Health Service
estimates, it accounts for over four-fifths of the 85 million
tons of contaminants emitted by all forms of transporta-
tion, including trucks, buses, railroads, and airlines. The
three dangerous and obnoxious ingredients issuing from
the nation's 72 million automobile tail pipes are carbon
monoxide, unburned hydrocarbons, and oxides of nitrogen.
While it can kill a man by depriving his blood of its oxygen-
carrying capabilities, carbon monoxide is generally not
dangerous in open places. Nevertheless, it can reach dan-
gerous concentrations in heavily traveled city intersections
and expressways. Biochemist A. J. Haagen-Smit of Cali-
fornia Institute of Technology says the level frequentlygets
to 30 ppm. on the Los Angeles freeways-enough to de-
prive the blood of 5 percent of ito oxygen capacity if inhaled
for eight hours-and sometimes reaches 120 p.p.m. in
traffic jams. More trouble per ton is caused by the unburned
hydrocarbons, some of them highly reactive, that spew out
of cars. Their partners iii crimea~e theoxides of nitrogen.
All forms of combustion, particülorl3i In motor vehicles and
electric power stations, give off nitric oxide. Most of this is
quickly convertedI,nto nitrogen dioxide, a whiskey-brown
gas that is five times as toxic; When the sun shines on. a
mixture of hydrocarbons and nitrogen dioxide on a warm
day, the result is photochemical smog.
The automobile industry has opposed controls on auto-
mobile exhaust emissions outside Los Angeles on the
unpersuasive ground that other cities do not yet have an
acute smog problem. But Washington, D.C.,where the num-
ber of cars per square mile is three times as great as in the
Los Angeles metropolitan area, has already had some eye-
watering days. Denver figures that 40 percent of its pollu-
tion comes from the automobile, and in New York City the
car contributes a third. "We didn't have that haze until
they built the expressways," says a Chicago air-pollution
man, "but we sure have it now."
Most of the radical proposals for dealing with smog,
even if adopted, would barely enable cities to hold their
own. Turbine-powered vehicles, now being tested by the
auto manufacturers, are low in pollution ("It would make
your eyes bug out, it's that low," enthuses a Chrysler man),
but have not yet proved out. Diesel engines are noisier and
costlier than the gasoline engine and, while they emit less
carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons, they produce just as
much oxides of nitrogen.
The only solution, for the foreseeable future, is to clean
up the internal-combustion engine. Since 1963 the auto-
mobile companies have installed crankcase devices that
vent back into the intake manifold the unburned gases that
push past piston rings during combustion. But these "blow-
by" devices, which actually were used on some makes years
ago and then dropped, reduce only one of the car's three
pollutants, hydrocarbons, and by only 30 percent. For this
reason, California state authorities, who seek to roll back
the pollution in Los Angeles to the 1940 level, have insisted
on controlling exhaust emissions. Chrysler Corp. has a
"cleaner air package," which meets California's standards,
and adds $13 to $25 to the price of a new car. The device,
whith sends a leaner mixture to the engine and advances
the spark during deceleration for more complete burning
of fuel, can be maintained for only a dollar a year more
than the cost of a recommended engine tune-up, Chrysler
claims. The other three auto companies have announced
systems that, like Chrysler's, alter fuel-air mixture and
timing. But they have added a pump that injects air into
the exhaust manifold to aid the burn-up of contaminants.
This system would increase the price of a new car by as
much as $50. These devices are appearing for the first time
on 1966-model cars sold in California.
Forcing Detroit to "find something"
The combination of crankcase "blow-by" device and ex-
haust controls, California authorities say, will reduce car-
bon monoxide emissions by 60 percent and hydrocarbons
by about 70 percent. But, it will be ten years before 85 per-
cent of the cars now on the road have them, and meanwhile
the number of automobiles in the Los Angeles area may
grow faster than smog Is reduced. For this reason the state
has ordered a further 15 percent cutback by 1970. At the
moment, Detroit does not know how it will comply. "We
have to find something, don't ask me what," says an official
at General Motors' Warren, Michigan, research center. In
addition, California may shortly set limits for emissions of
oxides of nitrogen. The auto industry does not yet know
how to control these, either, since they present totally dif-
ferent problems. But it seems safe to assume that Detroit
will come up with something if it has to.
Now that Senator Muskie's bill has been passed, it is
PAGENO="0028"
628 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
fairly certain that the Secretary of Health, Education and
Welfare will set automobile emission standards for the en-
tire U.S. While reluctant to do so-even though it makes
money on them-Detroit says it can install the control de-
vices on all new cars beginning with 1968 models. In a nine-
million car year, this would add as much as $400 million to
what the public spends for automobiles. The later adoption
of controls on oxides of nitrogen might conceivably double
this figure, to about $800 million.
Any increase in the cost of gasoline-powered cars would
improve the prospects for electric cars. Yardney Electric
Corp. of New York City already has a special Renault
Dauphine fitted with lightweight batteries that can propel
it at speeds up to fifty-five miles an hour, and up to eighty
miles on a charge. The catch is that these are military-type
silver-zinc batteries costing $3,000. Nevertheless, several
companies, including Yardney and General Dynamics Corp.,
are pushing ahead in the search for batteries that would
coot only a fraction of this. Electric-utility men, of course,
yearn for says to put their olt-peak generating capacity to
use, and become rhapsodic at he vision of millions of battery-
operated cars plugged is nightly for recharging. While a
battery-operated cat' suitable for long jout'neys is a long way
off, a smaller version might be available in a few years.
Smoldering trash fires
Not counting ntanufacturing wastes. Americans ussr
generate 150 million toss of trash and garbage a year.
About half of that mountain of waste is burned. Bstt. the con-
ditions under which much of the burning takes place can
be fairly putttittve. In l)enver back-yard incinerators account
fot' 25 percent of the total air polltttion. In Chicago mssny
aparttttest houses still burn their garbage in heatiisg boilers,
I ~ndet' these (`OttdltiOos, noisonte odors and tress of soot spill
over whole neighborhoods an atfront to the nost `tIn and a
tttttjot' eleatting t)t'obletfl.
The best prevailittg prici ice is to coitstruet lat'ge tnstnicipal
incinerstors. New' ~ot'k (`ity has tlotte this, but its io'iitet'tt-
tot's ate ttot equipped with ls'eeipitatot's, atttl they dischtrge
ntto the air eight l)Otttt(ls of' particulate mutt er fot' every tott
of ittixed tt'tsh and gat'bage bttrned. Yet they me iottnacttlate
affairs cotitpared to the city's apat'tntettt-house itscineratot's,
which spesv otit tsv('nty-tx pounds per ton. "it's like per-
tttitttitg outhouse,," says a los Angeles air-pollution man.
But such conditiotts do ttot have to be tolerated: Ettrope's
itewest tmitticipal iitcineratot's not ottly are equipped with
Itrecipitatot's, but take advantage of the ftiel valste of rubbish
to make steam and electricity.
It would not cost catastrophic stttsss fot' American cities to
abate the nuisance cattsed by the burtting of t'ubbish. New
Yot'k City will shortly begin requiring double.flue incinera-
tors in new apartment buildings, which will produce rela-
tively little soot, Another solution svould be to outlaw the
construction of aity incinerators in apartment houses, and to
require modifications on the 12,000 existing ones. But since
this far-from-ideal solution would cost the owders as much
as $60 tnillion, it might make more sense to shut the in-
cinerators down and spend about $15 million to build a city
incinerator that could reduce the soot and fumes by 99 per-
cetit. The city resists this idea because it figures that the
added coot of hauling the refuse to an incinerator would be
$19 million a year. But if it were hauled, and if precipitators
were installed on all existing municipal incinerators, and if
all capital equipment were written off over a ten-year period,
the total additional cost of doitig the job right would work
out to a piddling 25 cents a month for each of the city's
eight million residents,
The burning question
While small on a per capita basis, such expenditures would
be large enough to present real problems in many areas.
Between now and 1985, the Public Health Service has esti-
mated, cities and towns may have to spend $506 million
ott municipal incinerators just to handle the expected in-
crease in refuse collections. If the cost of building incinerators
to handle a larger share of the existing load were included,
that figure could easily be doubled. And this does not count
the added cost of collecting and burning the stuff, which
could easily total $2 billion a year. Not all of this represents
the cost of abating air pollution, since ntost of these facilities
may have to be built anyway to rid communities of heaps of
refuse. But about a third of these operating and capital ex-
penses1 or an average of about $350 million a year between
now and 1985, could be somewhat arbitrarily assigned to
the cost of cleaning up the city au'.
In view of the enormous costs of handling refuse, more
cities are exploring ways to make some economic use of it.
In addition to steam generation, some cities have recently
gone over to the practice, long populam' in Europe, of corn-
posting refuse and selling it to farmers as a soil conditioner.
Ross McKinney, director of the University of Kansas' en-
vim'onmental health laboratory, has devised another system
that is similar to composting except that it is anaerobic
i.e., the infuse is broken down in the absence of oxygen. This
not only cuts the bulk in half and produces a soil conditioner
of possible value, but libem'ates a lot of methane gas, which
could be used to generate power. McKinney, who frets that
the U.S. is doing only about $500,000 wom'th of research a
year on ways to dispose of t'ubbish, foresees trash-carm'ying
pipelines in cities that will eliminate costly pickup services.
Not free as air, but.
in sum, cleaning up our badly soiled atmosphere is well
within this country's means, To apply the best existing
abatement techniques to all the plants in three main branches
of manufacturing, not counting expenditures already under
way, and effectively to curb fly-ash emissions throughout the
countm'y's present electric generating facilities, would requim'e
an expenditure on equipment of about $1 billion. This figum'e
allows for the fact that it usually costs 25 to 30 percent
more to install emission-curbing devices in an old plant than
to design them into new ones. It should be doubled to take in
all other branches of industry, and redoubled to include opem'-
ating costs. Thus the cost of bringing the country's present
industrial establishment up to the current level of technical
knowledge in the field, if spaced over ten years, would run
about $400 million a year. Meanwhile, industry could easily
double what it is spendimtg to curb aim' pollution in its see'
facilities-presumably whem'e ntost of its cut'rent $300 million
of spending is directed. Altogethem', the application of the
best existing technology to industry wottid Cost about $1
billion a year.
This is a libem'al estimate. Industry in Los Angeles County,
where the strictest regulations prevail, has been spending
PAGENO="0029"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 629
about $2.30 a year foi each of the area's residents, which
would work out to a figure of about $450 million for the
nation. This probably understates things, however, as Los
Angeles does not have as much heavy industry of the air-
polluting type as some other areas. But despite this qualifica-
tion, it is evident that U.S. industry could achieve standards
of cleanliness like those of 1.os Angeles for fat' less than the
$50-billion to $75-billion estimate given last year by a cot'-
porate witness at a Senate hearing.
To this $1 billion a year must be added the $600 million it
might cost to remove sulfur dioxide from the flue gases of
the utilities, the $800 million it could cost to apply all the
foreseeable controls to the automobile, and the $350 million
cost of ensuring soot-free rubbish disposal. These would
boost the price of cleaner air to about $2.75 billion a year.
Even if a few other items are tossed in -such as a ban on the
use of high-sulfur fuel for home heating, programs to reduce
the oxides of nitrogen emitted by electric utilities and to
deodorize diesel exhausts, more research, and a fivefold
step-up in state and local enforcement activities-it is diffi-
cult to see how the total could greatly exceed $3 billion a
year. And this estimate makes almost no allowance for off-
setting savings to industry from the recovery of marketable
products. Also, it assumes there will be no major cost-cutting
breakthroughs in controlling sulfur dioxide or in cleaning up
automobile exhaust- an assumption that could turn out to
be unduly pessimistic. This program will not buy city air as
pure as that which greeeted the Pilgrim Fathers at Plymouth
Rock. But it would reduce total pollution by at least two-
thirds, so that we would only occasionally be aware of it.
For $1.30 a month each, we could all breathe easier.
Keeping out the feds
Unfortunately, American industry does not have a record
it can be proud of in the abatement of pollution. Many cor-
porations are reluctant to clean up voluntarily so long as their
competitors in areas with weak or nonexistent air-pollution
enforcehient are going scot free. And the idea of a uniform
clampdown across the nation is anathema to most industrial
spokesmen. Conditions vary from place to place, they argue.
New York's air is high in dust and sulfur dioxide but low in
automotive smog, while Los Angeles' situation was the op-
posite. Therefore, they say, it is wasteful to crack down
uniformly on all pollutants in all cities. In rebuttal, however,
some experts point out that it made sense for Los Angeles,
whichhad lower sulfur dioxide readings than most cities, to
curb emissions of this damaging gas as well.
Impatient with industry's progress, some economists have
been exploring ways to speed it up. A special committee
under Gardner Ackley, chairman of the Council of Economic
Advisers, has been considering the feasibility of imposing a
scale of charges on companies that pollute the air. Tax con-
cessions in the form of faster write-offs, and a doubling of
investment credits when equipment for controlling pollution
is installed, have also been suggested. But a system of charges
would be incredibly complicated to administer because of the
difficulty of identifying and metering aerial contamination.
Tax concessions, which in effect are subsidies, are objection-
able because they amount to bribing companies to be good
citizens; the federal government might as well arrange a pay-
ment to every child who refrains from dropping candy wrap-
pers in the street. The experience of Los Angeles, where no
economic gimmicks were employed, shows what can be ac-
complished by local enforcement.
Washington's role, in fact, can be a limited one. It seems
clear, from industry's dismal record, that national standards
for emission are needed for every industrial process. The
federal government is best equipped to carry on the research
needed to establish these standards. Their actual enfoice-
ment, however, can best be done by state and local govern-
ments. The federal government has limited policing powers
under the 1963 law, and can intervene in interstate air-
pollution siLuations if localities move too slowly (about 40
million people live in urban zones that straddle state lines),
or in an intrastate situation if the governor requests It. But
the main federal contribution to enforcement should be
money. In the past year, when matching grants from Wash-
ington have become available for the first time, they have
brought a 47 percent increase in the budgets of state and
local air-pollution control agencies. Federal money spent in
this way is far more potent than direct subsidies-would be,
and much less of it will be needed.
PAGENO="0030"
AIR POLLUTION
by
Seymour Tilson
REPRINTED FROM
SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY
A CONOVER-MASTPUBLICATION
205 EAST 42 ST. NEW YORK 17~ N.Y.
June 1965
630
PAGENO="0031"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 631
[iNÔUR 0PINI9Nj
The smoke is beginning to clear:
Our capacity to lick air pollution
makes for optimism about our social tools
It's another hazy day in New York as I
write this; smoke is drifting out of the four
smokestacks I can see from my window. It
would be easy to be depressed about this fur-
ther evidence of the unpleasant side of urban
living. Yet I'm filled with optimism about our
ability to solve this problem-to clean the air
in our cities and around our factories. And
from that optimism springs a conviction that
the technical and social approaches we're de-
veloping to solve this problem can, in other
forms, solve other problems of a complex, ur-
banized society.
My bright view on a hazy day comes from
reading Seymour Tilson's piece about air pol-
lution, which starts on the next page, and
from surveying some of the legislative activ-
ity in this field, particularly the Clean Air Act
of 1963. Tilson's article demonstrates that
the technical problems, while complex, are en-
tirely soluble. Sure, there is much we don't
understand about the photochemistry of smog
formation or about the weather patterns that
cause New Yorkers to inhale some of Phila-
delphia's exhale. But technology already exists
to stop most pollution at the source, and the
remaining more refractory sources-automo-
bile exhausts are one-should yield to the re-
search and development efforts that are being
mounted in response to the new concern about
the quality of our urban air.
So we possess the technical instrumentali-
ties for cleaning our air; do we have the social
instrumentalities for ensuring that we will
employ them? Certainly it takes more than
self-interest. Air-cleaning equipment is usually
just an added cost and can return its invest-
ment only in those rare cases where the re-
claimed material has value in the marketplace.
One needs then new ways to encourage the
installation of air-cleaning equipment and to
penalize those who pollute the air.
Here again I'm optimistic, for we seem to
be finding and refining such mechanisms. For
example, the Clean Air Act provides for fed-
eral grants to match local expenditures for
controlling air pollution. This seems an excel-
lent way to strengthen local efforts without
involving the federal government unduly.
However, because pollution is a regional con-
cern, the federal contribution is scaled up
when two or more municipalities or states join
in a regional pollution-abatement campaign-
a nice bit of social innovation.
Also in the wind is a mechanism to encour-
age private efforts at air cleaning by provid-
ing faster write-off for capital investment in
air-cleaning equipment. That sort of tax relief
is a proven mechanism for encouraging so-
cially useful investment; it's worked for capi-
tal investment generally and it will, I'm sore,
go a long way to make companies invest in air
cleaning.
Of course, the companies are not completely
unwilling, and that is another, more subtle
social mechanism. In the last few decades
there has been a growing appreciation, par-
ticülarly on the part of larger companies, of
corporate social responsibilities. If for no
other reason than to avoid public pressure and
governmental interference, company after
company has done on its own what the public
would have them do.
Finally there is research and development
as a social mechanism. Yes, a social mecha-
nism, for that is what it is
First of all, by accelerating the rate of in-
novation, we in the technical community speed
the rate at which new plant is built, the rate
at which smokeless nuclear power plants sup-
plant the fossil-fueled sort, for example. In-
directly, research means a wealthier society, a
society that can more readily afford the luxury
of not treating the air as a sewer.
Secondly, the engineer's approach to prob-
lems like air pollution causes at least some of
the issues to be reduced to quantitative terms.
We can be rational about the relative contribu-
tions of auto exhausts and factory smoke
stacks to the pollution in any area when we
can put numbers on those contributions. This
rationality has the effect of potting a vector
on all the other social mechanisms I discussed;
it becomes possible to describe the problem in
terms of the sources of pollution, the limits
to atmospheric dilution, the limitations in
measurement, etc. In place of an emotional in-
veighing against all but the purest air, one
has a basis for putting private and public con-
cerns onto a scale. A rough scale. f or there is
still much we don't understand about pollution,
but a scale nonetheless.
You have to be a natural-born optimist to
believe that these new and sometimes fragile
mechanisms will alter the self-interested pat-
terns that have built up across the centuries.
But I am an optimist, and, . . . look, the sun's
shining 1-Dan Cooper
PAGENO="0032"
632 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
AIR POLLUTION
by Seymour Tilson
associate editor
IN BRIEF: The idea that polluted urban air
is dangerous, widespread, costly, unpleas-
ant, and perhaps unnecessary in societies
affluent enough to pollute it so extensively
has gained wide currency in recent years.
The U. S. Clean Air Act of 1963 is the most
far-reaching embodiment of this attitude;
it authorized the Department of Health,
Education and Welfare to spend $95 mil-
lion through 1967 for a wide variety of re-
search and control measures. This begin-
ning promises to stimulate badly needed
developments in many areas of meteorology,
atmospheric chemistry and photochemistry,
fuel chemistry, sensing and monitoring de-
vices, and control devices for automobilrs
and industrial pollution sources. A pivotal
need for a more systems oriented approach
to air-pollution control is the definitive set
of air-quality criteria which the Act
charged HEW with developing. Innumer-
able technical and social difficulties stand
in the way of establishing these, and of
translating them into effective community
control measures, It seems clear that a
much larger commitment to safe, clean air
will be needed to really do the job-S. T.
* Researchers at General Motors are stsdy-
ing smog. They produce it artificially, in a
chamber, by diluting automobile exhausts with
air and irradiating the mixture with simulated
solar ultraviolet. And they use a 5-stage filter-
ing system to purify outside air to the levels
required by their experiments. Nobody ap-
preciates the irony of this more than those
who are professionally concerned with the
larger problems posed by polluted air.
Polluted air-to which auto exhausts are one
contributor-is bad, they say. It's bad for
people, plants, and materials. It's bad for
aesthetic reasons and economic ones. It con-
sumes ingenuity in sophisticated activities
such as smog-chamber experiments, clean-
room technology, and corrosion control. It
poses unsolved risks whenever your plane is
delayed or makes a blind landing made neces-
sary by fog, which is up to twice as prevalent
in polluted urban atmospheres as it is in clean
air. Pollutants have changed the weather over
urban areas in other ways also, mostly un-
pleasant and perhaps unhealthy. And some say
the accumulation in the atmosphere of even
such a non-pollutant as ordinary carbon di-
oxide, contributed by man's burning of fossil
fuels, may turn out to have unwelcome effects
on the climate, geology, and ecologic balance
of the entire planet before the century ends,
Most immediate concern centers however on
the health hazards of polluted air, and here
the statistical and epidemiological portents
are suitably harrowing. Over the long run,
breathing polluted air may make us more sus-
ceptible to lung cancer, gmphysema, bron-
chitis, and asthma-not to mention acute non-
specific upper respiratory diseases as well as
good old-fashioned pneumonia. Over the short
run, when pollutant concentrations become
high enough those with cardio-respiratory in-
sufficiency Who also happen to be very old, or
even very young, are likely to stop breathing.
The list of horrors could be extended in rather
more exotic directions, if men were mice and
responded to certain pollutants in the way that
laboratory creatures do.
Documenting these health hazards-espe-
cially the ones which result from chronic long-
term exposure to the characteristically exceed-
ingly minute concentrations of pollutants-is
a complex, tedious task. It's the subject of
most current research in the air-pollution
field. In spite of difficulties documentation is
growing rapidly, but not as rapidly as the
growth of pollution itself. This imbalance
promises to be redressed, however, as rising
public concern makes itself felt in many ui-
banized parts of the world. This concern crys-
tallized iii the U.S. two years ago when Con-
gress passed a far-reaching Clean Air Act
which authorized the Department of Health.
Education, and Welfare to spend $95 million
over the next few years on a broad spectrum
of training, R&D, and control activities, The
Act specifically focused technical attention on
three major interrelated problems-motor
vehicle exhausts, sulfur-containing fuels, and
the development of air quality criteria.
Pollut Ion sources and the research door
Motor vehicle exhausts are the chief con-
tributor to the air pollution syndrome that
once used to be known to the rest of the
world, mostly through comedians' jokes, as Los
Angeles smog. It involves a variety of unpleas-
ant pollution effects which center around the
photochernistry of dilute mixtures of hydro-
The problem and approaches to solving it
have come a long way since smoke chasing days.
Recent infusions of public concern and federal money
may make it a systems problem
more challenging than reaching for the moon
PAGENO="0033"
ADEQTJACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLTJTION ABATEMENT 633
carbons and oxides of nitrogen in the air.
Automobile exhausts are a prime contributor
of both of these raw materials, but large
power plants add a fair share of nitric oxide,
and open burning of wastes as well as im-
perfectly designed or operated incinerators
add other organic materials to the picture.
The problems caused by sulfurous fuels were
formerly known as London smog, but they too
are more widespread than the name suggests.
This is an ash-soot-sulfur dioxide-sulfate com-
plex to which industrial, electric-power gen-
erating, and domestic heating exhaust streams
are the chief contributors.
Hydrocarbon compounds that may number
into the thousands and that include carcino-
genic polycyclic members of the family-such
as 3-4 benz~pyrene~nitrogen oxides, sulfur
dioxide, sulfates, soot (mostly carbon), and
fly ash are not the only things present in re-
Fig. 1. Eurspean moth species named Biston bet-
ularia adopted ts pollution, in the Birmingham in-
dustrial district of England, by changing frssn
doaninantly light colored ts dominantly dark in less
than JOO years. Dark fsrm, knowa appropriately as
carbonaria, is safer from preying birds when it rests
on soot-blackened trees; thus the gene far dark col-
oring has became more abundant in the population.
Man's problems with pslluted ai~ are not so simple,
nor so easily solved.
Pig'. 2. Limestone outside facing of the National
Gallery in London (below) shows typical results
of accelerated weathering caused by high concen-
tration of SO2 in urban air. SO, is oxidized ond
hydrated to sulfuric acid_H ,SO -which attacks
listoestonc (CaCO,) and converts it into the hy-
elrons mineral gypsum (CsSO12H2O). This re-
oction helps break up original surface and
gypsum's greater solubility in rain water finishes
the destructive job. The same difficulties, except
for the last one, are encountered indoors, os in
the Areoa Chapel in Podus, Italy, where "Mission
of Gabriel" fresco by Giotto ahosos tan powdery
effloreocenee of gypsum crystals formed by H,SO,
attack on lime in the nndeelyi,~g plaster.
68-240 0-66-VoL 11-3
PAGENO="0034"
634 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
markable tonnages in the air over cities large
and small. Add to these, uncomfortably high
amounts of carbon monoxide from auto ex-
hausts, and chlorides, fluorides, and ammonia
from diverse sources and you begin to get the
picture. Finally toss into the pot formalde-
hyde and other aldehydes, acrolein, and an
array of intensely oxidizing substances includ-
ing deadly ozone-which are just a few of the
possible products of photochemical and other
reactions among various of the contaminants
and the ordinary components of air-and it
becomes evident that the tWo problem areas
that I described briefly abosre do only limited
justice to the magnitude of the problems pre-
sented by polluted urban air.
But it is the third specific dictum of the
Clean Air Act-which directs the Department
of Health, Education, and Welfare, through
the Public Health Service, to set up nation-
wide air quality criteria-that may really open
the door to research opportunity.
More to quality control than meets the eye
At first glance the problem of setting such
concentration criteria for various contami-
nants in air seems simple. And so does using
them for control purposes. Once the limit-
stated as a concentration that ought not to be
exceeded when either averaged or integrated
over a certain length of time-is set, a series
of control steps seem to follow logically.
First, inventory the volume of air avail-
able-again either averaged or integrated over
a meaningful time interval-for diluting pol-
lutants over an urban region or throughout a
regional airshed. Then inventory the sources
of pollutants In the region, as well as the
sources of ~liose pollutants coming from up-
wind regions in the airshed, in terms of kind
and amount. At this stage don't overlook the
possibility-a likely one-that photochemical
and ordinary reactions in both local and trans-
ported pollution clouds may make more harm-
ful products of initially innocuous substances,
and vice versa. Next determine limits for the
emission of each pollutant from each source,
under the worst possible dispersal conditions,
so that the tithe-averaged or integrated total
of their individual contributions to the am-
bient air remains below allowable limits. And
of course develop and enforce the use of what-
ever changes in processes or equipment may be
necessary to keep emissions from each source
within indicated limits. Finally work out tech-
niques for monitoring air in the region for
conformance to the ambient air standards-
and maybe even also techniques for spotting
sources of trouble when monitoring shows
that ambient standards are being violated.
Getting to the moon may be easier. Little
more than a moment's reflection is required
to appreciate some of the difficulties that de-
velop at each stage of this more or less "ideal"
solution to modern regional air pollution prob-
lems. Po'itical and economic factors are not
the least of them,
Each step also presents major problems of
meteorological understanding. Not so much
on a scale as smell as what happens to the
pollution plume from a single exhaust stack,
where much is known~ bUt on a scale that per-
mits fuller evaluation and prediction of the
wind-stagnation and thermal-inversion condi-
tions that can inhibit the ventilation of any
region. Each step in control also poses largely
unsolved problems and unprobed opportunities
in chemical and meteorological sensing and
monitoring, in atmospheric chemistry, in
telemetry, and in data handling,
Controlling air quality is, in short, a sys-
tems problem of çh~llenging magnitude in
which social, political, eConomic, and technical
factors mingle inextricably.
Controls need not-should not-walt
In many ways the situation with regard to
engineering of devices and hardware, and to
improving process variables, is in or can easily
be put in much the best shape. While there's
always room for technical improvements and
lowered costs, the*-e has long existed a for-
midable arsenal of scrubbers, filters, electro-
static precipitators, centrifuges, and more re-
cently sonic agglomerators that can take most
particulate matter out of industrial exhaust-
gas streams. And burning waste dumps and
faulty incinerators are largely political prob-
lems, not technical ones, Even the more re-
calcitrant problems of gaseous pollutants like
SO2, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons promise
to yield to research efforts that are now being
prodded into higher gear.
If these efforts fail to produce results, there
are always alternatives available-such as
PAGENO="0035"
ADEQuACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLTJTION ABATEMENT 635
WHAT'S IT LIKE IN THE CITY?
(Relative to rural = tin each case)
City Atmospheric element
Dust particles
Sulfur dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon monoxide
0.8 Total sunshine
0.7 Ultraviolet (winter)
0.95 Ultraviolet (summer)
Ps ummer
Fig. 4. The few snbotanceo shown in this table
as being overly abundant io city air do not nearly
exhanot the list. Absent are hydrocarbons by the
huadreclo-osooe of them potent carcinogens in
laboratory aei,oslo-aod the highly toxic gas
nitrogen dioxide. Since these two react with each
other nader the atimslss of oolar ultraviolet ra-
diatios-to prodscc photoehemiral smog with its
characteriotic haze, eye irritation, and damage
to sensitive plants-it is perhopo fortunate that
pollutants help cut down on oolar ultraviolet
reaching street levels in the city. Of couroe
some air bacteria that might be killed by ouch
uv are not, but one must be grateful for small
favors when living in the urbo.
atomic powered instead of fossil-fuel-powered
generating stations, or, farther in the future
perhaps, cars operated by batteries or fuel-
cells instead of internal combustion engines, or
electrified mass transportation. The art of pol-
lution-control is not so much primitive in
technical means as deficient in social ones.
Whether anybody has to do anything about
the pollutants that their products or processes
emit-and how well they must do it-depends
in part on progress made farther back along
the "ideal" pollution control chain. Here the
first step-setting air-quality criteria-is the
most crucial. It is also the moot complex.
Though all the needed data are not in, most
people would agree, I think, with Vernon
MacKenzie, head of PHS' Division of Air Pol-
lution, when he says that "we must. .. get on
with the job of developing air-quality criteria
and standards against a background of techni-
cal and scientific knowledge which is not now
and probably never will be perfect." Engineers
can recognize the validity of this approach; as
professionals they live with it.
There's a worm or two in the apple
Nevertheless, in view of large gaps in exist-
ing knowledge about the chemistry of normal
and polluted atmospheres, there are under-
standable differences in outlook between indus-
trial and public health people over which sub-
stances-and which industrys'-emissions
should be controlled. Many industrial people,
including the most enlightened ones, remain
somewhat loathe to pursue very much control-
orientated research in the absence of defini-
tive legal standards based on equally definitive
criteria. Indeed, the automobile industry
claims it wants such criteria precisely so it
will know where it stands over the longer
haul. It points to its experiences of recent
years in California, the State that has led the
country-perhaps the world as well-in pollu-
tion-control activities. California has more
cars and a more poorly ventilated climate, in
the Los Angeles area anyway, than any State
in the Union. It also is richly endowed with
sunshine. So it's not surprising that it leads
the country in its concern about the auto
component of its air pollution problem.
Auto exhausts emit two main contaminants:
hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. The hydro-
carbons oome mostly from fuel that is not
completely oxidized to carbon dioxide and
water during engine operating cycles. The
hydrocarbons are diverse in kind-com-
pounds originally in the fuel as well as new
compounds that are formed during the high-
temperature combustion process. Nobody has
identified all of the compounds, but there were
about 200 of them at last count. Nitrogen
oxides, particularly nitric oxide (NO) with
lesser amounts of NO2, result from the high-
temperature dissociation of molecular nitro-
gen and oxygen from the intake air used to
burn the fuel. The liberated atomic nitrogen
and oxygen then combine to yield the oxides.
These reactions are reversible at high tem-
peratures, but they are prevented from re-
versing-the two oxides are literally "frozen
in"-as combustion temperatures drop rapidly
from peak values during expansion of the
gases in both auto engine cylinders and power-
station exhaust stacks.
Of these two groups of contaminants Cali-
fornia has so far established emission stand-
ards only for the hydrocarbons, chiefly be-
cause it was originally thought that the ni-
trogen oxides in auto (and other) exhausts
would be far more difficult, and maybe unwise
to eliminate. It was also felt originally that
reducing the concentration of either one of the
starting reactants would help reduce the build-
up of troublesome final photochemical reaction
products in the air.
Over the years, as California re-inventoried
the dimensions of its pollution problems in
finer detail, changes were made in automobile
and other emission limits. The average uncon-
trolled automobile exhaust emits about 700
ppm hydrocarbons. Current California stand-
ards, set by the State Department of Health
and approved by the legislature, limit this to
275 ppm and include an additional restriction
PAGENO="0036"
636 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
on carbon monoxide of 1.5% (the average ex-
haust emits perhaps 3%), for reason of its
own toxicity and its rising concentration in
Los Angeles air, not because it contributes to
photochemical smog. By 1970 the state will re-
duce these limits still further, to 180 ppm and
1% respectively. But even now, for reasons
that we will discuss shortly, the Los Angeles
County Air Pollution Control District-the
trail-blazing agency in photochemical pollu-
tion control-would like to see the hydrocar-
bon limit reduced to below 100 ppm.
Such differences in opinion on the part of
different control agencies is of course not friv-
olous in intent. It reflects uncertainty about
precisely what should be controlled, and by
how much. But at each such turn in the road
to inevitable controls, a good deal of prior re-
search on control techniques gets bypassed,
And at the spectre of a patchwork of differing,
locally determined control limits a national in-
dustry, like the auto industry in particular,
gets understandably upset. To more clearly un-
derstand the basis for some of these difficulties
we need a closer look at the nature of the smog
which now afflicts all urban regions that are
highly populated with automobile traffic.
Sun-stewed auto exhaust-0smog
Photochemical smog's chief immediate and
obvious symptoms are eye irritation, damage
to sensitive plants (as far as 100 miles from
urban centers), accelerated cracking of rub-
ber, and decreased visibility due to the forma-
tion of a haze of solid and liquid particles
which are collectively described as aerosols,
The first three symptoms are caused by the
products of a complex of reactions that start,
as we said, with hydrocarbons and oxides of
nitrogen. In the course of the reactions some
highly reactive intermediates and ozone are
formed. These help polymerize the organic
compounds in the mixture, according to Prof.
A. J. Haagen-Smit of CalTech who pioneered
work in this field, and lead to the formation
of additional, non-volatile, oxidation and poly-
merization products which add to haze and eye
irritants from other sources of pollution.
This kind of pollution is characterized by
the same extreme dilution of reactive con-
stituents and intermediate and final reaction
products that characterize all air pollution.
An ozone concentration of 0.3 ppm for in-
stance is 10 times its normal background con-
centrations at ground levels. Haagen-Smit
points out that this extreme dilution is one
reason why it takes many years to unravel
even relatively simple atmospheric reactions
such as the photodecomposition of acetone. In
ordinary laboratory work, "slow" and "fast"
reactions are characterized against a backdrop
of reactant concentrations that average about
10%, But in atmospheric reactions concentra-
tions are only on the order of one-millionth as
much, Under these conditions reactions which
would proceed in thousandths of a second at
ordinary laboratory concentrations take an
hour in the atmosphere,
This is important: It is essentially what
permits the highly potent ozone to survive at-
tack by reducing agents such as SO~ in the
atmospheric mixture. Ozone thus can go on to
participate in reactions at several stages in
the photochemical chain, The immense slow-
down in reaction rates also gives ozone and
various, highly reactive, free radicals that are
formed a far better chance to survive long
enough to play significant roles, not only in
the over-all reactions but in some of the ob-
served symptoms as well,
The still far from completely elucidated
chain of daily reactions leading to smog is
set in motion by the photochemical disso-
ciation of nitrogen dioxide. It is a yellow-
brown gas that most effectively absorbs pho-
5. High wintertime concentrations of SO2
in air over (British) cities and surrounding re-
gions come from burning of sulfur-bearing coals
and add to ordinary cardis-respiratory hazards of
winter weather, especially far the elderly. The
map makes clear that pollution is not just a
downtown problem; nor is the SO~ problem ex-
clusively a British one. Abatement efforts center
on switching to low-sulfur fuels and eliminating
SO~ from flue gases.
PAGENO="0037"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 637
330
~320
310- io'~
~300-
5~
~290- o
-
~`280 0
0 o~ , "V~-e''
1880 1900 1920 1940 1960
Year
Fig. 6. Accelerating nse of fossil fuels may re-
salt in 50'/, rise is amount of CO4 in the air by
year 2000. If not absorbed by ses and plants thio
n-sold raise temperotnres several degrees by en-
hanced `greenhouse" effect, enough perhaps to
null glaciers and flood coastal cilu's.
tons in the blue and near ultraviolet. Thia dis-
sociation produces nitric oxide and atomic
oxygen NO2 + isv - NO + 0. The atomic
oxygen thus formed combines with atmos-
pheric oxygen molecules to form ozone (Os).
Other photochemical reactions that con-
tribute to the stew form excited oxygen mole-
cules. These and ozone, perhaps aided by
atomic 0 present in some dynamic equilibrium
concentration, attack organic materials, prob-
ably by removing hydrogen atoms from the
hydrocarbons. This oxidizing assault forms
reactive intermediate substances such as alkyl
and acyl radicals. These radicals can unite
with oxygen to form still more reactive peroxyl
radicals. And these, in turn, can react with
oxygen to form more ozone, with NO to form
larger quantities of chain-initiating NO2, and
with NO2 to produce short-lived but plant
damaging peracylnitrates (uoually abbrevi-
ated to PAN) and an abundance of more stable
oxidation products such as eye-irritating for-
maldehyde.
Bewildered? Let's go over it again with
reference to Fig. 8. The pivotal group of oxi-
dizing substances consists of atomic oxygen
(from dissociation of NO2), excited molecular
oxygen (from solar irradiation of the atmos-
phere's abundant molecular oxygen), peroxyl
radicals (from the action of other oxidants on
hydrocarbons), and ozone (formed as a by-
product in several of the photochemical reac-
tions). During the daylight hours all of the
oxidants contrive to react with the original
starting materials_hydrocarbons (particu-
larly unsaturated, oleflsic ones and some
aromatics) and nitrogen oxides-as well as
with their reaction products. Thus at any par-
ticular time, the air is filled (relatively speak-
ing-remember the troublesome concentra-
tions are down at or be/oat~ the part per mil-
lion level) with a very complex mixture of in-
termediate oxidation and reaction products.
Unquiet controversy In California
A vast amount of experimental and theoret-
ical photochemistry remains to be done at the
low concentrations and low temperatures
which characterize polluted atmospheres be-
fore we completely understand these proc-
esseo. In the laboratory (Fig. 9, 10) symptoms
of photochemical smog can be produced by is'-
radiating with mock sunlight suitably low
concentrations of hydrocarbons in the pres-
ence of oxides of nitrogen. But considerable
controversy exiots among both atmospheric
chemists and simulators of smog about the
precise course and time constants of each of
the innumerable reactions occurring in pol-
luted atmospheres. Not all ouch disputes are
academic; indeed one such controversy is par-
ticularly instructive. It illustrates in a simple
way the difficulty of understanding what our
pollution problems really are and casts a long
shadow over approaches to controlling photo-
chemical pollution.
Although nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons
are the essential starting ingredients, only hy-
drocarbons are now being controlled in Cali-
fornia, as was mentioned. This also is the con-
trol approach called for in a recent bill pro-
posed to Congress and aimed specifically at
the motor vehicle pollution problem. It should
work; according to the tenets of the familiar
chemical law of mass action this should in-
hibit formation of even the minute concen-
trations of final photochemical reaction prod-
ucts. Indeed, the consensus among pollution ex-
perts in Washington, Detroit and Californils is
that by reducing hydrocarbons enough now,
THE SUDDEN PEAKING OF POLLUTANTS
Concentration (ppm)
Fig. 7. Importance of continuous monitorong of
pollutants-new being done by the Public Health
Service's automated equipment in only nine cities
-is emphasized by frequently observed higher
short-time peaks such coo these, which reveal in-
adequacy of using lower long-period averages
in many medical studies.
PAGENO="0038"
638 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
most of the ill effects associated with high
oxidant levels that characterize photochemical
smog can be eliminated, without any need for
controls on nitrogen oxides for the time being.
Others, Haagen-Smit among them, want both
ingredients controlled. Still others feel most
uneasy about nitrogen oxides. They feel the
consensus on the hydrocarbon control approach
may be too naive, in that it equates the
eye irritation symptoms exclusively with the
end products of irradiation. These prod-
ucts reach peak concentrations in experi-
mental chambers after some 41/2 hours of ii'-
radiation. But Walter Hamming and colleagues
of the Los Angeles County Air Pollution Con-
trol District have shown that there is an
earlier peak of eye irritation observed in many
irradiation chamber studies. It is equal in
severity to the later one but it occurs only
about 1l~ hours after irradiation han begun,
and not only in simulation studies but in
downtown Los Angeles after sunrise as well.
This is long before oxidants such as ozone or
PAN have reached any appreciable concentra-
tion. Indeed, this early irritation peak seems
to coincide most closely with maximum NO2.
Thus, Hamming and his coworkers feel that
controlling nitrogen oxide emissions equals or
exceeds hydrocarbon control in importance in
alleviating Los Angeles' most obvious problem.
There's another interesting angle to all
this. Hamming points out that the severity of
eye irritation produced seems to relate to the
intensity of sunlight involved. It turns out
that for conditions in Los Angeles region
partial control of hydrocarbons alone could
possibly lead to more severe and extended pe-
riods of eye irritation. Since the early peak-
ing NO2 wouldn't have enough hydrocarbons
available to be used up in zipping on down the
photochemical reaction pike it might hang
around longer and reach higher daily aver-
ages. In any case, Hamming feels that reduc-
ing nitric oxide emissions in any degree can
only reduce the severity of eye irritations
whereas hydrocarbons would have to be lim-
ited much more drastically than is currently
envisioned to achieve equally effective relief.
This tempest over tearing eyes in Los An-
geles may have deadlier ramifications.
The need for controlling NO and NO2
Obviously, differences in opinion over
needed control measures depend on the symp-
toms that concern one. The control waters
have all too often been muddied by imprecise
definitions here. Precise definitions are needed,
and soon, before going too far with control
attempts limited to single, more easily coxtc
trolled components of complex reaction mix-
tures. NO2 itself for instance is acutely toxic
at about 100 ppm. The limiting concentration
that industrial hygienists allow for it and
other oxides of nitrogen in workroom air is 5
PHOTOCHEMICAL SMOG MADE SIMPLE
Fuel Combustioa at High Temperstuies NO + NO2
[2NO+O2l-n- 2NO2
Evaporation and
Incomplete Combustion uf Fuel
Sunlight+ N01-'Atomic 0
Sunlight±02 Excited 02
Atomic 0+02 -n.O~ (Ozone)
Plant Dsmage
PAN± Formaldehyde± Etcetera ±03 (Ozone) ...~. Eye!rritation
Rubber Cracking
Fig. 8. Starting substances for smog are nitro-
gen o~ides and hydrocas'bone. The critical first
step leading to group of oxidizing substances is
photodissoclatioa of NO5; this yields atomic 0
that joins molecular oxygen to produce ozone.
Oxidants attack hydrocarbons and produce re-
active free radicals of several kinds which are
also capable of attacking hydrocarbons and par-
ticipating in other reactions as i~dicatcd. As dis-
cussed in story, eye irritation may relate more to
NO2 content than to final reaction products shown.
Hydrocarbons
+
~*Oxidant Pool
it
Free Radicals
Free lladlcals+NO3 Petoxyacylnitrates (PAN),
Formaldehyde, Etcetera
2-
Ic mixtures of
PAGENO="0039"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 639
THE ME
Formaldehyde
I -
S - Acetone
1.0 / . -.
- ,.- hon monoxide
0 20 40 60 00 100
Time (mis)
Fig. 10. Stanford Resroreh irrodwtiss rbsnbrr
study of a few years bock illustrates diversity
ond varying eaneentratisas of substances pro-
duced, starting with isobutene and nitrogen di-
oxtde. Cosnponnd X has since been tentatively
identified by most workers as peroxyaeyt nitrate.
ppm; this limit is for 5-day-a-week, 8-hr-a-
day exposures of healthy adult workers. A
value of twice this amount or 10 ppm observed
in a single measurement in ambient air in Los
Angeles would result in a so-tailed "third
alert" in which all-out community protsction
measures would he authorized. Most of the
time the LA coocentratiosi of NO and NO~-
which are usually measured together since
there appears to be no control purpose to be
served in distinguishing between them in view
of the rapid conversion of NO into N02-stays
below about 1 ppm. One thing that may help
keep NO and NO2 well below more potentially
dangerous levels most of the time is that
during the daylight houro, they are con-
tinually used up in maintaining the series of
equilibrium reactions with ultraviolet light
and hydrocarbons. But some knowledgeable
scientists, such as Philip Leighton of Stanford
University and Albert Bush of UCLA, have
warned that reducing hydrocarbons alone-
especially to drastically low levels such as 100
ppm or less-may in fact raise the total of ni-
trogen oxides in the air over the long term,
eventually perhaps to more dangerous levels.
Hamming and moat others discount this pos-
sibility, however.
Such fundamental uncertainties as these
msst have been what Dr. P. J. Lawther (then
of the British Medical Research Council Group
on air pollution) had in mind, several yesrs
ago, when he said regarding British urban
air pollution: "We have no more right to ex-
pect an easy solution than to overlook a sim-
ple answer. The field is bedevilled by paradox,
not the least striking of which is the per-
sistence with which we apply exquisitely fine
techniques to crude problems and at the same
time expect delicate mechanieme to yield to
the hammer blows of our clumsier methods."
The British are plagued by pollution prob-
lems characterized more by SO2 and its in-
volved atmospheric permutations to SO~ and
sulfuric acid than by the automotive kind of
smog. But this is changing, of course, as autos
and traffic congestion increase, just as the
S02-complex never was exclusively a British
problem.
Sulfur dioxide in the air comes mostly from
combustion of sulfur-containing fuels-coal
and low-grade or residual fuel oils are the
chief offenders. Natural gas and light petro-
leum fractions like kerosenes and gasolines are
relatively low in sulfur or can be made so with
little difficulty. Some 802 also comes from the
smelting of sulfide ores. The ash constituents
invariably present in the air help to catalyti-
cally oxidize 802 to SO:s, and hydration of SO2
yields the sulfuric acid which is responsible
for the blue color typical of SOfladen exhaust
plumes.
The more difficult and critical transforma-
tion of 802 to SO;~ is probably accomplished
photochemically by near ultraviolet radiation;
this mechanism may be most effective in the
presence of particles of manganese and iron
salts or oxides, under the moisture-rich con-
ditions available in most stack gases and dur-
ing humid weather conditions more generally.
No doubt the strongly oxidizing atmosphere
created in typical photochemical (Los An-
geles) smog also contributes significantly to
this otherwise slow oxidation step. Both kinds
of smog are invariably present to greater or
lesser degree in urban atmospheres and their
deleterious effects, as to some extent their
photochemical histories, are intricately en-
tangled, but distinguishable.
The U.S. Clean Air Act specifically recog-
nized the sulfur problem too, and it directed
Health, Education and Welfare to conduct a
major R&D effort aimed at developing cheaper
and better techniques for removing sulfur
from the offending fuels. Much sdditional
work is being done on an alternative potential
solution-removing the sulfur compounds
from exhaust gases before emitting them to
the atmosphere. Several lines of development
look promising here. Some involve adsorption
of 802 on activated carbon char or reacting
it with alkalized alumina. Others approach the
problem as the atmosphere itself does, by
catalytically oxidizing the SO9 to S0~ and con-
PAGENO="0040"
640 ADEQTJACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
verting the latter to sulfuric acid, which is ap-
parently recoverable in amounts sufficient to
at least partly defray the costs.
It's an iii wind that blows pollution your way
When you think about the huge dimensions
of the ocean of air that lies above us, it's hard
to believe that the activities of urban man,
which are carried on over just about 1% of
the total land surface, can create vast, slowly
drifting, Sargasso-like seas of pollution. In
fact, the major portion of man's airborne
effiuvia is carried away by turbulent winds
and vertical updrafts and diluted to undetect-
able concentrations throughout the entire 10-
mile thickness of the lower atmosphere. But a
considerable proportion often cannot be dis-
persed this way.
With surprising frequency-an average of
perhaps one-third of the time over much of
the U.S. for example-there is an effective
limit to the upward dispersion of contami-
nants, at altitudes of 500 feet or less.
This upper limit to dispersion is created
either locally or over large regions by a ther-
mal inversion, a condition you're probably fa-
miliar with, in which the normal decrease of
air temperature with height above the ground
which heats it is reversed. At some elevation
above the ground-known as the inversion
base-air temperatures begin to rise instead
of continuing to drop (see margin). This
anomalous temperature gradient persists up-
ward throughout the inversion layer to an
altitude which is determined by large-scale
weather patterns that create the inversion in
the first place. The base of the inversion layer
acts as the effective lid.
Imagine a bold parcel of polluted air-such
as a hot, high-velocity jet of stack gases-one
that has the temerity to try to rise into the
inversion layer itself. Although it cools
markedly on the way up, on penetrating the
inversion layer it fInds itself much cooler and
more dense than the surrounding air, in which
the temperature is going up not down. Conse-
quently, it quickly sinks back toward the inver-
sion base and has little if any time in which
to disperse its pollutants to higher altitudes. It
and its burden of pollution are confined to the
appropriately named "mixing layer" that lies
below the inversion base and extends to the
ground.
The average prevailing thickness or depth
of this mixing layer varies with time and
place-it reaches a mile or two at times-but
it is always far less than the full thickness of
the lower atmosphere. Yet, in general these
mixing depths would suffice to dilute pollutant
concentrations, if the winds that handle hori-
zontal circulation blew hard enough and with
enough turbulence for enough of the time. At
some seasons of the year and at many places
they don't, Still worse, winds that are too weak
can compound pollution troubles.
Helmut Landsberg, head of the climatology
section of the U.S. Weather Bureau, has shown
this for the northeastern chain of cities, ex-
tending from Richmond, Virginia, to Port-
land, Maine. When weak winds involving 100
miles or less of net air transport a day blow
the right way-in this case mostly from the
south or southwest (see margin)-the pol-
lutants emitted in any one city either stay in
the local area or are wafted gently toward the
next city in the chain, perhaps adding to its
pollution burden. Such weather conditions are
far from rare for at least parts of the chain.
This doesn't mean that recent comments by
New York City's Mayor Wagner, in which he
described the city as lying at the end of a
"3000-mile long sewer" of air pollution, are
technically correct (as pollution control people
in California are at some pains to point out).
It does mean however that regional airsheds
exist. These, at some seasons and some places,
are in many ways analogous to watersheds, In
both cases pollution can increase in the down-
stream direction. But air, unlike water, can-
not be cleaned up for general use. Pollution in
it can only be controlled atthe source. In order
to do this we're going to need more and better
ways to monitor and trace the movements of
pollution clouds that migrate downwind, from
the central cities into suburbs and the sur-
rounding countryside. Characteristic patterns
of pollution-caused damage to plants offers
some grim help here.
In the U. S. some data vital for these and
other purposes are starting to come in from
a PHS National Air Sampling Network of
more than 200 stations-urban and rural-
PAGENO="0041"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 641
which have been operated since 1953 on an in-
termittently scheduled basis that has yielded
some 4500 samples a year. A little closer ap-
proach to the kind of assault that's needed
has been provided by a recently activated PHS
system of highly automated, computer inte-
grated monitoring stations which provide con-
tinuous 24-hr-a-day, every day, measurements
of CO, SO2, NO, NO2, 03 total oxidants, and
total hydrocarbons-at one location in each of
nine cities.
Society, or somebody, must call the shots
Technical needs in pollution research and
control activities are in many ways obvious.
They can and will be met as soon as sufficient
resources are devoted to them. The problems
of setting quality criteria for air, and seeing
to it that they are enforced, are much more
difficult. Solving them requires not only scien-
tific, technical, and medical data and decisions
but social and moral ones as well. There's
nothing new about this. Society requires
many such decisions.
In the field of nuclear energy for example,
the Federal Radiation Council was established
to assess social benefits versus risks in face
of the current overwhelming scientific judge-
ment that there is no threshold or limiting
value below which adverse biological effects
do not occur-there is no "safe" level of ex-
posure to radioactivity other than zero. There
are comparable problems in the air-pollution
field, especially in the case of polycyclic hydro-
carbons like 3-4 benz-pyrene which are potent
carcinogenic agents in experimental animals.
Vernon MacKenzie of PHS notes that poly-
cyclic hydrocarbons in air appear to come
mostly from coal combustion, whether in
furnaces or engines, from burning waste
materials, and from some industrial proc-
esses. They cannot be practically eliminated
from the air unless the total economic and
technical fabric of society is altered. Yet there
is no safe exposure other than zero to chemi-
cals such as these.
What should the attitude of an agency like
the Public Health Service be in setting allow-
able limits for substances such as these,
charged as it is with a vested interest and
proper bias on the side of public health and
safety? Should PHS do the job of setting cri-
teria, or should it be delegated instead to a
cabinet-level body like the Federal Radiation
Council, or to some other august body like
the National Academy of Sciences, which can
juggle benefits versus risks through less
safety-tinted glasses?
As one who has breathed for some time
and hopes to continue doing so for a long
time to come, I hope that someone with a
more health-biased viewpoint will do the job,
as it is now in the process of doing it. Soon.
A cosmic Joker In the deck?
Even complete success in controlling pol-
lution of the kinds we have been discussing
may prove to be a Pyrrhic victory in the not
very long distant end. There is inconclusive
evidence that the atmosphere's total content
of carbon dioxide has increased by some 13%
due to man's increasingly industrial way of
life since the 19th century. CO3 is not usually
thought of as a pollutant since it is not
harmful. Indeed it and water are the ideal
non-toxic end products of all fuel combus-
tion and metabolic processes. The observed
increase agrees strikingly well with estimates
of the CO2 increase that could be expected
since the 19th century on the basis of sharp
rises in fossil fuel use. Projecting such esti-
mates into the future, it appears that CO3 in
the atmosphere may be 50% higher by the
year 2000 than in pre-industrial days, assum-
ing that atomic power doesn't replace power
from fossil fuels to any significant degree.
This increase in itself shouldn't bother
anybody's breathing or other activities, but
it might have larger-scale effects on the cli-
mate of the entire earth. CO3 is an impor-
tant absorber of the longer wave infrared en-
ergy that the earth's surface reradiates as it
cools through the nights and the seasons.
If all of the extra CO2 remains in the atnios-
phere, instead of being taken up by plants
or dissolved in sea water, and nobody knows
exactly how much is removable in these ways,
it seems likely that the earth's average tem-
perature could go up several degrees. Some
provocative though largely speculative esti-
mates suggest that this increase might be
enough to melt all or most of the glacial ice
on earth. In turn this would raise sea level
everywhere by a few hundred feet-enough to
put most of smoggy Manhattan and the Los
Angeles Basin under water, for example.
Which is indeed one long-range solution to the
problem of polluted urban air.
PAGENO="0042"
THE INSTITUTE OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS, NC: ~ OCTOBER 1965
~iSj~écrU
Airborne asphyxia-
an international problem
Reprinted with permission by the
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE
Pubtic Health Service
~42
PAGENO="0043"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 643
al
- is equally in-
n. Cities such as ~, , Dusseldor~ and other in-
dustrial centers in the L.tr Valley are plagued by air
Airborne a~
Air pollution is no
frightening
Gordon D. F'riedlander
Staff Writer
if one happens to be a
o-pack-a-day category, and
tay be more healthful for one
does not
Fig. 1. "Darkness at high noon-a view of 42nd Street in
New York City under a blanket of heavy smog caused by a
temperature inversion, on October 20, 1963..
PAGENO="0044"
644 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
showIng stack operation of industrial ment. Fig. 3 (below). Aerial vlewof St. Louis showing a
..istallation of air pollution control equip. several.square.mile area of the city under a pall of indus.
ame stack after installation of control equip- trial air pollution.
PAGENO="0045"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FO1~ POLLUTION ABATEMENT 645
-1v Coal
Lrch,
and
iene
~ of
con-
IC
Lit
ywilli. n
~iates projrn indicate that the
electric utility i will require about 40 percent
of the total available energy-the equivalent of 1.6
million tona of bituminous coal. Of this amount, coal
is expected to account for at least 600 000 tons, even at
the optimum rate of nuclear power introduction. This
level of coal use would be 25 percent more than the total
amount of coal mined in the United States in 1964.
These statistics indicate the continuing importance of
coal in providing a significant portion of the nation's
total energy requirements.
Realistically speaking, any restrictions on the use of
~ coal for electric generation would have a serious economic
impact on the welfare of the coal-producing regions of
Fig. 4. Smoke belching from an electric utility corn- the United States, and it would impose cost penalties for
present and future power generation.
Air pollution, however, presents one of the most
serious threats to the coal industry in the fulfillment of its
predicted future as a source of fuel for electric generation.
The 2000-MW conventional steam-electric power plants,
presently in the design stages, will consume about 20 000
tons of coal per day. This could mean that, in addition to
a large volume of carbon monoxide being produced
through incomplete combustion, between 700 and 800
tons of sulfur would be burned to produce an intolerable
level of sulfur dioxide.
In the viciout cycle wherein urban population densities
are increasing, the quantities of energy required in our
burgeoning economy will also spiral upward. At some
predictable time it will be necessary to decrease the
quality of coal used for electric generation as the reserves
of high-grade fuel dwindle. And,- since the lower-grade
bituminous coals contain a higher sulfur content, the
problem of air pollution control will be intensified.
Temperature inversion is a meteorological phenomenon
which, when occurring over large cities, can have very
serious consequences Essentially, temperature inversion
Mining, meteorology, and medicine is a perverse atmospheric condition in which the air tem-
An entire session at the recent American Power Con- perature increases with height above the earth's surface.
ference in Chicago clearly indicated that air pollution Normally, temperature decreases with height in the lower
has become a prime interdisciplinary concern to both the atmosphere up to the troposphere, and then the tern-
electric utilities and industry. The participants in the perature increases in the stratosphere- The rate of decre-
panel discussion' on this subject included Dr. Bertram ment, or lapse rate, is about 3.3'F per 1000 feet of
D. Dinman, Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine altitude.
at Ohio State University; Francis E. Gartrell, Assistant Inversions are caused by radiative cooling of a lower
Director of Health, Tennessee Valley Authority; Abra- air layer, aubsidence heating of an upper layer, or the
ham Gerber, secretary of the System Development Corn- advection of warm air over cooler air or of cool air under
mittee, American Electric Power Service Corporation; warmer air. Radiative exchange between the earth's sur-
James R. Jones,
Company, Inc.; Hai
Bureau of Mines, I.
Dr. L A. 1..
University
panelists wi
contamination. In addition to London, the industrial
midland cities of Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, and
Liverpool suffer from the same malady. With the advent
of the megalopolis and vast urban industrial sprawls, air
pollution is no longer the exclusive property of any one
country-it is rapidly becoming a worldwide menace.
Later in this article we will discuss in detail the individual
air pollution problems of five American cities and what
efforts-if any-are being made to remedy the condi-
tions.
The Fig. 5 bar graph dramatically indicates the major
air contaminants and quantities emitted per year in the
United States, while Fig. 6 shows the amount of sus-
pended dusts and other particulates in relation to urban
population classifications. Note that there is a steady rise
in the number of particulates with every increase in popu-
lation classification.
PAGENO="0046"
646 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
Pollen
tndu
strict dust and ash
iaa
~isa
face and she atmosphere on ctear nights coots the ground
and the adjacent tayer of air, This makes the adjacent
tayer colder than the layers immediately above, and
thereby creates a ground inversion that can vary from a
few feet to a few thousand feet in thickness.
Radiative cooling of the sop of a cloud bask or dsst
layer can also create sn inversion. In this case, the sinking
air warms at the adiabatic lapse rate of 5.5°F per 1000
feet, and this sinking sir can produce a layer warmer than
the layer of air that is immediately adjacent to she earth's
surface.
Cool sir that displaces warmer air, such as air that
blows from a cool ocean onto swarmer land, can cause a
pronounced inversion that persists as long as the flow
continues. Similarly, warm air may flow over a cold sur-
face layer, especially one trapped in a valley, and this
may cause an inversion. The episodes of acute air pollu-
tion in the Meuue River Valley of Belgium, in 1930; in
Donors, Pa., in 1948; and in London, England, in 1952
were caused by this latter phenomenon.
Inversions effectively suppress vertical air movement
and cause an atmospheric stagnation in which smoke and
other volatile contaminants cannot rise from the earth's
surface. Persistent inversions have been experienced in
Los Angeles, New York, London, and other industrist
mesropotises. Under such conditions, lethal layers of
sulfur dioxide, soot, carbon monoxide, ozone, and
nitrous oxide can become statically entrapped for days us
lime.
Climatologieal faceors. There are meteorological and
rlimatologicsl factors that influence she action of air-
borne, volatile chemicals. The most common of these
variables are temperature, wind velocity and turbulence,
humidity, atmospheric pressure, and intensity and
duration of sunlight.
Thermal resctions, involving the corrosion of materials,
Natural dust
Suitor nx,des
70
Other
as
5 50 20 30 45 50 55
Emissions in the United States, millions ut isns per year
Pig. 5. Horizontal bar graph showing principal maisr air contaminants that are emit-
ted par year in the United Stases.
Ptg. 8. Graph ahswing the quannieles sf nsspended partieatates and their retasisnship
so srban pspstatlsn rencentratisnu.
1857-test geometric mean uaiurs
h3
*ea
20 40
55 55 105 520 1d5 155 180
Micrnerams per,cubic meter of air
PAGENO="0047"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 647
Fig. 7. A-Chart of exhaust emissions from gas-
fired furnaces. B-Similar Chart for oil-tired fur-
naces. C-Chart for coal-fired equipment indicates
highest contaminant emissions.
AmmSnia
Hydrogen chloride
Hydrogen
Solids
Sullur
Exhaust emissions, lb/million Blu
will approximately double in rate for each 18°F rise in
temperature. While temperature is not usually considered
to have an effect on photochemical reactions, recent re-
search has indicated that photochemical oxidant pro-
duction and the rate of photooxidation of hydrocarbons
are accelerated by increased temperature in synthetic
smog. And there is evidence to indicate that eye irritants
could alto be increased in the atmosphere by the elevation
of air temperaturt.
It is known that when the air temperature is ralued, the
respiratory rates of humans and animals are increased.
And the toxic effectu of many pollutants are affected by
temperature changes. For example, in one experiment,
the lethal dose of ozone for rats in a temperature environ-
ment of 90°F was 2.6 ppm for a 4-hour exposure; while
at 75°F, the lethal dosage for a 6-hour exposure was 6-8
ppm. This would seem to indicate that the permissible
levels of air pollution should be revised in accordancewith
seasonal mean temperatures.
Humidity can influence the effects of air pollution. Its
presence often causes more rapid corrosion of metals by
certain chemical substances. Many acidic gases, such as
1.5 2.0 sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide, hydrogen sulfide, and
chlorine, are much more corrosive in atmospheres that
A contain high humidity than they are in the pretence of
drier air. And since humidity directly affects the heat
transfer between humans and their environment, it will,
in turn, influence the effect of expouure on humans.
High wind velocity and air turbulence are generally
beneficial because pollutants are dispersed and diluted
more rapidly.
It is known that sunlight is an important factor in the
effects of air pollution since eye irritants, plant toxins,
and ozone are formed in the air by photochemical reac-
tions. Air pollution experts are aware, for instance, that
some types of soot deposited on motor vehicles will
damage the lacquer in the presence of sunlight. If the soot
is removed, however before sunlight can touch the
finish, no damage will result.
Atmospheric pressure has a relevant influence in air
pollution. The oxygen pressure in the air decreases as the
height above sea level is increased. The immediate
1 5 20 physiological effect of increased altitude is a more rapid
blood flow rate; then, the involuntary rate of respiration
B increases. As the body adapts to the new atmospheric
environment, the concentration of blood hemoglobin
C rises. The ambient pressure in populated areas of the
United States varies somewhat more than 0.2 atmosphere
(assuming that 1.0 atmosphere equals about 15 psi). For
relative comparison, the instantaneous rate for a given
concentration of air contaminant may be expressed as
dx/dl = K. At a higher elevation, such as Denver, Cob.,
with a pressure approximately 0.8 of that at sea level, the
instantaneous rate would be dx/dI = 0.64K. or 36 percent
slower. Therefore, pressure considerations are important
in establishing standards that are designed to prevent the
formation of secondary pollutants that are synthesized by
either photochemistry or oxidation from primary con-
taminants.
Medically, a dim view. Sulfur dioxide is increasingly
emerging as a prime villain in the air pollution drama.
This contaminant is a major by-product of fossil-fuel
combustion from the lower grade fuel oils and coal.
London's smog, a true smoke suspension in fog, has
for many centuries been a prime example of traditional air
Exhaust emissions, lb/million Btu
Oil
1.0 1.5
Exhaust emissions, lb/million Btu
Coal
PAGENO="0048"
648 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
pollution. Because England imports limited quantities
of high-grade fossil fuels, the typical London "pea
souper" consists mainly of sulfur compounds, particularly
SO,, which are produced by the combustion of bitu-
minous coal, low-grade heating oil, acid manufacture, ore
smelting, and other industrial manufacturing processes.
In the United States, New York and Chicago have
record quantities of SO3 in theit atmospheres that are
second only to London's. In all, about 60 percent of the
American population is exposed to continuous peril from
atmospheric contaminants (see Fig. 7). And it does not re-
quire a medical opinion to suggest that pollutants capable
of corroding metal, darkening white paint (Fig, 8), dis-
integrating stone, dissolving nylon hose, and cracking
rubber are somewhat less than beneficial to human lung
tissue. There is ample circumstantial evidence to link
air pollution with asthma, pneumonia, tuberculosis,
pulmonary emphysema, lung cancer, and even the com-
mon cold. In 1962, the chairman of a panel of medical
experts at the National Conference on Air Pollution Con-
trol stated: "The evidence that air pollution contributes to
the pathogenesis of chronic respiratory disease is over-
whelming."
During the symposium on the clean air problem at the
recent American Power Conference, Dr. Dinman, in his
opening statement, gave a concise description of the
pathological effects of sulfur dioxsde:
"To understand the effects of SO, on health, it is neces-
nary to delineate those mechanisms whereby sulfur oxides
alter human function, On a mechanistic basis, we may
conceive of air conduction tubes (the tracheobronchial
tree) as a series of interconnecting ducts. These ducts
have the unusual capacity of changing their cross-
sectional area. This is accomplished by contraction of
circumferentially aligned muscles. Thus, given a proper
stimulus at certain receptions in the wall of this air con-
duction system, input from these receivers arrives at the
brain. A flow of impulses, in turn, is transmitted to these
surrounding muscles, which leads to their contraction with
a decrease in cross-sectional area.
"The consequences of such decrease in cross-sectional
area are apparent. Consider that a fixed volume of air per
unit time must be available for oxygen extraction by the
blood. Therefore, an increase in velocity is the only
method whereby this fixed volume may be moved through
this attenuated system. Obviously, the energy required per
unit time to obtain this work function is increased. In
individuals who have cardiac disease, these increased
demands are met with difficulty and subsequent deteriora-
tion. Another complication stems from one other con-
sequence of SO, or SO3 (sulfur trioxide) or H,SO, (sul-
furic acid) impingement on the lining of the gas-blood
exchange surfaces. Impingement of these irritant polar
compounds stimulates the release of a diluent at such af-
fected surfaces. While this dilution increases pH toward
normal levels, at the same time it imposes a thickened
barrier to gas transfer across the membrane. Since this
harrier is but a few hundred microns thick, this imposes
no significant load on gas transfer in the normal person,
PAGENO="0049"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 649
Adsorbent
Purified flue gas-'j ~
Adsorber -
Rawflue gas- -
Recovered SO2 4---
Desorber - -
co2 seal Make-up
Vibrating screen
Ash and coke dust~
Adsorbent
However, in those persons with already thickened gas
exchange membranes due to chronic lung disease, this
increased thickness essentiatly causes a barrier to oxygen
diffusion with resultant asphyxia, and further deteriora-
tion as a result of decreased oxygen availability so the vital
organs.
While there is much data from animal experi-
mentation, there is relatively little human data even in
normal persons. in such persons, 4-6 ppm of SO2 produces
coaasistently reproducible changes in airway resistance
within JO seconds to 4 minutes..
Nitrous oxide is no laughing matter. Some medical
experts regard nitrous oxide (N00), the common "laugh-
ing gas" administered as an anesthetic by dentists for
tooth extraction, in the same insidious category as SOS.
Recent evidence indicates that N50 has teratogenic-and
possibly carcinogenic-effects on animal and human
receptors. In air pollution, this gas is emitted as a by-
product of hydrocarbon combustion.
Fig. 9. Block diagram of the Bureau of Mines'
alkalized alumina process.
Fig. 10. Diagram showing the mechanical con-
figuration of a Reinfuft process pilot plant.
In therapeutic medicine, bone marrow depressant ef-
fects have been observed as a result of the protracted ad-
ministration of N50 to control convulsions in tetanus
victims. And, although any conceivable concentration of
the gas as an air pollutant would be very low, the cumula-
tive effects of continued exposure to this gas may be
deleterious to human receptors.
Catalysts and buffers. Dinman further observed that
wtth the addition of any suspended particulates, of less
than 5 microns in size, the response of the human re-
ceptor to SO, may bç accentuated. The reasons for this
physiological reaction are twofold, andmay beascribedto
1. The interposition of particulate surfaces of relatively
large areas for irritant gas adsorption, which would in-
crease the gas concentration per unit volume.
2. The increased probability of impingement, which is a
result of the different kinetic behavior of particulate vs.
gas phase.
Although many particulates tend to aggravate the bio-
logical damage potential of SOS, it is apparent from actual
case histories that the biopotency of these parliculales isa
function of their chemical properties. It is known that
manganese catalyzes the conversion of SO0 to H2S04, but
it is also possible for some particulates to buffer the
physiolOgical reaction of SOs.
In the phenomenon of buffering it is known that in-
haled hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and other sulfhydryl com-
pounds can protect mice from Otherwise lethal exposures
to ozone. Inhaled formaldehyde and SO~ produced much
more resistance to air flow in guinea pigs when applied
with a physiologically inert aerosol than did the same con-
centrations of the gases alone.
Knowing the concentration of a pollutant does not
necessarily indicate its physiological effect upon a re-
ceptor. The presence of other contaminants may either
inhibit or increase the expected effect. Yet, almost no re-
search has been conducted to determine the effects on re-
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - ~ Cleaned gas
Forced draft tan____________
- - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - I
L~j
_..-Elevatur
Buuster
~rbing
PAGENO="0050"
650 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
ceptors of long-term exposure to known admixtures of
pollutants. Nevertheless, many proposed air standards
for urban areas are predicated on consideration of the ex-
posure effects of a single pollutant at a time.
The final medical factor is individual sensitivity or
allergic reaction. Heretofore this hat been a rather vague
and nebulous concept, but recent evidence is accumu-
lating to verify thit phenomenon.
Methods of reducing SO2 and SO, emissions from coal
Based upon statistics available for the year 1962, and
by combining a knowledge of the sulfur content of coal
seams being mined in various states, Table t indicates the
range of sulfur contents and the corresponding per-
centages consumed in the United States.
In view of the very large estimated demand for electric
power generation in geographic areas where co~1 is the
preferred fuel, the quantities of SO2 released to the
atmosphere will rise alarmingly unless means are de-
veloped either to remove the sulfur before combustion or
to remove the SO2 from the stack gases. One of the prime
difficulties in achieving the former objective is that a
portion of the sulfur content (20-60 percent)is chemically
bound as organic sulfur, and this can only be removed by
very complex and expensive chemical processes.
At present, three high-temperature processes' are being
operationally tested for electric utility applications. These
are: the alkatized alumina, the Reinluft, and the Penn-
sylvania Electric.
Bureau of Mines' alkalized alwnina process. In this
process, flue gas containing SO~ and SO, are absorbed
by atkalized alumins-Al(O0-l),-in a vessel at a tem-
perature of 625°F (see Fig. 9). The alkalized alumina is
regenerated in a second vessel at 1200°F, by using pro-
ducer gas or re-formed natural gas. The product gas from
the regenerator is then introduced to a sulfur recovery
plant in which elemental sulfur is produced.
The flue gas used in the Bureau's pilot plant is made
from the combustion of powdered coal and it contains all
the impurities that might affect the absorption and re-
generation cycles. Tests have been conducted to estab-
lish the optimum conditions of temperature and time for
both the absorption and regeneration, and various pro-
cedures for preparing the alkalized alumina have been
tried because, in the repeated cycles, physical and chemi-
cal changes occur that may degrade or poison the ab-
sorbent.
The experimentation wilh this process has led to the
construction of a larger pilot plant in which variables can
be studied more efficiently. The advantages of the process
include a low pressure drop of the flue gas during absorp-
tion, operation over a wide temperature range of
250°-650°F, and the ability to obtain elemental sulfur as
the end by-product.
Reinluft process. In this method, flue gas at 300°F
is forced upward through a filter bed of activated char-
coal (see Fig. 10) that is slowly descending through the
adsorber. The SO, is adsorbed directly and the flue gas is
then cooled to 220°F. At this temperature, SOs is oxidized
to SO,, which is then adsorbed on the activated charcoal.
The SO, combines with the adsorbed water from the flue
gas to form dilute H,,SO,.
The activated charcoal, with the adsorbed dilute H,SO,,
is next regenerated in a separate vessel by the recirculation
of product gas heated to 700°F. The dissociated }lsSO,
products react chemically with a portion of the carbon
to form a gas that contains a high concentration of C,O
and SO2. The taller gas is converted to H,SO, in a contact
acid plant. After cleansing, the regenerated char is re-
cycled to the adsorber.
At present, two commercial plants are under construc-
tion in Germany to use this method of SO, removal. One
of these plants will service flue gases produced from low-
grade fuel oil, and the other will be used in connection
with a coal-fired installation.
The Reinluft process is particularly feasible if there isa
nearby industrial requirement for sulfuric acid.
The Pennaylvania Electric process. The Pennsylvania
Electric Company has constructed a pilot plant at its
Sewart generaltng station to remove SO, by the catalytic
conversion of SO, to SO,. Sulfuric acid is formed and
collected on the cooling water stream that contains the
SO,. The objectives of the pilot plant are fourfold:
1. To determine the effect of actual flue gas, with time,
on catalyst activity.
2. To establish the degree to which the flue gases must
be precleaned to prevent catalyst fouling.
3. To calibrate the rate of catalytic oxidation of SO,
and flue gas pressure drop so that large-scale plants can
be sized.
4. To determine removal methods for the acid and the
quality of the acid produced.
Reports indicate that the pilot plant has been operated
successfully and that adequate data have been gathered
for the design and construction of a full-scale plant.
Many variables, however, still must be investigated, such
as the life expectancy of the equipment, required con-
struction materials, and the character of the maintenance
problems that will be experienced.
At the present time there is insufficient information
l~
ut
Quality of coal used by electric
lllty Industry in the United States-.-1962
Sulfur Content, Production,
percent percent
0-1.5 32.0
1.5-2.0 9.0
2.0-2.5 6.6
2.5-3.0 19.7
3.0-3.5 23.0
3.5 plus 9.7
"Despite the evidence of our tenses, only in rela-
tively recent years have we recognized that pollu-
tants in theair have a direct bearing on health.
And there are still doubting Thomases who main-
tain that pollution cannot be linked to disease be-
cause no specific etiologic agent in the air has been
identified as responsible for a specific disease."
-James E. Perkins, M.D.,
Managing Director,
National Tuberculosis Association
PAGENO="0051"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOE POLLUTION ABATEMENT 651
available to make accurate cost estimates for the com-
parison of the three methods. Each of the described
processes has its unique advantages, but each requires ad-
ditional development to verify critical process variables
that have an important bearing on the eventual eco-
nomics. Also, market studies are needed to evaluate the
industrial requirements of the manufactured by-products.
Magnetic separation of sulfur. An interesting new
process, called magnetic separation,2 has been reported
by the Russians. Essentially, this method involves a
flash coking step in which the iron pyrites containing the
sulfur fraction in the coal are modified into a magnetic
form to simplify the separation procedure.
In this technique, pulverized coal is heated to about
640°F for a period of 2-5 minutes, during which time a
jet of steam and air is blown through the heated coal.
This treatment produces a surface layer of magnetized
material on each pyrite crystal, and separation is made
in a magnetic field of 10 000 gauss. By discarding this
magnetic fraction, the sulfur content of the coal can be
reduced by about 0.5 percent and the ash content by 50
percent. The U.S. Bureau of Mines is investigating this
process to determine the feasibility of its application to
the treatment of coal in the United States.
SO, monitoring and control-iVA experience
During the past 15 years, the Tennessee Valley Au-
thority has added 52 coal-fired, steam-electric generating
units, located in eight plants and ranging in Size from 125
to 650 MW, to its power production facilities. And a
single-unit plant of 900.-MW capacity (Bull Run) is
scheduled to go on the line in 1966.
Beginning with the first large steam-electric station,
TVA conducted extensive air pollution studies at each
plant site. The experience and data obtained by these
studies have been applied in planning air pollution con-
trol at subsequent plants and for additional units in
existing plants.
Long-term records of meteorological data and SO,
concentrations from permanent monitoring stations have
Fig. 11. Graph showing comparison-frequency
distribution of 30-minute average SO, concentra-
tions in an urban area and an area in the vicinity
of a steam-electric power plant.
0.01 0.1 1.0 10.0 100
Total time that SO2 moats or exceeds indicated concentration, percent
(0,1% frequency is approximately two times per year)
\~
~111
\
2. -
~50'~stsc~
I
"i~
I /
U,,
~
~f .-~.
~
- °..-
~
~8O0'stac~
300' ~tack5
~
~00' stacks
t~ar~a
~iL~
Distance from plant, miles
Fig. 12. Calculated profiles of SO, ground level concentra-
tions, with various stack heights, for power plant with two
stacks and an SO, emission rate of 110 tons per day.
Cleansed gas
F~]~LI1 F 2
Polluted g5s
Fig. 13. Diagram of a simple electrostatic precipitator.
"1" indicates corona wire; `2," grounded tube.
Fig. 14. Vertical-view diagram of a two-stage electrostatic
precipitator. `1" Indicates grounded'cylinders; "2," corona
wires; "3," grounded collector pjates; "4," charged plates
are similar to "2" in polarity.
I _____
Polluted gas 0 1 4 ____________ Cteansed gas
-+ * 2 4- `~"~ ---`+
I 3
01 43
.2 43
01 I 4 ________
i.
S
0
-0 1 2 3 4 S 6 7 8
PAGENO="0052"
652 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
been augmented by extensive mobile sampling by car and
helicopter equipment and by full-scale atmospheric dis-
persion studies. Since most of the steam-electric plants in
the TVA syttem are geographically located in areas re-
mote from other significant sources of SO~, it is felt that
the test results are most closely representative of the flue
gas distribution patterns of modern coal-fired power
plants. The SO2 concentrations in these tests refer to
30-minute average concentrations,
Frequency distribution of SO2 concentrations. A log-
arithmic plot of frequency of SOs concentrations at fixed
monitoring stations has consistently indicated a fairly
straight tine. Figure Il shows this distribution as meas-
ured by an autometer situated where maximum concen-
trations occurred at ground level in the vicinity of a
4-unit plant, with two 500-foot-high stacks, and with a
total generating capacity of 1050 MW. For the sampling
period-approximately 19 months-the highest re-
corded concentration was about 0.6 ppm for three
50-minute periods. And SO2 concentrations were 0.2
ppm or above for only eighty-four 30-minute periods, or
approximately 0.40 percent of the time.
Similar data obtained from Public Health Service
studies in Nashville, Tenn., are also plotted in Fig. 11.
Although the maximum SO~ concentration recorded was
only about 0.3 ppm, the concentrations of this gas were
0.2 ppm or more 14.1 percent of the time. And the esti-
mated S0~ emissions in the urban area were less than
half of that recorded at the power plant.
Although higher concentrations of pollution in urban
areas tend to occur during periods of low wind velocity
and temperature inversion, 1/se higher levels of pollution
in the vicinity of large power plants tend to occur during
moderate to high wind speeds and neutral atmospheric
stability conditions. Since none of the TVA plants are
located in large urban areas, the data do not provide a
direct quantitative measurement of the contribution of a
large power plant to an urban pollution problem. But
data analysis from an autometer located in a small town
near one of the large plants indicated that S0~ in de-
tectable amounts was present 14 percent of the time,
Effect and influence of stack height. Monitoring data
and data obtained from full-scale dispersion studies
have been used in estimating stack height requirements
for TVA plants. An example of estimates, made by
empirically derived formulas, based upon monitoring
data, is shown in Fig. 12. The subject of this graphic
plot was a two-unit, two-stack plant, with a generating
capacity of 1800 MW, and an estimated SO5 emission
rate of 810 tons per day. This emission rate is calculated
empirically from SO~ monitoring data at plants with 250-,
300-, and 500-foot-high stacks. The curve for a 400-foot-
high stack is interpolated, while the curves for the 600-
and 800-foot-high stacks were extrapolated.
The electrostatic precipitator-TVA experience. The
practical application of the electrostatic precipitator
was first demonstrated by F. G. Cottrell in 1906. Essen-
tially, it is a device that is used so remove liquid chemical
mists or solid particulates from a gas in which they are
suspended. Electrostatic precipitation is a two-stage
process. In the first step, the gas containing the suspended
particulates is passed through an electric, or corona, dis-
charge area in which ionization of the gas occurs. The
ions produced collide with the suspended particles and
impart an electric charge to them. These charged particles
then drift toward an electrode of opposite polarity, and
they are deposited upon this electrode, where their elec-
tric charge is neutralized.
In its most elementary form, the pres~ipitator configura-
tion may consist merely of a vertical tube that contains an
insulated concentric wire (see Fig. 13). When a dc po-
tential of 10-100 kV is applied to the central wire, a
corona discharge occurs in a small area surrounding the
wire. The suspended particulates are ionized in the corona
discharge and migrate to the tube watt. If the suspension
is liquid, it will accumulate on the wall and coalesce into
droplets that can be drained from the base of the tube.
Suspended solid particutates can be removed from the
tube wall by mechanical vibrators or scrapers, and then
discharged into a cyclone or dust collector at the bottom
of the apparatus.
In more complex configurations, the ionization may
occur in one vessel and the deposition and precipitation
in another. Figure 14 shows the plan view of a simplified
two-chamber apparatus. In the first chamber, the par-
ticles become charged but are prevented from depositing
Fig. 15. Cutaway isometric view of an Opzel
Plate Precipitator, a type manufactured by Re-
search Cottrell, Inc.
PAGENO="0053"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 653
/ 696 +
( (6 -~ 0.58)
866.6
0.10 0.aS 0.20 0.25
Average 002 concentratIon, ppm
- 3253.0
Fig. 16 Graph showing relationship between sus-
pended psrticulates and SO concentration before
and after installation of electrostatic precipitators.
Fig. 17. Profile plot from aerial observations and
temperature soundings at Kingston steam-elec-
tric plant (TVA system) on November it, 1964.
on the grounded cylinders by the appropriate adjustment
of the rate of gao flow. In the uecond chamber-consisting
of alternately charged, loosely packed and parallel
plates-satisfactory precipitation can be attained by ap-
plying slower potential than that required in the charging
chamber, since there is no need for a corona discharge.
The corona diacharge it usually produced by making
the center wire the cathode, because precipitation ef-
fIciency is greater under such an operating condition.
Less ozone is produced, however, by reverting the
polarity, atd a positively charged wire is employed in the
cleaning of air if the presence of ozone is objectionable.
The high-voltage directcurrent is generally produced by
either mercury vapor or vacuum tube rectifiefs. The power
requirements vary from 2-5 kWh per million cubic feet of
polluted gas being treated, and the variation will be a
function of the quantity, size, and physical properties of
the particutates that are being removed.
Figure 15 is a cutaway view of an Opzel plate precipi-
tator, manufactured by Research-Cottrell, Inc.
Effect of precipitators on suspended particulates in an
ambient atmosphere. Electrostatic precipitators were
installed to supplement mechanical ash collectors at one
of the TVA plants after a special investigation was con-
ducted to determine the relationships between SO2
concentrations and suspended particulates in the vicinity
of the plant where maximum ground level concentralions
of stack emissions occurred. Data were analyzed with the
results shown in Fig. 16. From the two derived equations
indicated on the graph, TVA estimated that the electro-
static precipitators reduced the suspended particulates by
85 percent in the ambient atmotphere at ground level
during those periods when SO2 was present.
The TVA believes that an additional-although un-
proved-possible benefit from the electrostatic pm-
cipitators isa reduction in the maximum ground level SO2
concentrations in the vicinity of steam plant emissions.
This is predicated on data indicating that the maximum
recorded SO2 concentration during the four years of pre-
cipitator operation is about 25 percent less than that re-
corded prior to precipitator operation.
Power plant pollution potential under air stagnation
(temperature inversion) conditions. Air pollution control
plans developed for the Kingston plant, until recently the
largest steam-electric station in the TVA system, gave
special attention to the SOs problem associated with
periods of atmospheric stagnation.
This plant is located on the floor of an Appalachian
valley. The local terrain has parallel ridge features that
vary from 400 to 1000 feet above the plant grade level.
During the period from November 9-li, 1964, a tem-
perature inversion occurred in the Kingston plant area.
The U.S. Weather Bureau, by prearrangement, alerted
the TVA beforehand, and precautionary air pollution
control measures and monitoring were initiated.
Sulfur dioxide autometers were checked at regular in-
tervals, and mobile sampling was conducted during the
3-day period by specially equipped helicopters and cars.
The frequency and concentration of SO2 recorded at
ground level were no higher than during normal atmos-
pheric conditions. The absence of an SO, buildup was at-
tributed to penetration of the low-level inversion by the
hot, high-velocity stack gases and dispersion of the smoke
plume from the area by light and steady winds. Figure
17 indicates the time and temperature conditions aloft,
. 60,
.~ nc
)
yr_v
`I
400- ~ LEGEND
I V Suspended particulafes mt/s3
O / X=S0~ppm
/ 5 = Car elusion coefficient
300 - L__.__ -Be ore insta laSso of electrastst c precipitafors
- Alter installation of electrostatic precipitatars
~
/ ..-~ Y=57.t+633. X-4057X2
/ ~ (RmO.63)
lCD - ~ - - - -
0
0.05
030
0.35
PAGENO="0054"
654 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY. FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
and the plume elevation during a timed sequence on
November 10.
From the data obtained during this monitoring it is
possible that air pollution predictions should consider
power plants as a special case for which normal meteor-
ological criteria may not apply.
The other half of the foggy, smoggy brew
If the witch's brew concocted in the smokestacks of
American industry seems appalling, cheer up; for it is
only half of the dirty story. Most of the other half may be
found in Fig. 18. The U.S. Public Health Service esti-
mates that the 88 million motor vehicles on the nation's
highways belch into the atmosphere about 350 000 tons of
carbon monoxide, volatile hydrocarbons, and nitrogen
dioxide daily. The automobile population in the United
States is increasing at more than double the rate of the
human population! Urban traffic jams are providing
civilization with one of its most diabolical methods of
multiplying the problems of air pollution; and, unlesu
something is done to correct this man-made plague, our
metropolises will soon become obsolete and deadly places
for human habitation.
Pollution control devices for cars. In addition to
assuring more complete combustion of hydrocarbon
fuels in irsterrial combustion engines by simple car-
buretor and ignition aystem adjustments, there are two
basic devices that can effectively reduce the amount of air
contaminants released from motor vehicle exhausts.
For an investment of about $5, crankcase blowby units,
which return unburned gases to the combustion cham-
bers, can be installed. Properly maintained blowbys can
reduce an automobile's hydrocarbon emission by at
least 25 percent. There is also an "afterburner" device,
which, when attached to the tailpipe of a motor vehicle,
will complete the combustion of carbon monoxide and
other unburned gases. When used in conjunction with a
crankcase blowby, the afterburner would eliminate the
major portion of pollutants now poisoning the air from
this source.
Fig. 18. View of a heasily tratficked Los Ar,gelen freeway shrouded in smog.
PAGENO="0055"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 655
It is no secret that the automobile industry has been
dragging its feet for a long time in resisting the factory
installation of these control accessories. The weight of
public opinion, and public officials who have been
aroused by the menace of the motor vehicle situation,
has forced the hand of the manufacturers. These devices
will be required by law for 1966 model cars to be sold in
California.
A pollution survey, city by city
The Pittsburgh story. Since the 1940s, a generation
of young Pittsburghers has grown up convinced that the
sky above them is really blue, ar I not murky gray as
they were assured by their parents. And it is possible to
put on a white shirt in the morning, wear it all day, and
still find it reasonably clean. Housewives, too, are able
to hang out a line of wash without having to relaunder
it the same day.
Before the 1940s, Pittsburgh was the classic American
example of continual air pollution. Since the middle
period of the Industrial Revolution, the "Smoky City"
blamed its railroads and concentrated industry for its
plight. The Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce appointed
its first committee on smoke abatement in 1899, and a
smoke control ordinance was passed in 1906. For the
next 35 years, the Chamber of Commerce and other civic
groups hoped that education in matters of proper fuel
combustion and pollution control devices would help to
solve the problem. But the results of self-regulation were
negligible; the situation deteriorated, and enforced regu-
lation seemed to be the only answer.
The City of Pittsburgh Smoke Control Ordinance was
passed in 1941, and more stringent amendments were
added in 1943, 1946, and 1951. Dual enforcement by
Allegheny County and the city is in effect today.
Under the provisions of the ordinance for smoke and
air pollution control, limitations are established on the
emission of smoke, fly ash, soot, cinders, toxic or radio-
active substances, noxious acids, fumes, oxides, gases,
and odors, or any other matter that may create atmos-
pheric pollution. These regulations further stipulate that
the home owner should do one of several things:
1. Burn highly volatile bituminous coal by installing
a stoker.
2. Burn briquettes or other forms of prepared coal,
coke, anthracite, or less volatile bituminous coal.
3. Use gas oroil.
Emissions from furnaces of the steel and allied indus-
tries are generally restricted to two parts of solids in
every 3000 parts of gas, but these limits can vary some-
what dependent upon the types of furnaces employed.
The installation and repair of furnaces, boilers, and
other fuel-burning equipment must be done under a
permit issued by the terms of the Rules and Regulations of
the Pittsburgh Smoke Control Ordinance. With the ex-
ception of installations in private residences, furnaces or
other fuel-burning equipment are subject to periodic in-
spection by the Bureau of Air Pollution Control.
To date, the result has been gratifying. Pittsburgh has
an average sootfall of only 30 tons per square mile per
month as compared with 60 tons for a similar ares and
time period in New York.
Chicago-soot, smoke, and steel. The nation's second
largest metropolis-popUlation 4 million-is gravely
endangered by both air and water pollution lrom the
Calumet region of neighboring Indiana. The concentra-
tion of steel mills at Hammond and Gary, a scent 15
miles from the Chicago loop, belch a continuous barrage
of acrid fumes, and the smoke plumes from these emis-
sions are an ever-present facet of the seascape over
Lake Michigan. The legal aspects of this situation are
complex. As one leading Chicago spokesman put it:
"The cities and towns along the lakefront are not doing
a good job of pollution control. And Illinois state agencies
are unable to cope satisfactorily with the issues since
interstate problems are involved." In view of this, the
general sentiment among Chicago officiais is that the
Federal Government should enforce antipollution con-
trola under Congressional authority.
Air pollution control is being handled by a special city
agency. In the three years since its formation, this agency
has held 2800 hearings, handled 5000 smoke complaints,
inspected 50000 furnaces, and has filed almost 600 suits
for the prosecution of chronic violstors. There are also
20 rooftop monitoring stations in the city that were estab-
lishéd to trap pollutant particulates in the air, and another
35 specially equipped stations measure the dustfall and
SO~ content.
A three-year Federal grant of $357 000 has assisted
Chicago in putting teeth into its enforcement of pollution
control. It is hoped that, by 1968, all improper burning
of combustible refuse will be banned. This would put the
damper on about 30 000 Chicago apartment houses that
foul the atmosphere with soot from coal-fired boilers.
Like all major cities, Chicago has its smog-a noxious
blend of automobile fumes, industrial pollutants, and
soot. The present sootfall is about 43 tons per square
mile per month.
Recently, the four major steel producers in the Calumet
region agreed to appropriate $50 million over she next
seven years for pollution control equipment. It is believed,
hopefully, that this equipment will cut the 60 000 tons of
pollutants released annually to half that amount by
next year.
Chicago has no illusions about quick and easy solu-
tions to its overall pollution problems, but at least the
city is doing something about them.
Houston-an Industrial complex of clsemicais and
contaminants. Houston, Tex., is probably the fastest
growing city in the United States. And concurrent with
this phenomenal growth is the tremendous increase in
the number of petrochemical plants, oil refineries, paper
mills, and other heavy industries that gird the city's
perimeter. Although pollutants from coal combustion
are no problem here (natural gas is the most common
fuel for both industrial and domestic use), the melange
of chemical fumes released into the air is causing con-
siderable apprehension. When the wind is from the south-
east quadrant, the sickening fumes from "old smoky"-
a sulfite process paper mill in suburban Pasadena-are
very apparent in downtown Houston.
Carbon monoxide and the nitrogen dioxides, caused
primarily by the heavy automobile traffic, are found in
the same ranges of concentration as those reported in
other large cities.
However, the general feeling in Houston is that the air
pollution problem, at least, is under fairly good control.
Private industry has shown an inclination to comply with
local city ordinances, primarily because it knows that the
PAGENO="0056"
656 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
city is quite willing to initiate court action to curb flagrant
violations.
Los Angeles and New York. Reams of copy have
been written over the past 20 years about the lethal
smogs, principally caused by the fantastic motor vehicle
population and domestic trash burners, in Los Angeles;
and any further emphasis on the situation in this West
Coast metropolis would seem boring and repetitious to
the reader. Suffice to say that, in 1960, California passed
a law requiring all new motor vehicles sold in the state
to be equipped by the owners with the crankcase and
tailpipe devices previously described. State officials esti-
mate that more than 4 million California vehicles are now
equipped with these devices and they are removing
about 200 000 gallons of unburned gasoline from the at-
mosphere each day.
The air pollution situation in New York, however, isso
far out of~ontrol that this writer could be panicked into
leaving the city after reviewing his own copy. New York
channels most of its air contamination problems into the
municipal Department of Air Pollution Control, whose
commissioner, Arthur J. Benline, frankly confesaes that
far too little money is appropriated either by the city or
by the Federal Government to do an adequate job.
During a recent television interview, Benline summed up
the New York situation in two terse sentences: "The
air over our city is helping our citizens to shuffle off this
planet at a much higher rate than they would ordinarily
go. Yet there has not been any overall demand from the
public to clean up our dirty air." So, in the meanwhile,
the city muddles through, and everyone hopes that, by
some miracle, adequate corrective measures will be taken
before any future prolonged temperature inversion
produces the disaster that many health authorities fear.
The air pollution situation throughout most urban
areas in the United States closely parallels the samplings
juat described in five major cities.
A utility answers Its crItIcs
At a recent hearing called by the Special Committee to
Investigate Air Pollution (authorized by the New York
City Council), the Consolidated Edison Company of
Hew York replied to she Committee's accusation that
Con Edison is one of the principal contributors to the air
pollution problem, Otto W. Manz, Jr., the company's
executive vice president, contended that the utility has
done a conscientious job of providing adequate air pol-
lution control equipment and devices in its city generating
plants to minimize the emission of contaminants, In
outlining future plans on the subject of air pollution con-
trol, Manz listed the following activities, presently under
way, that will either decentralize electric generation to
remote areas or significantly reduce objectionable stack
emissions in city-located generating stations:
I. The construction of the Cornwall pumped-storage
station, which will produce about 2000 MW of power, and
will permit the retirement, or placement on cold standby,
of about 750 MW of generating capacity that is presently
being supplied by city steam-electric stations.
2. The possible substitution of more natural gas for
coal as an alternative fuel for generating purposes.
3. The establishment of firm interconnections, by
EHV transmission, with the CONVEX group of New
England utilities and with the Pennsylvania-New Jersey-
Maryland (PJM) complex.
Manz believes that the ultimate answer to the problem
of air pollution in metropolitan areas, insofar as power
generation is concerned, is the use of nuclear energy. He
cited the Indian Point nuclear generating station in
suburban Westchester County that has been in dperation
for almost three years and is a firm anti reliable producer
of power for the Con Edison system.
The Con Edison spokesman sounded a warning note,
however, on the subject of who will eventually pick up the
tab for air pollution control measures. To quote from
Manz' 8-page prepared statement:
"Our estimate is that on and after October 1, 1969,
when the maximum sulfur content in these [coal) fuels
will be 2.2 percent by weight, the additional annual coat
of the fuels used by Con Edison and which will be passed
on to the consumer could be as much as $20 million."
Where do we go from here?
As one public health official bluntly put it: "Perhaps
we are worrying about the wrong menace. Our urban
civilization stands a much better chance of being suf-
focated by air pollution than being annihilated by atomic
weapons."
From numerous surveys, it is obvious that the sources
of air pollution are numerous and complex. There is no
single group or interest toward whom we can point an
accusing finger as being the sole villain of the drama.
Until heavy industry, the utilities, car manufacturers, and
the general public become totally aware of the truth about
air pollution and the consequences of irresponsibility, the
alreadyintolerable situation will become impossible.
Piecemeal solutions are not the answer, A city com-
mittee cannot correct a situation-such as in Chicago and
to some extent in New York-whose origins are inter-
state. Total and effective remedial action must be under-
taken by joint commissions that represent municipal,
state, Federal, and private interests.
Life depends upon the air we breathe.
The author wishes to acknowledge she following picture
credits: Fig. I, N.Y. Josrnai-Amerlcan; Figs. 2 through 8, U.s.
Public Health Service, Division of Air Pollution; Figs. 9 and tO,
Mechanical Engineering magazine; Fig. 13, Research-Centres, Inc.;
Fig. 18, Los Angeles Times.
REFERENCES
I. Dinman, B. D., Frankenberg, T. T., Gartrell, F. E., Gerber,
A., Ireland, R. L, Jones, I. R., Perry, H., and Rippertos, L A.,
"Panel discussion of the clean air problem," presented at the
American Power Conf., Chicago, Ill., Apr. 27-29, 1965.
2. Frankenberg, T. T., "Sulfur removal: for air pollution control,"
Mech. Eng., vol. 87, no. 8, pp. 36-41; Aug. 1965.
"The problem of sulphur pollution has grown (in
New York) until now the measured concentrations
of sulphur dioxide are higher than in any other
major city in which such measurements are taken."
-V. G. MacKenzie,
Assistant Surgeon General,
Chief of the Air Pollution Division,
U.S. Public Health Service
PAGENO="0057"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 657
Solid waste management is an area in which innovative research
and development activities are sorely needed. It is possible to put
a rough price tag on the desirable level of research and development
funding, if the practice of industry is used as a yardstick. Ordinarily
industry invests something on the order of 5 percent of its gross income
on research and development. These funds are used for basic re-
search, the results of which may have no immediate practical appli-
cability, and for efforts to improve quality of output and reduce costs.
A segment of industry involved in an area of rapid technological
change or growth may invest as much as 10 percent annually in re-
search and development in order to secure a position in the forefront of
technological advancement, and thus to maintain a competitive ad-
vantage.
The solid waste management field is somewhat analogous. Solid
waste collection, processing, and disposal cost the Nation in excess of
$3 billion each year. Since this is a field in which technological inno-
vation is needed and will have to be paid for, it would seem reasonable
to assume that an amount equal to 5 to 10 percent of the annual solid
waste "business" should be invested in research and development-that
is, somewhere between $150 and $300 million a year. In our view,
taking into account the public health aspects of the solid waste problem
as well as its economic, technological, and public policy ramifications,
annual expenditures for solid waste research and development would
best be allocated in the following way:
Public health and environmental pollution control, 50 percent;
Solid waste technology improvement, 35 percent;
Public administration, systems analysis, cost-benefit analysis,
15 percent.
A division of funds such as this is, of course, not without some areas
of overlap. Technology improvement, for example, would have to
take into consideration the public health implications of new, experi-
mental techniques and procedures.
By no means all of the cost of solid waste research and development
on this scale should be borne by the Federal Government. State and
local governments should be expected to contribute, but industry
should assume responsibility for a major share of these costs, par-
ticularly in the area of solid waste technology improvement. This
assignment of funds should assure rapid progress toward the control
of environmental health hazards associated with solid waste genera-
tion and disposal.
Question 3: During his testimony, Mr. MacKenzie indicated that
there were numeLrous laws and regulatory codes which inhibited or
appeared to inhibit progress or enforcement of pollution abatement
action. Pleas~ furnish a list of such lcuws and regulatory codes and
the extent to which such laws and codes interfere with pollution abate-
ment and enforcement.
Answer: Mr. MacKenzie's testimony on this point was given in re-
sponse to a question on whether more rapid progress could be made
by spending more money for air pollution abatement. This was Mr.
MacKenzie's response: "I think one of the impediments to making more
rapid progress than has been indicated in Mr. Cohen's statement re-
lates to the existence and scope of activity of State and local govern-
ment regulatory control activities. I would like to point out to the
PAGENO="0058"
658 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGy FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
committee `that not more than half of the urban areas which are in
need of regulatory control programs for air pollution control now
have them, and of these the majority of them are operated at an inade-
quate level to do the kind of job you are inferring might be looked for.
"On the State government level, it was only about 14 years ago, in
1952, that the first State set up a State air pollution c~ontrol law and
started operating a significant air pollution control programS In the
intervening period, we now have about half the State's that have sig-
nificant laws on the books. But only a handful of these `are operating
programs that are at an effective level. So that I think what is lack-
ing as related to this goal is not so much the technology as it is the
development of the control programs on the State and local levels of
government that would effectively see that the available technology is
employed."
The following provides additional details concerning the inadequacy
of State and local governmental programs of `air pollution `control:
For the most part, local `and State agencies are still not equipped to
meet their present responsibilities for the prevention and control of air
pollution, let alone the potentially greater responsibilities that may
be thrust upon them `a's the potential for air pollution continues to
grow. In many important respe'cts, the progress made during the
past 21/9 years is not as impressive as raw statistics might indicate.
To begin with, people in many parts of the country will not share
fully in the benefits of the increase that has taken place in State and
local spending. A major share of such spending is still concentrated
in the State of California. Local agencies in California accounted for
38 percent of all spending for local air pollution programs in 1965.
The Los Angeles County budget alone represented about 25 percent
of `the national total for all local agencies and, combined `with the
budgets of the next five largest local agencies, made up over half the
national total. An'd at, the State level, nearly half of the increased
spending has been `in California. This means, of course, that State
and local governments elsewhere in the country are still not attacking
their air pollution problem's with resources commensurate with the
numbers of people th'ose problems affect.
Though there are now 33 air pollution programs at the State le,vel,
many of them are~scarcely more than nominal programs having neither
the authority nor the resources needed t'o carry on effective control
activities. In 1~ States, some degree of `abatement respon'sibility has
been `assigned to State agencies, but in most instances `the abatement
authority can be invoked only with respect to o'bvious nuisances or `in
response to complaints. Only a half dozen State agencies engage in
more `than nominal degree of abatement activity the great majority
are not even serving those communities which are too small to operate
their own local programs hut are nonetheless `affected by seriou's `air
pollution problems, often from a single major source. There are many
such communities in all parts of the country.
For the most part, efforts at the local level are equally deficient, in-
deed, more so when measured against the greater degree of activity
that is generally expected of local governments. In the air pollution
field, it has been traditional to take the position that local governments
should bear the major responsibility for practical control action. In
actual fact, however, tradition and practice have seldom coincided.
PAGENO="0059"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 659
There has been some improvement in this situation in the past 2 years,
but not nearly enough to take care of all instances of inadequate effort
or total neglect of air pollution at the local level.
Our most recent estimate indicates that only 58 percent of the urban
population of the `United States is served by local air pollution pro-
grams. Even where local programs exist, they frequently, indeed
commonly, do not have adequate resources. On a per capita basis,
annual spending for local programs has increased in recent years from
a median figure of 10.8 to 15.2 cents. This increase is hardly adequate
in the light of estimates that an effective local control program for a
middle-sized city requires an expenditure of at least 40 cents per capita
per year. In most communities, the actual increase has barely been
sufficient to keep pace with the rising cost of operating an air pollution
program.
Only a handful of local agencies have adequate authority to deal
with the complex modern problem of air pollution. These are agencies
which have been given broad authority, either by local or State gov-
ernments, to adopt rules and regulations for the control of all sources
of air pollution. But many of these agencies have been slow to apply
this authority to significant sources. And many others are still with-
out adequate power to adopt and enforce control regulations applicable
in any degree to important air pollution sources within their jurisdic-
tion.
As for regional activity, the improvement that has taken place in
the past 2 years has barely touched the largest urban centers of the
country. Only 5 of the 24 largest metropolitan areas are now served
by a regional air pollution program. These 24 areas are the homes of
some 69 million people-about one-half of the Nation's urban popula-
tion-and, in general, tend to have the most serious air pollution prob-
lems. Though air pollution in such metropolitan areas is inevitably a
regional problem, the authority to deal with it is usually fragmented
among many jurisdictions. A number of devices short of establish-
ing regional programs are being used to achieve some degree of
regional activity, but since most of them depend purely on voluntary
cooperation by the participating governments, they are of limited
effectiveness.
In brief, there are still many serious deficiencies in State and local
air pollution programs in nearly all parts of the country. To achieve
a really significant degree of improvement will require a much greater
effort in the months and years ahead than has been made at any time
in the past. The inadequacy of the present pattern of control efforts
means that a great deal of new local and State legislation will be
needed; it means that more trained manpower will be needed, partic-
ularly since the lack of enough trained personnel is already keeping
many local and State programs from keeping up with their scheduled
expansion; it means that local and State agencies must not only re-
double their efforts to develop and carry on technically sound and
sophisticated control programs but, at the same time, must begin deal-
ine~ more effectively with the many obvious sources of air pollution
which remain uncontrolled in virtually every city and town; and, not
least important, it means that an increased investment of public funds
will be needed to achieve and sustain the high level of control activity
PAGENO="0060"
660 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
that is so clearly called for by our knowledge of the present and
probable future dimensions of the air pollution problem.
INDEX OF AIR POLLUTION CONThOL EFFORTS IN THE UNITED STAII~IS
IPhe following lists roughly index the geographical occurrence of
air pollution problems in the United States and the efforts being made
to control these problems. In compiling the lists several criteria were
used. First of all, it was generally assumed that cities with a popula-
tion of 50,000 or more had an air pollution problem (or the potential
for one) that could be controlled at the local level of government.
Therefore, all cities in the United States with a population of 50,000
or more are listed with an indication of whether or not they are served
by a minimum or better local air pollution control program. A mini-
mum program is arbitrarily defined as one spending no less than
$5,000 a year. Supplementing this list of cities is a tabulation of local
government agencies currently receiving Federal matching grant sup-
port, the amounts of these grants, and the amounts of current non-
Federal budgets.
Secondly, it was generally assumed that every State had smaller
communities whose air pollution problems were serious enough to war-
rant control programs, but whose resources were not adequate to sup-
port the necessary effort. These communities, it was generally as-
sumed, depend on State air pollution control programs. Therefore,
all the States and the U.S. possessions are listed with an indication of
whether or not they are served by a minimum or better State air pol-
lution control program. A minimum program is again defined as
one spending no less than $5,000 per year. Supplementing this list
is a tabulation of State and possession agencies currently receiving
Federal matching grant support, the amounts of these grants, and the
amounts of current non-Federal budgets and budgets prior to receipt
of Federal grants.
Extent of local air pollution control effort$ in cztze$ with population of
60,000 or more
Popula-
tion rank
City or place
1960 popu.
lation in
thousands
Agency
1 New York, N.Y 7, 782 New York City.
2 Chicago, Ill 3, 550 Chicago.
3 Los Angeles, Calif 2, 479 Los Angeles County (A).
4 Philadelphia, Pa 2, 002 Philadelphia.
5 Detroit, Mich 1, 670 Detroit.
6 Baltimore, Md 939 Baltimore (B).
7 Houston, Tex 938 Harris County (A) (B).
8 Cleveland, Ohio 876 Cleveland.
9 Washington, D.C 764 District of Columbia.
10 St. Louis, Mo 750 St. Louis.
11 San Francisco, Calif 743 Bay Area Control District (A).
12 Milwaukee, Wis 741 Milwaukee County (A).
13 Boston, Mass 697 Boston area (A).
14 Dallas, Tex 679 Dallas County (A).
15 Pittsburgh, Pa 640 Allegheny County (A).
16 New Orleans, La 627 Local program prohibited.
PAGENO="0061"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 661
None.
San Diego County (A) (B).
Seattle King County (A).
Erie County (A).
Cincinnati area (A) (B).
None.
Denver City and County (A).
Fulton County (A).
Minneapolis.
Indianapolis.
None.
Columbus (B).
Maricopa County (A).
Newark (B).
Jefferson County (A).
Portland.
Bay Area Control District (A).
None.
Los Angeles County (A).
Jefferson County (A).
Oklahoma City County (A).
Rochester (B).
Toledo.
St. Paul.
None.
Omaha (B).
None.
Dade County (A).
Akron-Barberton (A).
None.
* Do.
Hillborough County (A)(B).
Dayton (B).
Tulsa City-County (A).
None.
Richmond (B).
Syracuse (B).
Pima County (A).
None.
Providence.
Bay Area Control District (A).
Mobile.
Mecklinburg County (A).
Albuquerque.
None.
Do.
Sacramento County (A)(B).
Yonkers.
None.
Worcester.
None.
Do.
Pinellas County (A)(B).
Gary.
Grand Rapids (B).
Springfield area (A).
Nashville-Davidson County (A).
None.
Popula-
tion rank
Extent of local air pollution efforts in cities with populatiofl of
50,000 or ~more-Continued
1960 popu-
City or place latlon in
thousands
Agency
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
San Antonio Tex
San Diego, óalif
Seattle, Wash
Buffalo, N.Y
Cincinnati, Ohio
Memphis, Tenn
Denver, Cob
Atlanta, Ga
Minneapolis, Minn
Indianapolis, md
Kansas City, Mo
Columbus, Ohio
Phoenix, Ariz
Newark, N.J
Louisville, Ky
Portland,Oreg
Oakland, Calif
Fort Worth, Tex
Long Beach, Cklif
Birmingham, Ala
Oklahoma City, Okla~ - - -
Rochester, N.Y
587
573
557
532
502
497
493
487
482
476
475
471
439
405
390
372
367
356
344
341
324
318
39 Toledo, Ohio
40 St. Paul, Minn
41 Norfolk, Va
42 Omaha, Nebr
43 Honolulu, Hawaii
44 Miami, Fla
45 Akron, Ohio
46 El Paso, Tex
47 Jersey City, N.J
48 Tampa, Fla
49 Dayton, Ohio -
50 Tulsa, Okla
51 Wichita, Kans
52 Richmond, Va
53 Syracuse, N.Y
54 Tucson, Ariz
55 Des Moines, Iowa
56 Providence, R.I
57 San Jose, Calif
58 Mobile, Ala
59 Charlotte, N.C
60 Albuquerque, N. Mex--
61 Jacksonville, Fla
62 Flint, Mich
63 Sacramento, Calif -
64 Yonkers, N.Y
65 Salt LakO City, Utah~ - --
66 Worcester, Mass
67 Austin, Tex
68 Spokane, Wash
69 St. Petersburg, Fla
70 Gary, md
71 Grand Rapids, Mich
72 Springfield, Mass
73 Nashville, Tenn
74 Corpus Christi, Tex
318
313
305
301
294
291
290
276
276
275
262
262
255
220
216
213
209
207
204
203
202
201
201
197
192
190
189
187
187
181
181
178
177
174
171
168
PAGENO="0062"
662 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOE POLLUTION ABATEMENT
75-
76
77-
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85.
86
87
88~~
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
9.8
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
Youngstown, Ohio
Shreveport, La
Arlington, Va
Hartford, Conn
Fort Wayne, Ind - -
Bridgeport, Conn
Baton Rouge, La
New Haven, Conn
Savannah, Ga
Tacoma, Wash
Jackson, Miss
Paterson, N.J
Evansville, md
Erie, Pa
Amarillo, Tex
Montgomery, Ala
Fresno, Calif
South Bend, md
Chattanooga, Tenn
Albany, N.Y
Lubbock, Tex
Lincoln, Nebr
Madison, Wis
Rockford, Ill
Kansas City, Kans
Greensboro, N.C
Topeka, Kans
Glendale, Calif
Beaumont, Tex
Camden, N.J
Columbus, Ga
Pasadena, Calif
Portsmouth, Va
Trenton, N.J
Newport News, Va
Canton, Ohio
Dearborn, Mich
Knoxville, Tenn
Hammond, Ind
Scranton, Pa
berkeley, Calif
Winston-Salem, N.C
Allentown, Pa
Little Rock, Ark
Lansing, Micih
Cambridge, Mass
Elizabeth, N.J~
Waterbury, Conn
Duluth, Minn
Anaheim, Calif
Peoria, Ill
New Bedford, Mass
Niagara Falls, N.Y
Wichita Falls, Tex
Torrance, Calif
Utica, N.Y
Youngstown (B).
None.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Bridgeport.
None.
New Haven.
Chatham County (A).
Tacoma (B).
None.
Do.
Evansville.
Erie (B).
None.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Chattanooga.
Albany County (A).
None.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Kansas City-Wyandotte
County (A).
Guilford County (A).
None.
Los Angeles County (A).
None.
Camden (B).
None.
Los Angeles County (A).
None.
~?o.
Do.
Canton.
Wayne County (A).
None.
Do.
Do.
Bay area (A).
Winston-Salem (B).
Lehigh Valley (A) (B).
Local program prohibited.
None.
Boston area (A).
Elizabeth (B).
None.
Do.
Orange County (A) (B).
Peoria (B).
None.
Niagara County (A).
None.
Los Angeles County (A).
None.
Extent of local air pollution efforts in cities with population of
80,000 or more-Continued
Popula- 1
tion rank City or place
1960 popu-
lation in
thousands
Agency
167
164
163
162
162
156
152
152
149
148
144
144
142
138
138
134
134
132
130
130
129
129
127
127
122
120
119
119
119
117
117
116
115
114
113
114
112
112
112
111
111
111
108
108
108
108
108
107
107
104
103
102
102
102
101
100
PAGENO="0063"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 663
Popula-
tion rank
City or place
131 Santa Ana, Calif
132 Fall River, Mass
133 Saginaw, Mich
134 Reading, Pa
135 East Los Angeles, CaliL -
136 Waco, Tex
137 Columbia, S.C
138 Roanoke, Va
139 Springfield, Mo
140 Wilmington, Del
141 Somerville, Mass
142 Lynn, Mass
143 Raleigh, N.C
144 Stamford, Conn
145 Newton, Mass
146 Lowell, Mass
147 Cedar Rapids, Iowa
148 San Bernardino, CaliL~- -
149 Pueblo, Cob
150 Alexandria, Va
151 Abilene, Tex
152 Burbank, Calif
153 Hampton, Va
154 Warren, Mich
155 Sioux City, Iowa
156 Racine, Wis
157 Davenport, Iowa
158 Norwalk, Calif
159 Manchester, N.H
160 Orlando, Fla
161 Quincy, Mass
162 Stockton, Calif
163 Charleston, W. Va
164 Riverside, Calif
165 Garden Grove, Calif
166 Tonawanda, N.Y
167 Fort Lauderdale, Fla
168 Huntington, W. Va
169 Springfield, Ill
170 Santa Monica, Calif
171 Parma, Ohio~.
172 Springfield, Ohio
173.~~ - - Downey, Calif
174 Dundalk, Md
175 Pontiac, Mich
176 New Britain, Conn
177 Kalamazoo, Mich
178 Clifton, N.J
179 East St. Louis, Ill
180 Schenectady N.Y
181 Pawtucket, kI
182 Royal Oak, Mich
183 Odessa, Tex
184 Harrisburg, Pa
185 St. Joseph, Mo
186 Evanston, Ill
187 Durham, N.C
188 Decatur, Ill
Agency
Orange County (A)(B).
None.
Do.
Do.
Los Angeles County (A).
None.
Columbia (B).
Roanoke.
Greene County (A).
None.
Boston area (A).
Do.
None.
Do.
Boston area (A).
None.
Cedar Rapids.
San Bernardino County (A).
None.
Do.
Do.
Los Angeles County (A).
None.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Los Angeles County (A).
None.
Do.
Boston area (A).
None.
Do.
Riverside County (A)(B).
Orange County (A)(B).
Erie County (A).
None.
Do.
Do.
Los Angeles County (A).
None.
Do.
Los Angeles County (A).
Baltimore County (A) (B).
None.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Schenectady.
None.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Durham County (A).
None.
Extent of local air pollution efforts in cities with population of
50,000 or more.-Continued
1960 popu~
lation in
thousands
100
100
98
98
98
98
97
97
96
96
95
94
94
93
92
92
92
92
91
91
90
90
89
89
89
89
89
89
88
88
87
86
86
84
84
84
84
84
83
83
83
83
82
82
82
82
82
82
82
82
81
81
80
80
80
79
78
78
PAGENO="0064"
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
197
198
~
200 - * -
201
202
203
204
20&~ --
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234~. - -
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
East Orange, N.J
New Rochelle, ~
St. Claire, Mich
Mount Vernon, N.Y
Binghamton, N.Y
Bethlehem, Pa
Bayonne, N.J
Brockton, Mass
Hayward, CaliL. - - - - -
Portland, Maine
Terre Haute, md
Huntsville, Ala
Hamilton, Ohio
Richmond, Calif
Compton, Calif
Waterloo, Iowa
Redford Heights, Mich~.
Lawrence, Mass
Augusta, Ga
Ogden, Utah
Colorado Springs, Colo~. -
San Mateo, Calif
Macon, Ga
Altoona, Pa
Cicero, Ill
Lorain, Ohio
Muncie, md
Warwick, R.I
West Allis, Wis
Kenosha, Wis
Norwalk, Conn
Troy, N.Y
Ann Arbor, Mich
Galveston, Tex
Pomona, Calif
Lakewood, Calif
Hialeah, Fla
Joliet, Ill
Cranston, RI
Livonia, Mich
Port Arthur, Tex
Silver Spring, Md
Greenville, S.C
Lakewood, Ohio
San Leandro, Calif
Charleston, S.C
Sioux Falls, S.Dak
Levittown, N.Y
Hamilton Township, N.J
Metairie, La
Medford, Mass
Las Vegas, Nev
Aurora, Ill
Chester, Pa
Wilkes-Barre, Pa
Lake Charles, La
East Orange.
New Rochelle.
None.
Mount Vernon.
Broome County (A).
None.
Do.
Do.
Bay area (A).
None.
Terre Haute (B).
Huntsville.
None.
Bay area (A).
Los Angeles County (A).
None.
Wayne County (A).
None.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Bay area (A).
Macon-Bibb County (A).
None.
Do.
Lorain.
None.
Do.
Milwaukee County (A).
None.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Los Angeles County (A).
Do.
Dade County (A).
Will County (A)(B).
None.
Wayne County (A).
None.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Bay area (A).
None.
Do.
Nassau County (A).
None.
Do.
Boston area (A).
Clark County (A) (B).
None.
Do.
Do.
Do.
664 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
Ea~tent of local air pollution effort8 in citie$ with population of
50,000 or more-Continued
Popula-
tion rank
City or place
1960 popu-
lation in
thousands
Agency
77
77
77
76
76
75
74
73
73
73
73
72
72
72
72
72
71
71
71
70
70
70
70
69
69
69
69
69
68
68
68
67
67
67
67
67
67
67
67
67
67
67
67
67
67
66
65
65
65
65
65
64
64
64
64
63
PAGENO="0065"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 665
Agency
Los Angeles County (A).
None.
Dade County (A).
None.
Green Bay (B).
None.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Springfield area (A).
Bay area (A).
None.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Buneombe County (A).
None.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Bay area (A).
None.
Do.
Harris County (A)(B).
None.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Boston area (A).
East Chicago.
Milwaukee County (A).
None.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Palm Beach County (A).
Orange County (A) (B).
None.
Do.
Do.
Boston area (A).
None.
Do.
Los Angeles County (A).
None.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Extent o' local air pollution control efforts in cities with population
of 50,000 or more-Continued
Popula-
tion rank City or place
1960 popu-
lation in
thousands
245 Inglewood, Calif 63
246 Tuscaloosa, Ala - 63
247 Miami Beach, Fla 63
248 Euclid, Ohio 63
249 Green Bay, Wis 63
250 Lexington, Ky 63
251 Midland, Tex 63
252 West Hartford, Conn_ - - - 62
253 Independence, Mo 62
254 High Point, N.C 62
255 Cleveland Heights, Ohio~~ 62
256 Lawton, Okla 62
257 Chicopee, Mass 62
258 Alameda, Calif 61
259 Oak Park, Ill 61
260 Lancaster, Pa.. - 61
261 Vallejo, Calif 61
262 Laredo, Tex 61
263 Covin~ton, Ky 60
264 Asheville, N.C 60
265 Warren, Ohio 60
266 Atlantic City, N.J 60
267 Irvington, N.J 59
268 Skokie, Ill 59
269 Santa Clara, Calif 59
270 San Angelo, Tex 59
271 Santa Barbara, Calif 59
272 Pasadena, Tex 59
273 Gadsden, Ala 58
274 North Little Rock, Ark_ - 58
275 Levittown, Pa.. - 58
276 Pittsfield, Mass 58
277 Malden, Mass 58
278 East Chicago, md 58
279 Wauwatosa, Wis 57
280 Bakersfield, Calif 57
281 Pensacola, Fla 57
282 Dubuque, Iowa 57
283 Bethesda, Md 57
284 West Palm Beach, Fla~ -- 56
285 Fullerton, Calif 56
286 Albany, Ga 56
287 Waukegan, Ill 56
288 Council Bluffs, Iowa 56
289 Waltham, Mass 55
290 Great Falls, Mont 55
291 Irondequoit, N.Y 55
292 Alhambra, Calif 55
293 Lynchburg, Va 55
294 Wheaton, Mo 55
295 York, Pa 55
296 Kettering, Ohio 54
297 Berwyn, Ill 54
68-240 O-0&----vol. II-~5
PAGENO="0066"
666 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
Extent of local air pollution control efforte in citiec with population
of 50,000 or more-Continued
City or place
1960 popu-
lation in
thousands
Agency
Popula-
tion rank
298
299~~
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
~
311
312
313
814
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327..~.
328
329
330
Brookline, Mass
Passaic, N.J
Johnstown, Pa
Lincoln Park, Mich
South Gate, Calif
Greenwich, Conn
Bay City, Mich
Wheeling, W. Va
Fort Smith, Ark
Sunnyvale, Calif
Billings, Mont
Holyoke, Mass
Cheektowaga, N.Y
Palo Alto, Calif
Monroe, La
Union City, N.J
Bloomfield, N.J
Rock Island, Ill
Meriden, Conn
Rome, N.Y
Penn Hills, Pa
Union, N.J
Reno, Nev
University City, Mo
Tyler, Tex
Lima, Ohio
Eugene, Oreg
Jackson, Mich
West Covina, Calif
Bloomington, Minn~~
White Plains, N.Y
Hicksville, N.Y
Roseville, Mich
54
54
54
54
54
54
54
53
53
53
53
53
52
52
52
52
52
52
52
52
52
51
51
51
51
51
51
51
51
50
50
50
50
Boston area (A).
None.
Do.
Wayne County (A).
Los Angeles (A).
None.
Do.
Wheeling (B).
None.
Bay area (A).
None.
Do.
Erie County (A).
Bay area (A).
Local program prohibited.
None.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do.
Allegheny County (A).
None.
Reno -Sparks-Washoe County
(A).
St. Louis County (A).
None.
Do.
Eugene-Springfield (A)(B).
None.
Los Angeles County (A).
None.
Westchester County (A).
Nassau County (A).
None.
N0PE.-(A), agency covers more than the city; (B), no Federal funds granted to agency for control pro-
gram.
PAGENO="0067"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 667
Extent of State air pollution control efforts based on annual budgets
of $5,000 or more
(In thousands of dollars]
Funds
State
Non-Federal Federal
1. Alabama 25 50
2. Alaska *0 0
3. Arizona *0 0
4. Arkansas 19 38
5. California 2,313 0
6. Colorado 20
7. Connecticut 63 89
8. Delaware *19 0
9. District of Columbia 45 33
10. Florida *167 0
11. Georgia 46
12. Hawaii 50 24
13. Idaho *10 0
14. Illinois
15. Indiana 38 42
16. Iowa *0 0
17. Kansas *0 0
18. Kentucky 120 197
19. Louisiana 36 48
20. Maine *0 0
21. Maryland *0 0
22. Massachusetts *40 0
23. Michigan 62 55
24. Minnesota 10
25. Mississippi *0 0
26.Missouri 23 46
27. Montana 22 10
28. Nebraska *0 0
29. Nevada *0 0
30. New Hampshire 6 13
31. New Jersey 409 250
32. New Mexico 9 17
33. New York 394 120
34. North Carolina *0 0
35. North Dakota 10
36. Ohio *0 0
37. Oklahoma 6 12
38. Oregon 126 54
39. Pennsylvania 251 84
40. Rhode Island (State law passed June 1966) *0 0
41. South Carolina 23 45
42. South Dakota *0 0
43. Tennessee 11 22
44.. Texas 48 58
45. Utah *0 0
46..Vermont *0 0
47. Virginia *0 0
48. Washington *115 0
49. West Virginia 106 148
50. Wisconsin *0 0
51. Wyoming *0 0
52.Guam *0 0
53. Puerto Rico 59 117
54. Samoa *0 0
55. Virgin Islands *0 0
NoTE-Non-Federal funds when asterisked are reported by State as of November 1965. Otherwise all
figures are current.
PAGENO="0068"
Local and regional air pollution control agencies receiving Federal program grant support
Alabama:
Jefferson County
Huntsville
Mobile
Arizona:
Maricopa County
Pima County
California:
Los Angeles County
San Bernardino County
Bay Area APCD
Colorado:
Denver City and County
Tn-County (Aurora)
Connecticut:
Bridgeport
Middletown
Fairfield
Stratford
Florida:
Dade County
Palm Beach County
Georgia:
Fulton County
Macon-Bibb Counties
Chatham County
Illinois:
Chicago
Cook County'
Grantee
Type'
of proj-
ect
Popula-
tion (in
thou-
sands)
Non-Federal
Current budget
Federal
D
E
D
E
D
I
I
I
I
E
E
D
D
D
I
E
D
D
D
I
I
635
72
314
664
266
6, 039
504
3, 291
494
234
157
33
46
45
935
228
69
141
188
3, 550
1, 579
$45, 387. 91
5, 000. 00
7, 357. 00
71, 768. 00
8, 500. 00
3, 475, 763. 00
224, 504. 00
1, 034, 779. 00
70, 323. 00
15, 000. 00
11, 854. 45
7, 299. 00
11, 240. 00
10, 752. 00
36, 637. 00
13, 768. 00
7, 500. 00
5, 159. 95
6, 114. 00
769, 694. 00
103, 434. 00
$120, 000. 00
10, 000. 00
22, 071. 00
58, 657. 00
25, 000. 00
98, 083. 00
43, 800. 00
91, 812. 00
104, 286. 00
45, 000. 00
22, 208. 90
14, 356. 00
21, 600. 00
20, 624. 00
52, 220. 00
41, 048. 00
18, 000. 00
15, 479. 85
12, 983. 00
393, 000. 00
50, 084. 00
Previous year total
Pregrant expendi-
tures
~.
~
~
Total
--------
-
~.
$165, 387. 91
15, 000. 00
29 428. 00
$162, 204. 41
15, 000. 00
(~
~
~
`Ti
130, 425. 00
33, 500. 00
29 428. 00
151, 984. 00
33, 322. 00
$7, 267. 14
LTj
~
3, 573, 846. 00
268, 304. 00
1, 126, 591. 00
3, 509, 604. 00
264, 777. 00
1, 048, 107. 00
3, 164, 476. 43
162, 509. 00
0
~
0
~
174, 609. 00
150, 984. 00
`710, 000. 00
18, 180. 00
60, 000. 00
34, 063. 35
21,655.00
32,840.00
31, 376. 00
47,886.00
34, 063. 35
19,020.00
23,067.00
21, 922. 00
750. 00
0
t~
~
~
88, 857. 00
54, 816. 00
25, 500. 00
20, 639. 80
19, 097. 00
1, 162, 694. 00
104, 190. 00
52, 446. 00
24, 000. 00
21, 127. 80
1,. 162, 694. 00
19, 230. 00
590, 972. 00
~.
w
~
~
LTi
`~
PAGENO="0069"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 669
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PAGENO="0070"
670 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
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ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 671
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PAGENO="0072"
State air pollution control agencies receiving Federal program grant support
Grantee
Type
of proj-
ect
Popula-
tion (in
mil-
lions)
Current budget
Non-Federal
Previous year total
Total
Alabama
Arkansas
Colorado
Connecticut
District of Columbia
Georgia
Hawaii
Illinois
Indiana
Kentucky
Louisiana
Michigan -
Minnesota
Missouri
Montana
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
West Virginia
D
E
E
D
I
D
I
I
I
E
E
E
D
E
D
D
I
D
I
D
D
I
I
D
E
D
E
I
3.2
1.7
1.8
2. 5
.8
3_ 9
10. 0
4. 6
3. 0
3. 2
7. 8
3.4
4.3
.6
.6
6.0
.9
16. 7
.6
2. 3
1.8
11.3
2.3
24
3.5
9.5
1.8
$25, 000.00
19, 340. 00
55, 780.36
62, 550. 00
44, 585. 00
38, 515. 00
50, 218. 00
77, 050. 00
38, 230. 00
119, 838. 00
35, 882. 81
62, 324. 00
5,000.00
22, 935. 00
22, 098. 00
6, 340. 00
409, 037. 00
8,679.00
393, 953. 00
5, 000. 00
6, 000. 00
126, 301. 00
250, 980. 00
58, 580. 00
22, 710. 50
10, 762. 00
47, 816. 77
106, 350. 00
Federal
$50, 000. 00
38, 680. 00
20, 060. 00
89, 066. 00
33, 262. 00
46, 452. 00
24, 002.00
79, 416. 00
41, 580. 00
196, 828. 00
48, 448. 20
54, 648. 00
10, 000. 00
45,865. 00
10, 058. 00
12, 680. 00
250, 000. 00
17, 357. 00
120, 000. 00
10, 000. 00
12, 000. 00
53, 557. 00
84, 475. 00
117, 156. 00
45, 421. 00
21, 523. 00
57, 549. 45
147, 640. 00
$75, 000. 00
58, 020. 00
75, 840. 36
151, 616. 00
77, 847. 00
84, 967. 00
74, 220. 00
156, 466. 00
79,810.00
316, 666.00
84, 331. 01
116, 972.00
15,000.00
68, 800.00
32, 156.00
19, 020.00
659, 037.00
26, 036.00
513, 953.00
15, 000.00
18, 000.00
179, 858.00
335, 455.00
175, 736.00
68, 131. 50
32, 285. 00
105, 366. 22
253, 990.00
$15,000.00
58, 020.00
147, 787. 00
78, 097. 06
74, 028. 00
124, 270. 00
74, 590. 00
64, 272. 00
61, 831. 01
24, 726. 00
522, 754. 00
21, 036. 00
502, 539. 50
15, 000.00
12, 000. 00
247, 390. 00
171,529.00
25, 391. 00
43, 761. 24
150, 844. 00
Pregrant expendi-
tures
$45, 619. 70
42, 083. 00
27, 954. 00
14, 274. 00
38, 217. 00
5, 146. 00
16, 258. 00
6, 500.00
35, 000. 00
9, 616. 00
120, 472. 00
333,953.00
86, 892. 00
162, 187. 00
16, 256. 16
32, 530.00
Total 111.1 2, 131,855.44 1,737,723.65 3,869,579.09 2,434,865.81 992, 957.86
EXPLANATORY N0TE.-This table shows the budgets of State air pollution control next-to-last column shows the preceding year's expenditures, which m most mstances
agencies as of JuIy 1966. Federal funds are grants made from the appropriation for fiscal also includes Federal funds. The last column shows expenditures for the most recent
year 1965. The column headed "Type of project" shows the purpose for which Federal year prior to receipt of Federal program grants. Such grants were first authorized by the
grant funds were provided: D denotes a grant for the development of a new air pollution Clean Air Act, adopted December 1963, and were first made froth
control program, E denotes a grant for the establishment of a ro am air
PAGENO="0073"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 673
Question 4: HEW witnesses referred to criteria used in the awards
of grants and contracts for pollution abatement research. Please
furnish all details on the criteria used for such awards and indicate
how such criteria are used to promote technological breakthroughs on
new innovations in pollution abatement techniques.
Answer: In the area of air pollution research grants, the Division
of Air Pollution of the Public Health Service uses the review mecha-
nism provided by the Division of Research Grants of the National
Institutes of Health for initial review of research grant applications.
All research grant applications sent to the Public Health Service are
first reviewed by the Referral Office, Division of Research Grants, Na-
tional Institutes of Health, where they are assigned to the appropriate
Division or Institute. The applications are also assigned to a study
section for technical review and recommendation to the National Ad-
visory Environmental Health Committee (NAEHC) for a secondary
review.
The study sections and the NAEHC are composed principally of
outstanding authorities in the major fields of research. These special
consultants are selected on a nationwide basis. They have accepted re-
sponsibility for (a) providing technical advice on applications, and
(b) surveying the status of, and needs for, research in their fields.
The majority of the air pollution grant applications are reviewed by
the Environmental Sciences and Engineering B Study Section, which
has 13 members. These are chemists, biochemists, botanists, a~rono-
mists, chemical and mechanical engineers, and industrial hygienists
who have broad scientific experience and insight, and in addition are
actively engaged in air pollution research and are recognized experts
in their respective fields. Some air pollution applications are reviewed
by such study sections as allergy and immunology, biophysics and bio-
physical chemistry, bacteriology and mycology, behavioral sciences,
cell biology, cardiovascular diseases control, hematology, medicinal
chemistry, pathology, radiation, and toxicology.
For review of a research grant application for which no regular
study section has been established, an ad hoc group is formed of ex-
perts in the field of the application. Due to the increasing number of
air pollution-oriented applications in the social sciences, this form of
initial review is becoming of increasing importance to the air pollution
research grant program.
A prime purpose of the research grants is to stimulate advances in
scientific knowledge of the nature and control of air pollution. The
very nature of the grants program, in which the initiative must come in
large measure from nongovernmental scientists, provides an oppor-
tunity for wide participation in air pollution research. Thus, the pro-
gram offers some degree of assurance that promising new ideas and
new approaches to air pollution control will be submitted for ap--
praisal and, if deemed worthwhile, financial support. The criteria
used in judging air pollution research grant applications are suffi-
ciently flexible to permit awarding of grants to projects which may
open up new areas of technical knowledge. In addition, the Division
of Air Pollution staff members responsible for administering the re-
search grants program maintain close liaison with the scientific com-
munity and encourage scientists with promising ideas to seek Federal
grant support.
PAGENO="0074"
674 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
One of the ways in which the research grants program seeks to
stimulate advances in the air pollution field is by supporting multi-
disciplinary conferences at which experts with experience in comple-
mentary areas can give intensive consideration to a single problem.
An example was the Conference on Atmospheric Emissions from Sul-
fate Pulping (Kraft process), held April 25-28, 1966, at Sanibel Island,
Fla. This meeting was supported in part by a rese.arch grant from
the Division of Air Pollution. It was an international meeting, with
representation from Canada, Finland, Italy, Mexico, `Sweden, and the
United States. Participants included scientists from Government,
industry, and universities. Among the purposes of the meeting was
to document the present status of coi~trol technology in the pulping
industry and to identify needs for new technology and additional
research.
An important segment of the research and development activities
of the Division of Air Pollution is supported by contracts with com-
mercial and industrial companies and nonprofit institutions and by
project agreements with other Federal agencies. Work perfom~ed
under contract is essentially an extension of in-house research activ-
ities; that is, the basic purpose of awarding contracts for research
and development is to take advantage of the special technical capa-
bilities available in industry and elsewhere in Government.
The Division of Air Pollution uses the contract mechanism as one
of its prime tools for promoting technological advance in the air
pollution field. As the One Federal agency with broad responsibility
and experience in dealing with all aspects of the air pollution problem,
the Division of Air Pollution is uniquely capable of identifying needs
for new technical knowledge and making judgments as to the proper
timing of projects which will help meet such needs. This approach
enables the Division to see that research and development projects
deemed essential to the national control effort are not neglected for
lack of incentive; thus, the use of contracts complements the grants
mechanism, in which the initiative must come in large measure from
outside the Federal Government.
In short, the most important of the criteria for awarding contracts
are basic considerations of whether the work to be performed will pro-
vide knowledge needed in the pursuit of better control of air pollution
and whether the work can most effectively and efficiently be performed
outside the Division of Air Pollution. Other criteria are employed,
as necessary, to assign priorities to projects for which contracts have
been suggested and to select the most qualified contractors for partic-
ular projects.
The review procedure for contract proposals from non-Federal
sources includes the following steps: (1) Evaluation by technical staff
of the Division of Air Pollution and assignment of priority among
projects considered worthy of support; (2) review in the Office of the
Chief, Division of Air Pollution, particularly from the standpoint of
program integration; (3) if appropriate and desirable, evaluation by
non-Federal consultants; (4) final assignment of priority. Awards
are made, within the extent of available funds, in order of priority.
Two current projects, in which research by industry is being sup-
ported by contracts from the Division of Air Pollution, illustrate the
way in which this mechanism is being used to promote technological
PAGENO="0075"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 675
innovations. In both instances, the projects developed from perceptive
observations by scientists originally engaged in work in fields other
than air pollution. In the case of work being done by the Sperry-
Rand Corp., the observation that variations in the temperature of
oxygen interfered with the use of a specific microwave band in com-
munications has led to the development of a promising way of investi-
gating and measuring such meteorological phenomena as tempera-
ture inversions and air stagnations, both of which may lead to build-
ups of pollution in the airS Use of the microwave probe technique
could eliminate the need to employ aircraft to investigate these
phenomena. In the case of work being done by the Dalmo-Victor
Corp., research in another area led to the development of a promising
new means of employing infrared beams to measure concentrations of
sulfur oxides in stack gases. An infrared probe, capable of being used
from the ground and at some distance from the pollution source, would
greatly simplify stack-gas sampling.
Criteria for the planning and conduct of the intramural and extra-
mural research program of the Office of Solid Wastes are based on
the purposes stated in section 202(b) (1) of the Solid Waste Disposal
Act (Public Law 89-272). The statement is as follows: "The pur-
poses of this Act are (1) to initiate and accelerate a national research
and development program for new and improved methods of proper
and economic solid waste disposal, including studies directed toward
the conservation of natural resources by reducing the amount of waste
and unsalvageable materials and by recovery and utilization of poten-
tial resources in solid wastes."
The differences between research grants and contracts are significant
and important. The grant mechanism, which by policy precludes sup-
port to profitmaking organizations, provides support to projects devel-
oped by non-Governmental investigators and are reviewed by an out-
side panel of experts for evaluation. The immediate criteria applied by
the study section are (1) The merit of the proposed project; (2) the
qualifications of the investigators; (3) the pertinence to the programs
of OSW; and (4) likelihood of valid scientific results. Research grants
are nondirected in nature, in that the concept is developed by the in-
vestigator and supported by the program only if it is considered scien-
tifically meritorious and pertinent to the program of OSW.
The contract program, however, is considered a direct extension of
the in-house research program, and proposals, necessarily, are reviewed
in a manner different from that for grant proposals. Since the con-
tract operation is an extension of the in-house program, the decision
to contract requires that we develop the project protocol and then seek
appropriate sources for the conduct of the work. Unsolicited con-
tract proposals which are submitted must fall within the program
priority areas to be formally considered. In execution, a contract
effort differs from a grant supported effort by virtue of the extensive
program participation. Under a contract, the program is in effect
buying the time and talent of an investigator and satisfactory per-
formance is achieved through careful contract monitoring.
The type of research which receives support will to a large extent
affect the type of innovation which can be expected. Moreover, the
direction of the research effort toward the achievement of defined re-
search goals should encourage technological innovation. While it is
PAGENO="0076"
676 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
possible to encourage research, it is difficult to predict how scientific
or technological breakthroughs are secured. Breakthroughs may only
be apparent after many research attempts, both successful and unsuc-
cessful, have been made.
The criteria for review of demonstration, study and investigation,
and planning grants are found in the printed documents titled "Solid
Waste Disposal Demonstration or Study and Investigation Project
Grants; Terms and Conditions," and "Solid Waste Disposal Planning
Grants; Terms and Conditions."
PAGENO="0077"
SOLID-WASTE DISPOSAL
PLANNING GRANTS
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
OFFICE OF SOLID WASTES
WASHiNGTON D.C. 20201
MARCH 196t
677
PAGENO="0078"
678 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
TERMS AND CONDITIONS GOVERNING
SOLID-WASTE DISPOSAL PLANNING GRANTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
I. Purpose of Planning Grants
II. Eligible Applicants 1
III. Extent of Federal Financial Assistance
IV. Applicant Financial Participation Requirements 2
V. Period of Support 2
VI. Program Direction 2
Vu. Conditions of Planning Grant 2
VIII. Use of Funds 3
IX~ Limitations on Use of Funds 3
X. How to Apply 3
XI. Review Procedure and Notification 4
XII. Payment Procedure 4
XIII. Rebudgeting of Funds 4
XIV. Planning Project Revisions 5
XV. Accountability and Audit 5
XVI. Expenditure and Program Reports 5
XVII. Termination of Grant and Repayment of Grant Funds . . . 6
XVIII. Continuation and Renewal Applications 6
XIX. Publication and Copyright 6
XX. Patent Policy 7
XXI. Compliance with Civil Rights Act of 1964 7
XXII. Further Information or Assistance 7
Public Health Service Regional Offices 8
DISCRIMINATION PROHIBITED - Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states: "No
person in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, be
excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination
under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." Therefore, the grant
and award programs of the Public Health Service, like every program or activity receiving
~ ::~:::: ~ Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, must be op.
PAGENO="0079"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 679
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
OFFICE OF SOLID WASTES
TERMS AND CONDITIONS GOVERNING
SOLID-WASTE DISPOSAL PLANNING GRANTS*
I. Purpose of Planning Grants
This document sets forth the terms, conditions, and procedures governing
the Solid-Waste Disposal Planning Grant Program administered by the Office of
Solid Wastes, Public Health Service. The program is authorized by Section 206,
Title II, Public Law 89-272, Solid-Waste Disposal Act, and the regulations pursuant
thereto (42 CFR, Part 59). It provides for Federal grants to assist State and
interstate agencies in making surveys of solid-waste disposal practices and prob-
lems, and in developing plans for new and improved methods of proper and economic
solid-waste disposal within the jurisdictional areas of such State or interstate
agencies (hereinafter referred to as "solid-waste disposal planning grants").
"Solid-waste" means garbage, refuse, and other discarded solid materials,
including solid~waste material resulting from industrial, commercial, and agri-
cultural operations, and from community activities. Excluded are solids or dis-
solved material in domestic sewage or other significant pollutants in water re-
sources such as silt, dissolved or suspended solids in industrial waste water
effluents, dissolved materials in irrigation return flows or other common water
pollutants. "Solid-waste disposal" means the collection, storage, treatment, util -
ization, processing, or final disposal of solid waste.
It is not the purpose of these grants to provide financial assistance for
State or interstate solid-waste disposal operations or services, other than survey
and planning activities.
II. Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants are (a) State agencies designated by the Governor,
or other appropriate State authority, to represent a State, the District of Columbia,
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa,
and (b) interstate agencies designated as the sole agency responsible for solid-
waste disposal planning within their jurisdictional areas.
The designated agency may be an existing agency of the State government
or a new one established for the purpose of the solid-waste disposal survey and
planning activity. It may be an interdepartmental agency, such as a commission,
committee, or board.
A certification of the designation must be included as a part of the application
for a planning grant.
UI. Extent of Federal Financial Assistance
Federal funds may be granted to pay not more than 50 percent of the cost of
solid-waste disposal survey and planning activities. The remainder is to be provided
from non-Federal funds. Funds granted to applicants in any one State are limited to
*These terms snd conditions are subject to change as deemed necessary by the Public Health Service.
PAGENO="0080"
680 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
not more than 12.5 percent of the Federal funds available for this progran~ for
each fiscal year's appropriation, For this requirement, planning grants to an inter-
state agency will be considered to be granted to the States involved in proportion to
the amounts of non-Federal funds budgeted for the project by the participating States,
or by the participating municipalities located in the respective States.
IV. Applicant Financial Participation Requirements
Applicants are required to provide at least 50 percent of the cost of the solid-
waste disposal planning activity from funds other than any other Federal grants,
or any non-Federal funds used to match other Federal grants.
V. Period of Support
Although the development of a comprehensive statewide solid-waste disposal
plan may require a period longer than three years, applications for grant support
will be considered for project periods up to three years. Budget periods within
the maximum 3-year projectperiods are 12-monthunitsbeginning onthe first day of
the month requested in the application, or the first day of the month mutually agreed
upon by the applicant and the Office of Solid Wastes. Support from Federal funds
beyond an approved project period should be requested at least nine months prior to
the termination date of the currently approved project period. (See Section XVIII,
Continuation and Renewal Applications.)
VI. Program Direction
The agency designated to be the sole agency responsible for solid-waste
disposal activities must have, or plan to employ, a full-time employee responsible
for these activities, including solid-waste disposal planning. (See Section VIII,
Use of Funds. Only that portion of the employee's time that is devoted to the survey
and planning activities may be charged to the grant-supported project.)
VII. Conditions of Planning Grant
In order to be awarded a grant for an approved solid-waste disposal planning
project, applicants must provide assurance satisfactory to the Surgeon General of
the Public Health Service:
a. That any survey and planning project is directed toward the production of
a comprehensive solid-waste disposal plan, including agricultural, commercial,
industrial, and domestic solid-waste disposal for the entire geographic area of
the State, or of the interstate jurisdiction;
b. That in the conduct of the project there shall be consultation and coordi-
nation with other State agencies which have responsibility for any aspect of planning
essential to statewide planning for proper and effective solid-waste disposal con-
sistent with the protection of the public health, including such factors as population,
urban and metropolitan development, land-use planning, water pollution control,
air pollution control, and the feasibility of regional solid-waste disposal programs;
c. That there shall be an effective arrangement to insure full participation
and coordination with related State, interstate, regional, and local planning activities
including those. financed in whole or in part with funds granted under section 701 of
the Housing Act of 1954 (40 USC 61); and
2
PAGENO="0081"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 681
d. That non_Federal funds are available for at least 50 percent of the cost of
the solid-waste disposal planning project inadditiontothose which are available for
the applicant's solid-waste disposal program activities not included in the planning
project.
VIII. Use of Funds
When approved in the application, grant funds may be used for the following
costs of carrying out the survey and planning program:
a. Personp~j - Salaries and wages, including fringe benefits, of professional,
technical, clerical, and other staff, and consultants who will render direct services
to the approved project. The salary levels of such personnel may be set by the
grantee organization according to its own standards, provided no monetary differ-
ential is allowed for such personnel because they are to be paid from grant funds.
Consultant fees must be the same as those usually paid by the applicant, but may not
be paid to a staff member of the applicant organization or any person employed by
the State, or the States participating in an interstate planning activity. Grant funds
may not be used to pay the salary of a Federal employee.
b. Equipment - Specialized items which are needed for the project.
c. Supplies - Items which are consumable or expendable, and needed for
the projecL~
d. Travel - Transportation, subsistence, and related costs for travel to be
performed during the project period and essential to the conduct of the project.
e. Other Cos~ - Items not included in one of the above categories, such as
communication costs, contractual services, rental of space (but applicant may not
charge rent for space which is state-owned or owned by the applicant) utilized by
project personnel. Each item for which funds are requested must be separately
identified.
ix. Limitations on Use of Funds
a. Grant funds may not be used for activities for which other Federal grant
funds are available, or for activities not described in the approved application.
b. Grant funds may not be used for any purpose contrary to the regulations
and policies of the Public Health Service or the grantee.
c. All obligations of grant funds must be incurred within the approved
project period, and liquidated within one year after the end of the budget period in
which the obligation was established.
X. How to Apply
Interested State and interstate agencies are required to submit Form PHS-
4872-1, Application for Solid-Waste Disposal Planning Grant, completed in accord-
ance with these terms and conditions and the instructions for completing the
application. The original and two copies must be mailed to the appropriate Public
Health Service Regional Health Director. (For list of regional offices, see page 8.)
In order to coj~pete for Federal funds allocated for the fiscal year i96~~pplicatiOfl!
must be receivedin ~egiona1ofice~1ater Y) I2.~.
3
~8-24O O~-6~6-vo1. II-~
PAGENO="0082"
682 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
In the future, planning grant applications will be considered once a year.
Applications may be submitted at any time; however, those received by September 1
of each year will be in competition for the Federal funds available for this program
in that fiscal year.
Applicants are urged to secure consultation and assistance through the
Public Health Service Regional Health Director prior to the development of their
proposals and the preparation of the application.
Applications are available through the regional offices of the Public Health
Service or the Office of Solid Wastes, Public Health Service, Washington, D.C. 20201.
XI. Review Procedure and Notification
Applications will be reviewed and evaluated by the regional and headquarters
staff of the Office of Solid Wastes. The advice of consultants will be sought as
deemed necessary by the Chief of the Office.
Applicants will be notified in writing of the action taken on their appli-
cations about six weeks to two months after the cut-off date for receipt of appli_
c ations.
The regional representative will contact approved applicants to negotiate
the beginning date of the project period if it is different from that requested in
the application.
XII. Payment Procedure
If the grantee organization has received awards from other Public Health
Service programs which are being paid under a letter-of-credit system or other
cash control system, the payment for solid-waste disposal planning grants will be
incorporated into the same system.
For grantee organizations which have no other awards from the Public Health
Service, generally an initial payment will be made shortly before the beginning of
the project period, and in the amount necessary for the first quarter (or first three-
month period). Subsequent payments will be made upon request and in the amounts
needed for the next quarterly period.
XIII. Rebudgeting of Funds
It is expected that expenditures for the project will follow the budget cate-
gories (i.e., personnel, equipment, travel, supplies, and other) of the approved
application. It is recognized, however, that transfers among the categories may be
necessary on occasion. Transfers among budget categories may be made, except in
the following instances where prior approval of the transfer must be secured from
the Public Health Service:
a. Any expenditures in a budget category for which no funds were initially
budgeted in the approved application.
b. When a transfer regardless of amount would result in and/or reflect a
change in the scope of the planning activity described in the approved application; and
4
PAGENO="0083"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 683
c. Any transfers into the equipment and travel categories.
Requests for approval of rebudgeting of funds should be submitted by
letter to the Office of Solid Wastes.
XIV. Planning Project Revisions
Public Health Service approval of a revision of an approved planning project
is required when: (a) a substantial change in the scope, character, or activities of
the project occurs or is proposed; (b) a change in the project director is neces-
sitated; or (c) anextensionor other change inthe project is desired. These revisions
may be submitted in letter form, although the extent of the changes under (a) above
may require submission of a revised application. Normally, a request for ex-
tension in project period will be made only near the scheduled terminating date of
the project.
XV. Accountability and Audit
The grantee must establish and maintain a separate account for the grarit~
supported activity, reflecting all receipts, obligations, and disbursements of
grant and matching funds. In addition, the grantee must maintain arid -make available
for audit purposes supporting fiscal records and documentation as evidence of
grant and matching fund expenditures. Such documentation shall be retained until
the fiscal audit has been conducted and any questions arising from it have been
resolved, and shall include:
a. The name of each employee whose salary in whole, or in part, is charged
to the grant-supported activity. The agency in which such person is employed
shall be identified, together with the total salary paid to such person during the
grant period. Time or effort reports, filed within one month following each quarter
in which service- is provided, are required to support the salaries charged to
the grant, and may be presented as best estimates shown in percentages for
professional staff and daily time records for non_professional staff.
b. A copy of all travel vouchers, purchase invoices, and contracts charged to
the grant_supported activity.
c. An identification of all other costs charged to the planning activity.
A fiscal audit will be made by the audit staff of the Department of Health,
Education, and Welfare.
XVI. Expenditure and Program Reports
Reports of expenditures shall be made on the expenditure report form
prescribed by the Public Health Service. Reports shall be submitted within 120 days
after the close of each 12~month portion of the project period, and also at the end of
the project period. These reports shall be submitted in triplicate to the appropriate
Regional Health Director.
The State or interstate agency must submit, no later than six months after
the end of the project period, a final report of its activities under the grant.
When a State plan has resulted, the plan itself together with such additional material
as is deemed appropriate may be the final progress report. This report shall be
submitted to the appropriate Regional Health Director.
5
PAGENO="0084"
684 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
Interim progress reports must accompany applications for continuation grants.
(See Section XVIII, Continuation and Renewal Applications.) In addition, the Surgeon
General may from time to time request special reports.
XVII. Termination of Grant and Repayment of Grant Funds
A solid-waste disposal planning grant may be terminated at any time before
the end of the approved project period by the grantee upon formal notification to
the Public Health Service. The Surgeon General may revoke planning grants in
whole or in part, or withhold future payments, at any time in the event that he finds
that the grantee has failed in a material respect to comply with Federal law or es-
tablished grant policies, or has failedto carry out the planning activity as approved.
Any unobligated balance in or due the Federal grant account at the end of
the project period, at the time of earlier termination of the grant, or after audit,
shall be refunded to the Public Health Service. Refund should be made by check
payable to the Public Health Service, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare,
XVIII. Continuation and Renewal Applications
In the case of solid-waste disposal planning projects which have been approved
for a period of more than one year, and for which an initial grant award has been
made in an amount for .a lesser period (usually a 12-month period), a continuation
application is required. Contingent on the satisfactory development of the planning
activity, continuation applications have first claim on available funds. Such appli-
cations must be submitted three months priortothe end of each 12-month portion of
the project period. Grantees will be provided with the necessary application forms
and instructions at the appropriate time.
Applications for renewal of a grant beyond the approved project period
should be submitted at least nine months prior to the end of the currently approved
period. Renewal grant applications are Submitted according to the procedures for
a new grant and are reviewed in competition with new and other renewal grant
applications.
XIX. Publication and Copyright
As part of solid-waste disposal planning activities, grantees are urged to
publish results and findings in the interest of developing public awareness of solid~
waste disposal problems and enlisting public support for remedial efforts. Public
Health Service review or approval of such publications is not required. It is re-
quested, however, that Federal grant assistance be acknowledged by including in
any such publication the following note:
"This solid-waste disposal planning project was supported in part by a grant
from the Public Health Service, Department of Health, Education, and
Welfare."
Thirty copies of such publication should be sent to the Regional Health
Director for appropriate distribution.
Similarly, an author is free to arrange for copyright without Public Health
Service approval provided that the Public Health Service is assured of the right to
reproduce and distribute copyrighted material resulting from Federally supported
project operations.
PAGENO="0085"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 685
XX. Patent Policy
All inventions arising out of activities supported in whole or in part by the
Public Health Service grant funds must be promptly and fully reported to the
Surgeon General.
Prior to the award of a grant, the Public Health Service must be advised of
any outstanding commitments or obligations of the applicant organization, or the
professional personnel to be associated with the proposed project, which conflict
with the patent regulations of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
A statement concerning patent commitments of the applicant organization, signed
by an official of the organization authorized to act in patent matters, must be
submitted as part of the initial grant application. In addition, grantees must submit
an annual invention statement in connection with continuation applications.
XXI. Compliance with Civil Rights Act of 1964
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states: "No person in the United
States, shall on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from
participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under
any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." The solid-waste
disposal planning grant must be operated in compliance with this law, and the irn~
plementing regulations of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (45 CFR,
Part 80). (See instructions for filing application).
XXII. Further Information or Assistance
Further information regarding the Solid-Waste Disposal Planning Grant
P rog ram, technical assistance, consultation, and application forms may be obtained
through the appropriate Regional Health Director.
Information on other solid-waste disposal grant programs may also be
obtained from the regional office.
PAGENO="0086"
686 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
Region I
120 Boylston Street
Boston, Mass. 02116
Region II
Room 1200, 42 Broadway
New York, N.Y. 10004
Region III
700 East Jefferson Street
Charlottesville, Virginia 22901
Region IV
Room 404
50 Seventh Street, N.E.,
Atlanta, Ga. 30323
Region V
Room 712, New Post Office Building
433 West Vax~i Buren Street
Chicago, Illinois 60607
Region VI
601 East Twelfth Street
Kansas City, Mo. 64106
Region VII
1114 Commerce Street
Dallas, Texas 75212
Region VIII
Room 551
9017 Federal Office Bldg.,
19th and Stout Streets
Denver, Cob. 80202
Region IX
447 Federal Office Building
Civic Center
San Francisco, Calif. 94102
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE
Public Health Service
REGIONAL OFFICES
Region
States Included
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Penn-
sylvania
District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland,
North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia,
Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi,
South Carolina, Tennessee
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wis-
consin
Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Ne-
braska, North Dakota, South Dakota
Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Okla-
homa, Texas
Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming
Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Ne-
vada, Oregon, Washington, Guam, Amer-
ican Samoa
GPO 904.139
8
PAGENO="0087"
SOLID-WASTE DISPOSAL
DEMONSTRATION OR STUDY AND INVESTIGATION
PROJECT GRANTS
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
OFFICE OF SOLID WASTES
WASHINGTON DC. 20201
MARCH 1966
687
PAGENO="0088"
688 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
TERMS AND CONDITIONS GOVERNING
SOLID-WASTE DISPOSAL
DEMONSTRATION OR STUDY AND INVESTIGATION PROJECT GRANTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
I. Purpose of Demonstration or Study and Investigation
Project Grants 1
II. Eligible Applicants 2
III. Extent of Federal Financial Assistance 2
IV. Applicant Financial Participation Requirements 2
V. Period of Support 2
VI. Program Direction 2
VII. Conditions of Grant 3
VIII. Use of Funds 4
IX. Limitations on Use of Funds 5
X. How to Apply 5
XI. Review Procedure and Notification 5
XII. Payment Procedure 6
XIII. Rebudgeting of Funds 6
XIV. Project Revisions 7
XV. Accountability and Audit 7
XVI. Expenditure and Program Reports 8
XVII. Termination of Grant and Repayment of Grant Funds 8
XVIII. Continuation and Renewal Applications 8
XIX. Publication and Copyright 8
XX. Patent Policy 9
XXI. Compliance with Civil Rights Act of 1964 9
XXII. Further Information or Assistance 9
Public Health Service Regional Offices 10
DISCRIMINATION PROHIBITED - Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 States: `No
person in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, be
excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of,or be subjected to discrimination
under any program or activity receiving Federal financialassistance," Therefore, the grant
and award programs of the Public Health Service, like every program or activity receiving
financial assistance from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, must be op.
crated in compliance with this law.
PAGENO="0089"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 689
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE
Public Health Service
Office of Solid Wastes
TERMS AND CONDITIONS GOVERNING SOLID-WASTE DISPOSAL
DEMONSTRATION OR STUDY AND INVESTIGATION PROJECT GRANTS*
I. Purpose of Demonstration or Study and Investigation Project Grants
This document sets forth the terms, conditions, and procedures governing
the Solid-Waste Disposal Demonstration or Study and Investigation Project Grants
Program administered by the Office of Solid Wastes, Public Health Service. The
program is authorized by Section 204, Title II, Public Law 89~272, Solid Waste
Disposal Act, and the regulations pursuant thereto (42 CFR, Part 59). It provides
for Federal grants for the support of demonstration projects of new and improved
solid-waste disposal methods, devices, and techniques, studies and investigations
of municipal and regional solid-waste disposal problems, practices and programs,
and studies and investigations of particular solid-wastes, solid-waste disposal
problems, practices, and techniques. This program also provides support for
demonstration, study, and investigation projects on the reduction of the amount of
solid wastes and unsalvageable waste materials, and the recovery and utilization
of potential resources in solid-wastes.
"Solid-waste" means garbage, refuse, and other discarded solid materials,
including solid-waste materials resulting from industrial, commercial, and agri-
cultural operations, and from community activities, but does not include solid or
dissolved material in domestic sewage or other significant pollutants in water
resources, such as silt, dissolved or suspended solids in industrial waste water
effluents, dissolved materials in irrigation return flows or other common water
pollutants. "Solid-waste disposal" means the collection, storage, treatment, utili-
zation, processing, or final disposal of solid-waste. /
The Act also authorizes Federal financial assistance for the construction of
facilities necessary to demonstration projects, but not for study and investigation
projects as stated above. The term "construction" as defined in Section 203 of the
Solid Waste Disposal Act means (a) the erection or building of new structures and
acquisition of lands or interests therein, or the acquisition, replacement, expan-
sion, remodeling, alteration, modernization, or extension of existing structures,
and (b) the acquisition and installation of initial equipment of, or required in con-
nection with, new or newly acquired structures or the expanded, remodeled, altered,
modernized or extended part of existing structures (including trucks and other
motor vehicles, tractors, cranes, and other machinery) necessary for the proper
utilization and operation of the facility after completion of the project; and includes
preliminary planning to determine the economic and engineering feasibility and the
public health, safety, engineering, architectural, legal, fiscal, and economic aspects
* These terms and conditions are subject to change as deemed necessary by the Public Health Service.
PAGENO="0090"
690 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
of the project, and any surveys, designs, plans, working drawings, specifications,
and other action necessary for carrying out the construction of the facility, and
(c) the inspection and supervision of the process of carrying out the project to
completion.
II. Eligible Applicants
Any public agency or private non-profit organization in the United States
(including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and
American Samoa) is eligible to apply for a grant. A private non-profit organization
must provide evidence of its non-profit status.
III. Extent of Federal Financial Assistance
The Federal grant for a solid-waste disposal demor~stration or study and in-
vestigation project may not exceed two-thirds of the estimated total cost of the
project, including the estimated cost of construction of facilities, if any. The re-
mainder is to be provided from non.~Federal funds. Funds granted to applicants in
any one State are limited to not more than 12.5 percent of the Federal funds avail-
able for this program from each fiscal years appropriation. For this requirement,
grants to interstate organizations will be considered to be granted to the States
involved in proportion to the amounts of non-Federal funds budgeted for the project
by the participating States, or by the participating municipalities located in the
respective States.
IV. Applicant Financial Participation Requirements
Applicants are required to provide at least one-third of the estimated total
cost of~ the demonstration project, including the cost of construction of facilities,
if any, from funds other than any other Federal grants, or any non-Federal funds
used to match other Federal grants.
V. Period of Support
The length of time for whichdemonstrationor study and investigation project
grant support may be requested is dependent upon the concept, the objectives, and
the methodology proposed. The Public Health Service limits its approval to grant
support to project periods up to three years. Budget periods within the maximum
3-year project periods are 12-month units beginning on the first day of the month
requested in an approved application, or the first day of the month mutually agreed
upon by the applicant and the Office of Solid Wastes. Grantees may request renewal
beyond the originally approved project period for projects which require a longer
period for completion. Renewal applications compete with new and other renewal
applications in the same manner as original applications. (See Section No. XVIII,
Continuation and Renewal Applications.)
VI. Program Direction
The demonstration or study and investigation project must be under the direc-
tion of a full-time director or coordinator responsible for the direction and super-
vision of all the activities involved in the project. This is the individual whom the
Public Health Service will contact in matters concerning the project.
2
PAGENO="0091"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 691
VII. Conditions of Grant
In order to be awarded a grant for an approved solid-waste disposal "Studies
and investigation-Municipal and regional project", applicants must provide assur-
ance satisfactory to the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service:
a. That there shall be an effective arrangement to insure full partici-
pation and coordination with related State, interstate, regional, and local plan-
fling activities; and
b. That non-Federal funds are available for at least one-third of the cost of
the solid-waste disposal demonstration or study and investigation project in addition
to those which are available for the applicant's solid-waste disposal program ac-
tivities not included in the project.
Further, applicants for demonstration project grar~ts must provide assurance
satisfactory to the Surgeon Gei~ral:
c. That open dumping or open burning of solid wastes is not authorized or
is prohibited by law within the jurisdiction in which the applicant proposes to con-
duct the demonstration; except that if such assurance cannot be given:
(1) An applicant which is a unit of government responsible for enforcement
of laws and regulations relating to solid-waste disposal practices must
set forth a schedule acceptable to the Surgeon General for the elimination
of open dumping or open burning within its jurisdiction, or
(2) An applicant which is not a unit of government responsible for enforcing
laws and regulations relating to solid~waste disposal practices must
submit a schedule officially adopted by the responsible unit of government.
Applicants for demonstration project grants which involve constru~n must
also provide assurance satisfactory to the Surgeon General:
d. That there will be proper and efficient operation and maintenance of the
facility after completion of its construction;
e. That the Surgeon General or authorized agents and other persons have
access to any facility constructed as part of a demonstration project, and access
to the records pertaining to the operation of the facility at any reasonable time;
f. That all laborers and mechanics employed by contractors or subcontrac-
tors on a project of the type covered by the Davis-Bacon Act, as amended (40 USC
276a-276a-5) will be paid wages at rates not less than those prevailing on similar
work in the locality as determined by the Secretary of Labor in accordance with
the Act; and
g. That he will comply with the requirement of Executive Order 11246,
February 24, 1965, (30 FR 12319) pertaining to Equal Employment Opportunity,
and with the applicable rules and regulations, and prescribed procedures.
PAGENO="0092"
692 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
Applicants for study and investigation project grants of national value must,
in addition, provide assurance satisfactory to the Surgeon General:
h. That the findings of the proposed studies and investigations would be of
significant national value in solid-waste disposal practices or programs.
Applicants for study and investigation project grants on municipal and
regional solid-waste disposal activities must, in addition:
i. Be, in the judgment of the SurgeonGeneral, legally responsible or is under
existing law authorized or empowered upon compliance with legal requirements to
assume responsibility for the provision of solid-waste disposalservices throughout
the geographic area covered by the proposed project; and
j. Give assurance satisfactory to the Surgeon General that the proposed
project will be coordinated with any State-wide plans and programs relating to
solid-waste disposal.
VIII. Use of Funds
When approved in the application, grant funds may be used for the direct
costs of carrying out the demonstration, study, or investigation project. These are:
a. Personnel - Salaries and wages, including fringe benefits, of professional,
technical, clerical, and other staff, and consultants who will render direct services
to the approved project. The salary levels of such personnel may be set by the
grantee organization according to its own standards, provided no monetary differ-
ential is allowed for such personnel because they are to be paid from grant funds.
Consultant fees must be the same as those usually paid by the applicant, but may
not be paid to a staff member of the applicant organization or any person employed
by the grantee or by States participating in an interstate project activity. Grant
funds may not be used to pay the salary of a Federal employee.
b. ~quipment - Specialized items which are needed for the project.
c. Supplies - Items which are consumable or expendable, and needed for
the project.
d. Travel - Transportation, subsistence, and related costs for travel to be
performed during the project period and essential to the conduct of the project.
e. Other Co - Items not included in one of the above categories. Examples
include: communication costs, contractual services, rental of space (but applicant
may not charge rent for space which is State-owned or ownnd by the applicant)
utilized by project personnel. Each item for which funds are requested must be
separately identified.
f. Construction of Facilities - When necessary to a demonstration project,
(See definition of "construction,' Section I, Purpose of Grants, and Sections III and
IV on financial participation). Estimated costs of the construction of facilities must
be included in the application. The estimates must include the estimated costs of
major components or items, such as: land, engineering design, equipment, machin-
ery, labor, and building materials. Final awards will be based on the completed
4
PAGENO="0093"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 693
detailed design of the construction project, and a negotiated agreement as to other
requisite terms and conditions.
IX. Limitations on Use of Funds
a. Grant funds may not be used for activities for which other Federal grant
funds are available, or for activities not described in the approved application.
b. Grant funds may not be used for any purpose contrary to the regulations
and policies of the Public Health Service or the grantee.
c. All obligations of grant funds must be incurred within the approved project
period, and liquidated within one year after the end of the budget period in which the
obligation was established.
X. How to Apply
Interested organizations are required to submit Form PHS-4873-1, Applica-
tion for Solid-Waste Disposal Demonstration or Study and Investigation Project
Grant, completed in accordance with these terms and conditions and the instructions
for completing the application. The signed original and one copy must be mailed
directly to the Office of Solid Wastes, Public Health Service, Washington, D.C.
20201, Two additional copies must be sent to the appropriate regional office. (For
list of regional offices, seepage 1O.)Inorder to compete for Federal funds alloc~t~4
for the fiscal year 1966, applications must be received by the Office of Solid Wastes
not later than May 1, 1966.
In the future, applications may be submitted at any time, but should be sub-
mitted at least six months in advance of the anticipated beginning date of the
proj ect.
Applicants are urged to request consultation from the State solid-waste dis-
posal agency early in the development and design of projects, as well as to consult
with, and secure the support of professional and other groups, or appropriate local
agencies that will be utilizing or assisting in the provision of the services con-
templated by the project. Applicants also may secure consultation and assistance
from the appropriate Public Health Service regional representative.
Applications are available through the regional offices of the Public Health
Service or the Office of Solid Wastes, Public Health Service, Washington, D.C.
20201.
XI. Review Procedure and Notification
Applications will be considered for funding three times a year: February,
May, and October. They will be reviewed and evaluated by the regional and head-
quarters staff of the Office of Solid Wastes. At the discretion of the Chief of the
Office, expert advice will be secured from outside the Public Health Service on
the technical merit of the project proposals.
Applicants will be notified in writing of the action taken on their applications
about two to four weeks after the final review.
5
PAGENO="0094"
694 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
The regional representative will contact approved applicants to negotiate the
beginning date of the project period if it is different from that requested in the
application.
Review Criteria - The criteria for evaluating the merits of project pro-
posals are:
1. Degree to which project objectives are clearly established, attainable,
and for which progress toward attainment can and will be measured,
2. The substantive merit and potential contribution of the project toward
developing knowledge and techniques for meeting the objectives of the Solid Waste
Disposal Act.
3. Degree to which the project can be expected to yield or demonstrate
results that will be useful and desirable on a national or regional basis.
4, Availability, adequacy, and competence of the personnel, facilities and
other resources needed to carry out the project.
5. For those projects involving construction of a facility proposed, the
feasibility of the facility to meet the objectives of the project.
6. Extent of participation and coordination of community groups with related
interests in the area of solid-waste disposal.
7. Proportion of project costs to be borne by the applicant and, where ap-
propriate, the applicant's plan to continue the activity as an on-going service, after
termination of Federal assistance.
8. Degree to which the proposed project is in accordance with the State or
regional overall plan, or proposed plan, and priorities with respect to solid-waste
disposal services.
XII. Payment Procedure
If the grantee organization has received awards from other Public Health
Service programs which are being paid under a letter-of-credit system or other
cash control system, the payment for solid-waste disposal project grants will be
incorporated into the same system.
For grantee organizations which have no other awards from the Public Health
Service, an initial payment generally will be made shortly before the beginning of
the project period, and in the amount necessary for the first quarter (or first
three-month period). Subsequent payments will be made upon request and in the
amounts needed for the next quarterly period.
XIII. Rebudgeting of Funds
It is expected that expenditures for the project will follow the budget cate-
gories (i.e., personnel, equipment, travel, supplies, construction, and other) of the
approved application. It is recognized, however, that transfers among the categories
`6
PAGENO="0095"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 695
may be necessary on occasion. Transfers among budget categories may be made,
except in the following instances where prior approval of the transfer must be
secured from the Public Health Service:
a. Any expenditures in a budget category for which no funds were initially
budgeted in the approved application.
b. When a transfer regardless of amount would result in and/or reflect a
change in the scope of the project or when the grantee is uncertain as to whether
a change affects the character or scope of a project as described in the approved
application.
c. Any transfers into the equipment, travel, or construction categories.
Requests for approval of rebudgeting of funds should be submitted by letter
to the Office of Solid Wastes.
XIV. Project Revisions
Public Health Ser ice approval of a revision of an approved project is re~
quired when: (a) a substantial change in the scope, character, or activities of the
project occurs or is proposed; (b) a change in the project director is necessitated;
or (c) an extension or other change in the project is desired. These revisions may
be submitted in letter form, although the extent of the changes under (a) above may
require submission of a revised application. Normally, a request for extension
in project period will be made only near the scheduled terminating date of the
project.
XV. Accountability and Audit
The grantee must establish and maintain a separate account for the grant-
supported activity, reflecting all receipts, obligations, and disbursements of grant
and matching funds. In addition, it must maintain and make available for audit
purposes supporting fiscal records and documentation as evidence of grant and
matching fund expenditures. Such documentation shall be retained until the fiscal
audit has been conducted and any questions arising from it have been resolved,
and shall include:
a. The name of each employee whose salary in whole, or in part, is charged
to the grant-supported activity, together with the total salary paid to such
person during the grant period. Time or effort reports, filed within one
month following each quarter in which service is provided, are required
to support the salaries charged to the grant, and may be presented as
best estimates shown in percentages for professional staff and daily time
records for non-professional staff.
b. A copy of all travel vouchers, purchase invoices, and contracts charged
to the grant-supported activity.
c. An identification of all other costs charged to the grant-supported activity.
A fiscal audit will be made by the audit staff of the Department of Health,
Education, and Welfare.
7
PAGENO="0096"
696 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
XVI. Expenditure and Program Reports
Reports of expenditures shall be made on the expenditures report form pre-
scribed by the Public Health Service. Reports shall be submitted within 120 days
after the close of each 12-month portion of the project period, and also at the end
of the project period. These reports shall be submitted in triplicate to the appro-
priate Regional Health Director.
The grantee must submit, no later than six months after the end of the proj-
ect period, a final report of its activities under the grant. Six copies of the report
should be submitted to the appropriate Regional Health Director.
Interim progress reports must accompany applications for continuation
grants.. (See Section XVIII, Continuation and Renewal Applications.) In addition,
the Surgeon General may from time to time request special reports.
XVII' Termination of Grant and Repayment of Grant Funds
A solid-waste disposal demonstration or study and investigation project may
be terminated at any time before the end of the approved project period by the
grantee upon formal notification to the Public Health Service. The Surgeon General
may revoke a grant in whole or in part, or withhold future payments, at any time in
the event that he finds that the grantee has failed in a material respect to comply
with Federal law or established grant policies, or has failed to carry out the activity
as approved.
Any unobligated balance in or due the Federal grant account at the end of the
project period, at the time of earlier termination of the grant, or after audit, shall
be refunded to the Public Health Service. Refund should be made by check payable
to the Public Health Service, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
XVIII. Continuation and Renewal Applications
In the case of solid-waste disposal projects which have been approved for
a period of more than one year, and for which an initial grant award has been made
in an amount for a lesser period (usually a 12-month period), a continuation applica-
tion is required. Contingent on the satisfactory development of the project, con-
tinuation applications have first claim on available funds. Such applications must
be submitted three months prior to the end of each 12-month portion of the project
period, Grantees will be provided with the necessary application forms and instruc-
tions at the appropriate time.
Applications for renewal of a grant beyond the approved project period should
be submitted at least nine months prior to the end of the currently approved period.
Renewal grant applications are submitted according to the procedures for a new
grant and are reviewed in competition with new and other renewal grant appli-
cations.
XIX. Publication and Copyright
As part of solid-waste disposal activities, grantees are urged to publish
results and findings in the interest of developing public awareness of solid-
waste disposal problems and enlisting public support for remedial efforts.
PAGENO="0097"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 697
Public Health Service review or approval of such publications is not required.
It is requested, however, that Federal grant assistance be acknowledged by in-
cluding in any such publication the following note:
`This solid-waste disposal (demonstration or study and investigation) proj ect
was supported in part by a grant from the Public Health Service, Depart-
ment of Health, Education, and Welfare."
Thirty copies of such publication should be sent to the Regional Health
Director for appropriate distribution.
Similarly, an author is free to arrange for copyright without Public Health
Service approval provided that the Public Health Service is assured of the right
to reproduce and distribute copyrighted material resulting from Federally sup-
ported project operations.
XX. Patent Policy
All inventions arising out of activities supported in whole or in part by the
Public Health Service grantfunds mustbe promptly and fully reported to the Surgeon
General.
Prior to the award of a grant, the Public Health Service must be advised of
any outstanding commitments or obligations of the applicant organization, or the
professional personnel to be associated with the proposed project, which conflict
with the patent regulations of the U.S. Departmentof Health, Education, and Welfare.
A statement concerning patent commitments of the applicant organization, signed
by an official of the organization authorized to act in patent matters, must be sub-
mitted as part of the initial grant application. In addition, grantees must submit an
annual invention statement in connection with continuation applications.
XXI. Compliance with Civil Rights Act of 1964
Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states: "No person in the United
States, shall on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from
participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under
any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." The solid-waste
disposal project grant must be operated in compliance with this law, and the im-
plementing regulations of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (45
CFR, Part 80). (See instructions for filing application).
XXII. Further Information or Assistance
Further information regarding the Solid Waste Disposal Demonstration,
Study and Investigation Project Grant Program, technical assistance, consultation,
and application forms may be obtained through the appropriate Regional Health
Director.
Information on other solid-waste disposal grant programs may also be ob-
tained from the regional office.
9
68-240 0 - 66 - Vol. U - 7
PAGENO="0098"
698 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE
Public Health Service
REGIONAL OFFICES
Region
Region I
120 Boylston Street
Boston, Mass. 02116
Region II
Room 1200, 42 Broadway
New York, N.Y. 10004
Region III
700 East Jefferson Street
Charlottesville, Virginia 22901
Region IV
Room 404
50 Seventh Street, N. E.,
Atlanta, Ga. 30323
Region V
Room 712, New Post Office Building
433 West Van Buren Street
Chicago, Illinois 60607
Region VI
601 East Twelfth Street
Kansas City, Mo. 64106
Region VII
1114 Commerce Street
Dallas, Texas 75212
Region VIII
Room 551
9017 Federal Office Bldg.,
19th and Stout Streets
Denver, Cob. 80202
Region IX
447 Federal Office Building
Civic Center
San Francisco, Calif. 94102
States Included
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Penn-
sylvania
District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland,
North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia,
Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi,
South Carolina, Tennessee
illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wis consin
Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Ne-
braska, North Dakota, South Dakota
Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Okla-
homa, Texas
Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming
Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Ne-
vada, Oregon, Washington, Guam, American~
Samoa
10
PAGENO="0099"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 699
Question 5: With respect to the coordination of Federal action re-
garding air, water, and solid waste pollution abatement, what agree-
ments e~4st between HEW and other agencies and how is coordination
effected to insure that Federal choices and emphasis among research
programs do not create problems and deficiencies in other areas?
Answer: The recent transfer of the Federal Water Pollution Con-
trol Administration from the Department of Health, Education, and
Welfare to the Department of the Interior will require that new lines
of communication and coordination be established with this program.
The necessary arrangements are currently being worked out by repre-
sentatives of both Departments.
Coordination with the Bureau of Mines of the Department of the
Interior, whose research in air pollution is supported in .part by con-
tracts with the Division of Air Pollution, is accomplished by frequent
top-level meetings and almost constant liaison among lower level scien-
tific personnel. The Bureau of Mines (and all other Federal agencies
conducting research under contracts with the Division of Air Pollu-
tion) submits quarterly reports of technical progress and an annual
summary report.
The need for close coordination with the activities of the Office
of Solid Waste Disposal of the Public Health Service is met in large
part through constant communication with staff of that program.
The fact that both the Office of Solid Wastes and the Division of Air
Pollution are in the same organizational unit of the Public Health
Service facilitates liaison and provides opportunities for policy and
planning coordination at the next highest level of authority.
The Interdepartmental Committee for Atmospheric Sciences of the
Federal Council for Science and Technology is charged with promot-
ing closer cooperation among Federal agencies concerned with prob-
lems in the atmospheric sciences, facilitating resolution of common
problems, improving the planning and management of research in
this area, and advising the President on coordination of Federal pro-
grams in the atmospheric sciences. The Division of Air Pollution rep-
resents the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare on this
Committee.
The Division of Air Pollution also represents the Department on
the Federal Committee for Meteorological Services and Applied Mete-
orological Research, which seeks to coordinate the activities of all Fed-
eral agencies that provide and use meteorological services or `are en-
gaged in meteorological research. The purposes of this group include
coordination of research activities, sharing of facilities where pos-
sible, standardization of equipment, cooperation in recruitment and
training, and identification of major limitations in meteorological
knowledge.
A number of Federal agencies which are not directly concerned with
air pollution are nonetheless involved in activities which have an im-
portant bearing on community air pollution problems. Examples of
such programs include the urban renewal and urban mass transit ac-
tivities of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and
the activities of the General Services Administration with respect to
purchases of motor vehicles for use by Federal agencies. The legisla-
tion `authorizing the urban `mass transit program required that new
vehicles purchased with Federal ~id meet air pollution control speci-
PAGENO="0100"
700 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
fications established by the Secretary of Health, Education, and Wel-
fare. The development and application of these specifications have
been a subject of regular contact between personnel of the Division of
Air Pollution and the Department of Housing and Urban Develop-
ment. In similar fashion, standards established by the General Serv-
ices Administration for control of air pollution from the new motor
vehicles it purchases were developed through consultation with the
Division of Air Pollution.
No mechanism exists for regular liaison with the National Science
Foundation. The National Science Foundation has not requested that
it be kept advised of technological needs in the air pollution field.
The accompanying report provides additional information on co-
ordination of Federal activities in the field of air pollution control.
CURRENT TRENDS IN FEDERAL INTERAGENCY RELATIONS CONCERNING AIR POLLUTION
(By the Division of Air Pollution, Public Health Service, Dep~rtment of Health,
Education, and Welfare, June 1965)
An important and interesting aspect of the Federal air pollution control pro-
gram, since its inception in 1955 with the passage of Public Law 84-159, has been
the participation in this program by several Federal departments and agencies.
However, recent developments have been altering the pattern of interagency rela-
*tlonships in this field.
Prior to the enactment of P.L. 84-159 in 1955, "an Act to provide resea:rch and
technical assistance relating to air pollution control," an Ad Hoc Interdepart-
mental Oommibtee on Community Air Pollution was established, in accordance
with an informal request from the Office of the President, to survey the Federal
role in air pollution and to make recommendations. In its report of April 8, 1955,
the Committee included, among its several recommendations, the following: "In
conducting this program, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
should utilize the available facilities an.d resources of other Federal departments
and agencies for such necessary services as can best be provided by `them."
P.L. 84-159, whIch was the first Federal statute authorizing an organized
Federal air pollution program, incorporated many of the key recommendations
of the Ad Hoc Committee. It authorized the Surgeon General, U.S. Public
Health Service, of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, to develop
broad air pollution research programs, in cooperation with other Federal agencies.
The Report of the Committee and the Federal air pollution legislation which
followed in 1955, clearly designated the Department of Health, Education, and
Welfare to be the responsible agency for planning, directing, and conducting the
overall program.
This early and definite recognition of the desirability of broad Federal agency
participation, under the general direction of the Public Health Service, Depart-
ment of Health, Education, and Welfare was based on several key factors:
(1) The potential serious health hazards of air pollution, as exemplified by the
Donora and London disasters and the acute problem in Los Angeles, constituted
the `basic impetus for the initiation of the Federal program. As a consequence,
central responsibility for the program was lodged In the PHS-DHEW. At the
same time, the potential health hazards created a sense of urgency to protect
the public health through the rapid development of an effective air pollution
control program. The use of existing organizations, with applicable technical
competence and experience, appeared to offer the most promise for the earliest
possible progress.
(2) On general principles of efficiency and sound management, it appeared
desirable to make use of existing specialized technical expertise in the Federal
establishment, and to avoid the potential cost of unnecessary duplication in build-
ing up parallel technical groups. In essence, the rationale of the Economy Act
of 1932, which authorized the transfer of funds between Government agencies for
the exchange of appropriate services, is pertinent to this approach.
(3) The terms of P.L. 84-159 were such as to place major emphasis on research
programs. Broad research activity was authorized toward the end of elucidating
the causes, behavior, effects, and means for control of air pollution. Such
research activity necessarily involves many scientific, engineering, and related
PAGENO="0101"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 701
technical disciplines. These disciplines, with the related accumulation of orga-
nizational experience, were to be found in several of the Federal departments and
agencies. Several prominent examples are the meteorological competence of the
Weather Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce, the plant physiology competence
in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the combustion and fuel technology
experience of the Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Accordingly, a series of contractual arrangements was developed between the
Public Health Service and the several Federal departments and agencies. From
the central Federal air pollution appropriation made to the Public Health Service,
funds were transferred, under the terms of the Economy Act, to the contractor
Federal agencies. A summary listing of these contractual arrangements
follows:
FEDEKAL AGENCY AND NATURE OF SERVICES PROVIDED
Department of Agriculture
Research studies and technical assistance activities to determine the effects
of air pollutants on agriculture and to explore the use of agricultural damage
as indicators of air pollution. Department of Agriculture scientific personnel
have been assigned to the Division of Air Pollution laboratories in Cincinnati,
Ohio, under `this arrangement.
National Bureau of fgtandards, Department of Commerce
Research project's concerned with the chemical reactions of various pollutants
in the atmospheres and with the development of analytical procedures for the
determination and measurement of certain pollutants. This work has been
principally carried out in the research facilities of the National Bureau of
Standards.
Bureau of Mince, Department of the Interior
A variety of research projects relating to combustion processes, including work
on sulfur dioxide removal from flue gas, desulfurizatlon of fuel oil, removal of
pollutants from motor vehicle exhaust, analytical methods for measurement of
motor vehicle exhaust, extinguishment of burning coal mine waste piles, and In-
cineration techniques. These activities have been carried out in several of
the Bureau of Mines' laboratories.
Weather Bureau, Department of Commerce
Research and technical assistance activities concerned with the meteorological
aspects of air pollution. These include the transport of air pollutants, diffu-
sion and dispersal of pollutants, tracer studies, development of episode fore-
casting techniques, and adaptation of the meteorological factor to land use control
in industrial zoning. The Weather Bureau has a team of professional meteorolo-
gists assigned to the Division of Air Pollution research laboratories in Cincin-
nati, Ohio, where the principal activities are conducted; some air pollution
research is carried out in Weather Bureau facilities.
Library of Congress
Air pollution literature abstracting services which have been coordinated with
the related activities of the Air Pollution Control Association and appear as
APOA Abstract's. The Library concentrates on foreign journals and on the
biological sciences.
Tennessee Valley Authority
Studies to document flume behavior and related elements under various mete-
orological conditions with emphasis upon studies concerned with sulfur dioxide
emissions. `This work is primarily carried out at TVA plants and facilities.
Census Bureau, Department of Commerce
The Census Bureau has been used intermittently, on a contract basis, as a key
input factor for epideiniological studies involving large population groups.
Studies associating various diseases with air pollution, particularly in urban
areas, make use of data developed by the Bureau.
For the most part, these contractual relationships started in 1956 and have
continued to date. The specific, discrete, projects which are undertaken by the
contractor agencies are developed through technical discussions and negotiations
and are documented in formal letters of agreement between the Public Health
Service and the agencies concerned. Technical progress and related fiscal re-
ports are submitted to the Public Health Service on a quarterly basis.
PAGENO="0102"
702 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
The common thread which runs through all of the arrangements listed above
is the research and research-related nature of the services provided. As men-
tioned above, this was a logical consequence of the research emphasis of P.L. 84-
159, the first Federal air pollution law enacted in 1955.
Much valuable scientific and technical information has resulted from this intra-
Governmental research effort. It is not the purpose of this paper to document
these contributions, but some degree of this contribution is evidenced by the many
published technical papers, reports, monographs, and other manifestations of the
work of these agencies.
CURRENT TRENDS SINCE THE CLEAN AIR ACT OF 1963
The Clean Air Act (Public Law 88-206), "an Act to improve, strengthen, and
accelerate programs for the prevention and abatement of air pollution," was
signed by the President December 17, 1963. The main thrust of this legislation
may be summarized as an extension of the Federal air pollution program from
one of a relatively limited research and technical assistance orientation to one
placing much greater emphasis on prevention and control of air pollution.
While continuing to recognize "that the prevention and control of air pollution
at its source is the primary responsibility of States and local governments," this
new emphasis on control is revealed in several provisions of the Act. Grants-
in-aid, on a matching basis, are authorized for award to States and communi-
ties for initiation, extension, or improvement of air pollution control programs.
Limited Federal abatement authority is authorized, principally in areas of inter-
state air pollution, Another provision empowers the Secretary of Health, Educa-
tion, and Welfare to carry out a permit system as a means of controlling air
pollution from Federal installations.
This recent legislative emphasis on actual control activities is reflected in a
newly emerging pattern of relationships between other Federal agencies and the
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare which continues to have respon-
sibility for and the overall coordinating and directing role in the Federal air
pollution program.
Concomitant with these newly emerging patterns reflecting control emphasis,
the Clean Air Act calls for a strengthening of the research program and, addi-
tionally, calls for special attention to specific areas of research. Examples of
such areas are the development of processes, methods and prototype devices for
control; the development of air quality criteria; and research toward the develop-
ment of techniques for extraction of sulfur from fuels. This renewed emphasis
on difficult research problem areas will probably result in a continued and ac-
celerated use of certain of the Federal agencies a's a means of moving ahead
more rapidly. For example, the expertise of the Bureau of Mines in fuel tech-
nology will be most valuable in a stepped-up research activity concerned with
the widespread problem of oxides of sulfur in the atmosphere.
Thus, the research challenges still before us will continue to require contractual
research services of key Federal agencies. At the same time there is also now
emerging a new pattern of Federal agency relationships, concerned principally
with prevention and control activity.
AIR POLLUTION FROM FEDERAL FACILITIES
The activity involving the most broad and far-reaching set of Federal agency
relationships relates to the provisions of Section 7 of the Clean Air Act, "Coopera-
tion by Federal Agencies to Control Air Pollution from Federal Facilities."
Section 7(a) essentially carries forward previous Government policy (Execu-
tive Order 10779 of 1958) and previous statutory provisions in P.L. 84-159 calling
upon Federal agencies to cooperate, to the extent practicable, with the Depart-
ment of Health, Education, and Welfare and with State and local air pollution
control agencies, in controlling pollutant discharges from Federal installations.
Section 7(b) authorizes the Secretary of the Department of Health, Education,
and Welfare to establish classes of potential pollution sources under Federal
jurisdiction and authorizes the operation of a permit system for such sources.
These provisions of the Act have their roots in Congressional intent that
Federal installations perform in an exemplary manner and in general observe
good community relationships. The legal problems involving Federal sovereignty
and immunity from State or local regulations, of course, `still obtain, but the
intent is to encourage compliance and to place the Department of Health, Educa-
tion, and Welfare in a position of leadership, guidance, and direction to insure
PAGENO="0103"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 703
that this is accomplished. The Office of the President, through the Bureau of the
Budget, is firmly in support of a vigorous implementation of Section 7. The latter
agency has directed in its instructions to all Federal departments and agencies,
that in preparing budget estimates for the design and construction of new Fed-
eral facilities, they include provisions for air and water pollution controls in
accordance with technical instructions issued by the Public Health Service.
Such instructions have now been developed by the Public Health Service for the
ouidance of Federal agencies. In addition, technical instructions, in the form
of guides of good practice, for the use of Federal agencies in dealing with
pollution from existing facilities are now being prepared.
The administrative and operational procedures for the operation of the permit
system by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare are being devel-
oped. The first class of pollution sources to be given attention is open burning
of material for disposal or salvage. After an inventory of atmospheric emis-
sions from Federal installations is completed, it will be possible to adequately
classify the potential sources of other pollution from Federal installations.
If one were to assess the potential for success, from a strictly classical and
theoretical management viewpoint, of the Department of Health, Education, and
Welfare effectively operating a control program where sister departments are
the objects of control, and where no administrative, bureaucratic, or bierarchial
advantage exists for the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, one
might indeed be somewhat pessimistic. Classical theory notwithstanding, our
experience to date gives us every reason for optimism on the future success of
this program. Initial responses from the many Federal agencies which operate
installations have indicated a clear recognition of their responsibilities and a
desire to cooperate with the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in
carrying out Section 7 of the Clean Air Act. The Division of Air Pollution, of
the Public Health Service, has established a Federal Agencies Section in its
Abatement Branch, which is now Implementing this program on a full-time basis.
This type of program administration, involving practically daily contacts with
the Federal agencies, Is in contrast to the research contract type of relationship,
where a Public Health Service technical monitor periodically reviews the work
of the contractor agency, and consults on an intermittent basis.
There is continuing interest by the Congress in the problem of effective pro-
grams to insure exemplary air pollution control practices by Federal agencies.
At this writing, the Senate has passed S. 560, which calls for the Secretary of
Health, Education, and Welfare to establish automotive emission standards for
Governmentally purchased vehicles. The Act would also provide for greater
authority for the Secretary through a program of certification as to acceptability
of proposed air pollution control measures in Federal installations.
URBAN MASS TRANSPORTATION ACT
Another area where the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare has
entered into new relationships with another Federal agency, concerned with air
pollution prevention and control, is in the field of urban mass transit. Section
11 of the Urban Mass Transportation Act (P.L. 88-365), enacted by Congress in
1964, directs the Administrator of the Housing and Home Finance Agency, in
reviewing applications for Federal financial assistance, to take into consideration
whether equipment and facilities financed under the Act will be designed and
equipped to prevent and control air pollution in accordance with criteria estab-
lished by the Secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
The legislative history of this Act reveals the intent of the Congress, in encour-
aging needed solutions to the difficult problems of city traffic congestion, to avoid
an aggravation of air pollution problems associated with the several forms of
mass transit-such as bus operation and power stations for rail systems.
Technical criteria have been developed and transmitted to the Administrator
of the Housing and Home Finance Agency for his use in reviewing applications
for Federal financial assistance for transit equipment and facilities.
Technical representatives of the Division of Air Pollution and the Housing
and Home Finance Agency plan to meet periodically to review the program under
Section 11 of the Mass Transportation Act. Amendment to the air pollution
criteria will be made as experience indicates a need therefor. The Division of
Air Pollution anticipates being called upon periodically for specialized technical
consultation in connection with special problems or questions of interpretation,
which are likely to arise in the course of the administration of the mass transpor-
PAGENO="0104"
704 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
tation program by the Housing and Home Finance Agency. The Division of Air
Pollution views this new program as a promising means for preventing new air
pollution problems from developing as an unwanted side effect of a broad scaled,
national program to promote urban mass transportation.
OTHER INTER-AGENCY RELATIONSHIPS
Principal attention in this paper has been given to the newly established Fed-
eral agency relationships outlined above because these relationships have their
basis directly in recently enacted Federal legislation. Several other patterns of
relationships, which have a control rather than a research emphasis, are also
emerging, even though no specific legislation has conditioned or occasioned them.
Thus, in the field of air pollution, mutual interests of the Public Health Service
and the Housing and Home Finance Agency are based upon the character of air
pollution as both a cause of urban blight and deterioration, and an effect of the
various facets of urban development. This mutuality of interests has been the
basis for discussions directed toward the development of cooperative efforts be-
tween the two agencies which seek (1) to develop in State and local community
leaders and planning agencies a recognition of this interrelationship, (2) to en-
courage communities to incorporate explicitly in their community, planning and
survey activities and in their community development program operations, ap-
propriate elements reflecting this interrelationship, and (3) to develop such
policies and procedures within the two Federal agencies, particularly with respect
to financial aids and technical assistance, as will foster the accomplishment of
these objectives.
The purpose of the Urban Planning Assistance ("701") Grants administered
by the Housing and Home Finance Agency is to provide assistance for compre-
hensive planning for entire urban areas. Studies of air pollution are considered
important, both by the Housing and Home Finance Agency and the Public
Health Service, as factors in sound comprehensive urban planning; based upon
this recognition, the two agencies have worked closely concerning a study of air
pollution in the Chicago metropolitan area conducted jointly by the Regional
Planning Agency and the State and local air pollution agencies and financed in
part by a "701" grant.
The Public Health Service has had discussions with the Housing and Home
Finance Agency oil a series of other areas although no formal operating programs
involvin.g the Service have as yet ensued. Some of the areas of joint concern
include the possible incorporation of air pollution as an element of the Work-
able Program for Community Improvement required as a prerequisite to various
forms of HIJFA financial assistance, urban transportation planning, open space
planning, general zoning developments, problems concerning the disposal of demo-
lition debris from urban renewal projects, solid waste removal problems, and
community facilities financial assistance as they relate to incineration. It is
probable, that as these programs develop, the air pollution component will tend
to be more formally and regularly incorporated into these programs. The Pub-
lie Health Service will be continuing to work with the Housing and Home Finance
Agency toward this end.
An interesting and potentially productive relationship has developed in
recent years between the Federal Power Commission and the Public Health
Service with respect to air pollution. The Public Health Service has been
requested by the Federal Power Commission to provide technical information
and testimony in connection with applications before the Commission concerned
with the transmission of natural gas. The air pollution issue has arisen with
respect to the pollution emitting characteristics of various fuels, the location
of power generating plants, and the health and other effects of various pollutants.
The Chief of the Division of Air Pollution, Mr. Vernon G. MacKenzie, has served
on an air pollution advisory group which provided information for the Federal
Power Commission National Power Survey issued in 1964. These relationships
in general indicate the recognition of the air pollution problem as a factor to be
given consideration in the types of determinations the Federal Power Commis-
sion has the responsibility to make.
In its January 1965 Economic Report to the President, the Council of Eco-
nomic Advisors gave explicit attention, for the first time, to air pollution. The
Report pointed out the lack of economic incentives for polluters to correct their
pollution problems. The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare has
a representative on a working group established by the Council to explore
PAGENO="0105"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 705
possible avenues for presenting financial incentives for polluters to take preven-
tion and control measures. The Division of Air Pollution has been providing
technical background on air pollution to assist in consideration and formulation
of Federal policy in this area.
IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE, LOCAL, AND REGIONAL AIR POLLUTION CONTROL PROGRAMS
The various kinds of interrelationships between air pollution and other facets
of public and private activities, which are the basis for the interagency relation-
ships at the Federal level discussed above, are, of course, relevant to State and
local programs for the prevention and control of air pollution. In the United
States the primary responsibility for the control of air pollution at its source
rests with State and local governments; consequently, the need for and the oppor-
tunity to develop a high degree of coordination and cooperation among all
agencies of local government is particularly great. The keynote to this approach
to air pollution control was well stated by S. Smith Griswold, Air Pollution
Control Officer of the Los Angeles County Air Pollution Control District, as
follows: 1
"Across the country thousands of municipal, county and State officials are
vitally concerned with the development and redevelopment of our Nation's
urban and metropolitan communities. We're demolishing old structures, re-
designing our transportation systems, and executing a wholesale physical re-
construction of our community core areas. While we're doing this, we should
also be concerned with the quality of air our citizens are breathing. We should
place the protection and preservation of acceptable air quality on a par with
the physical reconstruction of our communities, and we should give increased
attention to the many facets of community design that must affect our future
community air quality configuration."
`The possible ways in which this concept might be implemented are discussed
below:
(1) An obvious, parallel at the State and local levels to the Federal program
for control of air pollution from Federal installation's, discussed above, is the
importance of making sure that the State, county, and city conduct their activi-
ties with the least possible contribution to local air pollution problems. Steps
need `to `be taken to insure that the very best available technology for controlling
air pollution is incorporated in the plans and specifications fo'r the construction
of public facilities such as `schools, hospitals, public housing, public works opera-
tions, incinerators and similar `types of projects. There are many ways that this
can be administratively `accomplished but `the essential ingredient is that an
explicit element o'f the planning for such facilities be consideration of their air
pollution potential. This can be accomplished by requiring all such plans to be
reviewed `by the air pollution agency or requiring adherence to technical criteria
established by `the air pollution control agency. T'he effective implementation of
any such `system will obviously require the strong support `and commitment of
top officials and legislative bodies to the need for air pollution control.
(2) Many `of the crucial decisions concerning whether or not we are presently
creating air pollution problems for `the future are made prior to the actual time
that a particular construction program is implemented. These decisions `are
made in connection with community planning with regard to land uses and the
subsequent zoning decision's to administratively implement such plans. The
kinds of uses to which land will be put and `the criteria or standards used for
determining `the `specific `characteristics of activities permitted to be conducted can
he crucial in determining the air quality of our communities in `the future. As
such, there is a clear need for `the consideration o'f the air pollution potential
involved in `such decision's. In `the light of these considerations, the air pollution
agency should be recognized as `an important technical advisor to planning and
zoning agencies. There are, of course, in addition to the air pollution factor, a
number of other important considerations and issues which will affect the final
decisions which `are made. It is important, however, `that air pollution considera-
tions be explicitly available to the decision-maker; the lack of information avail-
able to the decision-maker should not be `the ba'si's for creation of new air pollu-
tion prc~blems by default.
1 "Response: The Reasonable Approach to' Air Pollution Control," National Conference
on Air Pollution (1962), ProceedIngs (Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office,
1963,), p. 14.
PAGENO="0106"
706 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
(3) Considerable room for coo'peratioi~i and coordination, particularly at the
municipal level, exists with regard to the regulatory programs concerning the
health and safety aspects of housing and other types of construction. Such
agencies as health departments, building departments, fire departments as well
as air pollution agencies are frequently concerned with the inspection, surveil-
lance, and enforcement of various local ordinances, rules, and regulations in this
field. The difficult problems involved in attempting to coordinate these activities
so as to avoid inefficiencies, overlaps, duplications and conflicting requirements
upon those subject to such regulation have long been a matter of discussion and
controversy. It is, however, an area of great importance to the overall quality
of local government and should be of intense interest to air pollution agencies as
a possible means of `strengthening their programs while conserving scarce re-
sources, funds and personnel.
(4) Greater coordination between air pollution agencies and agencies con-
cerned with the construction of highways, uitan renewal projects and other
operations `of this nature is desirable with respect to `the problem of preventing air
pollution associated with the disposal of demolition debris. Although improved
`technology is vitally needed with respect to this problem, greater attention to the
utilization of presently available methods an'd practices can do much t'o improve
existing situations. Further, concerted attention by all agencies and groups con-
cerned i's likely to `stimulate needed research and development activities concern-
ing this problem.
(5) A particular aspect of thegeneral problem of governmentally controlled or
aided construction and facilities relates to urban renewal projects and public
housing. With respect to public housing, `careful attention needs to be given `to
the incorporation in such project's of appropriate `design criteria with respect to
heating an'd incineration equipment. Further, attention needs to be given to the
employment and training of personnel responsible for the maintenance and oper-
ation of such equipment. With regard to urban renewal projects, inter-agency
coordination in developing criteria and standards with respect to demolition
debris disposal, heating, incineration, and other potential sources of air pollution,
to which the private developer would agree to conform, would be highly desirable.
This, of course, is a special application of a more general problem of carrying out
the responsibilities of air pollution control agencies with respect to apartment
houses, commercial buildings and other sources under private as well as public
control.
SUMMARY
Under the first Federal Air Pollution Act of 1955, which assigned the respon-
sibility for developing a national program to the Public Health Service, a signi-
ficant ph'ase of the program involved other Federal agencies through a series of
contractual relationships. These interdepartmental relationships were limited,
however, to the objective of capitalizing on the diverse research facilities and
specialized competencies within the Federal establishment, as a means of acceler-
ating the research and technical assistance program authorized under the Acit.
With the passage of the Clean Air Act of 1963, a major new em.phas'is h'a's been
added to the Federal `air pollution control program. Application of technical
knowledge, through broadly accelerated control programs, is the predominant
`theme of this Act. This emphasis is reflected In current trend's in the nature and
type `of the Public Health Service'.s developing relationships wi'th other'Federal
agencies. The emerging PHS programs to prevent and control air pollution from
Federal facilities, the PBS role in preventing pollution `arising from transporta-
tion systems aided under the new Urban Mass Transportation Act, and other
developing interagency relationships and problem areas are examples of this re-
cent trend. There are important parallels and implications of these new Federal
relationships for State, local, `and regional air pollution control programs.
Coordination of Federal efforts in the closely related fields of air
pollution control and solid waste management is facilitated by the fact
that both Federal programs are located within the same Bureau of the
Public Health Service. Furthermore, close liaison is maintained be-
tween the staffs of the Office of Solid Wastes and the Division of Air
Pollution to assureS c~omp1ete and productive coordination of the re-
search and development activities of the two programs in areas where
their interests and responsibilities merge.
PAGENO="0107"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 707
The Department of the Interior is assigned certain responsibilities
under the Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965. A memorandum of un-
derstanding entered into by the Departments of Health, Education,
and Welfare and the Interior, a copy of which is printed below,, out-
lines the mechanism of coordination whereby the two Departments
coordinate their respective efforts under the Solid Waste Disposal Act.
Coordination with the water pollution program of the Department
of the Interior is managed through the Office of the Secretary of
Health, Education, and Welfare. The recent transfer of the Federal
Water Pollution Control Administration from the Department of
Health, Education, and Welfare to the Department of the Interior has
caused some disruption of communication between this Office and the
FWPCA. It will be necessary to redefine effective avenues through
which coordination in the area of solid waste research and develop-
ment can be achieved.
Because the Department of Housing and Urban Development has
certain programs and responsibilities relating to urban planning, which
can involve solid waste management planning, close contact is main-
tained between the Office of Solid Wastes and appropriate agencies
and officials of the Department of Housing and Urban Development to
assure that the efforts of these two agencies complement, rather than
conflict with, one another.
Enclosed for the information of the Subcommittee is a copy of a
cooperative project agreement involving the Office of Solid Wastes, the
Tennessee Valley Authority, and Johnson City, Tenn. (see p. 709).
This agreement illustrates the type of cooperative coordinated effort
which will increasingly call on the resources of two or more Federal
agencies involved in programs directly or tangentially relating to the
management of solid wastes and research and development in this
field.
Attachments.
MEMORANDUM OF UNDE1ISTANDING; DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND
WELFARE, PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE; AND THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
BUREAU OF MINES
IMPLEMENTATION OF TITLE II, THE SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL ACT OF 1965, PUBLIC
LAW 89-272
The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service,
and the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines, each has an area of respon-
sibility for implementing the provisions of Public Law 89-272, the Solid Waste
Disposal Act, and are mutually desirous of developing a coordinated program
toward the attainment of common objectives under the Act. The report of the
House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce (Report No. 899, Page 27,
lines 19 through 36), states that, under the provisions of the bill, subsequently
enacted as Public Law 89-272, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
"would be responsible for administration of the Act, except that the Secretary of
the Interior will be responsible for `solid waste resulting from the extraction,
processing or utilization of minerals and fossile fuels where the generation, pro-
duction, or reuse of such wastes is or may be controlled within the extraction,
processing or utilization facility or facilities and where such control is a
feature of the technology or economy of the operation of such facility or facil-
ities'. This arrangement would make the Secretary of Health, Education, and
Welfare responsible for administration of the Act with respect to solid waste
problems of communities, including those problems which may affect the general
environments of communities, and including those solid wastes or solid waste
residues that result from business and industrial activities and become part of
the community's solid waste disposal system. The Department of the Interior,
PAGENO="0108"
708 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
as above indicated, would be responsible for solving industrial solid waste prob-
lems within facilities engaged in extraction, processing, or utilization of minerals
and fossil fuels in the circumstances above defined." To accomplish these objec-
tives, the Public Health Service and the Bureau of Mines have entered into this
Memorandum of Understanding in order to define and describe the principal areas
of program interest of each agency and to clearly establish a mutually acceptable
working relationship which insures proper coordination of all programs under
Public Law 89-272.
It is mutually agreed that:
A. The Public Health Service and the Bureau of Mines will designate officials
to act as the principal contacts and liaison officers at the program level in inter-
agency matters pertaining to Public Law 89-272.
B. In regard to demonstration grant applications under Section 204 of Public
Law 89-272, the Public Health Service will refer to the Bureau of Mines for
necessary action, those demonstration grant applications pertaining primarily to
mineral or fossil fuel solid waste problems as defined under Section 203(1) of the
Act; and the Bureau of Mines will refer to the ?ublic Health Service for neces-
sary action those demonstration grant applicatlons pertaining to other solid
waste problems.
0. The Public Health Service will refer to the Bureau of Mines for review and
comment those demonstration grant applications which give major emphasis to
components involving mineral, metal, and fossil fuel solid waste problems as
part of a broader solid waste disposal program; and the Bureau of Mines will
refer to the Public Health Service for review and comment those demonstra-
tion grant applications in which the mineral and fossil fuel solid waste
problems have significant community implications. In the above cases, it is
understood that any comments the reviewing agency wishes to make will be
forwarded within a period of fifteen (15) working days from the time of receipt.
D. The Bureau of Mines and the Public Health Service may support, on a joint
basis, demonstration, research, or training projects which have Implications for
disposal of solid wastes from minerals or fossil fuels and from community sources.
Fl. The Public Health Service and the Bureau of Mines will perform reimburs-
able services for each other, when such action is appropriate and feasible and
mutually beneficial to the agencies.
F. The Public Health Service and the Bureau of Mines will exchange informa-
tion regarding program activities under Public Law 89-272. This will include
information on grant awards and similar actions.
G. The Public Health Service in carrying out its responsibilities for developing
comprehensive State and local solid waste programs, and in providing technical
assistance to State and local agencies and industry, will need technical informa-
tion from the Bureau of Mines. From time to time such information will be
made available by the Bureau of Mines to the Public Health Service.
H. Since the processing and disposal of automobile and other metallic scrap
involve problems of community environmental pollution, blight, and parallel re-
source problems in the technology of salvage and utilization, the Public Health
Service and the Bureau of Mines may jointly conduct projects on broad phases of
the junk and scrap auto problem, and individually on specific appropriate com-
plementary segments.
This Memorandum of Understanding shall become effective upon acceptance of
1)0th parties, and shall continue indefinitely, `but may be modified at the request
of either of the cooperative agencies. `This agreement may be terminated by
either agency upon thirty (30) days notice in writing.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDU-
BUREAU OF MINES CATION, AND WELFARE, PUBLIC
HEALTH SERVICE
(Title) (Title)
(Date) (Date)
PAGENO="0109"
ADEQUACY OF TF~CHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 709
CooPERATIVE PRO3ECT AGREEMENT
I. Title of Project: "Joint U.S. Public Health Service-Tennessee Valley Au-
thority Composting Project, Johnson City, Tennessee," hereinafter referred to as
"the Project."
II. Parties to the Agreement:
A. U.S~ Public Health Service, Washington, D.C., hereinafter referred to
as "PHS."
B. Tennessee Valley Authority, Chattanooga, Tennessee, hereinafter re-
ferred to as "TVA."
C. City of Johnson City, Tennessee, hereinafter referred to as "the City."
III. Term of Agreement: This agreement shall be of full force and effect for
a period of 7 years from the date of execution hereof, unless sooner terminated
in accordance with the provisions of this agreement. This agreement may be
renewed upon mutual agreement of the parties hereto.
IV. The parties hereby agree that the purpose of the 1roiect, which includes
the design, construction and operation of a composting plant in Johnson City,
Tennessee, is to demonstrate the engineering and economic feasibility of produc-
ing compost from mixed refuse and raw and digested sewage sludge; to conduct
research into the health aspects of the use and processing of such compost and
into the con~mercial and agricultural use and acceptability of the finished product
and is not i~tended as a substitute for the maintenance of adequate sewage treat-
fl)ent facilities and refuse disposal service by the City.
V. The p4rties further agree as follows:
A. The City agrees-
1. To furnish, without cost to the other parties hereto, a site of approxi-
mately ten acres adjacent to the City sewage treatment plant, for the con-
struction of the composting plant, which site is more particularly described in
appendix "A" which is attached hereto and made a part hereof.
2. To furnish without cost to PBS and TVA, such road easements and
utility rights-of-way as PHS and TVA may determine to be neces~ary for
the use of the aforementioned site for the project.
3. To permit PBS and TVA access to such City property as necessary in
connection with the conduct of the project.
4. To deliver to the compost plant such normal mixed refuse and special
wastes as available from its refuse collection system in such amounts and at
such times as PHS and TVA may request.
5. To deliver to the compost plant such raw sludge and such digested or
partially digested sludge, in such amounts as may be available from its*
sewage treatment plant, and at such times as PHS and TVA may request.
~. To permit PHS and TVA to use City laboratory facilities at the City
sewage treatment plant to the extent the City determines that such use
will not interfere with its own use of the laboratory.
7. To remove from the compost plant upon request any solid, semi-solid
or raw materials and processed or partially processed compost within 24
hours and to dispose of all such materials.
8. To accept at no charge to PB'S and TVA all waste water (including
sanitary sewage, effluent from sludge thickening and other compost plant
processes, and wash water) from the compost plant, piping and pumping
to be by PBS and TVA.
9. To maintain and operate at no cost to PBS and TVA such City property,
buildings, equipment and facilities as may be required for the continued
operation of the compost plant.
10. To furnish such other facilities and services as it can readily provide
that may be requested by PBS and TVA.
B. TVA agrees, subject to the provisions of paragraph V, section C and
without cost to the City-
1. To design a compost plant, including all buildings, structures and ap-
purtenances thereto, to meet the following requirements. The plant shall
be of the windrow type and which will have a rated capacity of 10 tons per
hour of mixed refuse and up to 2,500 gallons per hour of sewage sludge. The
plant shall be designed to be capable of providing maximum dependability of
service and of providing information on comparative operation of individual
units of processing equipment. The composting plant shall be designed
so as `to be capable of performing the following functions: (a) shredding to
increase active surface area of processed material, (b) moisture control by
PAGENO="0110"
710 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
adding water or dry material, and (c) mixing to uniformly compost all
the material being treated. The composting plant shall be equipped with
necessary materials handling equipment, including receiving hopper, plate
conveyor, belt conveyors, magnetic separators, sewage sludge thickener,
rasping machine, hammermill, and windrow placing and turning machinery.
The composting plant shall be capable of producing processed refuse, formed
into windrows, approximately five feet high and seven feet wide at the base,
to undergo decomposition. The processing equipment will be housed in a
modular sheet metal industrial type building with concrete footings and
concrete slab floor.
The composting plant shall provide for active composting to take place in
unprotected windrows, but with a covered curing and storage building in
which to complete the decomposition, dry, and store the finished compost.
This temporary building will be near the processing building, will be roofed
to protect compost from rain, and will be high enough to permit the entrance
and maneuvering of dump trucks and front-end loaders.
Office, laboratory and visltor reception space on the site will be provided
in a building of temporary construction.
2. To submit to PIIS plans and specifications for a compost plant which
meets the requirements of subsection 1 above, together with the estimated
cost of construction of such plant.
3. To construct, operate, and maintain a compost plant in accordance
with plans approved therefor by PHS.
4. To conduct studies, research, experiments and investigations of the
feasibility of commercial and agricultural use of the compost produced.
5. To remove at the termination of this agreement all buildings, structures
and appurtenances erected for the project, unless said buildings, structures
and appurtenances are otherwise disposed of with the approval of the
City and of PHS and In accordance with applicable Federal requirements for
the disposal of Government property in effect at the time of termination.
C. PHS agrees:
1. To pay TVA for costs incurred in the design, construction, maintenance
and operation of the compost plant and such costs as may be incurred in the
removal of the compost plant.
2. To pay to the City the increased costs incurred by the City for its sewage
and refuse disposal services resulting from the City's obligations under this
agreement and such costs as may be incurred by the City pursuant to para-
graph V, section A, subsection 10, if such increased costs are substantiated
by actual cost data submitted by the City.
3. To conduct health-oriented studies, research, investigations and experi-
ments relating to: (a) the composting process and the compost produced,
and (b) the efficient ~nd economic operation of the compost plant.
VI. The parties hereto further mutually agree:
A. That the compost plant. will be located on a ten acre site adjacent to
the City sewage treatment works near Johnson City, Tennessee, which site
is more particularly described in appendix "A" hereof.
B. That this agreement may be terminated by mutual agreement of all
parties hereto, or upon 180 days notice by PHS and TVA to the City of the
intention of PHS and TVA to terminate this agreement.
0. That the project shall be referred to in all publications, press releases,
signs, etc. as a "Joint U.S. Public Health Service-Tennessee Valley Authority
Composti.ng Project, Johnson City, Tennessee."
D. That all funds expended by the City in connection wi:th this project
will be accounted for in such a manner as deemed necessary by Federal
auditors.
E. That obligations assumed hereunder shall be subject to the availability
of funds for such purposes.
F. That the terms and conditions herein set forth, may, at any time here-
under be changed or modified by supplemental agreement with mutual con-
sent of the parties concerned.
G. That the data collected will be the property of and will be used as
deemed appropriate by PHS and TVA. All proposed publications by parties
hereto of the data, or evaluations thereof developed in this project will be
transmitted to the other parties hereto for review and comment a reasonable
period of time in advance of proposed publication data.
PAGENO="0111"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 711
H. That the City relinquishes title and interest in any refuse and siudge
and products thereof, when such refuse and sludge are accepted by PUS and
TVA at the compost plant, and all such materials when accepted shall be
and become the property of the United States.
VII. PUS representative and project supervisor: Mr. Wesley E. Gilbertsofl,
Chief, Office of Solid Wastes, EU, PSS, PUS, DHEW.
TVA representative: Dr. 0. M. Derryberry, Director of Health, Tennessee
Valley Authority.
City representative: Mr. D. A. Burkhalter, City Manager, City of Johnson
City, Tenn.
EDWARD N. BACKU5,
Mayor, City of Johnson City, Tenn.
Dr. 0. M. DERRYBKRRY,
Director of Health,
Tennessee Valley Authority.
LEO J. GEmuG,
(For Dr. William H. Stewart, Surgeon General,
Public Health Service).
Question 6: What research and development work is currently being
pnrsued with HEW support on the creation of an "early warning sys-
tem" to provide notice of potential hazards of pollution before they
become acute Y
Answer: 1. Research and development work currently being pur-
sued with HEW support on the creation of "early warning systems" to
provide notice of potential hazards of pollution before they become
acute:
A. National air pollution potential research and advisory service
(Project B-5-7). The object of this research is to develop and place in
routine operation an objective, quantitative air pol1utiox~ potential
forecast service for the conterminous United States. Research effort
is directed toward developing an objective computer technique which
will provide forecasts of air pollution potential which are of equal
quality to forecasts of air pollution potential now provided through
application of a quasi-objective prediction technique by meteorologists
of the Laboratory of Engineering and Physical Sciences, U.S. Public
Health Service. Upon development of a satisfactory computer tech-
nique, responsibility for the Advisory Service will be assigned to the
National Meteorological Center (Environmental Science Services Ad-
ministration). Efforts to develop quantitative air pollution potential
forecasts will be accelerated when the objective technique for delin-
eating areas of high air pollution potential has become established. A
quasi-objective technique for forecasting areas of high air pollution
potential is in daily use. A national advisory service disseminating
these forecasts to interested parties, both public and private, has been
in operation for several years.
B. Local air pollution forecasting research (Project B-5-8). The
object of this research is to devise or derive techniques and method-
ologies which will enable air pollutant concentrations to be forecast
on local (urban) scales, up to 24 to 36 hours in advance, with practical
precision. Models of atmospheric dispersion over urban areas are
being validated through the use of observed (historical) meteorologi-
cal parameters and pollutant concentrations. When a model is vali-
dated as sufficiently accurate, experimental forecasts of pollutant con-
centrations, based on forecast meteorological parameters and pollutant
PAGENO="0112"
712 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
emission values, are tested for accuracy. As necessary, research is con-
ducted to develop and improve forecasts of the meteorological param-
eters. When the forecasts of pollution concentration attain a suffi-
ciently high degree of precision, they will become operational. Urban
diffusion models are currently being adapted and validated for New
York, N.Y.; St. Louis, Mo.; and Philadelphia, Pa. by a meteorologist
located in each city. In addition, Laboratory of Engineering and
Physical Sciences staff meteorologists are testing experimental fore-
casts of air pollutant concentrations for Cincinnati, Ohio.
2. Current procedures for issuing air pollution potential advisories:
Daily air pollution potential forecasts are prepared by Laboratory of
Engineering and Physical Sciences meteorologists in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Forecasts are based on reports received hourly via teletype from
Weather Bureau stations in the United States an4 on numerous
analyses and forecasts provided via facsimile by the National Mete-
rological Center (NMC) in Suitland, Md. With its electronic. com-
puter facilities, the NMC prepares special mixing depth and wind
speed data from all upper air observing stations in the United States
(about 70 stations). NMC transmits these data to Cincinnati daily
at 9: 30 and 10: 30 a.m., EST, for analysis2 interpretation, and inte-
gration with other meteorological information. Air pollution poten-
tial forecasts based on these data are transmitted daily at 12:20 p.m.,
EST, to U.S. Weather Bureau stations (approximately 235 stations)
via teletype service "C". When meteorological conditions do not
warrant issuance of a high pollution potential advisory, the telet~pe
message is "none today." When the forecast indicates that an `ad-
visory of high air pollution potential should be issued, the message
designates the affected areas. The daily message indicates significant
changes in the boundaries of advisory areas, including termination
of episodes. To be notified of these advisories, interested persons
must initiate arrangements with the nearest Weather Bureau station.
Once arrangements have been made, the local Weather Bureau office
will notify forecast users when their area of interest is included in an
advisory.
3. Limitations tG-
A. General weather forecasts: It should be noted that the ability
to forecast the weather depends critically on the length of time for
which the forecast is desired. Weather prediction for air pollution
purposes for a matter of minutes to an hour in advance may be high-
ly accurate, whereas forecasts many days in advance may be totally
inaccurate. The size of the area for which forecasts are made is simi-
larly crucial. Predictions for small areas on the order of city blocks
presents serious difficulties, but an average forecast for a broad region
of many square miles within a city can be made with some com-
petence. The conversion of a prediction of conventional weather ele-
ments to an air quality forecast introduces an additional measure of
uncertainty; a weather forecast can only provide the potential for poi-
lution. The location of potential sources, the changes in their emis-
sion with time and the changes in pollution characteristics to photo-
chemical and other reactions `must also be known to predict the con-
centration of a contaminant.
PAGENO="0113"
ADEQUACY OP TECflNOLOOY FOl~ POLLUTION ABATEMENT 713
B. National air pollution potential advisory service forecasts: The
national air pollution potential advisory service conducted by the
Laboratory of Engineering and Physical Sciences, U.S. Public Health
Service, as noted above provides an advance notification of meteor-
ological conditions which may lead to acute levels of air contamination
if sources of air pollution are active. The ability to issue advisories for
broad regions of the conterminous United States. with a high de-
gree of reliability has been demonstrated. Presently advisories are
issued for meteorological conditions that extend over large areas for
relatively long periods of time.. Under the present system the fore-
casts are a qualitative indication of atmospheric conditions and do
not provide a quantitative estimate of the air quality that may be as-
sociated with these conditions, further the forecasts do not adequately
account for the large diurnal variations of dispersion within the ad-
visory area.
C. Local air pollution forecasts: For each community for which
advance prediction of pollution is desired, it is necessary that there
be a continually updated emission inventory preferably on a block-
by-block and hour-by-hour basis. The larger the smallest unit area
and time interval for which emission data is available, the less reliable
the results. Each such community must also have available ground
level and upper air wind, temperature, and pressure measurements, in-
tensive and frequent enough to allow their use for prediction. The less
intensive and frequent the coverage, the less reliable the re.sults. Each
such community must also have available a mathematical model com-
patible with its topography and weather regime and must, have an
intensive air quality monitoring network against which to test the accu-
racy of prediction of the model. rfllere must be a long enough period
of such te.sting to refine the model and develop the correlation between
the model and reality. The less intensive the air quality monitoring
network, and the shorter the period of refining the. model, the less
reliable the results.
If the emission inventory, meteorological and air quality measure-
ments and mathematical model are all optimized for the community,
and if trained-experienced air pollution meteorologists are. available,
the capability to predict selected air quality parameters 4 to 12 hours
in advance exists with about. the same probabilit.y of error as predict-
ing local variations in the weather of the community that far in ad-
vance. The success of the mathematical forecasting models depends
not only on the accuracy of the analytical expression relating source
and diffusion parameters to air concentrations, but also on the accu-
racy of the forecasts of the dispersion parameters. "Air pollution
forecasting" cannot be separated from weathe.r forecasting in general
and improvements in either area will be reflected in the other. Con-
siderable effort is presently being expended to improve forecasting
techniques in general and specifically in the mesoscale area. To hasten
improvements in mesoscale meteorological forecasts, a special commit-
mitte has been appointed by the Federal Coordinator for Meteoro-
logical Research.
4. Utility of air pollution forecasts systems: The benefits of an air
`pollution potential and an air quality forecast system are many but
because t.he capacity of the atmosphere'~ to dilute wastes has a finite
68-240 0-66-vol. 11-8
PAGENO="0114"
714 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
upper limit predictions of air pollution potential or air quality cannot
be a substitute for controls of air contamination at the source of emis-
sion. At times the atmosphere has a diluting ability which is as high
as 1,000 times greater than at other times. Therefore the ability to
predict with a high degree of confidence can make a significant con-
tribution to the amelioration of air pollution problems. Given a satis-
factory mathematical model, forecasts of meteorological parameters
can be used to delineate the expected spatial extent and duration of
critical concentrations of significant pollutants in a community and
to forestall the occurrence of "critical" concentrations by alerting the
proper control authority to the potential hazard to permit the early
reduction or prevention of pollution by selected techniques before
undesirable air quality levels are attained.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Boettger, C. M., 1961: Air pollution potential east of the Rocky Mountains-
Fall 1959. Bulletin, American Meteorological Society, 42, 615-020.
Holzworth, 0. C., 1962: A study of air pollution potential for the Western
United States. Journal of Applied Meteorology, 1, 366-382.
Holzworth, G. C., 1964: Estimates of mean maximum mixing depths in the con-
tiguous United States. Monthly Weather Review, 92, 235-242.
Holzworth, G. C., 1965: A note on surface wind speed observations. Monthly
lVeat her Review, 93, 323-326.
Rosier, C. R., 1961: Low-level inversion frequency in the contiguous United
States. Monthly Weather Review, 89, 319-339.
Hosler, C. R., 1964: Climatologlcal estimates of diffusion conditions in the
United States. Nuclear Safety, 5, 184-192.
Korshover, J., 1960: Synoptic climatology of stagnating anticyclones east of
the Rocky Mountains in the United States for the period 1936-1956. Technical
Report A60-7, U.S. Public Health Service, R. A. Taft Sanitary Engineering
Center, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Lynn, D. A., B. J. Steigerwald, and J. H. Ludwig, 1964: The November-De-
cember 1962 air pollution episode in the Eastern United States. Public Health
Service Publication No. 999-AP-7; 29 pp.
Miller, M. E., and L. E. Niemeyer, 1963: Air pollution potential forecasts-a
year's experience. Journal Air Pollution Control Association, 13, 205-210.
Miller, M. E., 1964: Semi-objective forecasting of atmospheric stagnation in the
Western United States. Monthly Weather Review, 92, 23-32.
Miller, M. E., and 0. C. Ilolzworth, 1966: An atmospheric diffusion model for
metropolitan areas. Presented at the 59th Annual Meeting, Air Pollution Control
Association, San Francisco, California; June 20-24, 1966.
Niemeyer, L. E., 1960: Forecasting air pollution potential. Monthly Weather
Review, 88, 88-96.
GRANT-SUPPORTED RESEARCH
The following research grants currently in progress are concerned
with early warning and air pollution forecasting:
Ben Davidson, New York University, "Mathematical Models of
TYrban Air Pollution Dynamics." The aim of this project is to de-
velop and verify numerical models of diffusion which can predict
urban air pollution levels on a time scale of an hour and on a space
scale of several miles. These models will be capable of application to
any city but will be verified specifically for New York City. These
models require an input data specification of source strength and
meteorological conditions consistent with the time and space scale
of the model. The research covers investigation of the source and
meteorological conditions in the New York City area as well as meas-
PAGENO="0115"
ADEQUACY OP TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 715
urement of one or more air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide on a sys-
tematic basis.
E. Wendell Hewson, the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.,
"Mesoscale Wind Systems Around the Great Lakes." This research is
concerned with atmospheric flow patterns around and over the Great
Lakes, with attention focused on Lake Michigan in those areas where
interurban and interstate transport of air pollution is a major problem.
A physical model of a bounded mesoscale lake wind system is being
developed. This model is expressed in terms of a set of nonlinear
partial differential equations to be solved by numerical methods em-
ploying a high capacity hybrid analog-digital computer. The input
data is obtained from winter, and summer programs of field observa.-
tions `taken over land and water from a headquarters located near
Holland, Mich, on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan. The field
measurements include: pilot balloon, smoke rocket, and tower observa-
tions of winds aloft; tethered balloon and a few airplane observations
of temperature and humidity; and tetroon tracking with an M-33
radar for air trajectories. Surface winds are measured and used in
conjunction with t.he standard surface and upper winds taken around
Lake Michigan.
Herbert. Riehi, Colorado State University Research Foundation,
Fort Collins, Cob., "A Study of Denver Air Pollution." The project
has as its purpose: (a) Description of the life cycle of pollution epi-
sodes from onset to termination; (b) analysis of the air motions and
the physical principles governing them, which bring about the pollu-
tion episodes; and, (c) analysis of sources contributing to the con-
tamination. The Denver area is especially suited for these purposes,
since the city complex is isolated and hence can be studied as such
without references to neighboring pollution sources. Further, impor-
tant topograpically induced winds exist which bring out sharply the
exchange of air between the city and its environment.
`Wesley E. Yates, University of California, Davis, Calif., "Meso
Wind Patterns in the Central California Valley." The purpose of
this project is to study the meso wind patterns in the Central Cali-
fornia Valley from Stockton to just north of Biggs. In addition to
proving insight into a complex synoptic situation, this study applies
to air pollution forecasting in the region.
Sidney R. Frank,.Aerometric Research Foundation, Goleta, Calif.,
"Analysis of the Marine Layer-A Meso Meteorological Study." The
project's specific aim is to define and model the marine layer of the
atmosphere in terms of its diffusion and transport characteristics. In
order to do this a systematic program has been developed in the Santa
Barbara Channel area whereby several interested organizations and
agencies have agreed to cooperate in obtaining geophysical data during
specific times of the year. This program, called Operation COW
(for Cooperative Observational Week), originated in 1961 and con-
tinues to operate' 1-week periods during spring, summer, and fall.
With the basic parameters that contribute to the definition and modifi-
cation of the marine layer being orographic effects, ocean heat sources
and sinks and meso-synoptic situations, all participants in Operation
COW are equipped to obtain data pertinent to some facet of these
parameters. The results of these studies are applicable to air pollu-
tion forecasting in this geographic area.
PAGENO="0116"
716 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOE POLLUTION ABATEMENT
Victor H. Sussrnan, Division of Air Pollution Control, Harrisburg,
Pa., "Air Pollution Forecasting Techniques for Pennsylvania," and,
Hans A. Panofsky, Pennsylvania State University, University Park,
Pa., "Meteorological Analysis, Pennsylvania Air Quality Data." The
purpose of these interrelated projects is to develop a pollution poten-
tial forecast method for specific Pennsylvania communities by (a) se-
lecting areas having varying topography, industrial and population
density, and meteorology; (b) obtaining air quality and meteorologi-
cal data; and then (c) developing a pollution potential forecasting
procedure for the specific area. The areas studied are the Allentown-
Bethlehem, Greater Johnstown, and Greater Erie regions.
Question 7: What research 28 beina conducted for the develovment
of additional technuiues of the social sciences so as to better vrevare
the public for the efforts and costs involved in pollution abatenientf
Answer: Efforts to build wide public appreciation of the problem
of air pollution and public acceptance of governmental and other pro-S
grams to deal with it have been an integral part ofthe Federal air
pollution program ever since its establishment in 1955. These efforts
have proceeded along two major pathways: information and educa-
tion activities designed to give the American people easy access to
the facts they need in order to understand the air pollution problem
and research in the social sciences to develop improved ways of com-
municating with the public on the subject of air pollution.
In the area of information and education activities, the Division of
Air Pollution conducts a comprehensive program utilizing all of the
major methods of communication with the press and the public. In
addition, the Federal program serves as a source of informational
materials and professional guidance to other agencies and organiza-
tions, including State and local governmental control agencies.
Federal efforts to increase public awareness of the air pollution prob-
lem `have indeed been productive. A decade ago, term air pollution
was almost unknown, even to persons actively concerned with con-
temporary affairs; in contrast, air pollution is now widely recognized
as a major national problem, though its full dimensions are not as
widely appreciated or well understood.
The effect of two National Conferences on Air Pollution, both
held under the auspices of the Federal program, has been to give
the American people unique opportunities to acquire some basic facts
about the nature and damaging effects of air pollution and the exist-
ence of techniques for bringing it under control. A third such con-
ference has been called by Secretary of Health, Education, and Wel-
fare John W. Gardner and will be held December 12-14, 1966, in
Washington, D.C. Invited participants will include governmental
officials, scientists, leaders of business and industry, and representa-
tives of the public.
The Federal air pollution information program has assisted in the
planning and production of some 50 local and national television
broadcasts in which graphic and compelling facts about air pollu-
tion-both nationally and in specific communities-have been pre-
sented to millions of people. Two new programs concerned with air
pollution, both prepared with assistance from the Division of Air
Pollution, are scheduled for national network showing in September
1966.
PAGENO="0117"
ADEQUACY OF TECTThTOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 717
As a source of informational materials, the Federal program has
played a particularly important role in maintaining communications
between experts in the air pollution field and the general public.
The distribution of hundreds of thousands of publications has given
the public access to information about air pollution which would
otherwise have been almost unavailable.
The Federal information program is also actively involved in assist.
ing nongovernmental groups in developing and carrying on programs
designed to build greater public understanding of air pollution and its
prevention and control. In recent years, the number and range of
groups engaged in such activity ha's increased substantially. Among
the national organizations involved in air pollution activities are the
National Tuberculosis Association, the General Federation of Wom-
en's Clubs, and the National Council of State Garden Clubs. A num-
ber of scientific groups, `such as the Scientists' Institute for Public
Information, and many professional societies are giving increasing
attention to air pollution. Various quasi-official organizations are
using their influence to help promote effective control of air pollution;
among them are the Conference of Mayors, the American Municipal
Association, and the National Association of County Officials. *To a
very substantial degree, many of these groups rely on the Federal
information program for guidance and materials.
In the area of social science research, the major emphasis has been
on surveys of public perception and understanding of community air
pollution problems and public attitudes `toward such problems. In
particular, such surveys have been conducted with support from the
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in Clarkston, Wash.;
Los Angeles, Calif.; Buffalo, N.Y.; and St. Louis, Mo. One of the
basic findings in these surveys has been that people generally classify
air pollution as a problem roughly equivalent in magnitude to such
other and perhaps more publicized problems as poverty, racial con-
flicts, and inadequate educational facilities.
In New York City, a survey taken in 1965 for a private company
indicated that people considered air pollution the third most serious
problem facing the community. Air pollution was listed below
juvenile delinquency and traffic and ahead of such problems as un-
employment, racial difficulties, and inadequacy of recreational, trans-
portation, and educational facilities. In similar surveys conducted
in Buffalo, N.Y., during 1959 and 1962 by the New York State Air
Pollution Control Board, air pollution was listed as the fourth most
serious local problem.
There is unquestionably a need for continued research in this area
to identify the factors that influence public attitudes toward air
pollution and to determine how the techniques of the social sciences
can most effectively be used to stimulate public support of control
efforts. A number of relevant studies are now being carried on with
support in the form of research grants from the Division of Air
Pollution.
One such study, being conducted by Dr. Robert E. Rankin, associate
professor of psychology at the University of West Virginia, concerns
air pollution and the community image. This research is being con-
ducted in the Kanawha Valley area around Charleston, W. Va. It
is designed to assess the role air pollution plays in the public image
PAGENO="0118"
718 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
of a community as a place to live and work, the conception the public
has of air pollution in its community and what can be done to control
it, and personal attitudes and characteristics which may influence
people's attitudes toward air pollution.
Another grant-supported study of public attitudes toward one type
of air pollution, effluent from kraft pulpmills, is being conducted by
Dr. Donald F. Adams, Washington State University, Pullman, Wash.
The purposes of this study include clarification of the odor detection
threshold concentrations for the major constituents of the gaseous
emissions from kraft pulpmills, definition of an "objectionability"
threshold as a minimum concentration of these compounds which will
elicit an unpleasant response, evaluation of the responses of a cross-
section of the population to kraft mill-type odors, and separation of
the influence of sex, age, smoking habits, place of residence, occupa-
tion, and so forth, upon repcrted thresholds of detection and objection-
ability.
In the area of public information, Dr. Murdock Head, director of
the Airlie Center, George Washington University, Warrenton, Va.,
is receiving grant support for a project entitled "Audiovisual Methods
for Air Pollution Information." This is a 3-year research project
for the evaluation of present methods of audiovisual dissemination
of information in the field of air pollution and development of new
techniques. A series of six 20-minute color films are being developed
as part of the project.
Three new grant applications in the social-political area are under
consideration:
Michael E. Eckstein, New School for Social Research, New
York, N.Y., "Organization Factors in Air Pollution Control."
This application was approved by the June 1966 National Advis-
ory Environmental Health Council and is awaiting payment. It
is proposed to study the relationships between and among units
of government, public agencies, public and private organizations,
and citizens groups in ,a metropolitan region (New York) which
have some responsibility or concern for air pollution.
Leslie P. Singer, Gary urban research, "The Cost of Air Pol-
lution to a Community," to be reviewed by the November 1966
NAEHC.
Peter C. Rydell, assistant professor of urban planning, Urban
Research Center, Hunt.er College, New York, and Benjamin H.
Stevens, president, Regional Science Research Institute. Philadel-
phia, "Effects of Air Pollution on Optimal Urban Form," to
be reviewed by the November 1966 NAEHC.
Despite an obvious and growing need, there is almost no research
underway relating to the need to prepare the public for the increased
national effort that will .be required to meet the solid waste problem.
One research project being supporthd by a grant from the Office of
Solid Wastes, grant No. R01-SW_-00003, is concerned with public
attitudes as part of a comprehensive study of the application of sys-
tems analysis techniques to solid waste management.
The Office of Solid Wastes, through State planning grants, demon-
stration grants, study and investigation grants, and research contracts
will seek to encourage needed research in the social sciences in order
to provide a better basis than `is now available for gaining public
PAGENO="0119"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 719
understanding and support of programs for the control of the solid
waste management problem.
Question 8: What re~search and development work is considered de-
sirable to solve the increasing problem of disposable packaging and
container material while at the same time giving consideration to the
values of convenience of such packaging and container material to
our societyP
Answer: Several areas need to be investigated in detail to identify
the critical factors involved in dealing with the disposable packaging
and container material problem that is accentuated by industry's ef-
forts to increase consumer convenience. Technical and economic
studies should be carried out to determine the "total" costs involved in
the use of alternate packaging materials. It seems fairly obvious that
the indirect or hidden costs to the consumer, or more broadly the costs
to society, of using packaging materials that are difficult or hazardous
to dispose of is not being considered by manufacturers. Research and
development work is needed to make commercially available soluble
or biodegradable packaging materials, such as the newly developed
"water soluble" paper.
Additional developmental work is needed to establish reasonable
limits on the minimum product payload for many types of consumer
products. Since many products have traditionally been marketed in
in bulky packaging that contains relatively little of the product
destined for the consumer's use, there would seem to be a legitimate
need for research and development efforts to devise packaging that
satisfies the seller's requirements to compete in the marketplace through
attractive presentation of his wares but also keeps to the practical
minimum the amount of waste which the consumer has to dispose of
in the form of packaging or wrapping materials.
The feasibility of legal restrictions or economic incentives governing
or influencing the use of nonreturnable containers requires consider-
able study, particularly with respect to containers whose disposal may
be hazardous. The cost of returning insecticide drums, for example,
may actually be considerably less than the cost of their disposal.
Question 9: How can Federal research and development be used to
overcome "the planned obsolescence" feature of our economy in order to
promote improved waste management procedures P
Answer: The subject of planned obsolescence, as it related to solid
waste management, to economics, to public attitudes, and to conserva-
tion-and this is only a partial list of the research and development
areas that are applicable-raises questions which the Nation has barely
begun to recognize, let alone attempt to answer. If viewed only
from the standpoint of the control of sOlid wastes, planned obsolescence
is an area in which the Federal Government could well make a sub-
stantial research and development investment. However, it is difficult,
perhaps impossible, to separate the many interrelated factors involved
in planned obsolescence, factors, including the labor market, consumer
buying practices, utilization of natural and manmade resources, and
others which bear only tangentially on the technology of solid waste
disposal.
Although not specifically a research and development undertaking,
the Federal Government could devise and apply specifications for many
PAGENO="0120"
720 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
of the products and materials purchased by the General Services Ad-
ministration which would motivate manufacturers to develop and
produce goods with a usable lifespan longer than that now considered
normal or acceptable. As has often been the case in the past, GSA
specifications tend to influence design specifications for whole segments
of industry. It should be pointed out here that increased durability
of such goods as electronic parts and equipment and packaging ma-
terials is not primarily a technical problem, since industry now has the
capability to produce `such materials having a much greater useful life
than those now made generally available to the buying public.
Electric light bulbs are a case in point.
The question of increased durability is, of course, closely tied to the
national norm of high rates of consumption, and this, in turn, is a
factor of great importance to the economic vitality of the Nation.
However, two points are important here. The economic vitality `based
on high production and consumption rates is a short-term vitality,
which fails to take into `consideration the long-term economic factor
of conservation of natural resources, particularly mineral resources.
It would seem very important. in the national interest for the Federal
Government to increase substantially its research and development
efforts relating to the economics of conservation. And into this pic-
ture must be fitted the question of social cost. Does it cost society more
to enjoy the abundance and convenience of high consumption rates,
while disregarding the long-term `costs involved in depleting resources
and in adding to the waste disposal burden?
A second important point on which relatively little research has
been carried out is the question of the long-term effect on the labor
force of a shift from a philosophy of planned obsolescence to one of
reduced production of more durable and serviceable commodities. To
what extent could high rates of employment be maintained in an econ-
omy geared more to the production and use of long-lasting products
than to replacement. of items whose obsolescence is a function of the
marketplace?
In any event, more information clearly is needed to reveal the
costs to society of a shift away from planned obsolescence. It seems
reasonable to assume that if an automobile, were made to last three
times as long as it. does today, in other words if it were not designed,
engineered, and advertised into premature. obsolescence, society would
benefit, even if that automobile cost three times as much as today's
car. Society would benefit by avoiding the costs an'd the hazards in-
volved in disposing of a product three times as often as necessary. It
would benefit by the conservation of natural resources. And it would
benefit through the development of new employment fields to expand
a labor market now threatened by automation.
Many Federal departments and agencies either now have or could
have a direct interest in problems associated with planned obsolescence.
`rhe Departments of Health, Education, and Welfare, Commerce, the
Treasury, Labor, Agriculture, the Interior, Defense, and agencies
such as the Federal Trade Commission, the General Services Admin-
istration, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
all could become more involved in research and development in this
field. Although partly a technological problem, planned obsolescence
involves social and economic factors that have not been thoroughy
PAGENO="0121"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 721
investigated and are not well understood. There is no question that
the Federal Government, at lea~t initially, will have to take a leading
role in the conduct and support of this kind of research, since indus-
try has demonstrated little interest in it, other than that motivated
by short-term economic interests. Hopefully, after the Federal Gov-
ernment began to place needed emphasis on this type of research and
development and the public became aware of where its interests lay,
industry would join in the national effort to help resolve the solid
waste disposal problem by reducing the volume of consumer materials
to be disposed of.
Question 10: What is the strategy used for planning and program-
ing for research and development and pollution abatement insofar
as they affect the interdependencies in the environment? Is the Na-
tional Science Foundation kept continuously advised of gaps and
needs in technical knowledge? Are urban renewal activities coordi-
nated with pollution research and development programs? What
systems analysis techniques are being used to give proper considera-
tion to all forms of pollution in a given area? What coordination
is effected, for example, with the Corps of Engineers in the disposal
of polluted material dredged from rivers and harbors?
Answer: A summary of the ways in which the Division of Air Pollu-
tion coordinates its activities with those of other Federal agencies is
provided under the reply to question 5. I
The challenge of dealing with problems of environmental coñ-
tamination clearly requires a high degree of coordination among all
those Government agencies which share in the responsibility for
preventing and controlling such problems. There is a need for co-
ordination with respect to planning and policymaking as well as
day-to-day management and operation of pollution research and con-
trol activities. As yet, arrangements to meet this need have not b~en
fully developed, either at the Federal level or at State and local
levels.
One of the most important reasons why a high level of coordination
is necessary in this field is that many contaminants of the modern
environment reach man not through air or water or food alone, but
through all of theses and often through occupational exposures, as
well. Because the basis for concern about such contaminants is their
potential hazard to public health, governmental agencies with re-
sponsibility and experience in the health field should logically be
assuming leadership in assessing these problems and dealing with
them.
On the Federal level, the Department of Health, Education, and
Welfare is taking steps to permit a broader and more comprehensive
attack on environmental contamination problems than has even been
undertaken before. One of the principal steps, being taken as part
of a reorganization of the Public Health Service, is the creation of a
new Bureau of Disease Prevention and Environmental Control. This
new component will coordinate research activities carried on by vari-
ous Public Health Service units concerned with the separate segments
of the total problem of environmental contamination, insofar as those
activities relate to contaminants which may reach man through more
than one environmental vector. The units involved include the Divi-
sion of Air Polution, the Division of Radiological Health, the Office of
PAGENO="0122"
722 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABAPEMENT
Pesticides, the Office of Solid Wastes, the Division of Occupational
Health, and a new unit which will be concerned with the health as-
pects of water pollution.
In addition to its responsibility for coordination within the environ-
mental pollution programs of the Public Health Service, the new
Bureau of Disease Prevention and Environmental Control will be
assigned responsibilit.y for such activities as liaison with the National
Institutes of Health to assure that their in-house and grant-supported
research projects are evaluated in relation to problems of environ-
mental contamination and coordination with other Federal agencies
and industry in areas of research in which the Public Health Service
cannot effectively work alone.
The need for coordination of activities in environmental pollution
control extends to State and local levels of government, as well. This
need is twofold. In the first place, State and local governments bear
a major share of the responsibility for setting and enforcing pollution
control regulations. For this responsibility to be effectively dis-
charged, there must be cooperation and coordination among State and
local agencies which administer programs concerned with the various
aspects of environmental contamination. Too often, responsibility in
this field is fragmented among many agencies, which often find them-
selves competing with one another for funds, personnel, and support
from elected officials.
The second respect~ in which coordination is essential to prevent and
control pollution in the Nation's cities and States arises from the fact
that municipal, county, and State governments carry on many other
activities which may contribute to such pollution. As an example,
the frequent lack of adequate coordination between local agencies
responsible for collection and disposal of solid wastes and those respon-
sible for pollution control often results in needless air, water, or soil
pollution problems. Other examples of State and local activities
which have an important bearing on pollution problems include deci-
sions on the construction and location of highways, urban planning,
and zoning programs, and the establishment and application of regu-
lations concerning construction of new industrial installations. In
these and many other instances of activity at the State and local levels
of government, adequate communication and coordination can often
prevent new pollution problems from developing, usually at a far
lower cost to government, industry, and the public than would be in-
volved in later abatement measures.
The formal technique used for planning and programing to insure
proper research coordination among the several agencies and programs
concerned with pollution abatement is the program planning and
budgeting system recently instituted by the Bureau of the Budget.
The PPB system, which is essentially an information system to help
management~ make major decisions, facilitates examination of pro-
gram objectives and of alternative ways of achieving objectives. In
addition to the program planning and budgeting system, the less
formal approaches, such as conferences, technical reports, and work-
ing coffimittees, provide planning and programing coordination among
the programs concerned with pollution control and abatement.
The National Science Foundation receives general program and
budgeting information from the solid waste disposal program. In-
PAGENO="0123"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 723
formation on research projects being supported also is regularly re-
ported to the National Science Foundation through the science infor-
mation exchange reporting system.
Current practices in urban renewal activities often fail to take
into account pollution abatement factors aud environmental quality
protection. The Office of Solid Wastes has initiated discussions with
the Department of Housing and Urban Development principally
regarding coordination of statewide planning activities and it is an-
ticipated that these discussions can and will be broadened to include
urban renewal activities.
The basic legislation for the solid waste program requires proper
and careful consideration of the total problem of pollution of the en-
vironment. Accordingly, the Office of Solid Wastes has established
an Operations Research Unit `and is supporting research projects to
develop and expand the use of systems analysis techniques for the
solution of environmental pollution problems.
Coordination to resolve specific solid waste disposal problems en-
countered by other Federal agencies at Government facilities is being
coordinated through cooperative arrangements. Solid waste disposal
problems' encountered by other Federal agencies and programs in the
conduct of their activities are resolved generally on an ad hoc basis.
Question 11: Please summarize qualitatively the current backlog of
proposals from both industry and universities for the undertaking of
research and development in pollution abatement. What would your
annual budget requirement be if all desirable proposals were accepted?
Answer: The Division of Air Pollution has a backlog of research
proposals in the sense that funds are not currently available to support
the proposed projects-currently amounting to several million dollars.
In addition, there is a backlog of comparable magnitude consisting of
proposals initiated by the Division staff. Approximately half of these
proposals are in engineering and `the physical sciences and are con-
cerned in large part with technology for the identification, measure-
ment, analysis, and control of pollutant emissions. Another `large
group of pending proposals is in the area of medical and biological
research concerning the effects of air pollution on health. Most of the
engineering research is proposed for funding by contracts with indus-
try, while most of the research in other areas would be carried out by
universities.
Currently there are 10 approved but unfunded research grants in
solid waste totaling $431,472. These proposals include projects on
utilization of compost as a soil conditioner, pipe transport of solid
waste materials, and chemical conversion of solid waste components,
as well as other promising and important areas needing additional
scientific investigation.
High priority unfunded contract proposals received by the Office of
Solid Wastes exceeded the funds available for contracts by approxi-
mately $750,000. These proposals included: studies of the economics
of solid waste disposal; investigation of the feasibility of using exist-
ing transportation systems on a regional basis; systems analysis to
improve solid waste management; studies of new and improved re-
duction facilities; incinerator energy utilization; and health investi-
gations.
PAGENO="0124"
724 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
As funds available for solid waste research and development activ-
ities increase, it is reasonable to anticipate that the number of meri-
torious research proposals also will increase. It, therefore, is not
possible to estimate what level of funding, if any, would be sufficient
to permit support of all such proposals. The authorization for future
appropriations in the Solid Waste Disposal Act makes allowance for
increased support of research and development activities. However,
this expansion will not permit Federal funding of all desirable re-
search and development in the solid waste field.
PAGENO="0125"
RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS OP THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, RE-
SEARCH~ AND DEVELOPMENT BY THE FEDERAL WATER POLLUTION
CONTROL ADMINISTRATION
Question 1: What does the Federal Water Pollution Control Ad-
ministration believe should be the goal of water pollution a7~atement?
What should be the timetable for reaching this goal?
Answer: The long-range goal of the Federal water pollution con-
trol program is to control and prevent pollution to assure an adequate
supply of water suitable in quality for public and industrial water
supplies, propagation of fish and aquatic life, wildlife, recreation.
agriculture, and other legitimate uses.
A greatly stepped-up pollution control effort will be required to
meet this goal, both by upgrading water quality condition of presenti
polluted waters and by protecting waters which are still of hig
quality.
While remedial schedules have been developed for many rivers, it is
difficult to give a precise timetable for the Nation as a whole. Attain-
ing the long-range goal will require overcoming the large existing
backlog of unmet waste treatment needs resulting from years of ne-
glect. The rate at which the backlog can be overcome will be de-
pendent in large part on the nature and extent of Federal financial
support. This issue is under consideration in legislation currently
before the Congress.
In addition to overcoming the backlog of treatment needs, a rate of
waste treatment works construction necessary to keep pace with popu-
lation and industrial growth, urbanization, and obsolescence of exist-
ing facilities must be maintained. An accelerated research and devel-
opment program will also be required to develop new and improved
technology and to cope with new and emerging pollution problems.
This improved technology must then be put into widespread practice.
In addition, new basin planning and development, personnel training,
and other related programs must be involved in the pollution-control
effort.
The goal of pollution control is a continuous one, therefore it cannot
be achieved on a "one-shot" basis. However, the Federal Water Pollu-
tion Control Administration believes that the Nation can be brought
abreast of the problem within the next decade to the point where it can
keep pace on a continuous basis.
Questions 2 and 3: 2. Please provide a listing of research contracts
and grants in the field of water pollution abatement that have been
provided by the Public Health Service and the Federal Water Pollu-
tion Control Administration within the last several fiscal years under
the provisions of section 5 of the Federal Water Pollution Control
Act as amended. Please divide this by category .of contracts versus
grants; university in-house effort or other; awl also between basic
research, applied research, and development. In addition please di-
725
PAGENO="0126"
726 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
vide this to the extent possible among the general categories referred
to in your testimony. To the extent po~isible please provide the esti-
mated amounts of funds requested for research in the various cate-
gories for the current fiscal year.
3. Please provide a breakdown for the last several fiscal years of
in-house expenditures for research and development under section 5of
the Water Pollution Control Act, as amended, broken down by the
categories used in your statement. If convenient, the answers to ques-
tions ~ and 3 may be combined in one tabulation showing the entire
research and development program, in detail, for the last several
years.
Answer: The listings requested are provided in following tables
1-8. Tables 2,4, and 6 cover grants only while tables 1, 3, and 5 relate
to our in-house plus contract program. In tables 7 and 8 are detailed
breakdowns of in-house and contract effort according to research
category.
TABLE No. 1.-Federal water pollution research and development by
performer
[In thousands of dollars}
INTRAMURAL AND CONTRACT
Fiscal year
Federal State
labora- md local
tories agencies
Uni-
versi-
ties
Other
non-
profits
Profit
organi-
zations
Other
Total
1964 2,719
1965 2,911
19661 5,604
Subtotal 11,234
1967 1 6, 042
Total 17,276
14
143
318
31
2
206
142
164
21
35
5
2,991
3,233
6,091
475 33 512 61
2, 600
12,315
8, 642
20,957
1 Estimate.
TABLE No. 2.-Federal Water Pollution Control Administration re-
search and development by research performer-Research and
demonstration grants, fiscal years 1964-67
Year
Federal
~abora-
tories
State and
local
agencies
Universities
Other
nonprofits
rrofits
or~aniza. Other Total
tions
1964
1965
1966
1967 estimate
0
0
0
0
128, 000
701, 000
1, 385, 000
1, 870, 000
4, 454, 000
5, 291, 000
5, 993, 000
6, 634, 000
225, 000
295, 000
797, 000
978, 000
33, 000 14, 000 4, 854, 000
0 17, 000 6, 304, 000
035, 000 8, 210, 000
0 37, 000 9, 519, 000
PAGENO="0127"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 727
TABLE No. 3.-Federal water pollution research and development by
type of research
[In thousands of dollars]
INTRAMURAL AND CONTRACT
Fiscal year
Basic
Applied
Develop-
ment
Total
1964
1965
1966 1
Subtotal
1967'
Total
153
219
248
2,651
2,774
4, 103
187
240
1, 740
2,991
3,233
6, 091
620
500
9, 528
5,382
2, 167
2,760
12, 315
8,642
1, 120
14, 910
4, 927
20, 957
1 Estimate.
TABLE No. 4.-Federal Water Pollution Control Administration basic
research, applied research and development-Research and demon-
stration grants, fiscal years 1964-67
Year
Basic research
Applied research
Development
Total
1964
1965
1966
1967 estimate
2,320,000
2,819,000
1,306,000
1, 399, 000
1,895,000
2,320,000
4,739,000
5, 071, 000
639,000
1, 165, 000
2,165,000
3, 049, 000
4,854,000
6,304,000
8,210,000
9, 519, 000
TABLE No. 5.-Federal water pollution research and development by
CO WRR category
[In thousands of dollars]
CATEGORY V. WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION-INTRA-
MURAL AND CONTRACT
Fiscal year
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
Total
1964
1965
1966'
Subtotal
1967'
Total
269
777
829
219
240
780
692
520
600
1,354
1,183
3,492
163
173
130
226
280
70
68
60
190
2,991
3,233
6,091
1,875
1,190
1,239
990
1,812
1,523
6,029
4,300
466
300
576
100
318
239
12,315
8,642
3,065
2,229
3,335
10,329
766
676
557
20,957
`Estimate.
NOTE.-
Subcategory A equalsidentification ofpollutants.
Subeategory B equals sources of pollution.
Subcategory C equals effects of pollution.
Subcategory D equals waste treatment process.
Subcategory E equals ultimate disposal of wastes.
Subcategory F equals water trettment.
Subcategory G equals water quality control.
PAGENO="0128"
728 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
TABLE No. 6.-Federal Water Pollution Control Administration e~xi-
penditures by research category (Breakout according to the Com-
mittee on Water Resources Research of the Federal Council for
Science and Technology) -Research and demonstration grants,
fiscal years 1964-67
I. NATURE OF WATER-NONE
II. WATER CYCLE
[In thousands of dollars]
F Groundwater
G. Lakes
1964 -
1965
1966
Total -
1967, estimate
22
26
23
22
27
39
73
25
88
42
III. WATER SUPPLY AUGMENTATION
AND CONSERVATION
C. Waste water
reclamation
D. Use of water of
Impaired quality
1964
1965
1966
Total
1967, estimate
23
28
67
0
0
48
118
78
48
55
IV. WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL-NONE
PAGENO="0129"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 729
TABLE No. 6.-Federal Water Pollution Control Administration ex-
penditures by research category (Breakout according to the Com~-
`imittee on Water Resources Research by the Federal Council for
Science and Technology)-Research and demonstration grants,
fiscal years 1964-67-Continued
V. WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION
A. Identification of
pollutants
B. Source of
pollution
C. Effects of
pollution
~1964
1965
1966
Total
1967, estimate
1964
1965
1966
Total
1967, estimate
339
401
453
851
1, 036
1, 116
1, 304
1, 422
2, 216
1, 193
491
3, 003
1, 228
5, 042
2, 314
D. Waste treatment
process
1, 387
2, 331
2, 922
6, 640
3, 566
F. Water treatment G. Water quality
control
268 339
312 384
266 290
846 * 1, 013
314 310
VI. WATER RESOURCES PLANNING
A. Techniques of B. Evaluation E. Water law
planning process
1964
1965
1966
Total
1967, estimate
1964
1965
1966
Total
1967, estimate
53
64
303
54
65
435
40
23
0
420
539
554
539
63
~
F. Nonstructural
alternatives
G. Ecological im-
pact of water
development
117
153
0
40
0
0
270
0
40
0
6~24Q O-6'G--voL II-9
PAGENO="0130"
730 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
TABLE No. 6.-Federal Water Pollution Control Admini8tration ex-
pendituree by re$earch category (Breakout according to the Con'&-
mittee on Water Re8ource$ Reeearch by the Federal Council for
Science and Techrtology)-Re$earch and *den'ton8tration grant$,
flecal years 1964-67-Continued
VII. RESOURCE DATA
C. Evaluation,
processing and
publication
1964
1965
1966
Total
1967 estimate
15
17
17
49
18
VIII. ENGINEERING WORKS
A. Design
1964
1965
1966
Total
1967 estimate
0
15
15
30
0
IX. MANPOWER, GRANTS, AND FACILITIES
A. Education-Extramural
Training grants
Research fellowship
1964
1965
1966
Total
1967 estimate
Total:
1964
1965
1966
Total
1967 estimate
2, 016
2, 000
2, 500
- 6, 516
2, 910
472
617
710
1,799
633
2, 488
2, 617
3,210
.
8,315
3, 543
PAGENO="0131"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 731
TABLE No. 7.-Federal water pollution research and development by
* COWl?!? category
CATEGORY V. WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION INTRAMURAL
ONLY
[N0TE.-Subcategory A-Identification of pollutants; subcategory B-Sources of pollution; subcategory
C-Effects of pollution; subcategory D-Waste treatment process; subcategory E-Ultimate disposal of
wastes; subcategory F-Water treatment; subcategory G-Water quality control.]
[In thousands of dollars]
Fiscal year
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
Total
1964
1965
19661
Subtotal
1967'
Total
269
777
829
170
240
780
678
520
563
1,182
1,032
2,066
163
173
108
224
280
70
33
55
190
2,719
3,077
4,606
1,875
1,100
1,190
1,000
1,761
1,200
4,280
2,300
444
200
574
100
278
200
10,402
6,100
2,975
2,190
2,961
6,580
644
674
478
16,502
`Estimate.
TABLE No. 8.-Federal water pollution research and development by
COW!?!? category
CATEGORY V. WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION CONTRACTS
ONLY
[N0TE.-Subcategory A-Identification of pollutants; subcategory B-Sources of pollution; subcategory
C-Effects of pollution; subcategory D-Waste treatment process; subcategory E-Ultimate disposal of
wastes; subcategory F-Water treatment; subcategory 0-Water quality control.]
[In thousands of dollars]
Fiscal year
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
Total
1964
1965
1966'
Subtotal
1967'
Total
0
0
0
49
0
0
14
0
37
172
151
1,426
0
0
22
2
0
0
35
5
0
272
156
485
0
100
49
0
51
300
1,749
2,000
22
100
2
0
40
100
1,913
2,600
100
49
351
3,749
122
2
140
4,51~3
`Estimate.
PAGENO="0132"
732 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
Question 4: Give a tabulation showing the budget requests for p01-
lution abatement research and for construction grants and the appro-
priations and expenditures for the past several fiscal years.
Answer: The requested tabulation follows:
FEDERAL WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ADMINISTRATION
Grants for waste treatment works construction and sewer overflow
control
Estimate to
Congress
Appropriation
Expenditures 1
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
Supplemental
1967
$80, 000, 000
90, 000, 000
100, 000, 000
93,000,000
100,000,000
50, 000, 000
173,000,000
$80, 000, 000
90, 000, 000
90, 000, 000
93,000,000
91,000,000
50, 000, 000
2173,000,000
$64, 509, 835
92, 228, 028
85, 427, 169
84,523,492
1
f ~" `fl"
WATER SUPPLY AND WATER POLLUTION CONTROL RESEARCH
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
$3,423,000
2,376,000
3,207,000
3,160,000
5,557,000
$2,423,000
2,867,000
3,284,000
3,160,000
~5, 657, 000
$2,128,157
2,843,496
3,283,697
3,067,155
4,074,899
1967
8,691,000
2 8,691,000
1 Obligations-Amounts for grants for waste treatment works construction and sewer overflow represent
Federal share and may exceed appropriation because of carryover of previous years funds.
2 Passed by House, still pending in Senate.
3 Includes $1,000,000 still available for obligation and carried into 1967.
Question 5: Assuming no budget constraints, how much funds
should be provided if the attack on `water pollution is to be car-
ried forth at optimum levels.
Answer: ~eneralesti'mates of the ~
~~er pollj~tion vary widely. The Enyironiuental Pollu~on ~
Qf.~ ~r~j't's~cj~ce ~dvisorv Qornmitt~ st~ed in i~r~p,~rt
"~storh~g~ theQu~litiy of Our ~ that j~prderIo pro
~ ~co~d~ry~ tr~t~ent of wastes for ~O perc~~.~Lour~ popu~t~on
~197~ ~n exp~n~iture on the order of ~~iUion~of which ~
6~l fu~s would !~ ~a cons~derab1~ ~ar~t~ wo1il~ be r~uiredr ~ t~e
r~o~ No. 1367 on the Federal Water Yo'llutioii Control amend
~nts and j~1ean Rivers Restoration Act of 1966, the d~omm~ee on
~c~W9r~ U.~at~ ~ ,~ev'~lieved t~e cos~~
~ ~ billio~ Because of this uncer-
tainty, the committee directed the Secretary of the Interior to obtain
detailed cost estimates for the 5-year period beginning July 1, 1968,
for submission to the Congress no later than January 10, 1968.
Reasons for wide variation in cost estimates and consequently of
amounts of funds required are as follows:
PAGENO="0133"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 733
(~) SIZE, Oi~ ~HE BkCKLOG~
In the past, estimates of the backlog of unmet municipal waste
treatment needs have been based upon an annual survey made by i~he
Conference of State Sanitary Engineers. This year's preliminary
report shows a backlog of 5,566 projects at an estimated cost of $2.1
billion. However, it has become increasingly clear that this esti-
mate is extremely conservative. For example, the New York State
clean waters program has shown a total need for that State alone of
$1.7 billion. Among th~ factor~ contributing to the low estimate~
by the Conference of State Sanitary Engineers are the fact that costs
of the interceptor s~ewers are included only when they are part of a
new treatment plant construction, and the fact that 18 percent of the
5,566 projects included in the annual survey backlog are considered
to require only primary treatment. Upgrading of treatment require-
ment~s to conform with water quality standards will further add to
the cost of eliminating the backlog. For example, if secondary treat-
ment is considered necessary for the 18 percent of the projects now
estimated to require only primary treatment, this would increase the
costs by $506 million. In addition, the need for tertiary treatment
will emerge at many locations over the next few years which will
further increase costs.
(b) COSTS OF REDUCING POLLUTION FROM INDUSTRIAL W~S~E~
Treatment needs for industrial wastes are generally assumed to be
at least as great as those for municipal wastes. However, except for
information collected in conjunction with specific studies, the amount
of industrial wastes entering streams is not accurately known. In
addition, industrial wastes may be greatly reduced by in-plant changes
that require in some cases a significant modification in industrial proc-
essing. Older plants may require addition of waste treatment facili-
ties while newer plants with more modern, efficient methods would be
able to control pollution without necessarily adding specific devices
for waste control. The determination of costs for reducing industrial
pollution, therefore, is a very complex one that is not yet readily iden-
tifiable in the same way as costs of abating municipal pollution.
(C) OTHER FACTORS
~grn~ined se~~: When storms occur, wastes from runoff are com-
bined with municipal wastes in sewers with the result that treatment
plants are overloaded and must bypass wastes into streams. Separat-
ing these wastes requires very high costs and involves disruption of
streetS traffic. Estimates of the national cost of separating combined
sewers run as high as $30 billion. However, other means of so1v~ng
this problem are presently being explored chiefly through a 4-year $80
million program of grants and contracts.
4~riculturak ~va~t~e~ Wastes from nonpoint sources such as agri-
cultural fertilizers and pesticides are extremely difficult to control.
These wastes have significant impact `on water quality through the in-
direct route of causing conditions that enrich waters for algae growth
or `through causing fish kills when pesticides build up in body tissues.
PAGENO="0134"
734 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
Control measures are ~related to land management practices which may
contribute to pollution control but are most frequently associated with
improved agricultural methods.
~.edimpi~ii-ation: ~Liment produced by soil erosion caused by land
runoff from agricultural practices or from removal of cover on water-
sheds is a highly significant cause of pollution. Control of pollution
from these sources is dependent on land management and not usually
directly linked with pollution control expenditures.
-t~n~ any ev~nt~ the.a~ount~ of Feder~i1 fnnd~ iweclc~d fir ~n ophmq~i
~olju~ion contrql will be de~~ent upon the pature and extent~
~~ral financial narticipation. as indicated above.
Question 6: Your statement svgçjests t/iat many present water pci-
lution problem~s can be alleviated by the application of existing tech-
nology and discusses the use of available knowledge to control pollu-
tion. In addition to alleviating and controlling pollution, are there
any research programs aimed at preventing or eliminating pollution
of water resources?
Answer: Let me reiterate the fact that much can be accomplished in
water polhition control in this country through the increased use of
existing waste treatment and control technology. Referring to figure 6
(see p. 743), for example, it can be seen that the nationwide load
of BOD pollution from municipal sources alone could be reduced
by some 40. percent from the present level through the application of
conventional primary-secondary treatment to all municipal discharges.
The committee has, of course, already recognized the looming inade-
quacy of existing technology (as shown below, BOD discharges will
eventually inexorably increase due to expanding population despite the
universal application of the most efficient waste treatment processes
now available). We, too, have recognized this impending need and,
in fact, essentially our entire research program is aimed at "prevent-
ing or eliminating pollution." Our Advanced Waste Treatment
Branch, for example, has as its ultimate goal the development of "total
pollution control" systems capable of completely eliminating pollution
from confined, treatable sources such as municipal and industrial
outfalls. Such systems would, as a corollary benefit, directly augment
agricultural, industrial, recreational, and even municipal supplies
through provision of purified water suitable for direct reuse. Our
newly formed Pollution Control Technology Branch is directing its
efforts toward the discovery and development of techniques to reduce
pollution, on a source-by-source basis, to any degree necessary. We are,
wherever possible, examining control-at-the-source principles to
ehmrnat.e pollution before it is created; acid mine drainage abatement
in particular is receiving attention of this sort. We also are investigat-
ing methods of environmental treatment to reoxygenate water or to
eliminate nuisance algae growths, for example.
Questions 7 and 10: 7. Witnesses before this comQwittee are talking
in terms of spending $30 billion to separate storm and sanitary sewers,
$20 billion to complete municipal sewage treatment and collection
works, and an undetermined but substantial amount for treatmI!~nt
of industrial wastes. All told this would amount to from $70 to $100
billion. In your statement you pointed out that the techniques pres-
ently in use were designed to deal with the problems in existence 40 to
50 years ago when pollution was much less critical. Are these tech-
PAGENO="0135"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 735
niques adequate to justify the massive doses of Federal funds that are
now being contemplated in the currently proposed amendments to the
Federal Water Pollution Control Act (S. 2947) `.~
10. Given the present stated 76 to 90 percent efilcieney of existing
complete treatment plants, that is primary plus secondary treatment,
do you believe that the best approach to completing the pollution abate-
ment job is through an improvement of the secondary treatment plants
to increase their effIciency or through the development of tertiary treat-
ment plants to take out the balance of pollution that is not handled in
present plants~1 Is a massive increase in the construction of present-
type plants justified under either alternativeY
Answer: My answer to the preceding question provides a partial
background for this combined response to questions 7 and 10. Addi-
tional background will be found in the following paper, "Solving Our
Water Problems-Water Renovation and Reuse," published by the
New York Academy of Sciences, which discusses certain aspects of
the national water pollution problem and the impact that the applica-
tion of emerging advanced waste treatment processes could have on the
magnitude of nationwide pollution discharges from municipal outfalls.
PAGENO="0136"
PAGENO="0137"
ANNALS OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
VOLUME 136, ART. 5 PAGES 131-154
July 8, 1966
Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor
EDWARD M. WEYER HURD HUTCHINS
Associate Editor
JANET SCOLL
SOLVING OUR WATER PROBLEMS-
WATER RENOVATION AND REUSE
LEON W. WEINBERGER, DAVID G. STEPHAN, FRANCIS M. MIDDLETON
Federal Water Pollution Control Administration
U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
Washington, D. C. and Cincinnati, Ohio
NEW YORK
PUBLISHED BY THE ACADEMY
737
PAGENO="0138"
738 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
SOLVING OUR WATER PROBLEMS-WATER RENOVATION AND REUSE*
Leon W. Weinberger~, David G. Stephan, Francis M. Middleton
Federal Water Pollution Control Administration t
U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
Washington, D. C. and Cincinnati, Ohio
Aside from floods, the nation's water problems can be placed in two broad
categories: water supply and water pollution. Water resource planning has,
historically, been concerned with one or the other of these problems. In brief
and very simplified form, the two problem categories are outlined below.
The Water Pollution Problem
Polluted water was first recognized by its unsightly appearance and dis-
agreeable odors. The initial solution was the use of simple gravity clarification
and/or screening, by which gross particulate matter was removed from raw
waste water as sludge or skimmings. With this "primary" treatment, larger
suspended solids could be removed, and the tendency of a stream to become
anaerobic or septic could be somewhat reduced. However, lowered levels of
dissolved oxygen downstream from waste outfalls remained as the major
problem in water pollution.
Various types of filters, chemical additives, and even electrochemical
techniques were then applied to municipal waste as second-stage or "second-
ary" treatment steps. When it became widely recognized that certain waste
components accelerated the microbiological use of dissolved oxygen in
streams, biological treatment itself became the accepted standard for second-
ary treatment. The biological treatment processes used today, such as oxi-
dation ponds, trickling filters, and activated sludge, are simply deliberate
attempts under controlled conditions to satisfy the biochemical oxygen de-
mand (BOD) of a waste prior to its discharge to receiving waters.
Up to now, treatment of municipal wastes has been primarily designed to
reduce the quantity of suspended, floating, and biochemically oxygen-demanding
materials. Efficiently operated primary-secondary plants remove about 90
per cent of these materials and in addition, about 90 per cent of the bacteria,
50 per cent of the total nitrogen (organic plus inorganic), perhaps 20 to 40
per cent of the phosphorus, but only five per cent of the total dissolved matter.
However, as civilization changes, so does the nature of water pollution.
Suspended solids and BOD are no longer the only measures of waste loads.
Other pollutants are of increasing concern: persistent organics, radionuclides,
nutrients, inorganic salts, even heat. Even if the real nature of water pollu-
tion did not change, our increased understanding of pollutional effects and
mechanisms would still alter our recognition of "what is pollution?" It Is
*Thjs paper was presented at a meeting of the Division of Engineering on December
8, 1965 at the New York Academy of Sciences.
~The Federal Water Pollution Control Administration was created on December 31,
1965; previously it was the Division of Water Supply and Pollution Control of the
Public Health Service, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
PAGENO="0139"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 739
easy, therefore, to recognize that the present-day technology of waste treat-
ment will not be adequate to meet the challenge of the future.
With respect to BOD alone, the generally-attainable 85 to 90 per cent
removal efficiency will not prevent some streams from being overwhelmed
by oxygen-demanding pollution within the foreseeable future. Even now, a
relatively small but increasing number of our streams (FIGURE 1)1 have al-
ready reached the stage where complete primary-secondary treatment is being
applied to every municipal discharge. (Industrial discharges are not considered
here because comprehensive data are not available.) In a much larger number
of cases (FIGURE 2)1 90 per cent of the volume of municipal discharges to
streams now receives primary-secondary treatment. On the one hand, this is
a highly desirable and even comforting picture because it indicates the wide-
spread utilization of available technology; on the other hand, in places where
serious water pollution now exists or is imminent, what can we do to remedy
the situation if the best available conventional treatment is already in use?
When considering other gauges of pollution, the picture becomes darker.
As an aid to understanding the trend, FIGURES 3, 4, and 5 show the estimated
total municipal discharges of phosphates, total nitrogen, and refractory or-
ganics released into the nation's waterways during the twentieth century.
Refractory organics include organic matter that resists biological degradation
either from natural or sewage treatment processes.
Phosphates, nitrogen compounds, and refractory organics are of importance
because they can cause a variety of pollutional effects, some of which are
known and others only suspected. Phosphorus and nitrogen, for example, can
act as fertilizers promoting the growth of troublesome algae or other aquatic
plants. The pollutional effects of these substances can accelerate the natural
aging of lakes, thus causing major ecological changes. Serious taste and odor
FIGURE 1. River basins in U.S. for which all municipal discharges have complete
primary-secondary treatment.
PAGENO="0140"
740 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
FIGURE 2. River basins in U.S. for which more then 90% of all municipal discharges
have complete primary-secondary treatment.
0.
U)
U)
.~
o Cl)
.~ ~
U)
U)
Cfl U)
0.
C.)
z
900 1920 940 960 980 2000 202
FIGURE 3. Estimate
outfalls (A.D. 1900-2020),
of phosphorus discharges to U.S. streams from municipal
PAGENO="0141"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 741
z
U)
0
2000
U)
.0
C
o u,
600
900 920 940 960 1980 2000
FIGURE 4. Estimate of total nitrogen discharges to U.S. streams from municipal
outfalls (A.D. 1900-2000).
problems can also be created in downstream water supplies, and even sizable
"fish kills" may be triggered.
The effects of refractory organics on water quality are not as well under-
stood. Taste and odor, tainting of fish flesh, foaming, and fish kills have been
attributed to such materials. Except for recognized toxicants, the effects of
refractory organics on human health, if any, are unknown.
Even simple inorganic salts can pollute water if present In sufficient
amounts. Public Health Service Drinking Water Standards specify that the
total dissolved solids (TDS) In a drinking-water supply should not be present
In excess of 500 mg./1. Yet each use of a water supply by a municipality adds
an increment of 300 to 400 mg./1. of suchsalts to the water. Conventional
waste-treatment techniques are virtually ineffective in removing these salts.
Deferring for the moment problems arising from treatment-resistant
pollutants, what is the future picture of classic BOD pollution? On ~a natkn-
wide basis, the changes in municipal BOD load over this century are estimated
in FIGURE 6. That portion of the curve between 1900 and 1930 Illustrates the
Increasing waste load due to the increasing population at a time when no facil-
ities, either for primary or secondary waste treatment, were in common use.
In 1930, for example, only about 15 per cent of municipal sewage received
primary treatment and less than six per cent received secondary. During the
1930's construction of treatment plants was accelerated, and for the first
time in the nation's history, BOD discharges decreased. During World War II
discharges sharply increased, while during the postwar years they remained
PAGENO="0142"
742
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOE POLLUTION ABATEMENT
>.
(n
.0
C
0
E
(I)
0
C,)
~C')
IL ~
cr~
0.
0
z
2000
FIGURE 5. Estimate of refractory organics discharges to U.S. streams from munici-
pal outfalls (A.D. 1900-2000).
almost constant. In the next 25 years, if we apply complete primary-secondary
treatment to all municipal discharges, the national BOD load from these
sources will be reduced by about 40 per cent. From that time on, BOD loads
will increase continuously.
The graph in FIGURE 6 presents a potentially misleading view because it
deals with a nationwide picture, while pollution is a much more "local"
phenomenon. However, it is useful in making the following points. First, sub-
stantial improvements in pollution control can be achieved simply through the
more widespread application of existing waste-treatment technology. Second,
from 1990 onward, BOD discharges will inexorably increase due to expanding
population despite the universal application of the most efficient waste-
treatment processes now available. In fact, by 2015, just 50 years from now,
BOD discharges will once again reach the present level and will be increasing
by two or three per cent per year thereafter. Clearly, there are other pollut-
ants which cannot be treated as effectively as BOD through the use of conven-
tional techniques. For these resistant pollutants, there will not be even a
temporary reduction in rates of discharge; rather, nationwide loads of these
pollutants will increase from this time on, again, despite the universal appli-
cation of existing technology (FIGUREs 3-5).
900 920 940 960 980
PAGENO="0143"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
743
U)
.0 ~j)
00
w
0
5.0
z
FIGURE 6. Estimate of BOD
(A.D. 1900-2020).
discharges to U.S. streams from municipal outfalls
The Water Supply Problem
An enormous amount of commentary on the water supply problem has been
published in both the popular and the technical press. However, for the pur-
poses of this paper, only one or two examples of this problem will be cited.
First, it should be very clear to New Yorkers that water shortages occur not
only in arid areas but also in water-rich areas of the world such as the eastern
coast of the United States. It should also be clear that water supply problems
may be more severe in regions of occasional shortage than in regions where
such problems are an expected occurrence. Water supply can be a real prob-
lem in an area such as New York City, even without a "northeast drought."
On Long Island, for example, water is pumpedfrom the ground, and prospects
of importing water overland are becoming progressively more difficult and
more expensive as the New York City metropolitan area grows and forms an
ever-widening barrier to importation. Population, industry, and water demand
are growing; ground water levels are falling; and salt water is progressively
intruding into the present underground supplies of fresh water.
In regard to the nationwide water supply, FIGURE 7 illustrates an estimate
of the withdrawal rate of water for various uses as against the nation's de-
pendable and developable supply during the twentieth century. This rather
oversimplified projection indicates that we have already run out of water. In
fact, it indicates we ran out of water in 1957, when our withdrawal of fresh
water exceeded our "dependable supply." By 1983, our withdrawal will equal
our estimated total developable supply, and we shall really be out of water!
900 920 1940 960 980 2000 2020
PAGENO="0144"
744 ADEQUACY OF TECITNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
FIGURE 7. Estimate of withdrawal rate of water In U.S. for various purposes as
against dependable and total developable supplies. (A.D. 1900-2000).
In spite of the obvious fallacies in FIGURE 7, it Is amazing how many
predictions of water doom are based exactly on this kind of oversimplification.
The truth is that our nation as a whole is not running out of water and will not
within the reasonably foreseeable future. The simplest explanation is three-
faceted: (1) neither our water supply nor our water needs are uniformly dis-
tributed geographically; (2) neither our supply nor our demand are uniformly
distributed with time; and (3) all water withdrawn and used is not consumed;
much of It is returned to our fresh water resources for reuse.
Water Pollution and Water Supply, Inseparable Problems
Every use of water imposes some change in its quality. These changes,
no matter how severe, are Inconsequential if the water is not used further.
But, in almost every case, some type of reuse does occur. Water. may be re-
used for drinking, or as a habitat for fish and other aquatic life, or merely
for aesthetic enjoyment. Reuse and multiple reuse of our water resources
are common everyday occurrences. Onthe broadest scale, man has been using
and reusing the same volume of water on the earth since Creation; here,
purification and reuse occur naturally through the hydrologic cycle. More to
the point, reuse occurs quite naturally and unavoidably from city to city and
from factory to factory as water flows through our river systems to the ocean.
PAGENO="0145"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 745
Recognizing the inevitability of reuse, deteriorations in water quality im-
posed by use become significant. If water quality is degraded to the extent
that reuse is impossible or inhibited, downstream water supplies are reduced
Just as if the water had been consumptively used upstream. Water supply and
water pollution, therefore, are closely interconnected.
In earlier days, dilution and stream self-purification were relied upon to
remedy pollution, and the most readily available or most economical natural
fresh waters were tapped as supplies. During this century, biological waste
treatment has been used to supplement dilution and self-purification for pollu-
tion control, and gradually deteriorating water qualities or more distant
sources of water have been accepted for water supplies.
Recently, scientists have begun to investigate methods of augmenting
natural water supplies, e.g., desalination and weather modification, and have
begun to explore new and different techniques of waste treatment. The "Ad-
vanced Waste Treatment" (AWT) techniques under investigation range from
extensions of biological treatment methods capable of removing nitrogen and
phosphorus nutrients to physical-chemical separation techniques such as
adsorption, distillation, and reverse osmoSis. These processes can achieve
essentially any degree of pollution control desired, and further, as waste ef-
fluents are purified to higher and higher degrees by such treatment, the point
is reached when effluents become "too good to throw away." Such effluents can
and will be deliberately and directly reused for agricultural, industrial, recre-
ational, and even municipal purposes. This is true water renovation: the
simultaneous alleviation of both water pollution and water supply problems.
Water Renovation-Today's Capability
Under the 1961 amendments to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act,
the Division of Water Supply and Pollution Control of the Public Health
Service (now the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration) has con-
ducted its Advanced Waste Treatment Research Program. Under this program,
about 30 treatment processes are being evaluatedto assess their technical and
economic feasibility. Several processes are now available for application; one
was recently installed in full-scale municipal service. Several of the processes
can even be operated in series under certain circumstances to produce potable
water from municipal waste water. For each of these processes, however,
some degree of overdesign must still be incorporated to assure reliable per-
formance. The higher the potential difficulty or hazard involved in performance
failure, the higher the degree of conservatism and overdesign required. The
ultimate perfection of these processes to minimize capital expenditures and
operating costs must await further full-scale testing and improvements in
design, materials, and equipment by consultants and equipment manufacturers.
Although it is conceivable that today's conventional processes will be re-
placed in the future, for the present, AWT would be applied to the effluent
from well-operated, conventional primary_secondary treatment plants. Alum
or lime coagulation-sedimentation may be used to increase the removal of
suspended solids from the conventionally attainable 90 per cent to a 9~ per
cent level and to reduce effluent phosphate concentrations to 1 or 2 mg./l.
Coagulation-sedimentation would not be considered as an "advanced" process
in water treatment and industrial practice. However, it is included here as an
65-240 O-~&6--voL ii-10
PAGENO="0146"
746 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
advanced process because it is not conventionally applied to the treatment of
municipal waste effluents and because the efficient removal of suspended and
even colloidal solids is a necessary pretreatment for many of the other ad-
vanced processes.
Assuming a good quality secondary effluent, 50-100 mg./l. of alum or
perhaps 200-300 mg./l. of lime are required to remove suspended and col-
loidal solids and phosphates. Standard water treatment flocculation tanks and
sedimentation basins would be used. The capital cost for this type of treatment
will be less than $.10/daily gallon capacity for plants of the 10-20 mIllion-
gallon-per-day scale and about $.05/daily gallon capacity for 100 mgd plants.
Operating costs, including capital amortization at 6 per cent interest for 20
years, will be about $.08/1,000 gallons at 10-20 mgd and $.05/1,000 gallons at
100 mgd exclusive of sludge disposal.
After removal of colloidal and suspended solids, the soluble refractory
organics may be very efficiently removed by contact with activated carbon
granules. Such carbon will adsorb up to 20-30 per cent of its own weight in
mixed organics from waste water when used in counter-current flow fixed-bed
contactors. At a mass velocity of 7 gal./min-ft.2 and a contact time of 40
minutes, more than 98 per cent of both BOD and total organic matter will be
removed. To minimize cost, the activated carbon should be regenerated and
reused. Fortunately, thermal regeneration of activated carbon following satura-
tion with actual waste organics has been possible. A series of 15 successive
saturation-regeneration cycles were performed with satisfactory regeneration
efficiencies. This process Is being studied in a 300,000 gallon-per-day pilot
plant at Pomona, California, under a joint research project of the FWPCA and
the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts. The process also has been used
since last summer in actual municipal service in a 2.5 mgd plant of the South
Tahoe Public Utility District at Lake Tahoe, California.
The capital costs for an adsorption plant of 10-20 mgd capacity should be
about $.15/daily gallon capacity and at 100 mgd, about $.09/daily gallon. Op-
erating costs, including 20-year capital amortization at 6 per cent interest,
should be less than $.1o/i,000 gallons for a 10-20 mgd plant and about
$.06/1,000 gallons at the 100 mgd scale.
Except for dissolved inorganic salts added during use, municipal waste
water subjected to the foregoing treatment procedures in sequence will have
been restored to a chemical quality generally comparable to that before use.
As stated earlier, the salts added during one pass through a municipal system
will normally total about 300-400 mg./l. (TABLE 1). Since many water supplies
contain these same dissolved salts at approximately this concentration, one
municipal use of water generally doubles the salt content. Fortunately, a
single-pass electrodialysis reduces the concentration of dissolved inorganic
solids by 40-50 per cent, the same percentage required to remove the incre-
ment of mineral pollutants added during use.
Extended bench-scale tests and operating pilot-scale studies at 75,000 gpd
have established that the power requirements for electrodialysisof municipal
waste water are only 6-10 kwh./1,000 gallons. For "typical" waste waters
(TABLE 1), polarization can be avoided if a current density-to-concentration
ratio of 750 (ma./cm.2)/(g.Eq./1.) is not exceeded. Under these conditions, ef-
fective cell-pair area requirements are less than 0.004 ft.2/gpd. Concentration
ratios greater than 10:1 can be readily achieved with proper pH control; ratios
of 50:1 have even been attained.
PAGENO="0147"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 747
TABLE 1
AVERAGE COMPOSITION OF MUNICIPAL SECONDARY EFFLUENT
Component
Average
concentration ~
secondary effluent
(mg./l.)
Average increment
added during
water uset
-
mg/i
lb./day/
1000 pop.
Gross organics
`BIo-degradable organics
(asBOD)
55
25
52
25
~
64
31
Metbylene blue active sub-
stance (MBAS)*
6
6
7
Na+
135
70
86
K+
15
10
12
NH4-'-
Ca++
20
60
20
15
25
18
Mg++
Cl-
25
130
7
75
9
92
NO3-
NO2-
HCO3-
C03=
804=
SiO3
PO4n
Hardness (CaCO3)
Alkalinity (CaCO3)
Total dissolved solids
15
1
300
0
100
50
25
270
250
730
10
1
100
0
30
15
25
70
85
320
12
1
120
0
37
18
31
86
100
390
*Apparent alkyl benzene sulphonate
tConcentration increase from tap water to secondary effluent
The feed must be carefully pretreated to operate electrodialysis stacks in
this service successfully. If suspended solids are removed to avoid plugging
and dissolved organics are removed to avoid membrane fouling, electrodialysts
of waste water is relatively straightforward, although very recent results may
indicate some complications from microbiological forms. In tests to date,
long-term ion removal has been largely nonselective. The concentration of
each ion present is reduced by roughly the same fraction. This is fortunate,
because generally uniform removal is what is required to provide water of
satisfactory quality for most purposes of reuse. One exception exists. Only a
few parts per million of ammonia can be tolerated in municipal water supplies
and in many industrial supplies. Since typical municipal waste water may
contain 20 mg./l. NH4~, the removal of 90-95 per cent would be required. To
PAGENO="0148"
748 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
achieve this by conventional electrodialysis would be prohibitively costly. The
answer appears to be in operating secondary biological treatment under nitri-
lying conditions so that NH4+ is almost completely converted to N03. For
simple discharge to stream when nutrients are a pollution problem, the nitrate
levels present may be undesirable, but for reuse as a municipal, industrial,
or agricultural supply, the N03 concentration is not of concern in most cases.
Capital costs for electrodialysis equipment should be less than $.15/daily
gallon capacity at 10-20 mgd and under $.11/daily gallon capacity at 100 mgd.
Unless serious unforeseen difficulties are encountered in pilot-scale tests,
total operating costs should not exceed $.15/1,000 gallons at 10-20 mgd and
should be about $.1o/i,ooo gallons at 100 mgd.
The type of water renovation sequence described above, while not yet in
any full-scale application, is undergoing pilot study and, with proper safeguards
and conservatism in design, represents an existing technology within our
present capability. On September 8, 1965, Dr. Donald F. Hornig, the Presi-
dent's Special Assistant for Science and Technology, testified before the
Senate Interior and Insular Affairs Committee and stated that:
At my request, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare has just
completed a feasibility analysis of a 100-mgd waste water purification plant
which could be added to a secondary sewage treatment plant of the kind now
used in New York City and northern New Jersey. Their report indicates that
such a plant could be built for $33 million and would produce potable water
at a cost of about 16ç~ per 1,000 gallons. The Department of Health, Educa-
tion, and Welfare has had a modest research program in waste water puri-
fication underway and the plant they considered would use the best proven,
presently available technology. Almost certainly these costs could be re-
duced still further through a R & D* program. The suggested plant employs
aeration, chemical coagulation and sedimentation, carbon adsorption and
chlorination to purify the effluent from a secondary sewage treatment plant.
If the product water is mixed with water from other sources in a large sys-
tem no further treatment is necessary. For a completely closed system in
which all water is recycled a buildup of salinity would occur and a desalting
unit would be needed. Because of the very low salt content, electrodialysis
could be used and the additional cost would be only a few cents per 1,000
gallons depending on the amount of salts to be removed. The costs quoted
above include cost of land, treatment, and pumpingcosts to return the water
to the distribution system.
Direct delivery of purified waste water to a city distribution system is
possible and can be completely safe. If it is too unattractive aesthetically,
the purified waste water can be used for recreational and decorative lakes,
watering parks and golf courses, industrial processes, or can be recharged
to the groundwater. It must be noted, however, that there is very little
practical difference between purification and direct reuse of waste water
and the present widespread practice of discharging of wastes to a river
from which a downstream city takes its water supply.
Water Renovation-Tomorrow's Promise
Only a year or so ago, the plan Dr. Hornig referred to could not have been
offered. Today it can be proposed with confidence. Even with its realization,
PAGENO="0149"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 749
it should only be regarded as an "early model" of future versions that will be
more efficient and more economical. A whole range of new techniques are now
being studied, not only by the federal government, but by state and local gov-
ernments, by universities, and by industry.
One process, bio-denitrlficatlon, uses specially acclimated microorgan-
isms to reduce nitrates to elemental nitrogen under certain process conditions.
Another, foam separation, takes advantage of surface adsorption phenomena to
make beneficial use, under controlled treatment conditions, of the hitherto un-
wanted billowy foam so common In many waste waters. Chemical oxidation of
complex and unknown organic contaminants with hydrogen peroxide, ozone, or
even hydroxyl free radicals generated by corona discharge is being considered.
Phase separations such as distillation, freezing, and gas hydration are under
study, as is reverse osmosis, which is perhaps the best "dark horse" candidate
for total waste water purification.
The long-range objective in this research Is to provide the necessary
treatment systems for attaining any degree of waste treatment that may be
required at minimum cost. Significantly, the word "systems" is used. Rarely
will an advanced waste treatment process stand alone. Instead, systems of
individual processes in series or in parallel will be required to meet particular
needs.
POSSIBLE
SERIES SYSTEM
COST AT IO-2Omgd.
+
7
8
+
I0
5
10
RENOVATED 56~ /1000501.
WATER
FIGURE 8. Generalized water renovation system, series flow.
PAGENO="0150"
750 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
Included with the treatment systems must be one or more of a variety of
ultimate disposal processes. These processes are methods for permanent,
nonpollutional disposal of the inevitable sludges and waste concentrates
generated by the separation processes. These disposal techniques include such
possibilities as incineration, digestion, or wet oxidation of organics; convey-
ance of various sludges and solid residues tothe ocean or remote dump sites;
and deep-well injection of brines into porous strata. Possible beneficial uses
of waste concentrates as soil conditioners, fertilizers, or chemical raw
material should also be included in the ultimate disposal category.
Two general system configurations can be used. In the series-type system
already described (FIGURE 8), the total flow passes through all processes in
sequence. Each process contributes to quality improvement. In the system il-
lustrated, the conventional primary treatment removes material that readily
settles or floats. The secondary biological step removes the biologically de-
gradable impurities. Coagulation-sedimentation, in the third position, elimi-
nates suspended solids and colloids. Carbon adsorption removes residual
dissolved organics. Electrodialysis reduces the dissolved minerals level to
an acceptable value. Finally, chlorination disinfects the processed water.
The same result can be obtained with a parallel-flow system (FIGURE 9).
Here, primary and secondary treatment, coagulation-sedimentation, adsorp-
tion, and chlorination function as described above. Demineralization is achieved
2 + 0
IO+4J
58~/lOOO gal.
RAW WASTE
WATER
PRIMARY
TREATMENT
POSSIBLE
PARALLEL SYSTEM
COST AT l0-20m~d
0.5 [8+60
RENOVATED
WATER
FIGURE 9. Generalized water renovation system, parallel flow.
PAGENO="0151"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 751
by a "total removal" process, that is, evaporation plus distillate "polishing,"
which handles only about half of the total flow. Following this step, the com-
pletely purified water (the distillate) is blended with the flow from which all
impurities except the salts have been removed.
In FIGURES 8 and 9, the unit costs are estimated for both a series-flow
and a parallel-flow system at a scale of 10-20 mgd. First, the projected total
system costs are so close ($.56 vs. .58/1,000 gallons) that one type of system
cannot, at this time, be omitted in favor of the other. Second, the costs of con-
ventional and advanced treatment steps can be compared.
In contrast to the present cost of $.l0/l,000 gallons for primary-secondary
treatment (FIGURE 8), coagulation-sedimentation, which very efficiently re-
moves suspended solids and phosphates, costs an additional $.08-.10/1,000
gallons (certain biological treatment modifications being studied may be able
to remove up to 80 per cent of the phosphates for a lower cost). If the adsorp-
tion step is incorporated to eliminate BOD and refractory organics, the
additional cost is raised to $.18-.20/1,000 gallons. This total waste treatment
cost of about $.30/1,000 gallons is almost three times the present level.
To complete the renovation with electrodialysis would add another $.25/
1,000 gallons to give a total renovation cost of more than five times the cost
of existing waste treatment. This is clearly not an illustration of "something
for nothing." Yet, the cost picture is not really so dark. First, the AWT esti-
mates were made intentionally high so that they should not be exceeded under
normal circumstances. Second, costs should be reduced significantly as re-
search and development programs bring us closer to the most efficient
designs. Third, substitute processes now being investigated may reduce costs
considerably. The powdered carbon process, for example, could conceivably
replace both coagulation-sedimentation and granular carbon adsorption, which
cost $.18-.20/1,000 gallons, at half their cost.
Another point is that cost comparisons wouldperhaps be more fair If made
not just between waste-treatment processes, but also between advanced waste
treatment costs and conventional waste treatment plus water supply. Water
supply plus waste treatment costs, based on historical data and Including
source development, transmission, water treatment, and waste treatment, have
been estimatedto be about $.23/1,000 gallons on the average and to be nearly
$.30/1,000 gallons in prevailing high-cost areas of the country.2 Future costs
for extending conventional treatment and for augmenting water supplies will
undoubtedly be higher.
Now, what could be the physical impact of waste water renovation on our
future water pollution and water supply problems? To derive an answer,
FIGURES 3-6 were redrawn in FIGURE 10, incorporating the assumption that
during the next 25 years, AWTprocessesofthe type now available are applied
to every municipal effluent in the land. For municipal BOD pollution, instead of
facing a temporary reduction in national BOD discharge levels until the turn
of the century, we could be very close to President Johnson's recent pledge
to "doom water pollution in this century." With respect to phosphate and re-
fractory organic loads entering our streams, no reductions can be expected
with the use of present treatment methods. However, with the use of AWT, the
first reductions in history could be accomplished. For nitrogen forms, on the
other hand, even available AWT processes will not be highly effective. Pro-
cesses still In development must meet this need.
PAGENO="0152"
>.
~U)
-~
C 4
Ecn
U)
0
coo
-JU)
z(.)
DU)
U)
0
>`
U)
.0 U)
o Lu
..~ p-
~ U)
l)U)
C/) U)
= ~
0.4
S
C.)
z
752 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
5000
AWl
$000
0 I _____________________
$900 920 940 960 980 2000 2020
FIGURE 10 (a). Potential impact of "Advanced Waste Treatment" (AWT) on municipal
discharges of BOD to U.S. streams.
900 920 940 $960 980 2000 2020
FIGURE 10 (b). Potential impact of AWT on municipal discharges of phosphorus to
U.S. streams.
PAGENO="0153"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 753
360( I
3200
Conventional
treatment
2800~
~ 2400
" 2000
`~AWT
900 1920 940 960 1980 2000
FIGURE 10 (c). Potential impact of AWT on municipal discharges of refractory
organics to U.S. streams.
Unfortunately, the total effect that water renovation would have on water
supply cannot be so readily estimated on a nationwide basis because of the
present appreciable natural reuse of our fresh water resources. Possibly a
better way of picturing this situation is to look at an individual water user. If
80 per cent of the water used by New York City were recovered and renovated
for reuse, the city's water supply, whichnowprOvideS some 1,200 mgd, would
in effect be enlarged five times. This same general principle applies not only
to all municipal but also to all industrial supplies. Irrigational supplies could
not be extended to this degree because of the high consumptive losses involved.
Another major effect that water renovation would have on our water re-
sources is less widely recognized. We refer to the "low flow regulation" con-
cept, that is, the storage and later release of upstream water to dilute
downstream waste discharges. This is a water supply requirement, although
not a withdrawal requirement, and is created directly as a result of water
pollution. What startles most people is that the projections3 for water volumes
just to dilute municipal and industrial BOD waste discharges are greater than
for any other single use, even assuming that every discharge is treated to 90
per cent efficiency. In 1980, for example, the required flow magnitude would be
PAGENO="0154"
754 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
I I I
z
2000 I
>. Conventional
treatment /
C
1600.
~AWT
Zn,
w
(!~ n, l200~
:: ~ _______
1900 1920 940 960 980 2000
FIGURE 10(d). Potential impact of AWT on municipal discharges of nitrogen to
U.S. streams.
about 300 bgd and by 2000, more than 475 bgd. Actually, the situation is vastly
more complex than this, and a detailed discussion is beyond the scope of this
paper. Briefly, however, with 95 per cent BOD removal, the calculated dilution
volumes required would need be only one-half of those above, and with 99 per
cent treatment, only one-tenth. The conclusion3 that theoretical dilution water
requirements for these wastes will not go to zero as treatment efficiency ap-
proaches 100 per cent is in error when physical-chemical treatment, and not
extended biological treatment, is assumed.
In summary, new systems or mechanisms must be developed and main-
tained in this country to assure that adequate quantities of water of suitable
quality are continuously available to meet our demands for municipal, in~
dustrial, agricultural, and recreational purposes and to protect our fish and
wildlife resources. Past techniques for maintaining or improving the quality
of water have included conventional waste treatment, dilution, and stream self-
purification. These techniques by themselves, however, will be unable to serve
the needs of the future.
Advanced waste treatment processes which may range from extensions of
biological treatment methods to quite complex physical-~chemical separation
techniques are now under development. Such techniques could, in proper com-
bination, not only provide complete elimination of pollution from municipal
and industrial sources but even produce water suitable for direct and deliberate
reuse. Advanced waste treatment or, more properly, water renovation will
become a major tool in solving both of our major water resource problems~-.
water supply and water pollution.
PAGENO="0155"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 755
APPENDIX
ESTIMATING MUNICIPAL DISCHARGES OF BOD, TOTAL NITROGEN,
PHOSPHORUS, AND REFRACTORY ORGANICS INTO U.S. STREAMS
Nine assumptions were used In estimating the municipal discharges of
various materials into streams in the United States (TABLE 3). The formulas
used to estimate each of the four components considered are described after
the pertinent assumptions.
1. It is assumed that all sewered municipal effluents are discharged Into
U.S. streams.
2. It Is assumed that by 1980 the discharge of raw municipal wastes will
have ceased, and that by 1990 the entire sewered population will be serviced
by primary-secondary treatment. For the period 1900-1962, the sewered pop-
ulations receiving "no treatment," (5~)on' "primary treatment," (SP)pn~ and
"secondary treatment," (5~)sn, were derived from References 4-8.
3. It is assumed that the waste treatment efficiencies for various materials
are those shown in TABLE 2. The fraction (f) of each material remaining in
TABLE 2
MtJNICIPAL PRIMARY AND SECONDARY TREATMENT REMOVAL EFFICIENCIES
AND FRACTIONS REMAINING IN EFFLUENT (1) FOR BOD, TOTAL NITROGEN,
PHOSPHORUS AND REFRACTORY ORGANICS
Removal of:
No Treatment
Percent
Removal 0
Primary Treatment
Secondary Treatment
Percent
Removal fp
Percent
Removal 5
BOD
Total Nitrogen
Phosphorus
Refractory Organlcs
0 1.0
0 1.0
0 1.0
0 1.0
35 .65
20 .80
10 .90
20 .80
90 .10
50 .50
30 .70
60 .40
the effluent discharge, that ~ f = - treatme!it efficiency, is also given.
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)
4. Daily domestic BOD contribution, PBOD~ is 0.167 lbs./capita/day (a
constant).
5. To account for the increase in industrial wastes handled in municipal
sewerage systems between 1900 and 2000, a varying ratio of "industrial plus
dojnestic BOD" to "domestic BOD" was used. This was sometimes expressed
as "PE/capita." Based on PE/capitafigures for 1900, 1970, and 1980, as given
in Reference 11, and an assumption of PE/capita - 1.1 in 1930, a curve was
prepared as shown in FIGURE 11. This curve was extrapolated to the year
2000 at a constant PE/capita of 1.75.
PAGENO="0156"
756 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
`~I6 ~
`~l5 ~4.0
~
1~9
zI4
~~I3 ~3.0
~I2 ~
II ~2.0
Cl)
olO ~
~ 2
.~9 21.0
<
7 0
FIGURE 11. Variation in per capita loadings for BOD, total nitrogen, and phosphorus.
The amount of BOO discharged to U.S. streams from municipal outfalls for
any year, n, was estimated from the formula:
(lbs. BOO
= 365 PBOD(PE/capita~ [(SP)fBOD+ (SP)fBOD~I- (SP)f BOO]
Total Nitrogen
6. Assumed values for annual total nitrogen per capita loadings in raw
municipal sewage (~TN) between 1900 and 2000 were obtained from References
4, 12, 13, and 14. The data were plotted, and an "average" curve was drawn
and extrapolated as shown in FIGURE 11.
The amount of total nitrogen discharged to U.S. streams from municipal
outfalls for any year, n, was estimated from the formula:
(lbs. total nitrogen - ~ ~ f + (SP) f
discharged per year)~ TN1n [\ on oTN + ` `pn pTN Sn sTN
Phosphorus
7. Assumed valu~es for annual phosphorus per capita loadings in raw muni-
cipal sewage (Pp) between 1900 and 2000 were obtained from References 4, 13,
15, 16, 17, and 18. The data were plotted, and an "average" curve was drawn
and extrapolated as shown in FIGURE 11.
2000
PAGENO="0157"
TABLE 3
ESTIMATED MUNICIPAL DISCHARGES OF BOD, TOTAL NITROGEN PHOSPHORUS, AND REFRACTORY ORGANICS TO US. STREAMS
Year
Sewered Population (millions)
That discharges
Total -
Raw Prim. Sec.
~P) ~P) ~P)
on pn sn
PE
Per
Cap.
(~()D)
BOD Discharged
(million lbs./yr.)
~TN
Per
Cap.
Nit.
Contr.
bs./yr.
Nitrogen Discharged
(million Ibs./yr.)
Pp
Per
Cap.
Phos.
Contr.
bs./yr.
Phosphorus Discharged
(million lbs./yr.)
Refractory Organics
Discharged
(million lbs./yr.)
-
Raw
Prim.
-
Sec.
-
Total
-
Raw
-
Prim.
-
Sec.
-
Total
-
Raw
Prim.
Sec.
-
Total
Raw
Prim.
--
Sec. Total
1900
24.5~
23.5~
1.010
010
1.00
1430
40
0
1470
7.0
165
5.5
0
170
.50
11.7
.44
0
12.1
715
25
0 740
1910
34*54
3O.5~
4.010
010
1.03
1880
164
0
2050
7.0
214
22.2
0
236
.50
15.3
1.80
0
17.1
930
98
0 1030
1930
6l.5~
43~54
10.810
7.210
1.11
2940
435
49
3420
8.0
348
69.5
28.6
446
.50
22.0
4.91
2.52
29.4
1320
264
86 1670
1940
7O.1~
29.4~
18.4~
22.3~
1.23
2210
900
167
3280
9.6
282
142
107
531
.65
19.1
10.8
10.1
40.0
895
450
270 1620
1945
82.06
35.26
23.06
23.86
1.29
2770
1180
187
4140
10.5
370
194
124
688
.80
28.2
16.6
13.3
58.1
1070
563
288 1920
1957
1O2.0~
24.7~
32.3~
45.O~
1.44
2170
1850
397
4420
13.2
326
341
296
963
2.10
51.8
61.0
66.0
179
752
791
545 2090
1962
123.58
23.18
27.48
73.08
1.50
2120
1640
668
4420
14.4
332
318
525
1180
2.40
55.5
59.4
123
238
703
677
887 2270
1980
192.6~
0
-
-
1.75
0
-
-
-
15.0
-
-
-
2.60
-
-
-
-
-
-
- -
1990
236.010
0
0
236.0
1.75
0
0
2520
2520
15.0
0
0
1770
1770
2.60
0
0
430
430
0
0
2870 2870
2000
279.4~
0
0
279.4
1.75
0
0
2980
2980
15.0
0
0
2090
2090
250
0
0
508
508
0
0
3390 3390
PAGENO="0158"
758 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATE~fENT
The amount of phosphorus discharged to U.S. streams from municipal out-
falls for any year, n, was estimated from the formula:
discharged per year)~ = ~p)~ [ ~on1op + ~sP)p~fpp + (sP)5~f5~]
Refractory Organics
8. The category, Refractory Organics (RO), was assumed to be the dif-
ference between COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) and BOD. The concentration
of refractory organics in raw municipal sewage was assumed to be 100 mg. /1.
(350 mg./l. COD less 250 mg./l. BOD). Assuming a daily per capita municipal
waste flow of 140 gallons, the annual refractory organics contribution, Pp~.,
would be: 30.4 lbs./ capita/year. This value was assumed to be constant during
the period 1900 to 2000 because information on historical trends was not
available.
9. The assumed efficiencies of primary and secondary treatment in re-
moving refractory organics are shown in TABLE 3. To establish these esti-
mates, the following BOD and COD concentrations in raw sewage, primary
effluent, and secondary effluent were assumed.
Concentration, mg./Z.
Raw Primary Secondary
COD 350 240 65
BOD 250 160 25
RO 100 80 40
The amount of refractory organics discharged to U.S. streams from mun-
icipal outfalls for any year, n, was estimated from the formula:
(lbs. ROdischarged = ~ [SPonfoRO + (SP) ~RO + (SP)fRO]
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors wish to acknowledge the assistance of Mr. Charles F. Walters
of the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration in preparing the esti-
mates of muntcipal waste discharges shown in FIGURES 3, 4, 5, and 6 and de-
scribed in detail in the appendix.
REFERENCES
1. KOENIG, L. 1966. Studies Relating to Market Projections for Advanced Waste
Treatment. Public Health Service Publication Number 999-WP-34. U.S. Govern-
ment Printing Office. Washington, D.C.
2. McCALLUM, G. E. 1963. Advanced waste treatment and water reuse. J. Water
Pollution Control Federation. 35:1-10.
PAGENO="0159"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 759
3. Select Senate Committee on National Water Resources. 1960. Water Supply and
Demand. 86th Congress. 2nd Sess. Committee. Print No. 32. U.S. Government
Printing Office. Washington, D.C.
4. PEARSE, L., ed. 1938. Modern Sewage Disposal. Federation of Sewage Works As-
sociations. New York, N.Y.
5. Federal Security Agency. 1942. A Summary of Census Data on Sewerage Systems
in the United States. Public Health Reports. 57:409-421.
6. THOMAN, J.R. 1950. Statistical Summary of Sewage Works in the United States.
Public Health Reports. Suppl. 213.
7. THOMAN, J.R. & K. H. JENKINS. 1958. Statistical Summary of Sewage Works in
the United States. Public Health Service Publication Number 609. U.S. Government
Printing Office. .Washington, D.C.
8. GLASS, A. C. & K. H. JENKINS. 1964. Municipal Waste Facilities in the United
States, Statistical Summary of 1962 Inventory. Public Health Service Publication
Number 1165. U.S. Government Printing Office. Washington, D.C.
9. Senate Select Committee on National Water Resources. 1960. Water Resources
Activities in the United States-Pollution Abatement. 86th Congress. 2nd Sess.
Committee Print No. 9. U.S. Government Printing Office. Washington, D.C.
10. Assumed values.
11. U.S. Senate Committee on Public Works. 1963. A Study of Pollution-Water. 88th
Congress. 1st Sess. Committee Print. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washing-
ton, D.C.
12. METCALF, L. & H. P. EDDY. 1922. Sewerage and Sewage Disposal. 1st ed. :306.
McGraw Hill Book Co., Inc. New York, N. Y.
13. McGAUHEY, P. H., R. ELIASSEN, G. ROHLICH, H. F. LUDWIG, & E.A. PEARSON.
1963. Comprehensive Study on Protection of Water Resources of Lake Tahoe
Basin Through Controlled Waste Disposal. Prepared for the Board of Directors,
Lake Tahoe Area Council, Al Tahoe, Calif.
14. VanVURAN, J. P. J. 1948. Soil Fertility and Sewage. Dover Publications, Inc., New
York, N.Y.
15. STEPHAN, D. G. (In Press.) Renovation of municipal waste water for re-use. In
Symposium on New Chemical Engineering Problems in the Utilization of Water.
Proc. A.I.Ch.E.-Inter. Chem. E. Meeting. London, Eng. June 13-17, 1965.
16. OWEN, R. 1953. Removal of Phosphorus from Sewage Plant Effluent with Lime.
Sewage and Industrial Wastes. 25:548-556.
17. RUDOLFS, W. 1947. Phosphates in sewage and sludge treatment. J. Sewage Works.
19:43.
18. LEVIN, G. V. 1963. Reducing secondary effluent phosphorus concentration. First
Progress Report of Public Health Service Grant WP-99. Johns Hopkins University.
Baltimore, Md.
PAGENO="0160"
760 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLL~JTION ABATEMENT
Referring to figure 6 (see p. 743) the total biochemical ogygen de-
mand (BOD) load to U.S. streams is represented by the curve, "I.
Total Load." The nominal maximum removal efficiency of BOD from
municipal wastes which can be expected of conventional treatment is 90
percent. On this basis, it can be seen that construction of conventional
primary and secondary treatment installations will make a relatively
large impact on the total pollution load discharged to the Nation's
water resource because of the fact that many communities do not now
employ even primary treatment,, much less secondary. The degree
of this impact is represented by the downward trend in the "Total
Load" curve which can be seen to occur during the period from the
present time to 1990. However, due to our ever-expanding population,
the residual BOD load (that is the 10 percent not removed by treat-
ment) will become increasingly more important. The curve "IV. Sec-
ondary Treated Load," represents this residual BOD load assuming
the universal application of secondary municipal treatment. It can
be seen that, based on present population projections, the total BOD
load will again increase and by 2010 or 2020 will be equal once again
to the total BOD pollution load in 1966.
From the foregoing analysis, I believe two things are clear: (1) we
must proceed as rapidly as possible to apply available treatment ii~
order to reduce pollution on a nationwide basis or even to "hold our
own" in many local situations and (2) we must simultaneously ac-
celerate our R. & D. to develop new, more efficient treatment methods.
As you know, the FWPCA is even now accelerating its research, de-
velopment, and demonstration activities in new waste treatment sys-
tems and in control of storm and combined sewer discharges.
With regard more specifically to question 10, let me state the fol-
lowing. Due to the fact that conventional secondary treatment proc-
esses are biological systems requiring certain "threshold" levels of
food supply, nutrients, etc., and subject to "upsets" due to changing
environmental conditions, toxic substances, etc., it appears that biolog-
ical treatment systems of the type in use for the last half-century are
at, or nearly at, their limit. Extensions of these biological processes
substantially above their present performance levels would involve
substantial capital outlays while gaining oniy marginal treatment ef-
PAGENO="0161"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 761
ficiency returns. The processes are, however, both effective and eco-
nomical for achieving treatment up to the 80 to 90 percent range. In
addition, current treatment plants represent a very substantial capital
investment. Accordingly, a major portion of our research effort will
be to couple good biological treatment with tertiary advanced waste
treatment processes which would be "built on" to existing conventional
processes. We shall, also, be conducting research on entirely new
processes or treatment system which could be more effective than cur-
rent conventional treatment.
In direet.responee to question 10, I believe that acceleration of con-
struction of conventional treatment plants is completely, justified be-
cause (1) it is necessary to alleviate critical and near-critical pollu-
tion problems now and (2) many of the new waste treatment systems
will involve tertiary processes which can be added to existing facilities.
Question 8: Has your agency ever worked out a tirnetabZe foil an
es't~mate of the total cost of works it believes to be nece&sary for .,an~
adequate prograim of water pollution control and planned such a pro'-
Ø1a4m including the necessary research and development step~ im~ `ad-
vance of the need for the actual worksY If this has not `been'done,
can you produce such a plan, with costs and a timetable for carrying
out the plan, for the Com~'imitteeP
Answer:' This question is related to question 5', in that an a~ccurate
estimate of the total costs of the measures for pollution coiflrol is not
presently available. As indicated in question 5, a study to determine
an answer to this problem was requested by the Public Works Com-
mittee, IJ.S. Senate. An optimuth program of research and 4evelop-
men't, however, has been worked out in conjunction with. the ccTen
Year Program of Federal Water Resources Research" prepared for
the Office of Sciende and Technology.
`Estimated expenditures for Federal Water Resources Research dur~
ing fiscal years 1965-71 are listed on page 32 of the above-referen'c~d
document and shown below. `
65-240----6e--vol. II-l'i
PAGENO="0162"
762 ADEQUA~CY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
Estimated ea~penditurea for Federal water resonrces research;
fiscal gears' `1965, 1966, 1967~ and 1971
tAlifigures are in millions of dollars In 1965-67 prices]
Categdry
.
1965
actual
1966
estimate
I 1967
estimate
1971
plan
I. NATURE OF WATER
A. Properties of water
B. `Aqueous solutions and stlspensions - -
SubtotaL
II. WATER CYCLE
4. GeneraL - - -
B. Precipitation
C. Snow, ice, and frost
D. Eyaporation and transpiration
E. Streamfiow
F. Grpund water
G. Water in soils
H. Lakes'
I. Water and plants
J. Ero~i~n and sedimentation
K. Chemical processes
L. Estuarinc problems
Subtotal
th. WATER SUPPLY AUGMENTATION AND
CONSERVATION
A. Saline water cOnversion
B~ Wates~ yield improvement
C. tTse of water of impaired quality.~ - -
~. Cohservation in domestic use
E. Conservation in industry
F. Conservation in agriculture
Subtotal
IV. WATER QUANTITY MANAGEMENT AND
CONTROL
A. Control of water on the land
B. Ground water management
C. Effects of man's activities on water.. - -
D. Watershed protection
2.2
.7
2.1
.7
2.4
1.0
1.7
2.2
(2.9)
(2.8)
(3.3)
(3.9)
2.2
.6
.3
,9
1.7
1.4
1.0
.5
.9
2.1
1.2
2.5
.7
.3
1.0
1.9
1.7
1.1
.5
1.1
2.5
1.4
2.5
.7
.~
1.0
2~1
1.8
1.1
.5
1.1
2.4
L4
` 4.0
1.0
.8
2.0
3.0
2.5
2.5
1.5
2.0
3.0
1.5
.5
(13.1)
.5
(15.3)
(15.4)
.61.0
(24.8)
8.5
2.1
1.3
0
0'i~'
.7
,18.2
2.6
1.3
0
0
.9
23.4
2.2,
1.5
0'
0
.9
15.0
6.0
1.5
.5'
.5
3.0
(12. 7)
(22. 9)
(28. 0)
(26.5)
1.7
.3
.5
1.4
1.7
.2
.6
1.6
1.8
.3
.8
1.5
3.0
2.0
1.5
2.0
Subtotal
(3.9)
(4~ 1) (4. 4)
PAGENO="0163"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 763
V. WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND
PROTECTION
A. Identitlcation of pollutants
B. Sources and fate of pollution
C. Effects of pollution
D. Waste treatment processes - -
E. Ultimate disposal of wastes
F. Water treatment
G. Water quality control
Subtotal
Vi. WATER RESOURCES PLANNING
A. Techniques of planning
B. Evaluation process
C. Cost allocation, cost sharing, pricing!
repayment
D. Water demand
E. Water law and institutions
F. Nonstructural alternatives
G. Ecologic impact of water development~
Subtotal
VII. RESOURCES DATA
A. Network design
B. Data acquisition
C. Evaluation, processing, and publi-
cation
Subtotal
YI1I. ENGINEERING WORKS
A. 1)esign
B. Materials
C. Construction and operation
Subtotal
IX. MANPOWER, GRANTS, AND FACILITIES
A. Education-extramural
B. Education-in-house
C. Research facilities
1). Grants, contracts, and research act
allotments
Subtotal
Grand total
Estimated ec~pencUtures for FecZera~ water resov.~rces research;
fiscal years 1965, 1966,' 1967, cwi4 .l971-Co~itiflUed
[All figures are in millions of dollars in 1965-67 pritss]
Category
1965
actual
1966
estimate
1967
estimate
1971
plan
1.8
1.5
1.9
3.5
4.0
1.8
1.4
1.5
3.5.
2.3
3.4
9~5
21.0
5.5
4.0
5.8
1.5
. 1,3
1.4
4.0
1.8
1.7
1.2
1.2
.7
.6
.7
10.0
(16.5)
(12.2)
(16.0)
(53.8)
.2
.4
.1
.4
.1
(1)
1.7
.2
.6
(1)
.5
.1
.1
.6
.3
1.0
`(1)
.5
.1
.1
1.5
2.5
4.0
1,0
1.5
1.0
.5
3.0
.2
1.0
.6
.2
1.2
1.0
.2
1.2
.9
.5
2.5
1.0
(1.8)
(~3)(2.3)
(~0)
4.5
1.8
4.0
1.5
.9
1.9
1.7
.8
2.0
1.9
1.0
3.0
(4.2)
(4~5)
(~9)
(10.3)
8.0
4.0
2.0
40.0
`5)
2.6
1.0
1.6
270
(1~. 1)
3.2
1.2
1.6
~18.7
(24)
3.6
1.4
2.4
~
(28. 5)
70. 0
91~ 9
1 Less than $50,000.
2 HEW grants in the amount of $5,304,000 allocated by subcategories.
3 Does not include $20,000,000 available for research and demonstration grants.
NoPE-Total may not add up due to rounding.
107. 3 199.3
PAGENO="0164"
764 A~EQ~ACY O~ TECHNOLOGY FO~ P0LLUTIO~ A~A~1~E~ENT
One äf the most significant areas needing attention and which has
the potential of a significant contribution 1~o water pollution control
is the program of advaneed waste tre~tmient research. This research
elf ort is directed toward the development of new waste treatment proc-
esses. The objective is. to develop by 1~75 feasible techniques for com-
plete removal of all point source wastes.
The Administration's advanced waste treatment program for ac-
complishing this has received the highest priority from the Committee
on Water Resources Research, Federal Council for Science and Tech-
nology, and its panel of experts has recommended a greatly accelerated
program.
To carry out an accelerated research and development program in
advanced waste treatment, a 10-year $190 million expenditure is rec-
ommended to begin, in fiscal year 1967. This would provide for $26
million for dir~eot research, $~30 million for contract resear~h, and $34
million for constructing field evaluation plants. In 1967, the Admin-
istration's laboratory research program will be well underway; con-
tractors are even now prepared to undertake iarge-scale res~earch, and
several treatment processes will be ready for field evaluation,
Question 9: Are present methods for sewage and waste treatment
adequate to eliminate the spread of disease by viruses? If not, what
are you doing about it?
Answer: Conventional primary and secondary sewage .tre~tment
procedui~es used today by most communities do not completely elimi-
nate viruses from sewage. Prim'~ar~~~ freatment removes some virus,
and activated sludge treatment (secondary treatment) will remove
even more, but field tests show that even when the effluents from acti-
vated sludge plants are chlorinated, viruses can still be detected. This
is because chlorine is inactivated by certain of the impurities in the
effluents.
The complete removal of viruses from sewage will require well-
operated, more consistent secondary treatment, probably some form of
tertiary treatment to remove the impurities that interfere with chlori-
nation, and perhaps utilization of a disinfectant other than chlorine.
Preliminary studies in this area have already been undertaken and a
modest program is currently underway in research to remove viruses
from w~ste effluents more effectively. Research in this and other areas
relating to the removal of refractory components of wastes will be
increased in fiscal year 1967.
Question 11: Four agency has responsibilities with resvect to the
amount of storage in Federal reservoirs under the 1961 amendments.
Do you have similar responsibility with respect to locally constructed
reservoir.~? If you do not have this authority, would it be desirable
to have ft in view of the limited number of reservoir sites that are avail-
able and the need~ to make sure that such sites are not ~i~eempted by
inadequate reservoirs?
Answer WTiI1e the Federal Water Pollution Control Administra-
tjon has responsibilities in connection with provision of storage in
Federal i~eseri~oirs under authority o~f the 1961 amendments, it has no
suCh authority foi~ locally constructed reservoirs. Similar responsi-
bilities for locally constructed reservoirs would be highly desirable.
PAGENO="0165"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 765
Such authority ~vould permit fuller use of limited storage sites to
be made for management of water quality to alleviate many pollution
problems.
Local reservoirs constructed under the Soil Conservation Service
authority contained in Public Law 83-566 also could provide aug-
mented stream flows significant to alleviate local pollution problems.
At present, however, the Soil Conservation Service does not consider
that* the Federal Water Pollution Control Act gives authority for
them to expend funds for water quality control storage in these local
reservoirs.
Question 12: Your statement indicates that the total expenditure of
the Federal Government for research to develop new treatment tech-
nology through fiscal year 1966 ha~s been less than $5 million. In view
of the importance of this subject, why have ea~penditures been so
ited? What is the requsst for funds for this type 0/ research in fiscal
year 1967Y
Answer Although research expenditures now appear to be limited
in view of the importance of developing new treatmei~t technology,
they were in fact commensurate with other aspects of the water pollu'
tion control program in its early growth period. It is much clearer
now that greatly accelerated expenditures are needed than it was in
1961 when amendments limiting the amounts to be authorized for re~
search were added to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. The
1961 amendment to the Federal Wate~ Pollution Control Act which
provided for a ceiling on research was not meant to limit the research
effort but rather to accelerate that effort.
Since 1961, the national expectations to achieve higher levels of pol-
lution control have been raised. At the same time, the problem has
increased in magnitude and complexity with industrial expansion and
population growth with the result that more sophisticated and expen-
sive methodology must be brought to bear on the problem. The magni-
tude of the water pollution control problem, including needed research,
has been updated to meet our national iieeds as now recognized.
The administration's research program has remained within the
authorized limitations. To meet the problems as now recognized and
defined, a greatly expanded research effort is needed and justified. The
proposed research program can be effectively carried out using in-
house and contract capabilities. The budgetary requirements for the
three specified areas outlined in the act would now greatly exceed the
$5 million annual limitation. By fiscal year 1968, the $25 million
total limitation would have to be exceeded if the research program is to
proceed at a reasonable pace in accomplishing its objectives. It is,
therefore, apparent that some thange in the existing legislative au-
thorization 1~r the research program should be obtained, including a
revision in existing budgetary limitations.
The fiscal yeai~, 1~67 request for research, including intramural res
search of all types and for contracts, is $8,690,750.
Quest Th: Do you hcxve any ideits as tO how more gZamou~ or
dignity can be brought into th~ profession of ~anitary ~ngineering sO
as to remove one of tlvt ~easoná tlia~ has apparently been keeping the
inflow of people into z~his field a,~ a nnnimum ~`
PAGENO="0166"
786 A~b* c~T~öiOo~ ~`o~ t~tLt~rON ABA~MEN~T
Answer : Aside from the psychological avcrsion in peopl&s thinds
to matters dealing with the handling, treatment, and disposal of
wastes, there are perhaps four major practical factors associated with
sanitary engineering which have contributed to and continue to affect
the status of the profession. These are: (1) sanitary engineering has
not been a uniquely identifiable curriculum in the Nation's undergrad-
uate schools, (2) there is confusion in the definition of the function of
the sanitaFy engineer, (3) the public is not aware of the specific activi-
ties of the sanitaFy engineer and, in many cases, even of the existence of
sanitary engineers, and (4) the salary structure. These factors are
very much interrelated.
Historically, sanitary engineering curriculums have been associated
very closely with civil engineering departments in most engineering
colleges and universities. In order that the neophyte engineering stu-
dent be aware of the opportunities and the challenges that exist for him
in the study, the understanding, and the manipulation of the environ-
ment in which we live, sanitary engineering curriculums must be given
specific identification. The interdepartmental nature of some elements
of the curriculums is not in conflict with identifiability and is certainly
not unique in today's university programs
There is confusion even among sanitary engineers themselves as to
the function of the sanitary engineer within the engineering profes-
sioii as a whole and within society. Recently, there `has emerged the
concept of "environmental engineering" which is concerned with all
the eliviFonmental' factors to which man is exposed and which directly
affect his health and well-being. It is generally felt that the environ-
mental engineer should' be a generalist in terms of his knowledge of
the broad areas related to air, land, and water pollution o~ to physical
chemical, biological, radiological, etc~, insults to man. Unfortunately,
this generalist approach is in conflict with the ideas of this era in
which the "glamour" of science is associated with the specia'li~ts. In
order that our efforts be directed most effectively to the many scientific
and engineering problems of the environment, both generalists and
specialists are required. It is necessary to blend and utilize the taleiits
and capabilities of the entire engineering profession and of m'athe~
maticians, physieists,'Chemists, `and biological scientists,'who may have
`been `tmined in other areas, for the solution of water `pollution prob-
lems. `Specialists in environmental `science~ and engineering'can be
developed' `through the mechanism of intensive training j~rograms.
~Th,e general'public must be made more aware Of the ~`ressing environ-
mental prob~ems that we as a nation face; `The problems of water'
resources, urban development, solid wastes and `transportation require'
immediate, intensive research and development attention.
Inasmuch as sanitary engineers `have been traditionally hired pri-'
manly by State health departments, schools and `the Federal Govern-
ment~ the salary `levels which a graduate sanitary engineer can exp~Ot
to achieve are not comparable with those of other segments of the engi-"
n~ering profession, I believe it `is fair to state that the "glamour" `and
dignity of a given profession `are nearly aiways `associated with' the
degree of public ~awareness of' thefmictions `of'thO profession, and this'
in turn is nearly always associated with' expenditures `of money `by
industries, State and local governments, and the Federal Government
in areas associated with these functions. It is necessary to make salary
levels more comparable to other fields of endeavor.
PAGENO="0167"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY POW POLLUTION ABATEMENT 767
Question 14: P'ease furnish details of the criteria used jor awards
of grants and research contracts for water poUution abatem~ent re-
search.
Answer: Contracts-Research contract proposals are s~ibmitted to
this administration as unsolicited proposals or in response to published
requests for R. & D. qualifications and subsequent requests for pro-
`posals to solve specified research problems.
TJpon receipt of a proposal, our technical staff reviews it to deter-
mine its general priority with respect to our research needs. That is,
does it relate to a problem of significance, would it provide practical
and usable results, what is its probthle chance of success, what is the
~`payoff" if it succeeds and what is the negative impact on pollution con-
trol if it does not? Following this initial review, and assuming it is
favorable., a more detailed evaluation is performed by other research
~staff, often located at our field laboratories, who are specialists in the
;subject area of the proposal, by scientists and engineers in other
FWPCA activities, and by consultants (e.g., from universities, private
industry, or other agencies). Based on these more detailed evalua-
~tions of the technical soundness of the project and approach proposed
~as well as on the project's priority with respect to accomplishing our
program mission and the availability of funds, the final decision is
then made to negotiate a contract or not.
In summary, contract proposals are evaluated on the following
basis:
1. Relationship to program objectives and research needs;
2. Technical soundness of the proposal; . .
3. Cost of contract versus in-house project cost;
4. Capability of contractor;
5. Availability of funds and research jjriorities.
Grants---Proposals of independent investigators largely determii~
distribution of grant-supported research and development projects
Proposals are submitted~ ~ to the program in the form ot applicatio!is
which are reviewed by panels of non-Federal advisory consultants.
~This review' includes an evaluation of (1) scientific merit ~andsignif-
icance of the project;. (2) competency Of the staff responsible f or con-
ducting the type of research proposed; (3) feasibility of the ~project
and potentially `useful results; (4) adequacy of the applicant's re-
sources availnbie for the project; (5) amounts of grant funds needed';
~and (6) the relationship to the Water Pollution Control Admhiistra-
tion mission.
Question 15: There appear to be more and more opportunitiesr for
transferring p'o'llutio~ from one segment o~f the environment tO' an-
other, that is,f rem water to' air, or air to the soil~ Now' thai Pedera,l
Water PdUutior~ Control Administration has been transferredto the
Department of the Interior, what means are pi~ovided for ceordinc4ting
the efforts of yone agency with the air and solid waste pollution cow
..trol programs of the Public Health ,Sèrnice in the Dept~rtrnent of
~Health, Edttcation, ~nd WelfareY Also with the public health aspects
of the water pollution abatement pro graiine which, the co~iniimittee' `un~
derstands, have been retained in the Pv1blic Health Service' :bece of
their effecton public healthY
Answer.: Communication between the Federal WaterPoilutiOn Con-
trol Administi~ation and Public Health ServiOe, Department of Health,
PAGENO="0168"
78 ADE(~UACY OF TECHNOI4OGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
~Educatior~, and Welfare, is a continuous process. There are no formal
mea]~s yet established for coordinating the efforts of the FWPCA
and the air and solid waste pollution programs of the PHS, Depart-
ment of H~a}th, Eduoat,io~i, and Welfare. Since many of the staff of
the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration were employees
of the Pti~biic ticaith Service and a nun~ther of commissioned corps
officers have transferred to these pmgirams from the Fe4eral Water
~P~ilutkon, Control; Admi~istnation, a treat mumber ~E professional
contacts, both formal and i~iforn~al, have been developed and aire
maintained.
With respect to the public health aspects of water pollution abate-
ment programs, an interdepartmental agreement concerning consul-
tation on health aspects of water pollution control has been developed.
This agreement was signed by Secretaries TJdall and Gardner on Au-
gust 8, I9~6. The Presid~nt is no~w reviewing this agreement.
~e~stion. 16: J~s ~`óu~ age~wy cotc~rri~ed with~ res~irch in~o asp~c~ of
:&OCi~ e~ce ~o a~ t& ~tterprepttre the ~bZic to tcilce nece&s~a?y action
in~o~zr~rtion with ~ P~e~e Øv~ ~1etail~s~ of ~iii~it
~$ be doae, or rea~rn~ why thie ie ~ ~being do~e.
Answer: Under proposed expansion o~f research activities, the re-
search and development program of the Federal Water Pollution
Control Administration will conduct research into soeloeconomic as-
:pec'ts of the waiter pollution problem where there are gap ~areas in the
existing social sciences and to the extent that progress in the elimma-
tion of pollution is inhibited by these deficiencies of knowledge. Some
of our research grants have dealt with so~iOeeonomic research but
because of limiled fuu~~ng in the past, direct research has. ~ot been
conducted on socioeconomic aspects of watar pollv~tion. Definition of
specific research needs in this area I pht~nnedie1~u~~ing the current fiscal
year. Sev~raiI ~peci&~ research needa already recogini~d include dc-
~reloq~nient of methodotogy to determine (1) the optixmuaia modes of
financing audi cost allocation of waiter pollution control programs; (2)
the most eff~etive institutional arrangements, both on a nationwide
basis ahd on a regional basis, for the most efficient quality manage-
ment of the water resource. Research will be iuiti~ted in these areas
in isc~l rear 1q68.
~uee~tu~n 17: is your ~t9eQwy doing a~ res&irek iflto the effects i~
th w~y~ unt s~wo~wW work ~O ~d~c .~~Zh~tiônf Pkaseg&~~e
~etail~ of what ~s ~ein~ do~., ~r i~easons w~hy ~Ms is ~tat ~eing drni~e.
Answer: The Federal Water Pollution Control Adminisliration comrn
picted a preliminary study ~f the effluent charge during ~5. This
study was designed to determine the amount of the charge that would
produce the sathe water quality objectives as would be achicved by
p~s~r1bed traatmentlevels. Data and experience ~gained from the
Federal Water Pollution Control Administration. eomprehënsi~e
qttalit~ control. study of the Delaware River estuai7 we~'e used. The
theoretical coirpiitati~ns showed that a variable charge from ~ to 8
cent~ per pound M bioàkemicaloxygeiidemand (EOD~) di~charged to
~the stteam would be appropriate. . . .
Additional research ~n the~ problem is now being plituned. A4-
ministrative and technical problems which were~not considered hi the
frs~ e~ôrt~ ~illb~è~aain~ ~I1t is necessary tor evolve (~) the c~sts
rr~dpih~éd rto administer ~theisyste1n of efficont c~hargBe,4~the o~tioaal
PAGENO="0169"
A~rA~ OF ~CE~UO~ FO~ ~E~O ~tÔ~4~ ~M~EM~I~ ~
ifl~t~tut1OfliL1 ~f!rameWoi~k fk~r ti~ system ~ii~dI~ (b)'~th~ ~r~t Jf~i~
torli network f~r `rno~t e~i~i~ Opét~tio~i ~ ~Thethkdy
will ~Fso ~tten~pt to d~terthhie method~ fop ~ 1~1
the charges to Miow for i~pgi~ding in the ti~ c ~a~t1~'ti~ ~
Nation's water resotirce over tune, Attempth ~ill be ~mad~ adso to de~
termine industry attitude and response to such ~a ~yste~. These prep-
arations nre being made in conjutibtion with t~h~é Del~*~r~ ~i~r
Basin Commission.
Question 18: Recent news releases by the Depart~neut of the I~tt~or
suggest a "breakthrough" In control of algae in the ~tèr~ ~ivinp~
sewetge plant effluent, tlvtough ~ in pensiv'e inean~ of ~d~t~i'h~9 ~th~
am~unt of ph~sphatein th~e e#luent. Please cceplii~in the ~+npôøt~4e ~f
11 development reported, and h~w it `rehtes to ti~e ~ ~~t'~i
tMcom'rn4tt~e.
Answer': `Réi~ent investig~tioris at the ~mnhiciped sew~g~ tF~theilt
plant, San Antdni~, Te~., by the resea~óh staff o~f,our R~be~t 5. K~rr
Water ~ese~rch Center; Ada, 0km.,, have indi~ted that b~r ~
tion of modifications to acth~ted sludge ~t~x~e~s ~f~Jtihg t~am~
eters, removal of phosphorus to the 80 to 90 percent level may be
possible. The experimentation is still in the preliminary stage and
much work remains to be done before such modifications could be
applied on a broad scale throughout the Nation. The findings, how-
ever, are of potentially breakthrough signifiQance because of the possi-
bility opened for achieving much higher phosphate removals in con~
ventional treatment systems then thought possible. Effort in this
area is undergoing substantial acceleration.
In terms of the importance of this development, however, the dis-
cussion presented in response to questions 7 and 10 must be borne in
mind. Even with increases in phosphorus removal to the order of 80
or 90 percent the remaining 10 to 20 percent residual load will become
of real signif~cance in the near future. Further, elimination of algal
blooms, the primary manifestation of accelerated eutrophication is
not absolutely tied to the attainment of high efficiency phosphorus
removal from municipal outfalls. The mechanisms of accelerated
eutrophication and the waste components that are primarily'responsi-
ble for the development of algal bloom nuisance conditions are in-
completely known at this time. Nitrogen and phosphorus compounds
are generally believed to be associated with the development of such
conditions but the critical controlling contaminant could conceivably
be some other trace contaminant presently unknown.
Question 19: Is your agency doing any research on possibilities for
stimulating growth of algae or other aquatic plants and harvesting
them~ as a means of removing nutrients from sewage plant effluents.9
Answer: Algae, when their growth is stimulated in shallow ponds
with frequent mixing, can accumulate within themselves at least 80
percent of the nitrogen and from 75 to more than 98 percent of the
phosphorus in waste water depending upon the operating and environ-
mental conditions employed. Removals of this order can theoretically
be achieved if an efficient harvesting technique is used to separate the
algae from the water. A variety of harvesting methods have been
studied by a variety of investigators but none has yet been highly
successful from both technical and economic standpoints. Moreover,
the process is probably applicable only in areas of consistently high
PAGENO="0170"
~7Q *~QUi~CT QF. oE4oc~y FO~ ~
sunhigh~intensity for it a~ppears that the provision of ~rti1lc~ial light,.
to make the; process møre widely applicable, wgulc increase process~
cost prohibitively We have conducted research )ointly WIth the Los~
4~rige1es County Sanitation Districts at Lanca~ter,. Calif., on the re-
moval of'nutrients by aJ~ae with emphasis on the harvesting problenis~
involved A contract with North American Aviation (largely funded
through a transfer of funds from NASA) was devoted to the study
of forced algae growth for waste water treatment.
By physical-chemical methods now under study, more than 95 per-
cent of the nitrogen and essentially all of the phosphate can be re-
moved by adjustmeflt of the pH of certain secondary effluents to~
approximately 11. The phosphates are precipitated chemically while
the nitrogen, in the ammonia form, may be removed by air stripping.
In yet another approach to nutrient removal nOw under study, the
activated sludge process is controlled and modified to achieve biologi-
cal nitrification and `subsequent denitrification. Potentially, a large
percentage of the `:nit~'og~u may be removed by this process throug1~
biological conversion to harmless nitrogen gas.
PAGENO="0171"
RESPONSES To QUEsTIoNS 01" THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON SorsNcz, REsi~&RCH
AND DEVELOPMENT BY TIlE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Question 1: Would you discuss, in the light of the Department of
Defense experiences, the relationship between our capability to de-
velop standards and criteria, and the establishment of realistic en-
forcem~ent programs? (E.g., do we apply the same standards to our
camps in the United States and at places like Adale?)
Answer: Based upon the experiences of the Department of De-
fense, any realistic program for enforcement must recognize the wide
range on environmental quality which may be permitted to preserve
or enhance a specific environment for its desired utilization. A major
part of the problem, as indicated in our previous testimony is not so
much in the realm of technical or professional environmental experts,
as in that of socioeconomic-political value judgments.
Not only may different standards be appropriate for facilities in
isolated and remote areas, such as Alaska, or some of the Pacific areas,
but varying degrees of quality may be appropriate for different loca-
tions within the contmental limits of the tTnited States Ipso facto
application of a single"standard" for Federal installations would vio-
late some of the fundamental principles of political economics. In
that connection both the Executive orders on water pollution and air
pollution recognize that varying degrees of control may be appro-
priate in different locations and for different situations, and provide
for exemptions to the "standards" for water pollution and the use of
"secondary treatment." This does not establish a degree of effluent
quality, but rather establishes a treatment method to be used, and one
that affords a widely varying degree of efficiency in waste water treat
ment. As an example, some seëondary treatment processes might
remove 85 percent of the organic loading from the ~nfiuent to them, and
others as high as 95 percent. In combination with other processes,
depending upon the effluent desired, and the amount of expense willing
to be undertaken, virtually any desired degree of removal might be
achieved. The type of secondary treatment provided obvioUsly must
be based on professional judgment ~f.the many methods which might
be used to provide either effluent quality, or to prevent an adverse
effect on desired conditions in the receiving environment.
The question of varying requirements for varying desired uses has
long been studied by the specialists in the fields of water resources.
As long ago as the 1930 time period, suggestions as to the possible clas-
sification of waters by intended usages were developed. (See "Teiid-
encies and Standards of Rivers and Lake Cleanliness," Sewage Works
Journal, vol. VI, July 1934; and "Sewage Treatment," Imhoff and
Fair, McGraw.Hill Co., 1940.) The majority of existing statutes
of the various States follow the general philosophy enunciated in these
and similar authoritative works. The tremendous success of the par-
ticipants in the Ohio River compacts may be attributedto the reco~rii-
tion of these differences in requirements, and the use of a wide variety
771
PAGENO="0172"
772 ADEQUACY OF TECm~TOLooy FOE POLLUTION ABATEMENT
of enforcement techniques and procedures to attain the desired en-
`vironmental situation.
Any enforcement program, therefore, to be effective must be related
to a series of authoritatively established "value judgments." This
infers that the beneficial use of the environment can be specified or de-
fined in quantitative terms, that adverse effects can likewise be quan-
tified and that there are means available to protect the public health
and to provide for future needs. All of this must be capable of
being translated into a series of "thou shalt" and "thou shalt not"
rules.
There must be some effective means to determine if indeed an ad-
verse situation iii relation to the desired utility is actually existing.
The relationship between environmental quality and enforcement also
involves a means by which the regulatory procedures shall be enforced.
Tn the Senate report on this subject (S. Rept. No. 10, on the Federal
Water Pollution Control Amendments of 1965, 89th Cong., 1st sess.)
it was stated that water quality standards, as an example were not
designed for use primarily as au enforcement device. Rather their
principal objective was int,ended t~, be for the orderly development
and &mproven~jen~ of resources "without the necessity of adversary pro-
ceedings which inevitably develop in enforcement cases." This "per-
formnance standard basis" is utilized by a number of legislative author-
ities. This approach envisions that such "standards" provide an
engineering base or series of engineering benchmarks or guidelines
for th~ development of plans for facilities.
On the - agencies insist that they must
check each lesign to the last de-
tail. In some insta are speci fled in the
legislative action or hat some permits
or similar specific may result in a
failure to provide y.
From the - requirements should
and will upon geographical
location at at that location.
Further, actions will depend upon the
current s: uture requirements, cud the need for
flexibility to accommodate the changing needs ançl desires of the corn-
ruunity,
The range of environmental pollution control requirements for dif-
ferent geographical locations is the result of a number of considera-
tions. These include the è~tent of the need; and the variety of avail-
able measures to coiltrol pollution; time structure o:f local laws and regu-
lations; and to some extent the functional position of the enfQrcement
authority within the particular governmental entities involved. This
is not to say that there cannot be some general agreement regarding the
quality objectives for the various usages.
In the case of water, and perhaps in the case of the air resource,
objeetives can provide a basis for both the required degree of treatment
before injection of a potential pollutant into the environment and the
quality of the environment desired as a source of supply. The ap-
proachu used by the Food and Drug Administration in setting a toler-
ance for residues of pesticides on raw agricultural products is a case in
point. That which is permitted is somewhere between what is prac-
PAGENO="0173"
A1~EtQiVACY O~ T~iR~OLOOY FO~ [~O~~UTION ~BAT~M~NT 77.3
tical to prevent and what might be truly haimftiL It is never. above
what could be. harmful and always is established at~ a løvel which is.
prapticable to aehieve~and:which is meaeu~able.
In summary, any realistic enforcement program for envit~onmental
quality must have its basis in the state of knowledge and capability to
establish standards or criteria and must envision sufilcient flexibility to
accommodate to changes as improvements in knowledge, or alterations
in situations occurring. It is evident that in order to avoid unrealistic
programs for public expenditures as well as those in the prisrate sector
that there must be a high degree of communication between the various
disciplines involved including those of law, political science and eco-
nomics, as well as of ecology and environmental engiheering and
science. Of even more importance to any realistic program is the im-
provement of communications between the specialists and the public
at large.
Question 2: You have mentioned the iieed for ~ national plan for the
Federal departments and agencies for enajironmental poUution abate-
ment. Would you discuss further how the system$ approach could
be used i'n this effortY
Answer: In developing a national plan for environn~etital pollu-
tion abatement, it is essential that the three principal problem areas,
namely, water pollution, air pollution, and disposal of solid wastes be
viewed as part of an integrated larger effort to provide for the utility
of the Nation's environment and resources for the f.utur~ as well aS for
the present As has been widely recognized by the subcommrtte~, there
would appear to be solutions to certain of the pollution problems which
may not take into account the fact that they in turn create or intensify
others. Burning of refuse or disposal of it into so~ealled sanitary land'
fills instead of grinding it up and disposing of it through the water-
borne route is a case in point. In the first instance, burnmg may
create an air pollution problem, which admittedly might be offset by
proper wet scrubbing and disposal of the residue from the burning
operation. The extra cost of collection and transporting of the solid
wastes might well be offset by the recovery of the heat energy of the
waste and its use for power production (which the Department of
Navy is currently experimenting with). however, in the zeai to over-
come the pollution problem, the fact m~y be overlooked by some that
grinding of food wastes at the point of origin and that prompt diepo~
sition into the water carried systems eliminates a source of rodent and
fly breeding with attendent hazards of transmission of intestinal
diseases. "
There is a tendency in evaluating the potential of systems engineer-
ing and systems analysis to look at "objects" rather than the basic con-
cept. Admittedly some of the byproducts of modern `space technology
which have been incidental to our s~rstems approach do have an appli-'
cation to the problems of environmental pollution abatement. Some
of these have been cited in onr prepared testimony. Another by-
product which well might be investigated, is the use of nutrient rich
sewage effluents for the production of protein rich algae which could be
utilized for' animal foods or possibly, with sufficient re&ement, for.
human consumption.
Be that as it may, the fundamental requirementin the environmental
pollution problem is the need for the efficient allocation of resources.
PAGENO="0174"
`74 ~ ~ ~ c't~~1~'o1t LL1Y~Td±~ A~A~Ei\~tE~
Asis the case with ndti al~iefense the~tiblic desire is foi~ aneThc~tive
program. ~ there a ~public ~*essti*~'es tomtiintainJ
fiscal responsibility. The very mature of the ei~wironniental pollution.
pi~oblem eliminates a price n~echan{siñ or coinDetitive forces in the
cias~ic sense.
Whether one is undertaking a problem iiiY military planning, in in-
dustrial production, Or other forms ~f systems analysis, the principal
elements involved are: definitions of an objective or objectives; the
selection of alternatives and the detailed accumulation of information~
thereon; a study of the costs of resources required which can trace
relationships between inpnts and outputs, resources and objectives and
last, but not least, the selection of a criterion as a test by which one
alternative system may be chosen rather than another. As in the case
with most systems analysis problems and as ha~ been repeatedly stated
in these presentations, the central problem for both the near and long
term is the selection øf appropriate criteria. The words of Hitch and
MeKean in their book, "The Economics of Defense in the Nuclear Age,"
in relation to military problems appear to be most appropriate with
regard to systems engineering and systems analysis as related to the
environmental pollution problem. In that work they said:
Whatever ~jie ~aiitie~1ar proJ?lem~ military ~r civilian, it is fairly obvious that
1i~ choosing among alternative means to our en4i~ weneecj to s~az~ ~he end t~iem.~
~eives with a nri't'icai eye. NOw `teehniqmes or types of equ~pmemts may he cx-
tremely. efficient in ac1ii~ving'c~rtain aims, but these aims.may be the wrong ones.
Aim~s that are selected almost unconsciously or at least without sufficient critical
thought * * ~ ~Whilè good lutentions are sometimes reputed to be exc~l1ent
paving materials, t~liey do not j~ave :the way to preferred action. In practical
pr~oblenis `of thiilt*ry (or other) choice, there are always eonstraihts which pre-
vept t~s from simu1tai~Oously `achieving all our objectives,
These exponents `of th~comceptsof systems analysis furt~her went on
to~s~y that *hile ideall~r We: should choo~e ~ ~outse of action `whi~h
would maximiz~ soniething'like "the satisfaction of an individual" or
"the welF.bcing of~ group" that such a prescription usually prescribes
a little more thanwhat is wanted as being "the `best." `They hypoth~
esize that in' pra~ctical problem solving, we have to look at an
proximate" crit&ion, as a practical substitute for the maximization
of what we would ultimately like to have. Also there is a' need for
breaking down ~Uhe ~5roblem jnto component piec~s or' subproblems
which can be id~ntified' as `components of' the whole, but which are
thore readily `susceptible to practical real time solutions. This is
e~pecially applicable to `the ~nvirônmental `pollution question. ` An
example of this approach was outlined by Harry Hanson while the
Associate Chief for Environment Health, Office of the Bureau Chief,
U.S. Public Health Service, in 1964. He suggested that these tech-
niques could be used with smaller and simpler river basin basing sys-
tems. All of the è~dsting hydrologic use and quality `factors could be
established as a framework for analysis. Such a system could then be
challenged with hypothetical or predictable conditions of supply,
demand, use~ reuse, and quality requirements. Out of such an effort
more precise environmental resource and environmental quality
management programs could be developed. Similar applications to
the larger problems of water use requirements, the relation between
various pollntion implication of soii'cl wast~ procedures, could be
PAGENO="0175"
AD~th~dt ~F C1iNO~OGY FOJ~ ~ ~7~J
~ieve1opè4~ `Sithpi~ niod~els ais~ybotiid: I~e~déve1Oped ~n ~bt~sW~f~r
~egiond~e~iinational planrih~g ahdi~o~iining.
In m~kin~ a criti~a1 exax~inatiohbf they alt~ernáth~, a~r1' a~s~s~thent
~shouid b~ t~ade of the cost (both in the s~iise'of capitai'outl'ay*ndi~i
tie sense of adverse effect on resOtu~ce5 if no a~tion is tak~~') and the
`~itiiity or benefits or gains associatod with each of the' álte~nathes~
Having d~fine'd broadly the problem and then ~addre~sed attention
to concept and methodology, specific evalu~tioi~ studies sh'öuld be made
on a geographical regioxial basis with atteution directed first to those
areaS of known major problems. Obviously, since over 80 percent o~
the population is expected to be located in the 200 some odd standard
metropolitan areas in the next few years, primary attention shOuld be
given to those Federal installations located in or a~tjacent to these cen-
ters of population.'
It seems feasible to reduce some of the detailed planning `of actutd
programs and control systems to the typical network analysis and
~programing documents used in the PERT system to establish appro.~
priate reporting and control systems* to measure progress `toward the
previously developed objectives. Inherent ~ii this is the continued
~"roll forward" of the near-term plan, mi an annual reprograming'~ycle.
In applying, the systems methodology and the techni4ues suggested'
~above, it must be kept in mind that neither the plan nOr its imp1emen~
tation is solely the province of the technical expert. Specialists ~n
public administration, law, sociology, afid' economic~ must be jnvolve'd
~nd must participate with the professional environtimontail pollution
~abatement workers of the Federal departments in developing a truly.
Federal plan. Professor Morrisy' Gonzey of the University `of Colo~
rado, in hi~ paper, "Proposal for a Program `of Resea~'ch and Graduate
`Training in Environmental Economics," makes this point very well as
follows: " ` `
`Thus in the end, scientific analysis of tile ~conO'rnic and si3eial problem~ in-
*olved in ~nah1taining and improving the `~ualit~ of the i~tatural èhvU~ornnèi1t
becomes `intetdiscipliriary. This view iS of' ~our~e~,inherent iii th~ natn~e of
~stems anaiysis and program bud~eting. ., `, .`
While there may be violent disagreement in s'ome quarters r~garding
the results of the so-called syst~ins analysis, and other efforts to `inte~
grate all of the'multifacets of the poliutionproblein into a mth~ageabi'e
`form, `the `fact temain~ that sothe of the `experience and expertise `of
resource management inherent in these approaches can be' `applied
`with suitable'modification to the pollution abatement pToblem.' W~mile
"experts" may disagree with the results, depending upon th~r sp~èific
~orientation, the systems approach does prodube analytical ass~stanOe
upon which policy judgment can be `based. There is' a `great"ñè4d in
the environmental polintion program `as there is in those of defen's~ and
space for an assessment of alternatives, `and' of the effect thereo~i~ of
`what the economist terms, "1and~'.labor, and capital." The very per-
~vasive nature of the questions concerning environmental qnali'ty' ~nd
environmental pollution abatement make it vital that the requir~m'ehts,
constraints, and side effects on other national policies be e*aminea"ip. a
systematic manner~ In so doing, it must be recognized that the very
nature of the problem, with many different governmental jurisdiction~
and varying public `interest involved, indicates that there will' result
from such analysis a' spectrum of program choiees. The ultimate
PAGENO="0176"
~T~1 O~ ~p~LE~rIç~N ~
~ ~t~n ti~v~~ ~ ~1f~ç~1 ~
public domain It ~ 1~ye~ `~4~U~ ~ç~pt c~ ~ ~e8~h~p" i~
~`ea~LLy p~.tq t e~~e~t4 What j~ ~tq~i~ i~U~ Eed~ti i~i~it~ and
~geuc~eu~su1it 1~ptlie~te~t øf p~ti~1 rcsu1t~ ~o~oa~yo~ cpera-
tj~*; ~nd r~a~øi~iab1e ~p$t~1 irntrnei~t,
Q$tio'nS~ H~w do ~yo'u ~iew the role of the profee~sio~z~~Z ~pepiali8t
~ pro~d~g ~ ietter ,~ça~e of 1ç~wledge oi~ the ~c~rt of the ~nerct2~
n~k~ ~egaro~ing. the ~rob~ern~ of. e~v~r~nime~ai pcrillutio~ a4~vr~e~i4P
Ausw~r.: Tjie p~o~essi~ spe~4alist has a ~twral or pr essional ob~
~ga~ioi~to give the ~a~s o~f a~g~iven ~ituation ~s he se~ them without
~t$ei~pting to c~ol~r the views wilth his~ po~rsonai opinions, motivations~
d~ire~ poiit~cal or religious ~omvictions~ The "in~or~ti~i explo-
sion'~ thati~ aoo~rnp~yingtI~e spe~ed~ip~ adv~ce o~s nce~ and teeh~
nology and the rapidity of communication (particularly in the public
medj~) pres~nts a maj~r challenge to~ the professional spe~ialists in in-
formiz~g the public regarding environmental pollution. Many aspects
of tl~e question of environmental qnality in reality (as has been mdi-
c~ted in ou~ prepared testimony and in response to these additional
continuation questions), involve ~sub jective, reactions rather than ob~
jeotive analysis The impoz~tane~ of providmg information m a
* rea4iiy understandable f~rm br i~se by the general p~blio beco*i~s
irnmediatelyapp~rent.
The professioi~a1 speei~1ist in environmental polhitioii must ~écog'
nize that individuals (~d individuals collectively in groups)'
take a~ztion when the,satisfaetion to be derived from that action out-
weighs the discomforts and saeri~ces that he may have t~ undergo in
order to' ai~rive at that particular goaL This does not, infer that
people and populations behave in a rational manner. Population
preji~di~es, habits, ~nd just sheer inertia may prevent what appears to
be a perfectly logical and `necessary course from being underbak~n,
Expectations and apprehensions based on past experien~cçs. or on ip$e-
quate i~for~a~ion; alti~oiigh. ~n~ound~ecl, may prove to ,be~ a de4~iding
`determinata in in, `now being incorporated into the Defense Documentation
(enter, an4 the servi~esayaalab1e to the vaHous Federal depurtments
~d~.~g~ucies. through .th~~ationaJ Research, Côu~cil, National Ad-
~p~e~ter `onTo eo~ogyrepr~senii~o~s to ke~avaiable~o~n'~
PAGENO="0177"
~QF~ IQi~O~L)~ FQR~ POLLtTTION A~ATE~1EN~]? 77?
~pid reca~11 b&8is1U~e~ytL~4 aaiio~t of data~ being prodi~wed ~s~part of
our research, development, test, a~id evaluation p~g~a~us. What iS
needed however, is. somet g similar to4he NAS~ "Aeroepa~ Medi-
cine and Biology Continuing Bibliography," aimed at the broad prob
lem ofhnrn~n~ ecology and environmental pollution. This latter pub-
lication, compiled throujh the cooperative efforts of the Library of
Congress, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astroiiautic~, and
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, assembles within
the cover of a single announcement groups of references that were
formerly announced in. separate journals to provide a convenient com-
pilation for all scientists concerned with the problem. Development
of such a program would provide for an improved state of knowledge
within the various disnplrnes and for a better interchange of under
standing of wh~:t is being done in the interest concerned.
Another major effort on the part of professional specialists to de-
velop further general public awareness of the facts and problems of
environmental pollution is that associated with professional society
and intersociety actions, There are a great number of professional
organizations such as the American Society of Civil Engineers, the
A~merican Association for the Advancement of Science, the American
Institute of Biological Scientists, and many others, whose members are
* active in environmental pollution control. In addition to presenting
testimony before congressional committees which some of these orga-
nizations have done in tbe past, a much more vigOrous undertaking at
the State and local level in presenting technical opinions and views
before authorities concerned with le~'hiative matters and in the devel-
opment ot statements for issuance in the general public press, as in
form of reportsof their committees, would serve a most useful purpose
if the necessary care and restraint indicated above i~ exercised. Simi-
larly the various professional and interprofessional groups can con-
tribute a great deal to better understanding of the problems of p~llu-
tion through working with the secondary schools in furnishing guest
speakers, exhibits, and even instructional materials.
The professional specialist can assist greatly in better public under-
standing as he develops a better~ knowledge and appreciation of the
techniques and principles of modern communications Not all scien~
tists are good speakers, nor are they endowed with ability to translate
complex scientific and technical problems into readily understandable
terms, However, an increaSing awareness of the importance of the
techniques utilized in television, radio, and other mass communication
media including the traditional one of the public periodical and daily
newspaper wifi assist in providing the general public with the necessary
information upon which it can make the judgments at the polls and
through their legislative representatives. The scientist and all other
specialists in environmental pollution have the task of translating
information to the public, in readil~ understandable form. In so
doing, the aim of providing a basis for judgment by those who must
exercise some (the public up to through the iegisTh~tive process) will
be best served if the features of the scientific method described by
Karl Pearson in the last decade of the 19th century~ are followed.
These are: .
(a) Careful and accurate classification of . facts and observa-
tions of their correlation and sequence;
c8-240--66-vol. II-12
PAGENO="0178"
AU~r~btba~y bILtfl?ItYN A~A~t~M~
(1~) Th~ ~ &~I!'Iit~the~ ~r~i!d~f tli~~t~IP~
i~iWginationiid~
(`e) 3S~ c±biki~sh1(and~wfihitii t~ch~o~ëof ~qu~aiii~lidi~iy fo~ au
normally con~titttt~dmh~ids.
Questiq~t ~: Do the pre8ent procedures foro~itaini'~tg f~~IJ~ for po1iu~-
~i'on .abdten~e~itt a~d the r&9earch ther~on'aff è~th~ t1ie'Depa~rtment of
Deie~e c~ee&te~ctny special p~ob7e~ivsr
Answer~ The existing procedures for the military construction pro~
gram do `presentsome' probl~xns insofar as `$llution abatem~nt proj-
ects for the military departments and agencies are concerned. Nor-
mally t1~e typical military cOnstruction cycle involves something over'3
years from the time of identification. of the need for the project and its
completion. National defense plans and decisions affect the size `and
* ~scope of the military construction program ~nc1 individual installa-
tions are `continuafly engaged' in evaluation of `their requirements to
meet epproved Defense programs. There `are no special provisions in
`the current statutes and procedures for the military construction pro-
gram whiCh apply to air and eater pollution abatement projects or
exempt `them from the scrutiny required tO establish their `relative
importance and urgency in budget prior to jn~lusion `of specific proj..
ects in the budget: program to be submitted' by~ ~the President to the
Congress. , Development `of a**typical* fiscal *year~s military `construc-'
ti'on program in~oives ~pp~ro~imately 1 yea~ of in si~veplant~ing and
review'. In this rOviOw, pollution' `abatem~n~ projects must stand On
their merits as compared with~ other rOquirements' directly related to
the operational missiOn and personnel support.
Under the proirisions of Executive `Orders' l12~8 and 1128~ new
facilities must be'providod with adequate measures for control of pol-
lution, and pollution control for existing' f~ciiities xniI~t meet' estab-'
lished standards. ~This ~vi'll necessitate' the inclusion ~f apprO~riate
pr~ect~ for e~p~nsion of existing facilities `~vhere tl~ey ~a~e inadeqi~ate.
Normally thi~ w~il not preser~t very n~iany p~Ob~n~s, exceptin the case
of installations in ~hich~éxisting~waste di~~Qsa~i facilities~:are recog~-
rii~ed a~s requiring up~ading,*or*imprcwe1nent `but * no' iffintecliate
nrgenc~ exists.' `Asse~ssi~i'ent of p~or~tie~ thay~be di~cult particularly
in' view of the "leadership" req~uire*inent of the Ex~cntive order~ Li~e~
wise, serious problems emerge'in getting authorization and appropria-
tiobs for initia~tiOi~ of work that is deemed necessary by a' State or
other regulatory authority with completion desired ~ooner than that
prov~id'ed `in the military construction program.
This problem has been recognized by `the' military depa~rtments and
it is `currently being studied by ~ `working grQup of `th&DOD'En~riron..
thental `Pollution Control Committee and representa~Fves of the `Office
of the General counsel of the Department of' Defen~e~ Proposals
will be included in the Department's legislative program which will al-
low for special identification of environmental ~polintion abatement
projects. `In addition, it is' envisioned that some'special provisions
might be requested' which `would `allow e~peditious authorization of
projects of a special and urgent nature.
At the present time, there is no special identification of environ-
mental pollution abatement research programs. * A considerable
amount of effort `is uindertaken by the military departments `and agen-
cies on research either directly associated' with pollution control from
PAGENO="0179"
ADEQUACY ~ TECHNOLOGY FOIt'POLLVTION ABATE~1ENT 7i~
military facilities and ,~ssocia~e~ with milItary systems; or which
I~as a bearing upon pollution abatement pr~b1ems No specific prob
lems have been experienced insofar as apprOval of necessary research,
developthent test, and evaluation programs is concerned. ~kwe~er,
due to the structure of the research prOgram of the Departi1~ei1t, it is
~sometimes djfficuIt to identify all elements of the research program
which n~ight be considered as having a relationship to pollution abate-
:ment. Here again, this problem has been recognized and is currently
~su'bject of study and evaluation to determine the best course of action
`to be followed in the future. There were a number of recQmmendatic~S
~contained in the President's Science Advisory Committee's report
which have definite implications to the Department of Defense's re-
~search activities. In addition to means of better identification of the
projects and programs conducted by the military department, the need
for some specialized overall research identification and program is
being carefully considered.
Question 5: Do you believe that many of the currently proposed
~pi4ografl?i$, such a~ the $0 billion program to separçtte storm and 8am-
tary ,wwers are "cost effective" with regard to our military installa-
/tions?.
Answer: The question of "cost effectiveness" of pollution abate-
ment works is extremely difficult to unswer. Before elaborating upon
some of the general issues, information on the spe~cific case of separa-
~tion of combined sewers may provide an insight into the larger
~question.
The majority of Defense, facilities and installations hai~e been built
`with either separate sanitary and storm drainage syst~ms o~ storiTi
~water is carried away through surface runoff channels. At some
installations, it has been found that there is a large volume of, wate~r:
infiltrating into the combined storm and sanitary sewer collection
systems. As a result, the flow reaching the waste water treatment
:faciity is v~st1y disproportionate to the population, served. Cost of
constructing new separated collection systems h~s been compared to
the initial capital outlay and annual operating eo~ts which would be
required to provide for the total flow. In other `instances, increasilig
~buildup of the occupied areas of the installation has resulted ~in a
decrease in the time' of concentration of surface runoff reaching the
combined sewers as well as an increase `in volume. Here again, analy-
sis has indicated that a tradeoff exists. in the costs of, new collection
~systems versus increases in plant capacity. At such installations, plans
`have been formulated for modifièation and improvement of the exist-S
ing collection system.
Another consideration in determining separation of existing com-.
`bined sewers at some military bases has been the heavy degree of in-
dustrialization of the military installation with resulting geneintion of
`industrial wastes which adversely affect domestic sewage treatment'
~operations.
It is emphasized that these projects have `been undertaken on an
`individual installation by installation basis based on demonstrated
`needs. Insofar as current and future construction projects are con-
cerned, the three military departments have established policies for
the construction of only separate systems.
PAGENO="0180"
7~O ADEQUACY OF TECHNOL9QY ~`OR PQLLIJTION ABATEMENT
With regard to the more generalized problems of cost effective-
ness of environmental pollution, the established Department of De-
fense programing procedures take into aiccount both near and long
term requirements. The economics of environmental pollution abate-
ment require that the problem of allocating resources efficiently within
the present technology be distinguished from the problem of advanc-
ing the state of the art and for developing new technology. The ques-
tion of cost effectiveness of environmental pollution abatement pro-
grams and procedures can be thought of as being somewhat analogous
to tl~e economic analysis utilized in some aspects of D~fense Depart-
ment planning and programing (see also answer to question 2). There
is no question but that the problem of environmental pollution abate-
ment requires immediate remedial and interim preventive measures
or that new technology and new concepts will be developed to pro-
vide for the future. There is likewise no question but that the Fed-
eral departments and agencies must undertake activities to abate and
prevent pollution from their installations and operations. From a
truly cost effective viewpoint insofar as the Department of Defense is
concerned, the direct cost associated with installing, operating, and
maintaining environmental pollution abatement control procedures
contributes only incidentally to the maintenance of military effective-
ness. The principal direct gains and costs of the Defense program are
associated with such desired ends as deterrent and limited war capa-
bilities. Direct costs are the goods and services which are necessary
to the national seduirty program. There are many indirect impacts
of Defense operations, some of which may be described as benefits and
others as costs. Since environmental pollution control programs con-
tribute to the preservation of natural resources and through their
effect on improvement in health and well-being of the population to
the Nation's manpower potential, there are some Defense implications
in the indirect benefits of these expenditures. In "The Economics of
Defense in the Nuclear Age," Hitch and McKean point out that it
should be recognized that there are numerous spill-over benefits to
private sectors of the economy from Defense operations. They pointed
out that highways built for Defense purposes, sea and air navigational
aids, military education programs, and research on Defense activities
provide contributions to the national well-being. This applies also
to the environmental pollution abatement expenditures.
Like military problems, the central consideration in assessing cost
versus benefits or cost effectiveness is the need for definition of the
objective. In attempting to assess the cost effectiveness of a par-
ticular program, the ultimate end must be carefully scrutinized so
as to arrive at criteria which allow a realistic judgment. The meth-
ods of operation of Department of Defense programing do result
in this sort of analytical approach to our environmental pollution
abatement programs. Where the objectives are not clearly specified
in form of environmental quality standards or statements, necessary
judgments are made utilizing the best available information and
consideration of the various alternatives. When viewed against that
rationale the military programs for environmental pollution abate-
ment do indeed have a cost effectiveness basis. Insofar as f lie larger
issue of the national programs, it is believed that the technique dis-
cussed with regard to question 2 and the comments relating to systems
PAGENO="0181"
ADEQUACY' OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 781
nnaiysis do provide a means whereby a cost ei~ective approach `can be
taken.
Question ~: Eow does the Department of Defense arro~ngepriorlties
and plans for pollution abatement for .~ubmission to the Bureau of
the l3uclget and the con9ressY Are these plans in consonance with
national progams developed by the Federal Water Polution Oontrol
Administration, HEW, or however~
Answer: The military departments and agencies, in accordance with
general guidance developed by Department of Defense Environmental
I~ollution Control Committee, analyzed their requirements for pollu-
tion abatement works and, programs and developed their phased plans
for inclusion in the consolidated Department of Defense reports to the
Bui eau of the Budget Executive Order 11258 required the submission
of the first plan for water pollution to the Bureau of the Eudg~t on
July 1, 1966, with an annual revision thereafter.' This plan was re-
quired to be developed in consultation with the Federal Water Pollution
Control Administration. The first plan for air pollution abatement
will be submitted in accordance with the Executive order on July 1,
196~T.
In the case of the water pollution abatement plan for fiscal years
1968-~2, the plan was developed as a best estimate of the facilities to
be provided and a time phasing schedule contemplated for its ac-
complishment. It was recognized that the plan does not constitute
an actual budgetary program since it must be subjected in each fiscal
year to the normal budgetary processes and will have to be revised
annually. In the case of water pollution, the initial plan gave highest
priority to those installations which could connect to municipal sys-
tems which would be constructed in the near future, and to those instal-
lations which were not in compliance with State and local regulations.
Following this, priority was given to installations having no treat-
ment, and then to those with primary treatment only.
Due consideration in assessing priorities was given to the recom-
mendations outlined in the Subcommittee on Natural Resources and
Power, House of Representatives Committee on Government Opera-
tions' reports.
The proposed military departments' plans and programs were re-
viewed with representatives of the regional program directors of the
Federal Water Pollution Control Administration prior to submission
to the Bureau of the Budget. Comments and recommendations re-
garding installations which they considered should have been included
and were not, as well as other suggestions regarding the plan, were
furnished to the Department of Defense. The plan has been for-
warded to the Bureau of the Budget who, it is our understanding,
will have a more detailed review from a national planning viewpoint
accomplished by the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration
prior to advising the various departments as to any changes or modifi-
cations required.
In the case of air pollution, instructions are currently being formu-
lated for issuance in the form of a Bureau of the Budget circular
which will provide guidance to all Federal departments and agencies.
Representatives of the various Federal departments have been con-
sulted regarding specific problems associated with the development of
the:Lr plans. It is anticipated from information currently available
PAGENO="0182"
7&2 ~ADEQUACY OF T~CW~OL02Y FOR POLLtTION A~AT~MENT
~that a report. will be required for those installation~ i~ot meeting the
repiireüient~ of the Executive order and regu1atio~s, `and a ph'as~d
and orderly plan for correction will be submitted. This ~1an will be
reviewed by the Bureau of the Budget, and the the Division of Air
Pollution and the departments advised thereon.
In both air and water pollution control (and in the future on solid
wastes disposal) it is hoped that by close, communication with the
department having primary responsibility (the Division of Air Pol-~
lution, U.S. Public Health Service; Office of Solid Wastes Disposal,~
ITS Public Health Service, and the Federal Water Pollution Con
trol Administration) the priorities and time phasing in the consoli-
dated Department of Defense plan will reflect overall national con-
cepts and programing `philosophies. It is intended to expand the'
efforts of coordination at the departmental level and in the regional
and field activities as well.
PAGENO="0183"
RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS OP THE SUBcoMMrrr~roR S~IE~cE,,RESEARC1r,~
AND DEVELOPMENT BY MR. BERThAM C. RAYNES,,RANDDEVELOPMENT
CORP.
Question 1: Zn yowi' testimony before the &,~bcovvimit'tee' onScience,
Research, and Development, Committee on &isnce and A.st~onawtib8~
on July 28, in answering questions about the coal process in treat~nV
sewage, you made reference to the increased effl~iency' possil~le' with
this process when the coal could be burned after use and the energy'
of the coal recovered. You mentioned that this step' was on'i~j'feasibte'
in the larger sise plants; how is the coal to be disposed of after use'
in smaller plants if it is not to be burned? If t has to be buri~d or'
otherwise disposed of on land, does this not add to tile' pollution of
the soil? Zn the larger plants where the used coal is `burned' doe's not
* this process merely transfer the polluted material absorbed' b~y~ the cocd
from water into the atmosphere?
Answer: My reference is to increased economy possibi~e' when the'
coal-sewage solids mixture is burned with recovery of the' thermal
energy it pos~esses. Plant effluent quality rem'aii~s' the' same regardless
of the fate of this m~terjal.' Incin~eration is the disposal means we~
favor. Incineration' can be carried.out regardless of tize' size' of' `treat-
ment plant involved and at' some scale of operation (`perhaps for a.
plant serving 25,000 to 50,000 persons), reëovery of the energy becomes
economically attractive in-plant. If the plant is `situated near an~
`already existing bOiler it is entirely possible the coal mixture from
even a very small plant can be used economically.
~By no means are we interested in substituting one pollution proble~i'
for another. We do. `not want to pollute the air in the process' of help~
ing to control pollution of surface waters. Sewage treatm,emt plants~
which produce "sludges-both, primary `and secondary treatment
plants-often `incinerate those ~iudges' for disposal. The coal-based
sewage treatment process `does not eliminate the:air pollution problem,.
but it can decrease it b~cause higher in~inera'tioi~ temperatures and~
`afterburner `temperatures can be used than with `sludge. I'd' like to'
work on `air pollution problems, but haven't yet.
Question 2: In your statement you made ref ere~wre to the Federci2
Government forcing industry to take care of its wastes.' Do you fe'eZ'
that if the aove~*~ent' does, through legislation, force this step to `be
taken, that the necessary technology `will be produced by this action?'
Answer: Necessity ha's `always been the father of technology.
Question 3: In urging that the Federal Water Pollution Control'
Administration set up a troubleshooting group of e~rperts to help work'
out the practical problems of operation of sewage treatment plants in
smaller towns,does this not put the Federal Government in direct corn-
petition with sewage plant engineering firms?
Answer: I don't believe so. Engineering firms are not sewage plant~
operators. If equipment fails, engineering firms can help, or the'
783
PAGENO="0184"
784 ADEQUACY OF TECITNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
equipment manufacturer can help. My suggestion concerns plant
operation and technique.
Question 4: Do you believe it is realistic to force industry `to return
"pure" water to streams regardless of the cost of necessary treatment?
A~e you not afraid that lack of capital will hinder any such effort?
Answer: Sir, a chemical engineer can never ignore costs. Granted
that cleaning up pollution is ~xpensFve. But not cleaning up polhition
is expensive, too. Industry pays to clean up its water supply. Mu-
nicipalities pay to clean up their water supplies. There are dama~ges
~to public and private property caused by `~1li~h arkl corrosion. AndY
there are other costs, the esthetic losses. It wa~y he, in fact, unrealistic
not to require industry to return clean water' to streams-on a cost
basis alone. I haven't seen a balance ~heét on these costs; some say
it will cost too much, and some say it will be worth the' cost. A good,
complete balance sheet would bo useful in permitting an objective
assessment of which approach will `actually costless. Perhaps this
committee could authorize th~ developi~nent of sw~h a bal~~ce sheet:
Question 6: Your statement suggests t7zo,~t yau
FIGunis 8
Question 2: What are your views on the problem~ of ultimate dis-
posal of nuclear fuel wastes (after reprocessing) when nuclear-electric
power becomes a dominant factor?
Answer: In a broad sense, this question has been the subject of con-
siderable study, concern, and--in many cases-debate by nuclear in-
dustry professionals, State and Federal agencies, and other interested
groups or individuals both domestically and worldwide for over two
decades. During this time, high-level waste handling practices have
evolved and sufficient operating experience has been accumulated to
prove the applicability and, in general, the acceptability of these meth-
od~ for radioactive waste storage on an interim basis, as contrasted to
permanent or ultimate disposal.
Fission product wastes derived from solvent extraction separations
plants (the current standard reprocessing method) are generally classi-
fied into four categories: high-, intermediate-, and low-level aqueous
wastes, and gaseous wastes. The principal characteristics of these
waste streams are as follows:
High-level `wastes.-High-level waste is generally the waste raf-
finate from the first cycle of solvent extraction. This raffinate stream
is acidic and contains 99.9-plus percent of all the fission products orig-
inally present in the spent nuclear fuel. The raffinate stream is
normally concentrated by evaporation to yield a final waste solution
of a few hundred gallons per ton of uranium processed. This final
high-level waste solution is stored in either an acidic or alkaline form
in underground tanks (either stain]ess steel or mild steel) with an-
cilia ry operdt.mg facilities and instrumentation to detect inaloperation
of the sped lie contai muent systems employed.
The water rejected from the waste concentration step above is con-
taminateci with far lesser quantities of fission products than the orig-
inal high-level wastes and is subsequently handled as an intermediate-
level waste.
PAGENO="0217"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOE ?OLLUTION ABATEMENT 817
intermediate-level wastes.-These wastes are generally composed of:
1. Second-cycle wastes derived from the solvent extraction
process.
2. First cycle waste condensates.
3. Coating wastes derived from the chemical decladding of
nuclear fuel elements.
4. Aqueous wastes accumulated from washing and purifying
the organic extractant.
These wastes, either singly or pooled, are concentrated by evapora-
tion. The distillate is routed to the low-level waste treatment system.
The concentrated waste (still bottoms) is stored in underground tanks.
The volume of intermediate-level waste generated per ton of uranIum
processed is several fold larger than that for the high-level waste.
Low-level wastes.-Low-level wastes are made up of water rejected
from the distillation of intermediate-level wastes, process cooling
water which has the potential of becoming contaminated, and other
related process streams. This very large volume waste stream is
treated by various methods to reduce the fission product content to
acceptable levels and is then discharged to the environment. The
fission products which were removed or "scavenged" from this solu-
tion are retained by tank storage on the plant site.
Gaseous wastes.-Gaseous wastes contain volatile fission products
(for example, krypton and xenon) and other fission products that eS~
cape the chemical separations operations with process and ventilation
air (for example, radio-iodine, tritium, and so forth). The gaseous
wastes are treated chemically and filtered extensively to meet discharge
limits for the disposal of gaseous wastes to the atmosphere.
CHARACTERISTICS OF WASTE STORAGE PRACTICE
From the foregoing, it is immediately evident that:
1. The fission product wastes are retained at the separation
plant in a liquid and mobile form. Thus, these wastes nre stored,
not disposed of.
2. The only material disposed of, in the strictest sense and ex-
eluding the gaseous wastes, is water.
3. The integrity of the storage vessel is all important. Suc~
cessive generations of storage tanks must be available as the
original vessels fail from corrosion or other causes.
4. The storage system must be monitored continually to detect
failure of the containment system resulting in the unwanted dis~
persal of fission products in a mobile form to the environs.
ACTIVITIES IN TIlE WASTE MANAGEMENT FIELD.
The U.S. Atomic Energy Commissioia is currently supporting a
multimilhon-dollar program within theAEC complex to develop and
demonstrate practical and economic means of converting high-level
aqueous wastes, typical of those assumed ~q be produced by the com-
mercial fuel reprocessing industry, ~o immobile solids. These fission
product-containing~ solids, either as calcrnes or. after conversion to
`~glasses," are to be packaged rn ~high. integrity ~metal containers suit-
able for permanent storage in special geo~ogic~tl formations, that is, salt
mines, and so forth. It is to be noted that the conversion of the, liquid
PAGENO="0218"
818 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
waste to a solid form results in an additional benefit; namely, the
volume of calcined waste is the order of 1 cubic foot per ton of uranium
processed as contrasted to a value of several hundred gallons per ton
for the liquid waste. This program is scheduled for completion in
the next 2 to 3 years.
Similar, but less extensive, programs are also being carried forward
by the AEC for the conversion of intermediate-level wastes to im-
mobile forms. Activities in the foreign field are also being pursued
along technical lines paralleling those of the U.S. Atomic Energy
Commission.
FUEL RECOvERY OPERATION-WASTE MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES
During the 1970's and beyond, it. is expected that nuclear electric
power will play a major role in the `domestic electric power field, and
as a consequence there will be a considerable amo~1nt of activity in
the commercial nuclear fuel reprocessing business with the attendant
production of fission product wastes.
The General Electric Co., through its fuel recovery operation, plans
to participate in this expanding commercial business and will em-
ploy a technically advanced (relative to solvent extraction) reprocess-
ing system for the recovery of the valuable constituents of spent nu-
clear fuels.
The waste handling `operations planned for this advanced process--
the aquafluor process-are consistent with our `overall views on radio-
active materials waste management; namely:
1. The high-level reprocessing waste will be converted to dry,
solid form and subsequently sealed in metal containers. These
waste containers will be retained at the `separations plant to per-
mit periodic evaluation of the integrity of the packaged waste
and to allow for waste accountability and/or retrieval, if desired.
2. Intermediate- and low-level wastes will be stored in a solid,
nonmigratory matrix.
3. No liquid waste will be discharged to the surrounding sur-.
face or ground.waters.
SUMMARY
In summary, it is our view that:
1. All high-level radioactive wastes should be converted to a
solid, nonmigratory form.
Since some of the fission products in high-level waste, for ex-
ample, Sr-~90, Cs-137, Pu-239, represent a significant hazard to
man for many centuries, this waste should be packaged and stored
so that surveillanceand retrieval is po~Sible.
2. Intermediate-level waste, although not as significant a hazard
to man as high-level waste, should at least be stored in a noninig-
ratory matrix.
3. Gaseous wastes may be discharged to the environment as long
as the radioactive content is below discharge limits as set by regu-
latory agencies. It can be noted, however, that recovery of kryp-
ton and xenon from gaseous wastes may become attractive as the
separations industry matures. It `is unlikely that their recovery
would be based on health ~uid safety criteria, bnt rather for their
subsequent use ascommercial chénik~als.
PAGENO="0219"
RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS 01? THE SuEaoMMn~rEE ON ScIENCE, RESEARCH,
AND DEVELOPMENT rnr DR. CHARLI~S A. Bisilor, U.S. STEEL CORP.
Question 1: How does the steel industry `view the possibilities for
recycle of metals in manufactured goods-autos, refrigerators, and so
forth?
Answer: The steel industry has through the years been a purchaser
of scrap for recycle. According `to a recent statement before the Sen-
ate subcommittee considering bill S. 3400, Mr. W. S. Story, executive
vice president of the Institute of Scrap Iron & Steel, stated that in the
past 2 years steel mills and foundries bought more `than 30 million tons
of prepared scrap annually. This included more than 6 million tons
of auto scrap.
Scrap may be contaminated with foreign materials such as copper,
nickel, zinc, lead, tin, aluminum, rubber, plastics, and so forth. While
none of these foreign materials are helpful, at least three-copper,
* nickel, and tin-cannot be removed in the normal course of making
steel. Accordingly, preparation of scrap by the scrap dealer is the
only safeguard. However, I understand a great deal of thought is
being given in many different quarters to solving the segregation
problemby mechanical and magnetic methods.
In reading about the recycling of scrap, it is apparent that th~re are
many ancillary problems, such as. the collection of scrap in a neighbor-
hood, the legal redtape as to the ownership of discarded vehicles, re-
frigerators, and other junk left on public property, and the ultimate
transporation of `the processed scrap to the steel plants.
Question ~: Regarding the need in a nuQmber of industries for a
j~ocess to remove SO2 from stack gases, could this best be attacked by
Federal R. c~ D. contracts, or by an int;erindustry cooperative pro-
gram, or by individual process engine~ring companies?
Answer: Since so many industries burn coal and oil, there is a broad
interest in processes fOr removing SO2 from stack gases. I believe
that the initial studies should be carried out by Federal E. & D. con-
tracts, either by Government agencie~ such as the Bureau of Mines, or
by private research groups. For processes which, show promise,
grants should be made for demonstration plants to teSt the engineer-
ing design features.
819
PAGENO="0220"
RESPONSES `ro QUESTEONS or `rirs SUBCOMMflTEE ON SCIENCE, RESEARCH,
AND DEVELOPMENT BY DR. C0LIN M. MACLEOD, EXECUTIVE OPrICE
OP THE PRESIDENT
Question 1: Could you describe existing coordination mechanisms
within the executive branch for scientific activity in environmental
poUutionY
Answer: The President's Office of Science and Technology functions
to coordinate scientific activities on environmental pollution in a
variety of ways. In addition to providing advice and assistance to
the President by evaluating programs and assisting to develop policies,
the Office assists in coordinating agency activities through frequent
formal and informal contacts with agency representatives.
The Office of Science and Technology maintains close liaison with
the Federal Committee on Pest Control, including attendance at all
meetings of FCPO. The Office also works closely with the Bureau
of the Budget in providing leadership in the planning of Federal
* Government programs, Organization, and policy on matters of environ-
mental pollution.
The OST staff is presently analyzing and evaluating the responses
of Government agencies to the President's request for recommenda-
tions as to how the Federal Government can best direct its efforts
toward advancing understanding of natural plant and animal com-
munities and their interactions with man, which is concerned directly
with environmental pollution and natural beauty.
The Office provides a staff member to participate in the President's
Council on Recreation and Natural Beauty.
The Committee on Water Resources Research of the Federal Council
for Science and Technology has evaluated the needs for research in
problems of water pollution by the Federal Government. Its recom-
mendations on water quality management and protection are included
in the report "A 10-Year Program of Federal Water Resources ~e-
search" (1966). The work of the FCST Committee on Water Re-
sources Research was supported by the Panel on Water Resources of
the Office of Science and Technology. The recommendations of the
Panel are reflected in the report of the FCST Committee on Water
Resources Research.
In addition to the 10-year program for water resources research,
the Federal Council for Science and Technology has issued progress
reports on Federal water resources research for each of the past 3 years.
The President's Science Advisory Committee, for which OS~ pro-
vides staff support, has studied in depth a number of major pollution
problems and has made recommendations for policies and programs
needed to alleviate them. Examples include the PSAC reports: "Use
of Pesticides" (1963), "Restoring the Quality of our Environment"
(1965), and "Effective Use of the Sea" (1966). At the present time
the Office of Science and Technology and the Bureau of the Budget are
analyzing and coordinating the responses of Government agencies to
820
PAGENO="0221"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION A$ATEMENT 821
the recommendations in the report "Restoring the Quality of Our
Environment" and will take actions based on this analysis.
Question 2: Is there a formal procedure whereby Federal activities
which might result in lowering the quality of the environment can be
revieved in the light of broader public interest considerations.~ (Such
a function might be similar to the Federal Committee on Pest Control.)
Answer: At the present time there is no organization whose pri-
mary responsibility is to review comprehensively Federal activities
that might result in lowering the quality of our environment. The
Federal Committee on Pest Control is concerned with insecticides,
fungicides, nematocides, herbicides, and bactericides. In aUdition, the
Special Assistant for Science and Technology, under a national se-
curity action memorandum, has the responsibility to review large-
scale experiments that might have a deleterious effect on the environ-
ment. Major problems of environmental pollution have been evalu-
ated from time to time by thePresident's Science Advisory Committee
as noted above.
The evaluation the Office of Science and Technology and the Bureau
of the Budget is presently making of the recommendations of the
PSAC report "Restoring the Quality of Our Environment" and the
responses of Government agencies to that report, includes considera-
tion of establishing either an interagency committee on environmental
pollution or a committee of the Federal Council for Science and Tech-
nology to be concerned with problems of environmental pollution.
The PSAC report made the following recommendations concerning
identification of problems and coordination of actions:
"(a) The Federal Council for Science and Technology should es-
tablish a Committee on Pollution Problems, composed of its own
members.
"(b) The National Academy of Sciences-National Research Coun-
cil should be asked to establish an Environmental Pollution Board,
to be supported by Government grant.
"(c) This NAS-NRC Board should meet jointly with the FCST
Committee at least once a year to discuss newly recognized broad
problems and current changes in the apparent importance of those
previously recognized.
"(d) The Board and Committee should cooperate, through working-
level mechanisms such as joint panels, to identify the most pressing
broad problems, and the general character of new knowledge or tech-
niques needed to study or ameliorate them."
Our current evalaution of the PSAC report is deeply concerned
with these recommendations.
Question 3: What is your view on the "National Commission for
Environmental Protection" suggested by the NAS report "Waste
Management and Control"Y
Answer: In my opinion a high-level planning and coordinating
body should be established such as the "National Commission for
Environmental ProtectiOn" suggested in the NAS report, or mech-
anisms such as were recommended in the PSAC report and noted im-
mediately abOve.
When the OST/BOB evaluation of the PSAC Report "Restoring
the Quality of our Environment" has been completed, we will be in
a much better position to recommend what type of planning and
coordinating body or bodies should be established.
PAGENO="0222"
RBSPONSES TO QUESP~ONS OF THB SUBO MITT~EE ON SCIENOB, EESEARO~,.
AND DEVBLOrMENT BY Du. Jorn~ L. Buc1~LET, Di~rA £1~IE~T OF TE1~
INTERIOR
Question .1: Could you furnish a table or chart showing all of the
Departni~ent of the Interior scientific activity in environmental polk~-
tioñ by sub,ject and organizational structure; and any formal or in-
formal coordination mechanisms with other agencies?
Answer: Department of the Interior Scientific Activity in Environ~
mental Pollution:
Organ&~tion4Z UnAt and subject
Bureau of Mines:
Air pollution: Removal of pollutants from fuels; improved com-
bustion; removal of pollutants from. stack gases.
Solid wastes: Mining and manufacturing wastes; recycling of
metals.
Water pollution : Acid mine drainage control.
Sport Fisheries and Wildlife: Effects of pollution: Especially pesti-
cides; acid mine drainage;
Bureau of Commercial Fisheries: Effects of pollution: Especially
pesticides and radionuclides, pcdlution of estuaries.
Bureau of Reclamation: Water pollmtiou: Especially irrigation in-
duced. salinity.
Federal Water Pollution, Control Administration: Water pollution:
All phases.
Office of Coal Research: Use of coal in sewage treatment.
Office of Water Resources Research: Grant support of water pollution
research, all phases.
Office of Saline Water: Waste treatment.
Geological Survey: Water pollution: i~1entification of pollutants, in-
strumentation, hydrology, water quality data. Waste disposal by
deep injection.
Ooordination with other agencies: ~
Membership on Federal Con~imit~ee on Pest Control and its sub-
committees for pesticide matters.
Formal liaison contacts for air pollution.
Numerous informal contacts.
Question 2: What are your views on a policy which would reserve
fossil fuels, particularly petroleum~ for `~tse as chemical raw materials,
while accelerating the use of electricity generated by means other than
fossil fuel combustion?
Answer: I personally believe ~that such a policy is necessary in th~
very long run. Known reserves of coal are adequate for the foresee-
able future, and it will doubtless be possible to convert coal into gas
or liquid fuels. Nevertheless, the twin advantages of reduced CO2
generation and availability of the fossil fuels as chemical raw materials
while they are still abundant enough to be cheap, strongly suggest
the desirability, of a policy that encourages gradual transition to
other energy sources.
822
PAGENO="0223"
RESPONSES To QUESTIONS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE ~N SCIENCE, Rw
SEARCH, AND DEVELOPMENT BY Mn. JOHN 0. LOoAN, MANUFACTUR-
ING CHEMISTS' ASSOCIATION
Question 1: It is recognised that although pollution is caused by
many different industries, it is a ckemicäl problem. Therefore, re-
gardless of source, how can industrial chemical technology best be
brought to work on the solution?
Answer: The statement that "although pollution is caused by many
different industries, it is a chemical problem" is an oversimplification.
Actually, while all pollutants are chemical in character and amenable
to chemical technology, it does not necessarily follow that the applica-
tion of chemical technology is the most economic and practical answer
to each pollution problem.
We believe the chemical technology of the industry can best be uti-
lized along the following lines:,
(a) The chemical industry voluntarily, as well as under incen-
tive or pressure motivation, will devote additional attention to
solving its own pollution problems. The solution to these prob-
lems in turn can be applied to other industries having similar
problems. Motivation by incentive is probably the key to more
rapid progress in this area.
(b) Chemically oriented companies who are in the business of
water and/or air treatment can engage in pollution abatement
effort for sale at a profit to any industry. This is currently going
on and will be amplified and speeded up as the demand `for this,
service develops.
(c) Establishment of chemical technology information ex-
change mechanisms via seminars and conferences aloiig cross-
industry lines. This involves the collection and dissemination of
data so that maximum utility can be made of present information
and new information as it is developed. The Manufacturing
Chemists' Association, Inc., has for some years been fostering such
information exchange. Currently the association has a program
of 1-day workshops to assist in solving industrial pollution con-
trol problems in localized areas, with regulatory officials partici-
pating. In addition, week-long seminars have been arranged by
MCA at five United States and one Canadian universities to pro~
`vide instruction on the latest techniques for treating and con-
trolling chemical wastes.
(d) By drawing on the counsel of chemically oriented people
in devising control plans, developing control criteria, specifying
research programs, and other areas related to pollution control,
available chemical indust'ry technology can be fully utilized.
Members of MCA's Water Resources Committee are consulting
with State agency olficials with the objective of `being helpful
regarding the current~ development of water quality criteria under
the Federal statute.
823
PAGENO="0224"
824 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOE POLLUTION ABATEMENT
The history of the chemical industry demonstrates that it is alert to
opportunities to engage in research along the lines of expanding tech-.
nology, including that applicable to waste treatment and control.
Hence as new ideas emerge, we do not believe there will be any lack of
appropriate development by the chemical industry.
Question 2: What are your views on a policy that would conserve
fossil fuels for chemical raw materialsi~
Answer: Much of the chemical industry as we know it today, both
technically and economically, is based on ample supplies of fossil fuel
raw materials. The very substantial known reserves of these materials,
however, coupled with the adaptability of the chemical industry to
changing circumstances would seem to indicate that any program of
intentional limitation is unwarranted. If such limitatiqn were unduly
restrictive as to other fossil fuel uses, not only would this result in dis~~
location of other segments of the national economy, but it might re-
act adversely on the economic base of the chemical industry as well.
It may also be observed that the now established trend to wider appli-
cation of nuclear fuels will of itself tend to conserve fossil fuels.
Answers to Question by Representative Weston E. Vivian During the
Hearings (See p. 410, Vol. I)
Question: Do you find any place where joint sponsorship is desirable
between the Federal Government and industry, such as pilot-plant
operatio'fl$P
Answer: In our prepared statement we mentioned approvingly
"government-industry cooperative investigation," and would construe
this to embrace jointly supported projects, also, where there is a mu-
tuality of interest. In some instances this might be brought to bear at
the pilot-plant stage; in others, either earlier or later stages of develop-
ment might be logical for such consideration, depending on the nature
of the research involved.
Response to the Remarks of Representative James 0. Fulton During
the Hearings (See p. 411, Vol. I)
It is regrettable that Congressman rulton misunderstood the basic
premises of our statement at several points, and we welcome this op-
portunity for appropriate clarification and reemphasis.
The chemical industry is committed to the c~esirability of preserving
natural resources that have not been abused as well as restoring those
which have been abused. It is incontrovertible, however, that many
processes essential to the sustenance of life produce waste products for
which there is no repository but the environment. Nevertheless, if
esthetic values and beneficial uses of the environment are not impaired
incident to such disposal,then there is neither measurable injury nor
recognizable pollutipn.
In recommending that interim objectives be set at conservative lev-
els, we primarily had in mind the situation where existing ~ontamina-
tion is already in exce~ of antieipat&l. quality standurds. We ~ou1d
not propose to intentionally set requirements so loose that injury to
PAGENO="0225"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 825
esthetic values or beneficial uses would occur or be continued. Still,
it must be recognized as current faót that a clear definition of accepta-
ble quality for various environmental uses is not now known. Ac-
cordingly, the derivation of quality objectives for any given situation
must perforce rely to a considerable extent on expert opinion and
judgment, weighing the requirements of what may be competing bene-
ficial uses. If requirements go beyond those necessary to safeguard
esthetic values and beneficial uses, the cost of meeting them may be,
and in many instances certainly would be, unnecessarily expensive
without compensating tangible benefits. Experience and changing
circumstances may indicate the desirability of eitberstiffening orhber-
alizin~ controls, and the avenue to modification should remain open.
Uniform regulation is an illusory concept. One has only to contrast
a large installation on a small stream to a small installation on a large
stream to illustrate the lack of logic in having the same waste contro~Is
apply to both. Further, no matter what is permitted (short of com-
plete prohibition), an unsatisfactory condition could result from too
many separate installations located near one another. The notion is
further confounded by wide differences in natural water quality and
in the relative priority of various beneficial water uses from one locale
to another.
68 240-66-vol. II-1~
PAGENO="0226"
RESPONSES TO QUE~TIONS OF THE S~mooi~EnYrEE ON SoIE~cE, RESEAROB
AND DEVELOPMENT BY THE TE~NESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY,
Question 1: What would be your vci ews on a demonstration bringir~
certain TVA electric generating plants and the chemical plant to a~i
essentially nonpoZlt~ting status, regc~rdless of cost, with present
technologyf
Answer: We would be glad to see certain TVA electric generating
plants and our chemical plant used as demonstration facilities to de-
velop pollution control methods as fully as~ possible. It is important
to recognize, however, that present technology, even if costs should be;
disregarded, will not produce w;hat th~ committee has. described as an
"essentially nonpoliuting status" for ~ll elements of operations of this.
kind. For some of the pollutants, further technology must first be
developed.
In the case of coal-fired electric generating plants, the air pollutants
involved are particulates and sulfur dioxide. The technological prob-
lem with respect to removal of particulates has been solved. This is not
true of sulfur dioxide, however. Several recovery processes which
would remove 80 to 90 percent of the sulfur dioxide are presently
under consideration and development, but further pilot plant testing
of these processes is necessary before a full-scale demonstration of
any of them could be usefully undertaken.
Sulfur dioxide recovery has been subject to reviews by many dif-
ferent groups in and outside the United States within the past few
years, and one or more of the processes so far studied may prove even-
tually to be technically feasible. The U.S. Public Health Service is
planning to evaluate the processes which presently appear most prom-
ising by arranging for the construction of small-scale demonstration
or pilot plants at which they can be applied and tested. TVA has
agreed to cooperate by making one of our coal-fired electric generat-
ing plants available for the installation of some of these pilot plants.
We have a meeting scheduled with the Public Health Service later
this month with regard to selection of the processes to be used. Op-
erational experience with these plants would provide information
which is essential to the design and construction of equipment for full-
scale application to large power units. As soon as a workable solution
has been found, we would be glad to proceed with a demonstration
involving such full-scale application to a largepower unit.
At TVA's chemical plant, as pointed out by our witnesses in their
testimony before the committee, we now have underway a multi-
million-dollar program for improved pollution control. This pro-
gram, which is scheduled for completion by the end of fiscal year ~968,
will achieve very high standards. These standards are regarded by
experts as more than adequate but they will not render the plant en-
tirely pollution free. .
The TVA chemical plant is basically a research facility. We are
continually dropping old processes and facilities and adding new ones,
826
PAGENO="0227"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 827
and we cannot now~ be certain what the pollution problems in connec-
tion with future facilities and processes will be. In the case of some
existing operations, present technology leaves a number of problems
to be solved to achieve "essentially nonpolluting status." We believe
these problems can be overcome, although to do so might require re-
placement of some facilities. We cannot now estimate the costs which
would be involved, but they would undoubtedly be substantial.
We would be glad to undertake a demonstration along the lines en-
visaged by the committee, but could do so only if we were provided
with the necessary funds.
Questiom ~ How much of a "pollution abatement credit" would the
best SO, removal process require today in order to sell the byproduct
sulfur or other chemicals competitively?
Answer: As indicated in the answer to question 1, present tech~
nology leaves many questions unanswered, and we believe that the test-
ing of small scale plants is necessary before answers can be provided.
It is not possible, for example, to identify at the present time the "best"
process for recovering SO2 from power plant gases or to predict costs
with accuracy. Subject to these reservations, we have averaged some
very rough estimates made for what are generally regarded as the three
leading processes for the recovery of sulfur dioxide from coal-fired
generating plants, based on the present state of technology with respect
to these processes. On this basis, we estimate that at a 1,000 megawatt
coal-fired steam-electric generating plant, about 80 percent of the sul-
fur dioxide could be captured to produce about 700 tons per day of
sulfuric acid, assuming full round-the-clock operation of the generat-
ing plant for that day. We further estimate, also on a very rough
basis, that the cost of producing the sulfuric acid would be in the neigh-
borhood of $25 per ton, and that it might be sold under contracts cover-
ing the large quantities involved for perhaps $16 ~er ton under present
conditions. Obviously, there are many uncertainties surrounding these
estimates. For example, if sulf~iric acid were to be produced at a large
number of coal-fired generating plants and offered for sale, the market
for it would be glutted and the price would decline.
PAGENO="0228"
PAGENO="0229"
APPENDIX 2
PREPARED STATEMENTS SUBMITTED
TOTHE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON SCIENCE,.
RESEARCH, AND DEVELOPMENT
829
PAGENO="0230"
STATEMENT SUBMITTED TO THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, RESEARCH,
AND DEVELOPMENT BY RAY K. LINSLEY, EXECUTIVE HEAD, DEPART-
MENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, STANFORD UNIVERSITY, AUGUST 3, 1966.
(ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED To TESTIFY; UNABLE To Do So DUB TO
AIRLINE STRIKE)
I am pleased that I have been invited to come here and discuss
with yo~i the question of the, adequacy, of technology for pollution
abatement. It is such an all-encompassing subject that it is hard to
know where to begin and what to say in a limited time. My problem is
made no easier by the very excellent report of your research manage-
ment advisory planel which `has discussed the subject wisely and well.
A few weeks ago, in testimony before the Senate Committee on In-
terior and Insular Affairs, I suggested that one of our problems in
looking at water today is that we are in a period of rapid transition.
After centuries of slow change, we now find it difficult to realize that
very major shifts in thinking ~tre'nëc~ãry. Unlike many other scien-
tific and technological developments which have come upon us in a
very short time, pollution problems have been developing ~rery slowly
for a long time. Our fundamental approach to the pollution problem
is as ancient as man himself. ~` `Man started to pollute the atmosphere
when he first learned to make fire. He piled his solid waste' in great
heaps which today, all over the world, mark the location of his ancient
cities. He found that water was a very convenient medium for carry-
ing away his waste's, andA~e~ lekrt~ed to wash all manner of things in a
stream. Ancient man could successfully employ these rather crude
means of waste disposal because of his own very limited numbers.
The quantity of waste produced was relatively small compared to the
assimilative capacity of the environment. Today,' when the annual*
population increase of the world exceeds the total population at, tj~e
time of ancie~it man, the situation is 4uite different. Not only' are th~re
more people producing waste, but the per capita production is greater.
In addition, our technology is producing substances which, when they
become waste, are more durable than much of the organic waste of
ancient man.
Sewers to transport storm water from cities date back into antiq-
uity. Because of the prevailing practice of throwing refuse into
the streets these sewers carried at least some of the waste washed into
them by rain. It is only a little more than 100 years ago that direct
sanitary connections to sewers were begun in major cities. These con-
nections together with a system of refuse collection removed the waste
from its highly visible location in the streets and considerably aug-
mented stream pollution. As stream pollution got worse, plants for
partially treating the sewage were designed to reduce the pollution
load on the streams. Today we find that in areas of high population
density the partial treatment of waste is not always adequate.' We
are also beginning to realize that we can ill afford to use so much
water to dispose of this waste.
830
PAGENO="0231"
ADEQUACY OF TEC~Efl~OLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 831
What I have just said can be restated to say that we are beginning
to realize that we have a complicated system on our hands. Burning
solid waste adds to air pollution as do the gases emitted in sewage
treatment. Sewage may destroy the usefulness of a water supply.
The automobile, a transportation device, is a major source of air
pollution. Irrigated agriculture adds salts to the rivers. Pollu-
tion management clearly requires more than the concept of "put it
where it won't be seen". We must study all our activities in the light
of their total impact on the environment.
Science has a principle called conservation of matter. In essence,
this states that matter cannot be destroyed. It may be converted into
other forms, but its essential elements remain. We would not be
far wrong if we drew from this a principle of conservation of pollu-
tion which said that waste materials, once produced, are with us
always. With the exception of that relatively small fraction of waste
materials which man reclaims for his own use and the portion of the
waste materials which are converted by natural processes into useful
material, the principle of conservation of pollution is essentially valid.
When man burns solid waste, he does not eliminate it, he merely con-
verts it to gases and particulate matter which may pollute the at-
mosphere. If we dump pollutants in the ocean, we are not eliminating
them, we are simply putting them where we cannot see them. Con-
ventional sewagetreatment removes a portion of the pollutants from
the water being treated, but these pollutants are not destroyed. In
part, they are converted to less obnoxious gaseous or liquid forms
which are discharged through the atmosphere or to a water body.
In part, they remain as solids which must be "disposed of" in some
way. When we bury solid waste in a sanitary land fill, it disappears
from view, but it is still there. Water moving .through the fill may
leach material from the waste and carry it to the ground water or
to another stream for years after the original disposal.
A few cities are now requiring every home to have a garbage
grinder. This greatly eases their problem of garbage collection, but
at the expense of increasing the magnitude of their seWage treatment
problem. Solid waste is being changed to stream ?olhition. This
may indeed be the most economic solution for the individual city, but
what of the cities downriver whose water is more polluted? Apply-
ing salt is an effective means of snow removal from roads and streets,
but melting snow and rain must eventually carry this salt to a stream
or the ground water.
it is probably true that conventional means of dealing with pollu-
tion could, if pursued with vigor and sufficient funds, provide a short
term solution to our problem.. That is to say, a substantial investment
in present technology might alleviate our problems for a few years.
Not only would the expenditure be very large, perhaps more than we
can really afford to pay, but such an approach might have another
most undesirable effect. It could lull us into believing that we have
the situation in hand, as we have been lulled in the immediate past.
if this led to a failure to prosecute an effective research program on
new technology, We would eventually find ourselves in a position which
is even worse than our present one, but with nothing better by way of
a solution. It is interesting to speculate where we might be today if
we had recognized the environmental pollution problem in 1946 and
PAGENO="0232"
832 ADEQUACY `OF. TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
had started to work on it at a rate of 10, percén~ of our ~xpenditures
on space research.
`I have described our problem as a systems problem. Let mehasten
to say that I do not suggest that this i.s the sort of systems problem
that can be written down in mathematical expressions arid answers
derived in a few minutes or even a few hours time on a computer. I
~ay.this for two reasons. First, and foremost, we simply do not know
enough about our problem to write the n~cessary. expressions. "Sec-
ondly, if we could `write the necessary equations, there is every reason
to believe that we do not have' today a computer big enough to solve
them. But a sy~terns problem does not have to be solved by a mathe-
`matical' equation and a computer. Basically, a systems analysis re-
quires `that we know something about the goals. which we are striving
for;'and the capabilities and costs of solution1s which would contribute
to these goals. With systems analysis techniques, we would then
seek to find the optimum combination of solutions for the attainment
of our stated goals. Systems analysis requires an orderly, but not
necessarily mathematical approach, to a problem.
If we wish to approach the pollution system realistically~ we must
do several things.. `These are:
(1) Define with reasonable accuracy the sources and quantities'
of.pollutants now and estimate these data for future years.
(2) Identify the effects of these pollutants on man.
(`3) Define with considerable clarity our goals for pollution
abatement.
(4) Describe the technically feasible methods of dealing with
each ~najor pollution source with reasonable cost estimates.
(5) On the basis of the foregoing information, determine the
most efficient c~ombination of methods to deal with the problem.
There is little, hope thait we can or will deal with the total environ-
mental pollution problem as a single systems analysis problem.. It is
too big and would take too long. Indeed, it may never be fully solved.
New sources of pollution will develop. New abatement techniques
will be found. The details of the problem will shift continuously.
However,' if' we approach the problem systematically, we can hope that
our efforts will yield the maximum possible achievement.
Pollution is the sum total of many different substance's from many
sources. The need for an inve.ntbry of these substances seems obvious,
yet I know of no such inventory. Some pollutants are more harmful
than others; `some are easier to deal'with. With a reasonably accurate
in~ventory as a start we can begin to identify those. substances and
sources for which abatement `offers the most immediate payoff. Be-
cause we are planning for the future' we need' estimates of future pol-
lution sources and `substances. Most important are some educated
guesses at which substances, now nonexistent or utlimportant, might be
problems in the future. The problems which can be recognized in
advance may never become problems. The inventory would seem to be
a responsibility of the Federal Government and one which should pro-
ceed as rapidly as possible. In a sense it parallels the inventory re-
sponsibility of the Federal Water Resources Council, but the pollution
inventory is a much more complex job than a Waiter supply and demand
`inventory.
Item. 2 of my' list requires definition' of the effects of various. poHu~
tants on man. This includes direct physical effects on health, eco-
PAGENO="0233"
ADEQTJACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLTITION ABATEMENT 833
nomic, and social impacts, and indirect effects through damage, to
various ecologic communities.
`Merely to secure this kind of information involves a major research
effort. Reasonably precise determination of the public health impact
of pollution is a major project because of the very large number ,of
pollutants, the difFering forms of pollution-air, water, and land-and'
the differing exposures to pollution. Clearly, however, if there is any
element of pollution which is a health hazard, it must be eliminated.
An understanding of the actual health hazards would provide a very
positive goal with respect to certain' pollutants.' The ecologic impact
of pollution is an elTen larger and more complicated research tOpic.
The number of pollutants, the differing forms of pollution, and the
differing exposures all remain and are compounded by the very h~rge
number of ecologic communities which need to be considered. The
effects of pollution on fish involve considerably more than the mere
poisoning of the fish themselves by direct contact with pollutants.
Pollutants which in themselves would do no harm to fish may in some
way break the food chain and seriously interfere with fish production.
Even in evaluating the effect of a specific pollutant on fish, there are
problems with respect to the young fingerling, the adult fish, the
spawning fish, and fish egg, and so forth. ,A test ma'de'on a group of
fingerling in a tank may not at all disclose the true impact of a pothi-
tant which may not be sufficient to kill the fingerling fish, but which
might in some way prevent the hatching of fish from their spawn.
A considerable body of information on the physical effects of pollu-
tion on man and his environment is available. One suspects that it
needs to be organized and that this process would disclose gaps which
need to be filled by systematic investigation. The economic impact of
pollution is a relatively untouched problem area. Air pollution is
`known' to damage certain crops. Is `the crop loss suffered as a result
of air pollution a significant cost to the Nation? Does it in itself
justify the cost of air pollution control? Does it in combination with
other losses justify the cost of air pollution control? Increased salinity
of water imposes an additional cost on downstream users, `both agri-
cultural and industrial. `How big are these costs? ,We have only yet
begun to assess such factors. Economic factors may not be decisive
in decisions on pollution abatement but they should certainly pl'ay an'
important role. The task of assembling this information ~hould be
relatively small as compared to other tasks in pollution abatement
planning.
The debate on poiltition control has strong esthetic, overtones.' Peo-
ple are offended, by the appearance of a polluted stream or in èome
cases by the mere knowledge that' it is polluted. To the extent these
intangible factors enter our decisions, we need to know more ac-
curately than we do how the public perceives `pollution problems.
Basically, we are all `against pollution, just as we are against sin. But
being against pollution and being willing to spend perhaps, a hundred
billion dollars to effect a fairly slight visual change which would go
unnOticed by most of the population' may not be justified. We have
many other uses to' which $100 billion may well be spent. Quam~titative
procedures in the social' sciences are less well devefoped than ~n other
areas but the importance. of fbi's problem should make it an intriguing
research area for the so&al scieiftist. `In fact, I have an `engineering
PAGENO="0234"
8~4 4DEQUA~, OF TECHNQLOGY~ FO1~ EOLLU'tION ABATEMENT
student at Stanford who intends to do his doctoral dissertation on
this very subject.
Once the inventory of pollution sources and evaluation of effects of
pollution are complete it is necessary to move to step No 8, definition
of goals. It is easy to say that we wish to abate, mitigate, control, or
eliminate pollution. What do these words really mean.? We cannot
return our air and our streams to a pristine purity which might have
existed before'man came to this world. Man is here to stay. He creates
waste. Pollution is inevitable. We need realistic goals in terifis of
types and levels of pollution we will tolerate. These may. be regiphal
rather than national goals because of regional differences in environ-
ment. Whatever their form, a systematic' approach to pollution abate-
ment is impossible without them.
Having defined the problem and the goals, we `need to know what
`techniques of abatement are available to us. It is here that we urgently
need imagination and innovation. We already pretty well know what
to expect of conventional techniques but what possibilities lie ahead in
new methods pf waste treatment? For~ example, toilet wastes and
garbage which is passed through garbage grinders constitute a very
large fraction of the organic pollution from the ordinary home (and
require a substantial part of the water used in that home). Suppose
these materials could be put into a sealed storage tank where they
would not be obnoxious and from which they could be removed by a
specially equipped truck and taken for composting. Such a system
would have all the convenience of the present system to the house-
holder, it might be simpler from the viewpoint of municipal garbage
collection, it would minimize water consumption, and would achieve a
separation from other forms of trash which might make processing of
the other, forms simpler. Such a system may `be completely unsatis-
factory, but we have never explored it and we do not know what it.
would cost. The substitution of electric motors for internal com-
bustion engines could materially alleviate air pollution in urban cen-
ters. This is not a simple substitufion. An entirely new system of
transportation is involved. It does not appear to be beyond the realm
of possibility, and in addition to alleviating air pollution, might also
materially help in solving the traffic problem of urban areas and pos-
`sibly make major contributions to highway safety. New technologies
for more efficient removal of pollutants from water, for more efficient
removal of pollutants from emissions of industrial gases, and so forth,.
are also clearly, needed.
Perhaps more important than research and development to produce
better means to treat wastes is a' program to devise means to reduce
the amount of waste which must be treated, New industrial processes
which produce less wastes. Longer lives for everything from lamp-
bulbs to automobiles. Containers and wrappers with minimum resi~
dual bulk when empty or which decompose more rapidly after `use.
A method of dealing with snow on roads that does not involve spread-
ing tons of pollutant. Better use of fertilizers and pesticides so that
none reaches the stream. An entirely~ new system for commuting in
urban centers which does away with the internal combustion powered
car. `1~'hese are but a small sample `of concepts which might be help-
ful in dealing with pollution.. In most ~ses such. solutions would
help to solve problems beyond those' qf pollution. . ,
PAGENO="0235"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLtTION ABATEMENT 835
The technological solutions I have suggested represent an area which
industry might well press.. The market is large and the returns could
be quite attractive. In another area the Government may play an
important part. The possibility of economic measures to stimulate
pollution abatement has been pointed out by Kneese and others.
Gqyernment incentives may also discourage a serious e;lfort to seek
ne*~ methods of meeting the pollution menace. Water from Federal
~eserv~oir~ for dilution of wastes at no cost to betiefiçiariès, subsidies
to water users which encourage water waste, subsidies to irrigation
witi~out recognition of the resulting saline pollution~ aiid su!s~dies for
construction of conventional waste treatment facilities alT tend to
encourage the status quo and discourage a new look.
Definition of problems and goals and discovery of possible abate~
ment techniques would place us in a position to decide on the best
approach to solve our problems. Here is the place for systems analy~
sis, be it mathematical or skilled judgment. The techniques are less
important than the facts.
I am not so naive as to believe that we will proceed step by step
as I have outlined. Some of our problems are too urgent to brook
delay. We cannot afford to stand still until new ideas are developed
and checked out. I am also aware that it is fashionable to endorse
research whenever a problem is faced. What I am really suggesting
is planned research. Without research we cannot advance. Our
research facilities and manpower are too limited to permit its ~reckless
dissipation on random problems. We need to study the system w~
are coping with, to assess the most productive approaches and con-
centrate research and development effort where it can be expected to
"pay off" most handsomely.
PAGENO="0236"
STATEMENT Smu~nrrED TO TIlE Su COMMI~VrEE ON SCIENCE, REsE~ikI,
AND DEVELOPMENT BY TIlE Mu~ CREE]~ BESEARCII COUNCII~, ~NO.,
AUGUST 5, 1966
DEFICIEN~Es IN RESEARCIX CONCERNING TIlE MILL CREEK IMPOUN~M~NT
PROJECT
The Mill Creek Basin, a portion of Huron River watershed in
southeastern lower Michigan, is under consideration by the Corps of
Engineers as the site for a multipurpose impoundment project. if
constructed this project would cost between $20 and $30 million. Its
primary purpose would be low-flow augmentation, with other uses of
`water supply, flood control, fish and wildlife development, and recrea-
tion.
The site selected is in slightly rolling country and is a portion of
a highly productive agricultural region. The topography would
allow for a' reservoir which would have an average depth of about 9
feet and when drawn down for flow-augmentation there could be as
much as 6,000 acres of exposed earth. The storage capacity would
be approximately 80,000 acre4eet, with 8,900 surface acres. The
land acquisition would lie nearly 16,000 acres.
`The storage allowance for annual evaporation is 14,000 acre-feet,
which is 2,000 acre-feet more* than the storage capacity planned for
supplementary water supply needs in the year 2000. This evapora-
tion is equivalent of 4,591,600,000 gallons per year,
There are several smaller and deeper reservoir sites in the Huron
River watershed which are in less productive land. These might be
used singly or in combination to serve the needs of the community.
However, under present laws which restrict the Corps of Engineers to
multipurpose projects with "flood control benefits" these cannot even
be evaluated by the corps.
The original plans for the reservoir are based on erroneous flow-rate
statistics of the Huron River which established minimum flow at 21
cubic feet per second. Modern data, corrected to allow for leakage at
dams and water pumped from the river for water supply, shows the
minimum flow at more .than 75' cubic feet per second.
The Michigan State Health Department required that a minimum
flow of 50 cubic feet per second be guaranteed for the protection of the
downriver communities if Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti were to expand'
their sewage treatment plants. It was indicated that this amount
would provide a margin of safety for at least 20 years. At this time
it is expected that water supply and sewage disposal services will be
furnished from outside the basin. Yet the Corps of `Engineers has
made no attempt to reflect the errors by revising the storage require~
ments and is proceeding with the original concept which even before
corrected data became available was a very much larger, project than
had been recommended as desirable or necessary by the Michigan
Water Resources Commission and by Black & Veatch, engineering
consultants.
836
PAGENO="0237"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 837
The reservoir would impound runoff waters ~rom a catchment area
whhth is totally agricultural. Small ponds in the area are weed
choked and produce quantities of algal growth. The water quality
in this reservoir would certainly be affected by herbicides, pesticides,
in~ecticides, and fertilizers, as well as animal wastes. Can these sub-
~tánces be defined as pollutants or is this term reserved for municipal
and industrial wastes?
Will your committee attempt to establish such definitions and
will it be concerned with the means of evaluating the effects of
such materials in reservoirs prior to the construction of this type of
impoundment?
What are the taste and odor problems that might be expected in
water drawn from such an impoundment?
Do today's water treatment facilities have the means for coping
with the chemicals used in moderu agriculture?
What effect will agricultural nutrients have on the water quality in
the Huron River itself as the waters are drawn from the reservoir?
And why does the Corps of Engineers gloss over this potential
threat to water quality?
Will your studies also attenipt to establish criteria for total land
use? Or will water resources take precedence over all the others such
as future food needs, green and open space requirements and ulti-
mately even the space needs of the predicted megalopolis?
When the latter becomes reality the water resources of the Huron
River Basin will be inadequate to serve the population regardless
of a Mill Creek impoundment. In the future this area will par-
ticipate in a metropolitan system of water supply and sewage inter-
ceptors because it is becoming impossible to confine ultilities and
services within political boundaries. What assistance and guide-
lines can be drawn up to assist, communities over the political hurdles
when local sovereignty must be sacrificed for the well-being of resi-
dents of many communities?
The Bureau of Outdoor Recreation has been asked to add its plans
for the reservoir to those of the Corps of Engineers. The cost-bene-
fit figures are based on absolute maximum potential use of the recrea-
tional facilities which would be built into the area. Anyone who
has ever lived in this' portion of lower Michigan knows that there
are numerous snowless, days in winter and equally numerous cold and
gloomy days in summer when recreational activities are nearly non-
existent; therefore, the use of the maximum is inaccurate and un-
realistic.
For example, this is a low-snow-fall belt but Jerusalem Hill in the
reservoir area, section 33, Lima Township; is predicted to draw 20,000
users per season for sledding, and tobQgganing. Oldtime residents
of the area can count on their fingers the number of times when this
windswept hill has had snow on it and no snowmaking equipment is
planned.
Bureau of OutdOor Recreation's drawdown plan calls for major
drawdowns after Labor Day and into October. But are not the low
flows most troublesome in the summer months when combined with hot
weather? The Huron Clinton Metropolitan Park Authority states
that drawdown at Kent Lake "is incompatible with park usage."
PAGENO="0238"
838 ADEQtTAC1~ OF TECHNOLOGY FOIL POLLUTION ABATE1\~t]~NT
How can we determine prior to construç~tion of this reservoir whether
or not th~ese conflicts can actually be resolved? S
At least two candidates for graduate degrees in geography have
resigned positions with Bureau of Outdoor Recreation in this district
because they believed that proper research procedures are nonexistent.
Yet the Corps of Engineers must accept the statistics as. factual.
Why don't social scientists devise more realistic formulas and guide-
lines for establishing accurate cost-benefit ratios?
The Bureau of Outdoor Recreation recommendations add 2~300
acres and $7 million to the initial cost of the project and the annual
benefit they assign to the project is $1,626,000. However the annual
agricultural loss of foodstuffs from this highly productive area has
table value of $15 million. How can anyone justify the accrual of
recreational and other "benefits" year after year without balanc-
ing them against the annual, loss in food production? Is it accurate
for the Corps of Engineers to ignore these economic factors?
There are at least six alternate sites in the Huron River water-
shed for impoundments. If impounding water for low~fiow augmen-
tation is necessary for pollution control will your studies provide
formulas by which these sites could be studied?
The Corps of Engineers is limited by antiquated law to multi-
purpose projects which must include flood control. Therefore, it
cannot furnish information relative to the possibilities inherent in
one or more smaller single-purpose reservoirs, with or without im-
portation of supplemental water, and/or interception of sewage ef-
fluents. If your committee can provide a guide for obtaining the
necessary information to study these alternate sites some of the items
which should be included are-
A. Volume of storage.
B. Surface acres of seasonal pool.
C. Land acquisition requirements.
P. Present land usage. S
E. Character of catciament area. . S
F. Soil classification. S
G. Present land ownership; that is, private or public.
H. Present land production and benefits. S
I. Residual effects of present land usage On water quality.
J. Appraisal of the natural physical characteristiës of a stream
which could contribute to, or limit its usability for, various needs.
In addition, further and accurate information is needed to deter-
mine the following:
A. Amount of storage required with and without importa-
tion of water.
B. Amount of storage required with and without interception
of sewage effluents.
C. Amount of storage required with both of the above, low-
flow augmentation to improve the quality of lower Huron River.
for recreation and esthetic enjoyment.
Since it is predicted by responsible engineers that. water importa-
tion and sewage interception is indicated probably by 1990, item C,
above, becomes .the most important and storage requirements should
be calculated accordingly.
PAGENO="0239"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 839
The lower Huron River because of its proximity to the Detroit
metropolitan area can best serve as a source of pleasure and recrea-
tion for the people of the region if it is in an unpolluted condition.
Water quality criteria should be established relative to the desired uses
and effort must be made to achieve the chosen standards. Possibly the
river could be safely used for swimming, boating, and water skiing,
which uses are now prevented by Huron River Watershed Inter-
governmental Committee's policy of 1960 enabling Ann Arbor and
Ypsilanti to expand sewage treatment plants.
k To illustrate this we quote the following:
Mr. Rehard, who is chairman of the Supervisor's Inter-County Committee
~ pointed out that the National Sanitation Foundation study presents some long
term alternatives for both water supply and waste water disposal. It may be
that the lower Huron River is more valuable to the bulk of the population in
the Detroit Metropolitan Area for the matter of recreation than for waste
disposal.1
The March 1966 report from the Fish and Wildlife Service con-
cludes:
The high fish and wildlife values attributed to this project (The Mill Creek
Reservoir) should not serve to minimize the importance of existing high values
of fish and wildlife of the lower Huron River and western Lake Erie. The low-
flow augmentation made possible with this project, unless combined with the
abatement of pollution at its source (Ann Arbor) could very easily result in a
large increase of ineffectively treated wastes being dumped into the Huron River.
Should this occur the Mill Creek Reservoir project could result in a net loss to
fish and wildlife downstream from the reservoir.
The Huron Clinton Metropolitan Authority has obtained park sites
on the banks of the Huron River between Ann Arbor and thern river's
mouth at Lake Erie. Obviously these sites would increase in value if
the river could be used more intensively and the water quality im-
proved.
The Metropolitan Regional Planning Commission complains in its
recreation study, 1966, that the "disadvantage of the Mill Creek im-
poundment is its distance from the major center of population."
Huron Clinton Metropolitan Authority's lower Huron River prop-
erties are much nearer and surely would be more frequently used.
In view of the foregoing it's difficult to justify the Bureau of Out-
door Recreation figures.
Is it possible that your committee can devise more realistic methods
of establishing values?
Would stricter pollution controls at the sources, tertiary treatment,
or interception of effluents furnish greater total benefits than flow
augmentation to dilute the wastes in the river?
Before the construction, of this reservoir is approved a number of
alternative solutions should be considered. How can local govern-
ments and citizens obtain sufficient accurate information to present the
community with choices? For example:
1. Recommendation of the National Sanitation Foundation for long
range greater metropolitan area water suppiy and sewage interceptor
system tinder the management of the Detroit Water Board. These
studies were directed by Abel Wolman, Lewis Ayres, Richard Hazen,
George Hubbell, and Louis Howson and give the most completely
documented and thorough analysis of the problems of the area, mdi-
~1iIuron River Watershed Ceuncil, executive committee minutes, May 5, 1966.
PAGENO="0240"
840 ~PEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION A~BATEMENT
eating that after 20 years or so Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti will outgrow
the capacity of the Huron River for either water supply or waste
water disposal.
2. Consideration of whetl~er smaller reservoirs used singly or in
combination for flow augmentation and recreation. The reasons for
rejecting the Seneca Dam on the Potomac in favor of several small
reservoirs as presented in the Department of the Interior report to the
1E?resjcie~nt, January ~1966, may be, relevant here, and the "pretty little
lakes" might be much more valuable.
3. Exploration of ground water resources.
4. Examination of various methods of tertiary" treatment and the
possibh~ applications in this situation. Technology is growing so rap-
idly that with new methods of treatment, low-flow augmentation for
dilution of wastes may be unnecessary in the not too distant future.
5. Analysis andelimination of pollutants at their sources.
6. Evaluation of pumped storage reservoirs as conceived by Clar-
ence Velz for other midwestern regions where good reservoir sites are
unobtainable.
How can the public attack the problem of determining which of
these methods will benefit the greatest number of people?
Would the National Sanitation Foundation recommendation if de-
veloped with tertiary treatment provide a ~`reater control Over efflu-
ents flowing into Lake Erie? At what point will the Huron River
cease to be able to assimilate the wastes from the treatment plants?
Have scientists found specifi~ gages for estimating when these
critical points will ocenr?
The flood contrOl, which is the means of entry for the Corps of Engi-
neers into the Mill Creek project is now acknowledged to be less than
5 percent of the project's "benefits." It is also apparent that flood
control devices (channel straightening, widening, and dikes) can be
constructed in and around T~lat Rock where the floods occurred 25
years ago.
We anticipate that the corps will conclude their study in the spring
of 1961~, and we have been chided for not awaiting that report before
raising the questions and issues which concern us. However, we be-
lieve that if the corps requires several years and many dollars to make
its study, those who have to evaluate it certainly need a few months
to gain at least some of the basic information. Without such infor-
mation intelligent decisions will be inconceivable. It is becoming evi-
dent that in spite of the money that has been spent, obvious deficiencies
and inaccuracies remain which indicate that the conclusions to be
reached maybe worth very little.
Is it possible for local governments and the citizens they represent
to end a project begun by the Corps of Engineers if they believe it
is not in the best interests of the community as a whole?
Or is it a fact that once the Corps of Engineers is involved in a
project, the decisionmakrng stage is complete?
Since the decision to build the darn is irreversible it is vital that
every care be taken to insure that the decision is a correct one.
To summarize we review the following:
(1) Flow-rate statistics used by corps were in error.
(2) Disposal of waste water in the Huron River works a hard-
ship on the downriver population.
PAGENO="0241"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 841
(3) The character of the runoff to be impounded would be
detrimental to water quality.
(4) Alternatives as recommended by the National Sanitation
Foundation are available.
(5) Bureau of Outdoor Recreation report is inaccurate and
misleading.
(6) The Fish and Wildlife S~rvice report is unenthusiastic.
(7) Alternate reservoir sites are available and have not been
studied.
(8) Future land use requirements of a growing metropolitan
region have not been considered.
(9) Future food needs of this population have not been con-
sidered.
(10) Thirty million dollars spent for the Mill Creek Reservoir
would provide only a stopgap solution, because by 1990 Wash-
tenaw County will need supplemental or alternate primary water
supply and waste disposal facilities.
We have submitted questions relative to a specific situation in hopes
that scientific procedures can be directed toward specific solutions.
We are sure that similar problems exist across the country and we
hope your work will begin to resolve them.
Therefore in view of the foregoing we hope your cOmmittee will
attack the problem of furnishing adequate scientific inf9rmation and
proper sciOntiflo procedures for evalutipn of such projects before they
are built. Only in this way can the ~uhlic be protected from tragic
and very expensive mistakes.
68-240-6i6-vol. 11-16
PAGENO="0242"
STATEM1~NT SUBMITTED TO THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, RESEARCH,
AND DEVELOPMENT BY Burnt ALLEGAERT, INTERNATIONAL PIPE &
O~MIcs CORP., AUGUST 8,. 1966
Knowing of the current hearings being conducted by the Subcommit- ;
tee on Science, Resei~rch, and Development into the ~adequacy of tech-
nology for pollutiqn abatement, we should like to bring to the com-
mittee's attention for inclusion in the record certain brief excerpts on
this subject from a recent special issue of the Interpace Technical
Journal.
International Pipe & Ceramics Corp., of Parsippany, N.J., pub-
lisher of this periodical, invited leading authorities to write on sev-
eral aspects of the Overall water resources development and pollution
abatement problems.
We feel that the following passages are especially pertinent:
John E. Kinney, sanitary engineering consultant, Ann Arbor, Mich.:
Questions such as "What is the best way of augmenting our present municipal
water source ?" "How must we organize our pollution control a4ministration ?"
"What is pollution?" demand specific and detailed answers for each individual
situation. Slogans will not substitute for sound judgment, nor will mass mis~
understanding bring about rational results.
But research for adequate and valid data is forgotten when a proposal is being
argued in the public forum. Details become unimportant because of the grave-
ness of the issue. Even basic circumstances are lost sight of, such as the princi-
pal fact that we are not running out of water. We have, at best estimates,
underground water at shallow depth equivalent to 34 times the annual runoff
from all our rivers. There is probably an equal volume in deep storage.
The "running out of water" hysteria is nurtured by the assertions that while
our present water consumption is 300 billion gallons per day, it will rise by 1980
to 600 billion gallons per day, and that our potential total supply is only 515
billion gallons per day. Doubling our usage in 15 years is an optimistic forecast
of growth, to say the least, but it permits the forecast of a national shortage.
This deficit prompts the gloomy prophecy that we must resign ourselves to a fu-
ture of existing on "used" water.
The fallacy is twofold:
Water used is not water consumed. Of the 300 billion gallons per day
now used, only about 60 is consumed [not available for reuse]. Most o~ this
loss Is via agriculture.
We are now reusing water. In fact, we are now using the same water
as was used in Biblical times. AnU in areas ~such as the Cuyaboga, the
Mahonln.g, and the Monongahela Rivers, we are pumping several times as
much water as is carried by the river during dry weather. If that is not
enough to destroy the myth, we now use 2,000 billion gallons per day for
hydroelectric generation--four times our estimated future potential supply.
James F. Wright, executive director, Delaware River Basin Com-
mission, Trenton, N.J.:
Let us now consider some similarities and differences between industrial and
municipal wastes, which together comprise our water quality management prob-
lem. From this we may be able to guess where we will be going in the next
decade.
In terms of volume, the industrial waste input in the Delaware estuary---from
Trenton to the sea-is roughly equal to the load imposed.by municipalities. This
means that probably for the foreseeable future reductions of the industrial waste
load will take at least as much effort as municipal control.
842
PAGENO="0243"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 843
Trends in the quantity of process water used per ton of product indicate a
reduced ratio, which is to say that industry In general is working hard toward
cutting water demand and waste output. Per capita use of municipal water
supplies, conversely, is still on the increase. However, as our ,society grows,
not only in numbers but in complexity, our industrial effort moves at a
faster rate than our population. Thus it seems reasonable to assume that the
~problem of the future will continue to reflect a rough equivalency of industrial
and municipal waste loads. A radical change in p*oportion does not appear
likely.
ii. Dewayne Kreager, consultant to industry, Seattle, Wash.:,
Water management starts with sound standards of pollution control. Only
relatively pure water can be used again and again. And our water shortage
problems can never be solved unless we can use present supplies many times
over. This multiple reuse requires water quality standards that are compatible
with the greatest number of reasonable water uses in an area and commensurate
with public health, but not necessarily permissive of all water uses possible in
an area.
Industry needs standards that can be administered, that are administered, and
against which industry can measure its own performance or judge its risk in
further capital Investment.
There remains the problem of paying for these water management programs.
These national public interest aspects of water management suggest that an-
other requirement for solving the Nation's water problems at a reasonable cost is
an incentive for water purification by private industry as well as government.
The conclusion seems logical that to supplement public expenditures for water
purification, water movement, and water management, the principles of rapid tax
amortization or the investment tax' credit may well be used to stimulate private
capital investment in required water pollution abatement facilities..
We have tried through this special issue of the Interpace Technical
Journal to advance the understanding of problems that must be solved
in pollution abatement and water resources development. We hope
that the committee will find it helpful and informative in their current
deliberations.
PAGENO="0244"
STATEMENT SVEMITTEDTO THE SUBCoMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, RESEARCH,
AND DEVELOPMENT B)~ DR. RENE Du~os, THE ROCKEFELLER UNIVER.
SITY~ AUGUST 9, 1960
The following ~tatement appears on paged of the Advisory Pan~l's
report on The 4dequaey of T~chnolog3i~ for Pollution Abatement
No evidence has yet been produced that low levels of ~OlIution have unfa~
vorable effects on humanhealth.
Similar `si~epticism concerning th~ potential hea'th ~langers of idr
pollution has been expressed elsewhere by Prof. A. Wolman. In his
usual pithy manner, Professor Wolman sugg~sted that air pollution
is principally an "esthetic affliction."
If exhaust~ga~ emitted by a diesel bt~s h~d a fragrant aroma, or worse ~
led to physiological addiction, n~t' many people would complain about traflic
fumes. -
* There is no cloitht unfortun~tely that air polltitio~i. is mQre than aiii
esthetic affliction, and that it always results in various forms of physik
ological suffering and economic loss. How then to account for~ the
statement made by Professor Wolman? a statement which is the
more surprising because he is such a ~`reat scholar and has associations
with Johns Hopkins University and its prestigious school of medicine
and publiá health.
The reason for the failure to demonstrate convincingly the dangers
of environmental pollutants is that biomedical scientists have become
conditioned to regard as really valid only the type of information they
can derive from orthodox laboratory techniques. This attitude has
led them to emphasize the pathological effects that occur rapidly and
that are the manifestations of fairly direct and clear cause-effect re-
lationships. Admittedly, the effects of environmental pollutants are
riot very impressive in this light. In fact, one might well gain the im-
pression that air pollution is of no consequence because experimental
animals and probably human beings also readily develop tolerance
and even cross tolerance to the acute injurious effects of a variety of
irritating substances.
The dangers to health posed by the usual levels of environmental
pollution, and of air pollution in particular, are not readily detected
because they are always delayed and often extremely indirect in their
mechanism. Indeed, as already mentioned, exposure to low levels of
certain air pollutants induces tolerance against the acute toxic effects
of higher concentrations; but this very tolerance produces various
types of tissue damage and other chronic pathological effects that
become noticeable only later in life or even in subsequent generations.
The industrial areas of northern Europe provide an informative
example of the delayed dangers of environmental pollution.
Ever since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the inhabi-
tants of northern Europe have been heavily exposed to many types of
air pollutants produced by incomplete combustion of coal and released
844
PAGENO="0245"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 845
in the fumes from chemical plants; such exposure is rendered even
more objectionable by the inclemency of the Atlantic climate. How-
ever, long experience with pollution and with bad weather has resulted
in physiological reactions and living habits that have adaptive value.
This is proved by the fact that northern Europeans accept almost
cheerfully their dismal atmospheric environment even though it ap-
spears almost unbearable to outsiders who experience it for the first
time.
Adaptive responses to environmental pollution are not peculiar to
northern Europeans. They occur all over the world in the heavily in-
~dustrialized areas whose inhabitants function effectively despite the
~almost constant presence of irritating substances in the air they
breathe. It would seem therefore that human beings can readily make
an adequate adjustment to massive air pollution.
Unfortunately, acceptance of air pollution results eventually in van-
gus forms of physiological sufferi~g and economic loss. Even among
persons who seem almost unaware of the smogs surrounding them the
respiratory tract continuously registers the insult of the various air
pollutants. After periods of time that differ from one case to another,
the cumulative effects of irritation commonly generate chronic bron-
chitis and other forms of pulmonary disease. Because this does not
happen until several years after initial exposure, it is difficult to relate
the pathological condition to the primary physiological cause.
Chronic pulmonary disease now constitutes the greatest single medi-
cal problem in northern Europe, as well as the most, costly; it is in-
creasing in prevalence at an alarming rate also in North America, and
it will probably spread to all areas undergoing industrialization.
There is good evidence, furthermore, that air pollution increases the
incidence of various types of cancer as well as the numbers of fatalities
among persons suffering from vascular diseases. But here again,
the long and indefinite span of time between cause and effect makes it
difficult to establish convincingly the etiological relatior~ships.
The delayed effects of air pollutants constitute models for the
kind of medical problems likely to arise" in the future from other
forms of envir9nmental pollution. Allowing for differences in detail,
the course of events can be predicted in its general trends.
Wherever socially and economically convenient, chemical pollution
of air, water, and food will be sufficiently controlled to prevent the
kind of toxic effects that are immediately disabling and otherwise
obvious. Human beings will then tolerate without complaints con-
centrations of environmental pollutants (whatever th~ir nature and
origin) that they do not regard as a serious nuisance and that do not
interrupt social and economic life. But it is probable that continued
exposure to low levels of toxic agents will eventually result in a great
variety of delayed pathological manifestations creating much physio~
logical misery and increasing the medical load. The. point of im-
portance here is that the ~orst pathological effects of environmental
pollutants will not be detected at the time of exposure; indeed they
may not become evident until several decades later. In other words,
society will become adjusted to levels of pollution sufficiently low not
to have an immediate nuisance value, but this apparent adaptation
will eventually cause much pathological damage in the adult popula-
tion and create large medical and social burdens.
PAGENO="0246"
846 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOQY FOI~ POLLUTION ABATEMENT
It is well known, for example, that highly effective techniques have
been developed to control the acute diseases that used to be caused by
water pollution. Microbial pathogens cati be held in check by chlo~-
rination; organic matter content can be minimized by dilution, oxygen-~
ation, and other chemical techniques; and of course water can be
made limpid by filtration. But there is no practical technique for
remOving inorganic materials, as well as some synthetic organic sub~
stances, that tend to accumulate in water supplies as a result of indus-
trial and domestic operation. Even though clear and free of patho-
gens, many sources of potable water are now becoming increasingly
contaminated with a variety of chemicals. that probably exert delayed.
toxic effects. In this regard, i.t is worth keeping in mind the recent
reports suggesting that the incidence of certain forms of cancer and-
vascular diseases is correlated with differences in geological formation
and in the mineral content of water supplies. While these reports
are still preliminary and sub judice they point to a new kind of threat,
which though ill defined, bids fair to become of increasing importance
in the future.
In my opinion, the medical problems posed by environmental pollu-
tion will require a kind of scientific research which is greatly neglected
at the present time, and for which adequate facilities do not exist
either in medical schools or in research institutes.
For example, it will be necessary to maintain and study variouS
kinds of experimental animals under a wide range of conditions for
prolonged periods of time, and indeed for several generations. To be
successful such studies will have to be carried out with animals of
known genetic ~tructures and experiential pasts. Equipment will be
needed to record, retrieve, and analyze the complex data to be derived
from the study of large populations and multifactorial systems.
The mere listing of these facilities points to the need fOr new types
of institutions with a special organization of highly integrated per-
sonnel. What is required is nothing less than a bold imaginative de-
parture to create a new science of environmental biomedicine.
Unfortunately it will always remain impossible to predict from
laboratory experiments all the threats to health that can arise from
technological innovations. Unforeseeable accidents will happen, as
was the case with exposure to ionizing radiations or with chain
cigarette smoking, or with the use of thalidomide during the first 3
months of pregnancy. Since it is impossible to test all the effects of all
technological innovations, some of them will inevitably have patho-
logical consequences.
We must abandon, in fact, the utopian hope that regulations can
protect us completely from all health dangers in the modern world.
For this reason, the science of environmental biomedicine should be
complemented by a prospective kind of epidemiology, designed to
detect as early as possible early manifestations of abnormality, in the
population at large so as the guide. efforts to trace such abnormalities
to technological and social changes. Seen in this light~ prospective
epidemiology would constitute a kind of protective social organ, as
assential to disease control as are the safety regulations designed to
protect the public against known dangers.
PAGENO="0247"
STATEMENT SUBMITTED TO THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, RESEARCH,
AND DEVELOPMENT BY ALEX RADIN, AMERICAN PrBT~IC POWER As-
SOCIATION, AUGUST 10, 1966
ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND AIR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
The motor vehicle commonly is described as a maj or source of air
pollution. A report by the Department of Health, Educatwn, and
Welfare, published last November, estimated that about half of the
total air pollution problem in the United States is caused by cars,
trucks, and buses. A report published in June in St. Louis, Mo., indi-
cated that 63 percent of the hydrocarbons discharged into the at-
mosphere in that city during a 1963 test period were attributed to
automobiles.
Efforts are being made to control the exhausting of. hydrocarbons
and carbon monoxide by vehicles, but even the best of these provide
something less than 100 percent control. For example, 1966 auto
models for sale in California, where a stringent exhaust control law
is in effect, are equipped with exhaust control systems that reduce hy-
drocarbon emissions by about 65 percent and carbon monoxide emis-
sions by about 50 percent, according to the HEW report.
A PERMANENT SOLUTION POSSIBLE
On this basis, even the adoption of California-type legislation by all
of the other States would not solve the vehicular pollution problem; it
would merely permit a doubling of the number of automotive ve-
hicles without any increase in. the present level of pollution, admittedly
too high. Population projections indicate that a doubling of the
number of vehicles can be anticipated within a relatively few years, and
automotive pollution will rise accordingly.
Members of the American Public Power Association are deeply in-
terested in what appears to offer a solution to a major part of the
automotive pollution problem-the electric battery-powered vehicle.
Although it is not likely that battery-powered automobiles would com-
pletely replace combustion-powered vehicles, the air pollution problem
would be materially alleviated by the widespread use of battery-pow-
ered automobiles and trucks.
Development of new types of batteries which are lighter in weight
and more long lasting than earlier types has stimulated much interest
in the battery-operated vehicle. Our association has established a
new~comirnttee to promote the electric auto. Battery-powered forklift
vehicles, golf ëarts, delivery trucks, and other specialized vehicles are
beginnii~g to catch on, particularly in Great Britain.
The early development of the automobile proceeded along three
principal routes-the gasoline-powered engine, the steam engine, and
battery-driven electric vehicle. Some of the early manufacturers
switched from one type to the other; all types `had certain advantages.
847
PAGENO="0248"
848 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
SIMPLICITY AND RELIABILITY NOThD
A description of the battery-powered automobile of the turn of th~
century indicates that it had reached an enviable position.. "Evolution
of the American Automobile," by Daniel D. Gage and Anne C. Garri-
son in Business Topics, published by Michigan State University,
Autunm 1965, notes `that-
It was the ultimate In simplicity and reliability, starting immediately with
the turn of a switch, moving silently, increasing speed with utmost smoothness.
Anyone could learn to drive it with finesse in five minutes. Consequently, it
became identified with lady cl4vers and older people who were not concerned
with dash and dreams of glory. Like its upholstery, its public Image was dove
grey. Its top speed did not excee4' 25 miles an hour, and ItS range was limited
by the need for recharging the storage batteries every 60 miles, either at a
public garage or by means of expensive home equipment. As a passenger car,
the electric car held `on until, the first World War, but the electric truck for
street or In-factory use was revived 25 years later.
The same article notes that after the gasoline internal combustion
powerplant won out over steam and electricity-
For over half a century englneering Ingenuity has been, devoted to improving
the piston engine, which is basically an over~elaborate and unsatisfactory
source of power.''It may have been the challenge of perfecting this imperfect
machine attracted designing talent to it rather than to the steam or electric Cai',
RESEARCH EFFORT NEEDED
Whatever its merits `as a source of automotive propulsion, the gaso-
line engine is choking our civilization with its fumes. While con-
tinuing to perfect this" "overelaborate and unsatisfactory source of
power" to diminish its contribution to our air pollution, it would be
desirable~ also, to' devote engindering talent to the battery-driven ve-
hicle, which appears to have many uses in our urbanized society today.
A study by the Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory, Inc., at Buffalo,
N.Y.,. last year, made for the Commerce Department; suggested the
desirability of two distinct types of `vehicles, one for urban use and
one for interurban highway travel. The Cornell group predicted
that a major market for electric autOmobiles, primarily for urban
use, will appear by 1980, pointing out that the electrically powered
car creates no air pollution and, perhaps more persuasive to potential
buyers, has operating costs which are considerably less than those with
internal combustion engines forstop-and-go driving.
Just recently, an interesting suggestion was made by Columnist
howard K. Smith in the June 196(3 issue of Washingtonian magazine.
Declaring that, there are dozens of things which we can do about city'
traffic "when the moment of total paralysis and the incidence of lung
t~nd throat ailments finally prove that something must be done"
One of these could be to provide inner city, drivers with a fie~t of
drive-yourself electric, two-seater carts, which could be driven for a
mile, at'a speed of 20 miles per hour, for ~ach coin put `in a slot. "There
would be no fumes, no important accidents, `and no traffic jams caused
by a mere 40 or 50 people scattered 1-apiece in limousines big enough
for 8."
PAGENO="0249"
ADEQT7AC~ OF TECTfl~OLOG1~ `FOR POLLt~TTON AEATEMRNP 849
CAt~TLLAOS VERSUS HORSRS~
Tt is certainly true,'as Mr. Smith says in the same coltimn, that there
are few inner cities today where distances were not covered faster
half a century ago in horse-drawn vehicles than they are today in
Cadillacs.
So one arm of t1~e research effort into the electric vehicle can be
directed toward. designing, specifically for, urban `use, a vehicle which
can transport people from place to place at relatively low speed, with
ease of stopping and starting in dense traffic. The design of the ye-
hick itself requires an investment of talent and imagination.
Since there remain a good number of one-car families in America,
and since the automobile represents both a èonvenience and a pleasure
vehicle, a great deal of work must be done to increase the speed at
`which a battery-driven auto: can travel, and to increase the distance
which can be traveled without recharging the batteries.
A recent article by Edmund K. Faltermayer, appearing in the No-
vember 1965 issue of Fortune magazine, reported that Yardney Elec~
trio Oorp. of New York City has fitted up a special Renault Dauphine
with lightweight batteries that can propel it at ~peeds up toSS miles an
hour, and up to 80 miles on a charge. "The catch is that these are
military type silver zinc batteries costing $3,000" Nevertheless, Mr
Faltermayer added, several companies, including' Yardney and Gen-
oral Dynamics Corp. are pushing ahead in the search for batteries
that would cost only a fraction of this.
Mr. Faltermayer concludes that while a battery~operated car suit~
able for long journeys is a long way off, a smaller version might be
available in a few years. Perhaps he was overly pessimistic, in view
of progress which could be made if an all-out research' effort were
launched to develop smaller, lighter, and more powerful. batteries.
The fuel óell' may offer an oven in ore promising field `for further
research.
FUEL CELLS HOLD PROMISE
* William T. Reid, of Battelle Memorial Institute,, w'ho' is serving as
coordinator of a broad research program on fuel cells, declared in a
recent article that the greatest promise in providing `eaectrioal power
for an automobile comes from the fuel cell. Although fuel cells are
not being used commercially, Mr. Reid reported that they are being
used experimentally for powering forklift trucks, golf carts, and the
like.
From the standpoint of electric ñtilities, Mr. Reid noted that the
hydrogenoxygen fuel cell, which presently has reached the `highest level
of development of an.y type of fuel cell, would run on the products of
clectrolyzed water, thus opening up the possibility of an electrolyzer
in each home garage, or in service statiOns in residential areas.
Batteries presently available' cannot be used effectively in auto-
mobiles because they are too heavy and too costly, Mr. Reid said in the
same article. But he suggested that improvements can be attained in
lead-acid batteries-improvements which battery manufacturers have
not been forced to make jn the past because their present product meete
the requirements of the present mark~t. ,"Ttere is~ one area ~vhef~e re-
search might make a major contribution," Mr. Reid declared. "An-
other would be research and development leading to a' wholly ne~
PAGENO="0250"
850 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
secondary battery based on one of the light metals such as lithium,
sodium, magnesium, or calcium with a nonaqueous electrolyte." He
added that this would be no easy task but, if successful, it would pay
great dividends for other electrical stora~ge systems as well as for
electric automobiles.
Mr. Reid's article concluded that regenerative braking, traction mo-
tors specially designed for automobiles, controls, and auxiliaries all
will need considerable development. In each of these areas, research
could be justified leading to a~ final, practical prototype of an electric
automobile.
NEW BATTERIES DEVELOPED
Within the past year, two new types of electric storage batteries
have been announced. In December 1965, the Edison Electric Institute
and General Dynamics announced a prototype zinc-air battery ex-
pected to be ready for testing sóon~. In February of this year 13~ulton
Industries, Inc., announced the successful demonstration of a lithium
battery that will be subjected to further development work. During
the past decade, the. traditional lead-acid ba~ttery found in every auto-
mobile and the industrial nickel-iron battery developed by Edison have
been joined by the nickel-cadmium, nickel-silver, silver-zinc, silver-
cadmium and thercury batteries. Developmental work also is going
forward on `sodium batteries. .
An article on developments in electrochemi.cal energy-conversion de-
vices, batteries, and fuel cells, by D~. M. l3arak of Chloride Technical
Services, Ltd~, Swinton, Manchester, England, summarized recent
progress in England, where `battery-poi~ered delivery trucks are ex-
tensively used, and where passenger vehicles are being designed for
battery operation.
Dr. Barak concludes that development work must continue in the
direction of lightweight fuel cells with higher outpute; lightweight
traction motors, and possibly high-speed transmission before fuel-
battery electric cars can become a practical reality.
He .repor&ed jhat over 100,000 electric~a11y. propelled vehicles, are in
operation in. Great Britain, ii~cluding industrial trucks used to trans-
port materials, and pi~oducts in factories, commercial vehicles, mining
locomotives, and So qn.', ` `` . ,
A']thLLIoN ELECTRIC OARS PREDICTED
The Electricity Council in Britain inore recently predicted that
within 10. years a million battery~-drivei~ automobiles will be in opera-
tion I here are four small electric cars being tested on London streets
as a result of the Council's. campaign to promote the electric vehicle-
two British Motor Corp. "mini" cars, with the gasoline engine replaced
by batterles and an electric mo'tpr, and two which are specially designed
for electric operation by Scottish Aviation and Peel Engineering,
according to a dispatch from London which appeared recently in. the
Chicago Tribune. `
The Scottish, Aviation model, called the Scamp, and the Peel car,
called, the Trident, are expected to cost less than $1,000 when mass
produced. They can go only about 30 miles between recharging,.at ,a
top speed of abont40 miles on hour. Batteries weigh ab~i~t 700' pounds
in the two-passenger models.
The Electricity Council predicted that eventually parking meters
PAGENO="0251"
ADItQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR i~'OLLUTION AB.~TEME~T 851
will be wired to recharge batteries, although recharging would be done
in garage sockets during night, using off-peak electric rates, in most
cases.
It seems highly important to pursue the design of vehicles specif-
ically for battery operation, as the British are doing. This approach
may result in vehicles which are most suitable for specific uses; e.g.,
commuter travel to and from large cities, as well ~ts in vehicles which
make the most efficient use of battery power. Obviously the break-
through to wide-scale use of electric vehicles will not come as a result
only of fitting up standard model cars for battery operation. And a
real breakthrough in terms of consumer acceptance must come if the
battery-operated vehicle is to have an impact on the air pollution
problem.
FEDERAL FUNDS FOR BATTERY RESEARCH
`There are about 15 Federal agencies funding a total of 86 projects in
battery research. Of these, 21 are being performed in Government
laboratories, 14 are being performed by 10 universities, and 51 by 24
industrial companies. Manufacturing corporations also are con-
ducting research.
The Tennessee Valley Authority purchased a battery-operated
electric car in 1961 for. study and' evaluation of the possible electric
utility load buildup that could occur from public acceptance çf such
a vehicle. The car is a Renault Dauphine, with electric motor and
batteries substituted for the gasoline engine.
After a series of tests on the car, which is called the Henney Kilo-
watt, it was concluded that commercial feasibility of the electric car
"must await a substantial improvement in performance' capability,
particularly in the capacity to travel longer distances." A need for
"major advances in storage battery technology" was noted ifl TVA's
report on `the' Henney Kilowatt, but it was ~pointed out that research
being carried out in connection with the national space program could
make such advances possible.
In 1961, the Lead Industries Association of New York launched a
campaign to increase the use of storage batteries as a source of electric
power for industrial trucks, personnel carriers, and `other vehicles.
The association estimated that the electricity consumption of a single
electric industrial truck would be 7,500 kilowatt-hours per year, or
more than 5 times, as much as is used by a window air conditioner.
This gives an indication `of the importance of the electric vehicle to an
operating utility, particularly when we censider that the bulk of the
recharging load would come during the night, when other loads ~tould
be very low, Several electric utilities have launched sales promotion
campaigns to sell electric trucks, according to an article in the August
23, 1965, issue of Electrical World magazine. ,
R. & D. SUPPORT REQUIRED
A leading proponent of electric autos to combat air pollution has
been the Electric Storage Battery Co. The president of `this firm, M.
G. Smith, has called upon the President to "make recommendations for
research and developemnt of all kinds of nonppllnting devices and
spell out what both the Federal Government and private' industry
should do to get those devices built and used-universally and in the
least possible time."
PAGENO="0252"
852 ADEQUACY ~OF TEChNOLOGY. FQR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
Mr. Su~ith, declared that nonpoliuting, battery-powered vehicles for
low-speed, low-mileage urban transportation are feasible right now.
This brief summary of developments is not intended to be. corn-
prehensii,~e, but merely to indicate that there is widesp~read interest
in the electric vehicle and a recognition that it can substantially reduce
the air pollution problem, if it is used as an alternative to the gasoline
powered car in urban areas.
Widespread use of electric vehicles would require increased gen-
eration of electric power in order to recharge the batteries of electric
vehicles. In this connection, the question of air pollution from electric
generating plants will be raised, and should be raised, in assessing the
total impaát of the use of electric vehicles on the. pollution problem.
Unlike gasoline burning automobile engines, modern electric gen-
erating stations do not produce carbon monoxide, and the gas from
stations is discharged into upper atmosphere, not at street level where
it directly contamiliates the'air. people breathe. Furthermore, utilities
now have very sophisticated' equipment for controlling pollution.
In general, it would seem easier to regulate the discharge from a few
hundred large generating plants than from millions of' automobiles.
The trend toward construction of larger plants, in more remote `loca-
tions, will facilitate the regulation of generating plant pollution. In-
creasing use of nuclear fuel also will reduce the potential pollution
from generating `plants.' `
The members of our association are fully aware of the pollution
problem, as it is affected by the burning of fuels to produce electricity,
and I am :confident that they `will cOoperate in any reasonable plan
to reduce or eliminate such pollution.
In addition'tG establishing a, special committee to promote greater
"research ~which will lead to a ~brenkthrough" in mass markets and
mass production of electric aut~inobilOs, our association, at its annual
conference in Boston earlier thi~ ~ear adopted the following resolution
by unanimous vote on May 12, 1966:
uLEoTnIc VIiHIOLES
Whereas battery-powered passenger and `other vehicles offer an aiterná-
tive to vehicles' powered' by combustion engines, which Create severe air
pollution problems, and
Whereas research currently `underway indicates that economically fea-
sible battery powered vehicles ~an be developed within the near future if
the electric industry and manufacturers push forward' `with an aggres~&vè
`Program of re~earchand development, and
Whereas the electric vehicle promises to provide an e~eellent off-peak load
for electric, utilities, .~ `
Now, therefore, be it resolved: That the American Pubiic Power ASsoeia~
`tion urges a large-scale research and development effort to bring the electric
vehicle to the market..
APPA hopes that your committee, in attacking the most pervasive
source of air pollution, will recommend the kind of large-scale research
and development effort necessary' `to make available a pollution-free
means of tra~nsportation for our urban areas.
Our ns~ooiation urges th~ committee's support for a~ two-pronged
research and development eiThrt. Such an effort would include bpth
design o~ new vehicles su'ited for' battery operation and development
of lighter, longer lasting, and less expensive batteries which can pqwer
the vehicles of the future. ` `
PAGENO="0253"
STATEMENT SUBMIrrED TO PEE SUBCOMMITTEE ON SCIENcE, RE-
SEARCH, AND DEVELOPMENT BY GEORGE A. HOFFMAN, U*IVERsn~
or CALIFORNIA, AUGUST 17, 1966
ENERGY REQUIREMENTS ~`OR ELEcTRIC AUToMoEIt~Es
(By George A. Hoffman, research engineer, Institute of Govern-
ment and Public Affairs, University of California, Los Angeles,
Calif.)
I. INTRODUCTION: WHY ELECTRIC AUTOMOBILES?
Automotive propulsion accounts today for about half of the energy
generated by combustion inthe United States. A review paper on the
energy requirements of automobiles-particularly electrically driven
cars-appears therefore to be appropriate for this first conferenee on
energy conversion.
The internal combustion engine was not always the favorite energy
conversion device for propelling passenger cars. At the turn of the
century there were more battery-operated, electric motor cars in use in
this country than either steam or gasoline powered. But the severe
range and speed limitations of storage batteries in those days soon
doomed the electric car for oblivion. Quantity demand and produc-
tion of electric automobiles ended half a century ago.
But in the last decade or so some automotive trends specifically
favorable to the reconsideration of electrically driven passenger cars
have developed. For example:
Electric motor design has progressed very rapidly in recent
years. Improvements in electromechanical conversion efficiency
and in weight reduction are now at the point where the electric
* motor merits reinvestigation for automobile traction.
In the past decade, the weight of batteries and regenerative
* fuel cells per unit of stored energy has dropped to a small frac-
tion of their value of a half-century ago.
The large increase in air pollution from the exhausts of the
internal combustion engine has become a serious national problem.
The socioeconomic losses due to degrading the quality of the air
we must breathe might yet force installation of smog control
devices on cars costing as much as the, engine itself.1 Battery-
operated electric cars do not contriI~uth significantly to air
contamination.
The demand for cars per capita is increasing with a related
proliferation in diversity of automobile models. The rate of
increase is greatest for the second car in the U.S. family, used
NoTsL-Tbe views expressed in this paper are those of the author. They should not be
interpreted as reflecting the views of the institute nor of the uMversity, or the official
opinion or policy Qf the sponsors of this study.
~ George A. Hoffman, `Los Angeles 5mo~g Control," Rept. MR-56, Institute of Govern-
ment and Public Affairs, UCLA, March 19~6.
853
PAGENO="0254"
854 ADEQUACY OF TECIfl~OLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
either for commuting or for household4ype. trips, and character-
ized by more missions than the first car, but of shorter range.
These suburban cars appear the most readily adaptable to electrical
conversion.
Consumer prices for gas and oil are rising proportionately
faster than the pri~eof electricity, and will do so for the foresee-
able future, Electric propulsion of ground vehicles is therefore
steadily becoming more attractive economically. Automotive
energy conversion would be more efficient and operating costs
cheaper if nonfossil electrically regenerable fuels were used.
For these reasons, the design of the electric car is reviewed here with
estimates of its energy requirements.
II. GENERAL MAKEUP OP ELEOTRIG AUTOMOBILES
Automotive marketing `history shows clearly that it is almost impos-
sible to successfully introduce a radically changed car to the. motoring.
public if it departs too noticeably from the established demand and
acceptance criteria of the time. To be popularly wanted, manu-
factured, and sold in large numbers, electric automobiles should con-
form to the major characteristics of conventional gasoline engine cars.
This requirement spells out most of their basic design criteria.
Electric cars should therefore be engineered to resemble or excel
present-day cars in most of the following respects:
General appearance and diversity of models;'
Convenience, comfort, passenger capacity and protection, in-
terior design;
Performance, top speeds;.
Handling, agility, ride;
Range between refueling;
Costs, initial and operating.
After a century of development, the' weight composition of auto-
mobiles has been dictated by the consumer to refiec1~ the above six points
and others. For the great variety of cars on the road today, ranging in
curb weight (takeoff gross weight) from 1,500 to over 5,000 pounds,
the weight composition is remarkably uniform, both as to proportions
of weight and as to linearity with curb weight. Figure 1 is an illus-
tration of the consistency of the weight ratios of major component cate-
gories of 1966 domestic and imported models, designed for `the above
set of criteria. `
These ratios are listed in table 1 for 16 component subgroupmgs, and
are the starting point for any successful design of electric cars. Bas-
ing the design on the ratios shown in table 1, assures that the driver at
the wheel and his pass'engers perceive little difference in' driving, or
riding in, `an `electric auto ~~rsiis ~ conventional car.
PAGENO="0255"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOE POLLUTION ABATEMENT 855
800 1000 kg $500 2000 kg
3000
0
$000
2000 ~~)0O0 kg
- 500
kg
08
0 2000 4000 6000 lb
000 0
0
0 400
00 kg
* 0
0 300
o0
500 0
200
kg
I00
I I -* I I
0 2000 4000 6000 lb
Curb weight, W (lb
FIGURE 1.-IllustratIve component weight versus total weight of 196~-m.odel
automobiles.
PAGENO="0256"
856 ADEQUA~Z OF TECHNOLOGY FOB POIiLUTION ABATEMENT
TABLE 1.-Weight composition. of mode~rn automobiles
Category and subgroup
~
Ratio: (component
cveight)/(curb weight)
Average value
Least value
Body:
Basic structure
0. 30
0. 25
All trim
16
13
Glass
.
04
.
035
Engine
.
. 145
.
12
Automatic transmission
05
.
04
Suspension: 1
Front
.
035
.
03
Rear
.
03
.
025
Wheels
Tires
.
. 027
028
.
.028
025
Brakes
.04
.
.035
Steering apparatus
Rear axle, driveline 1
Exhaust system
. 017
- 038
. 015
. 013
. 03
012
Battery, electrical
Radiator, full 2
Fuel tank, full
. 02
. 013
. 042
.
. 012
. 008
. 033
1 Front-engine, rear-drive modelS only.
2 Water-cooled engines only.
Figure 2 shows this undifferentiability either from the interior or
the exterior of the car.
Eliminating those components that are not required in electric-
motor propulsion would at first give the weight composition of electric
cars shown in the left-hand column of table 2. It is assumed that the
least-value ratios from table 1 represent the better engineered prOduct
in current demand. But there are advantageous side effects on each
of these components in going to battery operation and electric motors.
Some of the weight reductions and a4terations applicable to each cate-
gory are also enumerated in table. g, with an estimate of the weight
fraction decrease. The right-hancl~ 6olumn shows the finally altered
component weight of electric cars as portions of curb weight.
PAGENO="0257"
ADEQUACT OF T~CI~NOLOGY FO~ POLLUTION ABATEM~P 857
ELECTRIC
FxouI~F 2.-Diagrammatic comparison between a conventional Snd an electric
automobile.
CONVENTIONAL
68-24O~--66--vol. 11-17
PAGENO="0258"
TABLE 2.-Weight composition of electric automobiles
[Sum: 1.OO=O.47-I--X+Y]
Component
Weight ratio 1
Alteratiops possible from conventional counterpart
Weight
reduction
fraction
Final weight
ratio
Body structure
0. 25
~
Gage reductions in frame and chassis allowed by redistribution of concen-
trated weights. Elimination of midfloor transmission hump and drive-
line tunnel.
>~
0. 21
Trim
Glass
. 13
. 035
Reduction of acoustical and thermal insulation. Simplification of dash-
board furnishings and instruments. Elimination of air intake grillwork.
No alterations
0
115
~
. 035
Front suspension
Rear suspension
Wheels
Tires
Steering
. 03
. 025
. 023
.025
. 013
Equal front/rear weight distribution. Low CG battery pack clustered near
spring-body junction points.
Same as above
No change
do
Lighter steering mechanism from low OG, equal front and aft weight, 4-wheel
traction.
34
0
0
0
3/io
. 025
. 025
. 023
.025
. 012
~Electricmotors
X
:Energystorage
y
I Least value from table 1.
PAGENO="0259"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 859
The weight of electric motors divided by curb weight, is indicated
by X, an unknown to be later determined from performance and speed
requirements. The ratio (energy storage weight)/(curb weight), is
denoted by Y, which simply equal 0.53-X. In sum, it appears that
slightly more than half of the gross weight of electric cars should be
made up of electric motors and energy storage/delivery devices.
III. MOTORS, PERFORMANCE AND SPEED
As mentioned earlier, the performance (or acceleration capability)
of an acceptable electric car should match that of a comparable-
weight modern automobile. The performance of passenger cars is
usually measured by the time req~uired to accelerate from standstill
to 60 miles per hour. But initially, electric cars will be primarily
"town-and-country" types of vehicles, and the performance that they
should match is the acceleration capability of present-day cars at the
lower speeds of 0-30 miles per hour. This implies a prime require-
ment that the electric-motor power available at, say, 15 miles per
hour be the same as in gasoline-powered cars with automatic trans-
missions. Matching horsepowers at 15 miles per hour actually pro-.
vides electric cars with better_than-conventional performance up to
15 miles per hour, comparable performance for 0-30 miles per hour,
and somewhat less-than-conventional performance for 0-60 miles-
per-hour acceleration.
The horsepower available at the wheels of latest model cars while
accelerating through 15 miles per hour is shown in figure 3, and gen-
erally amounts to one-third to one-half of maximum published horse-
power. This horsepower is calculated from the manufacturers'
published data about the maximum engine torque, the automatic
transmission's torque-.converting ratio at stall, the differential gear
ratio at the axle, and the number of tire revolutions per mile.
PAGENO="0260"
860 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
o,y
0
`*11
~jstandard performance
HP 0.016 W
15
2000
Curb weight, W
* 4000
(lb
FIGURE 3.-Weight and horsepower available at 15 mph in late-model cars.
The formula for estimating the horsepower at 15 miles per hour
(HP15) is HP15-_4.76 X 10°X (engine maximum torque) X (converter
stall ratio) X (axle ratio) X (tire revolutions per mile) where
4.76X 1O-~=~-~>~
33,000==foot-pounds per minute per horsepower
4 = tire revolutions per mile per tire revolutions per minute at
15 miles per hour
2ir= radians per revolution.
This estimate of the available power assumes none of the various
degradation factors,2 conservatively assumed to be comparable in size
to those expected in electric motors when in general use for automotive
propulsion, and amounting at times to a one-quarter power loss. It
2 George A. Hoffman, "The Automobile-Today and Tomorrow," Proceedings of the 41st Meeting of the
Highway Research Board, National Academy of Sciences, January 1902, fig. 6.
150
HP15 0.0 24 W
Intermediate performance 0 ) L
`7
c~o
I
-c
0.
to
4-
0
a-
I
.
PAGENO="0261"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOQY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 861
may be concluded from the plots in figure 3 that electric motors should
be selected so as to impart at 15 miles per hour
11P15-(O.02±O.004)W . . . . (1)
the lower figure being close to the mean of standard-performance
passenger cars with curb weight W (pound), and the higher figure for
medium- to high-performance U.S. cars.
The weight and power of some classes of electric motors is plotted
in figure 4, based on manufacturers' specifications. Motors were
assumed to be downgeared so as to turn the car's wheels at a top speed
of 1,200 revolutions per minute (about 90 or 100 miles per hour).
The horsepower developed was at one-sixth of this maximum revolu-
tions per minute; namely, around 15 miles per hour. The duration
and frequency of the power pulses were assumed to be patterned after
suburban and light traffic driving conditions.
* Automotive starters and EJ Printed motors, forced air
DC traction motors cooling, hypothetical pulsed
operation
o 24 000 rpm polyphase squirrel Industrial AC motors,
cage induction motor, driven by uncoolid, continuous use
variable frequency converter,
pulsed operation ,oil cooled
Industrial DC motors,
uncooled , contInuous use
$000
/ /
/ /
100
, /
/, /
/ /
~
l0
10 100 1000
electric motor. weight, w , (Ib)
/
/
/
PIGu1~ 4.-Weight and power of electric motors.
PAGENO="0262"
862 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOE POLLUTION ABATEMENT
An interesting type of motor is the polyphase squirrel cage induction
motor, oil cooled and driven with a continuously variable frequency
converter. This "in the wheel" motor is presently used in the integral
motor wheel drive of an experimental army truck and off-road heavy
vehicles.3 These automotive electric-traction motors weigh about
2 pounds per horsepower and it is claimed that they can be designed
as low as 1 pound per horsepower. Automotive motor requirements
are less stringent than those usually employed for designing stationary
electric motors. For example:
Full-power demands are intermittent and occur only during
one-fourth to one-half of the running time.
The motor lifetime design need nOt be over 10~ hours of opera-
1~ion.
The automotive industry has many incentives to lighten the
weigh of motors by increased use of nonferrous alloys.
Forced cooling with water or oil is desirable and acceptable.
The power delivery of these future automotive-traction motors then
is about
HP=0.5w....
where w (pound), is the weight of the motor and of the frequency
converter. Combining expression (1) with (2), (that is, matching
the initial zero- to 30-mile-per-hour performance of modern gasoline
engines) gives for the electric motor weight w=0~04W.
With X in table 2 being w/W, and equaling 0.04, Y is equal to
0.49. In other words, about 4 percent of the weight of electric cars
should be assigned to traction motors and almost half the weight to
batteries.
It is interesting to note here that the torque performance of the
electric motors (when driven at constant power beyond 15 miles per
hour), parallels quite satisfactorily the wheel-axle, torque versus
speed curves of conventional internal combustion engine automobiles
up to moderate highway speeds. (See fig. 5.) This eliminates the
problem of driver readaptation to electric propulsion in city and
suburban traffic. The characteristics of the motor in reference 3
seem to assure that the electric car responds and performs as a piston
engine-powered car would to the driver's acceleration pedal demands
under the most frequent stop-and-go traffic conditions. In figure 5
the automatic transmission curve (dashed) is a composite of the
manufacturers' data on the latest model cars, whereas the low-slip
electric induction motor curve is based on assumed operation at
constant wattage after 15 miles per hour.
The maximum speed of electric automobiles on a level road can be
calculated by equating the constant propulsive power delivered by the
motor with the power required to overcome aerodynamic drag, tire-
rolling resistance, and any other frictional dissipative forces (the last
being negligibly small compared to aerodynamic and tire resistance).
"Powered Wheels," Product Engineering, vol. 37, No. 5, Feb. 28, 1966, p. 58.
PAGENO="0263"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 863
motor
constant ____~i0tOr driven at
~ driven at
constant wattag
ampirage
50
km/h
tOO
km/h
ibO
km/h
Exomu~ 5.-Wheel torque versus speed characteristics of conventional auto-
mobiles and constant-power electrie-motor-dr~iven cars.
The tire-rolling drag force of passenger car tires is between 0.01 and
0.02 of the curb weight and increases with speed. For good quality,
properly inflated tires (the lower bound of the band in fig. 6), the
rolling tractive force is about
(0.01+5X10-5v)XW. . . . (3)
The aerodynamic drag force at 60 miles per hour of various 1960
model vehicles is shown in figure 7, indicating that this resistance for
recently styled automobiles may be assumed to be
30+0.015(W+ 150) . . . (4)
where 30 pounds is the drag force at 60 miles per hour of a driver's
body reclining, as in the car seat, and 150 pounds is the weight of
the driver.
4 R. D. Stiehler et al., "Power Loss and Operating Temperatures of Tires," Journal of Research (of the
National Bureau of Standards), vol. 64-0, No. 1, 1st quarter, 1960, fig. 8.
o.e
Lii
a
0
I.-
x
4
0
automatic S
transmission
C'
0 20 40 60
vehicle speed, v , (mph)
0
80 100 120.
200
km/h
PAGENO="0264"
864 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
0 20 40
speed v , (mph)
60
80 100
m
-j
hi
0
0
U-
C-)
4
z
0
0
hi
4
FIGURE 6.~-Passenger car tire characteristics at speed.
4000
FIGURE 7.-Weight and aerodynamic drag of vehicles at 60 mph.
Aerodynamic drag of cars is quadratic with speed,5 so that expres-
sion (4) may be multipliedby (v/60)2 to yield the drag-speed relation
of automobiles to be
[0.0083+4.2 X10_6(W+150)]v2.
0.02
0.015
0.01
0.005
hi
C-)
0
U-
CD
4
CD
2
~1
-J
0
Iii
I-
2
0
0
4
0
-J
0..~ `4
4c0 ~ 0 0t~~ ~ ~
100
~gG0 ~`~Q
0
0
0
2000
curb weight plus one driver (Ib)
`P. R. Kyropoulos et al., "Automobile Aerodynamics," Society of Automotive Engineers, reprint No.
SP-1&0, March 1960.
PAGENO="0265"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 865
The total force (pound), resisting automobile motion-that is, the
sum of expressions (3) and (5)-when multiplied by the speed, v, and
the appropriate dimensional conversion factors, is close to the total
automotive drag power required from the electric motor.. This
tractive power requirement is then
0.00267 x{(0.0l +5 x l0~ v) x W+[0.0083+4.2 x 106 (W+
* +150)]}Xv . . . . (6)
where
0 00267~1.467, (feet/second)/miles per hour
- 550, [(foot-pound)/second]/IIP
At the top speed of the car, V, the required horsepower in (6),
(with V substituted for v) matches the motor deliverable power
w/2 or 0.02 W, (HP) . . . . (7)
assuming the use of 2 pound/horsepower electric motors.
Equating expressions (6) and (7), rearranging terms, and rounding
off numbers, gives the equation of the maximum speed, V (miles per
hour) to be
T~+(l8o/w+ 0.084+(0.89/W+4.2 x 10_4=[(0.0012/W) +
+5.6x10-711 . . . (8)
The real solution of equation (8) is a function of W whose intricacies
are beyond the scope of this paper. It is sufficient to state that the
solution of (8) varies from V==89 miles per hour for W=2,000 pounds
to V=100 miles per hour for W== 5,000 pounds, and that 2,000400
>~
500
km
0
0)
C
:~2OO
5.-
-o
C
a)
-c
a,
a)
C
0
~ 0-' 1 ~1
0 20 40 60 80 100
speed , v , (mph)
Fiouian 8.-Range of electric cars driven at steady speed.
More realistic travel simulations than steady-speed driving are
needed, particularly to account for accelerations and decelerations.
Two such driving conditions are assumed as shown in figure 9.
Condition I represents urban travel in moderately congested traffic
with considerable stop-and-go driving. Condition II defines engine
utilization for suburban driving in light traffic--not on expressways.
With the mission profiles assumed in figure 9, the energy expended
per trip, in steady-speed cruising, can be shown to be quite small
(one twenty-fifth and less) compared to the energy required per
trip for acceleration, or grade climbing. By neglecting the steady-
s~peed energy, and stipulating that the work done in decôierating is
dissipated in heat,7 leaves only the acceleration phases to be considered.
7 Dynamic braking by the motor is assumed, rather than friction braking. Regenerative braking is
another scheme that merits attention for energy recovery in electric automobiles. Itis not incorporated
in this design study because it extends the range by only one-fourth or less, but at a significant penalty
in cotitrol intricacies and costs. Regenerative braking, though certainly technologically feasible at this
time, is apparently not yet viable economically.
PAGENO="0269"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
869
This acceleration and hill climbing is conservatively assumed to be
done at close to the full-power level. (By contrast, in conditions I
and II traffic, the median engine utilization by late-model cars is
usually only about half of the available engine power.) The full-
power assumption should compensate for the omission of the cruising
power from the following calculations and account for the slightly
less-than-average performance of electric automobiles at 30 to 60
miles per hour.
The energy expended between recharges is then
(0.02 W)X(0.35T)X3600X 550/2656
or 5.22WT watt-hours . . . . (11)
where
0.02 W=maximum available motor power, neglecting road-load power
0.35==portion of conditions I and II trip time spent in aCceleration
T= travel time available between recharges or refuelings (hours)
3600= seconds per hour
550=foot-pound per second per horsepower
2656 =foot-pound per watt-hour
Equating (9) with (11) gives both the urban and suburban driving
time between recharges to be
T=0.086d hours.
The variability in city-driving characteristics is greatest in the
block speed (total trip length divided by total trip time), achieved in
a variety of settings and locations, traffic conditions and driver be-
havior. It is only too well known that block speeds of 20 miles per
hour and even lower are still experienced at peak traffic hours in densely
populated regions, while block speeds of 40 miles per hour or higher
can occasionally be achieved in some suburban driving at off-peak
times. The range of city-driven electric cars is therefore presented
in figure 10 for a variety of block speeds, this range being simply Tx
(block speed).
Condition IE
suburban driving
FIGURE 9.-Assiuned engine utilization in city-driving situations.
PAGENO="0270"
870 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
20 40 60 80 100
battery energy density,d, w-hrs/Ib)
FIOURE 1O.-Range of city-driven electric automobiles.
Range was only slightly affected by W in the steady-speed cruise
mode, and now-under metropolitan driving conditions-the range of
electric automobiles seems independent of 1T~. One may surmise from
this, that the present spectrum of car weights (from 2,000 to 5,000
pounds) and configurations (from small to large luxurious) available
for consumer choice, need not change with the substitution of electric
energy for combustion.8 Figures 9 and 10 also imply that conventional
batteries are unsuitable for most consumer range demands. Much
better suited are the Zn-air, H2-air and other as yet to be fully devel-
oped air batteries (for example the metal air batteries such as Fe- or
Mg-air), since these yield quite respectable ranges between refueling
and recharging.
It should be noted that the mission profiles in figure 9 are the most
arduous that one can normally expect. Travel along routes with few
stop signs or with well-coordinated lights, combined with a driver's
more moderate use of the accelerator pedal than the full power as-
sumed in (11), could result in ranges up to twice those exhibited in
figure 10. They approach the ranges of gasoline-powered cars with
a single thankful of fuel.
As a concluding example consider: a middle-weight automobile (say,
8,000 pounds), capable of 100 miles per hour top speed, but averaging
block speeds of 30 miles per hour in the metropolis, owned by a driver
insisting on a 150-mile range between refueling. This requires bat-
teries of 50 to 60 watt-hours per pound energy density, and needs 80
to 90 kilowatt-hours to be stored in the vehicle.
8 This conclusion contrasts with the English policy of designing very small electric cars.
if any. Furthermore, the massive engineering effort iii the United TOngdom toward
"e1ectricam~s" Is erroneous in not attempting speeds higher than 40 miles per hour, or
ranges greater than 40 miles.
200
range
miles
km
km
km
$50
00
50
0
* .- C
~. z ~ N
N
3:
PAGENO="0271"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 871
V. SOCIOECONOMIC EFFECTS OF THE FUTURE USE OF ELECTRIC
AUTOMOBILES
The societal implications of all-electric automotive propulsion in
the future are investigated in this section. The first item is the fore-
cast of a probable schedule for the introduction of electric cars into the
U.S. market with an ante-facto assumption that the vehicle will prove
comparable in design and costs to the nonelectric cars extent at the
time.
One such schedule was worked out in figure 11. It is based on
increasing mass production and mass acceptance of radically innovated
cars by two orders of magnitude every 4 years, as has occasionally
happened in the past with the help of American manufacturing and
marketing ingenuity,. Under these circumstances, it appears from
figure 11 that only toward the turn of the 21st century could one ex-
pect extensive use of electric automobiles in daily travel activities.
Air- battery R
Electric motor )R ~
Number of ________
prototypes > of~
produced
>~0~->
>produc:d ~:rs
Full acceptance
U) f
Ii
00
o 1 ~ ~ acceptance
4
Ui
Ui4 .;`
1950 2000 AD 2050
FIGURE 11.-Possible schedule for introduction of electric automobiles into the
United States market.
.0
PAGENO="0272"
872 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
The palpable economic effects on the consumer's pocketbook will be
important. Consider first the initial (and, later, the operating) costs
to the car owner in terms of the difference between electric and non-
electric cars, both produced at rates of, say 106 to 10~ uthts per year.
The production unit cost-~--and therefore price-for half of the car
weight (body, trim, suspensiàn, wheels, tires) should be essentially the
same for both types of cars. In the remaining half of the vehicle
weight, a major cost jump will be encountered, due to the cost of air-
batteries being intrinsically higher per pound-perhaps 1.~ times ~-
t~n the cost of conventional car components. Thus, as a whole, elec-
tric cars will tend to be. more expensive by. one-fourth than their con-
ventional counterparts of similar size and weight.
The, m~ss marketing. o~ electric automobiles will require a special
(hut not too novel) tas1~: toconyince the prospective automobile buy-
ers to pay considerably more at the dealer's showr~om than they would
pay ~or gasoline-engine cars; and to trade off this significant incre-
ment (one-fourth of the initia~l cost) against the equally significant
decrement in prospective operating costs over the ensuing years of car
use. The unchangeable operating costs will still be: the interest on
the capital, tire replacement, road and highway taxes, maintenance,
insurance, and licensing fees. But a sizable lowering in operating
expenditures will be derived by switching from gasoline and oil to
electric energy. A reduction of about one-half in fuel costs might be
expected. Integrated over the years of the car's life, this would more
than offset the initial purchase price increase.
In essence: one prediction is that electric cars will be costlier to
purchase and somewhat cheaper to operate, with the operational cOst
savings over the years adding up to a net benefit. Automobile manu-
facturers will profit more from the mass production and marketing
of electric vehicles that are comparable to present cars, and have the
added options of highly intricate and sophisticated motors and air-
batteries being substituted for piston engines and automatic trans-
missions.
Electric utilities will welcome the advent of electric cars: electric
power consumption in the United States would about double. The
price of electricity might be reduced by one-tenth or one-fifth, particu-
larly in view of the heavy nighttime power demands as batteries are
being recharged at home.
Our mounting problems of urban air pollution,. mainly due to emis-
sions from the internal combustion engine, should be greatly alleviated
by battery-operated cars. One of the most significant benefits from
electric cars in the future might prove to be the abatement of autç-
motive exhaust. These emissions are costing society billions of dollars,
while degrading the quality of our cities' air. We cannot afford this
rapidly growing socioeconomic loss to the Nation.
°Lead-acid batteries are i1,~ times as expensive per pound as the average price per pound
of the whole automobile. Zinc and nickel, primary candidate metals for fuel or electrodes
In air-batteries, are cheaper per pound than lead.
PAGENO="0273"
STAPEMENT SUBMITTED TO THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, RESEARCH,
AND DEVELOPMENT, BY WALTER A. LYON, PENNSYLVANIA DEPART-
MENT OF HEALTH, AUGUST 22, 1966
COMPARISON OF AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN PRACTICE IN WATER QUALITY
CONTROL
Since public policy in the field of water pollution control in the
United States is in the process of undergoing a number of significant
changes, there seems to be value in reviewing pollution control policy
in other nations, This might help us to gain a. better perspective con-
cerning activities in this country.
While there is a dearth of statistical information concerning pollu-
tion and pollution control progress in other nations, general reports
from many of the European nations indicate that there has been a
significant increase in stream pollution during the last half century.
It is, for example, reported that in 1875, 100,000 salmon were delivered
to the retail trade in the Netherlands. Between 1900 and 1915 there
were only 20,000 to 30,000 per year. Toward 1930 the salmon fishery
on the Rhine had lost all practical significance and its revival under
present circumstances appears to be out of the question.' Some
European pollution appears to be more recent for example, in 1954
the Grand-Morin, a tributary of the Marne, which drains part of the
Paris basin, was reported to have been a trout stream. "Today the
rived is dead and covered~ with filthy rainbow-colored greases and
hydrocarbons. Less than 10 years were needed for this." 2
THE PUBLIC RESPONSE. TO POLLUTION PROBLEMS /
The public response to such pollution problems and to fish kills
seems to follow a similar pattern throughout the world. Here is a
report from Poland:
Recently in an artificial lake in Poland, where the waste matter-containing
a fungus that deoxydized the water-discharged by a sugar refinery caused the
death of some 20 tons of fry. The press called the lake the graveyard of millions
of fish. There was one good point: the public indignation at the news which
gave the event greater significance than the actual economic loss, and provided
conclusive evidence that the whole community was awake to the problem. Legal
action has been taken against the culprits.8
The Polish-Anglers Union now has over 200,000 members and is a
leading opponent of water-polluting industries.
As is the case in the United States, many voluntary organizations
concerned with water conservation are being formed in Europe. Dur-
ing the last 15 years, voluntary water protection associations were
1 J* ~T. Hopmans, "The Importance of the River Rhine for the Water Economy of the
Netherlands,' Rhlne~Seminar, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Geneva
iO~3, p. 1'6'L
2 Report of Senator M. Maurice Lalloy, to the French Senate, No. 1~5, Paris, 1964,, p. 28.
3Joseph Litwin, "Control of River Pollution by Industry," Interi~at1onal Association of
Legal Science, Interiiatj~nai /Instltnte of Administrative Sciences, 25 Rue Ch'ar1f~, Brussels,
Belgiam, p. 12.
873
e8-24o~--6se-voL TI-.48
PAGENO="0274"
874 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
formed in Belgium, France, West Germany, Switzerland, Yugoslavia,
and other European countries. They combined in 1956 to establish
the European Federation for the Protection of Water. In Germany
there exists a nonpartisan association of Federal and State legislators
who are concerned with the problems of water conservation, partic-
ularly pollution. In France, a Federation of Fishermen's Associa-
tions and Amateur Anglers Defense Union played an important part
in the passage of the new French water pollution control law.4 While
there have always been professional associations in Europe concerned
with the problems of water pollution control, new organizations con-
tinue to be formed, such as the Swedish Association for Water Hy-
giene, an organization representing bacteriologists, jurists, chemists,
physicians, and other technicians concerned with water pollution. A
Yugoslav Association for Water Protection was formed in 1963. Its
membership includes distinguished experts in the field of water econ-
omy, hydrologists, biologists, economists, and lawyers. One of its
purposes is to keep the public aware of the need and advantage of
pollution control.
It is, therefore, abundantly clear that in Europe, `as in the United
States, sportsmen, conservationists and professionals are bringing
pressure upon parliaments and legislatures to pass stronger water
pollution control laws.
The Swiss people, by referendum, in 1953, voted `by an 80-percent
majority that water protection ought to be the concern of the central
government.5
LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY IN EUROPE -
Some countries have already passed stronger water pollution con-
trol laws and others are giving serious thought to such legislation.
The Netherlands does not have a strong comprehensive water pollu-
tion control law at this time. Laws passed during the past 70 years.
do give the national government pollution control powers in the major
rivers and ship canals.
A comprehensive water code was passed in Poland which not only
controls discharges, but also indirect pollution by air and soil con-
tamination.
During the early 1950's after some considerable study, the Belgium
Parliament passed a comprehensive water pollution control law. This
law is already considered inadequate and serious consideration is being
given to new and stronger legislation in this field.
In West Germany, the Federal Water Act of 1960 provides, for
the first time, a uniform basis for water pollution control through-
out West Germany. The act provides for a permit system and im-
poses implementation of the act upon the West German States of
Laender. Three of the West German States have refused to imple-
ment the new law and in October 1962, won a Federal court case
which declared many of the provisions of the new act null and void
and unconstitutional because it infringed upon the lawmaking rights
of the West German States.6 7
~ Litwin, op. cit., p. 70.
~ Litwin, op. cit., p. .69.
~ Litwin, op. cit., p. 29.
~ C. F. Jackson, `Trade Effluent Disposal and Water Supplies In Western Germany,"
Federation of British Industries, l962~ p. 9.
PAGENO="0275"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 875
A comprehensive water pollution control act was passed in France
in 1964. It includes all French waters including underground and
coastal waters. It is not limited to discharges but covers "any activity
likely to cause or increase pollution by altering the physical, chemical,
biological, or bacteriological characteristics of the water." The
French act is very broad and leaves the details of implementation
to the executive branch of the Federal Government.
In the United Kingdom, legislation passed during the last 10 years
has greatly strengthened the power of the Ministry of Housing and
Local Government and the river boards in the field of pollution control.
The Tidal Waters Act of 1960 extended control of water pollution to
tidal rivers and estuaries. The 1951 Rivers' Prevention of Pollution
Act has exempted from control all pre-1951 discharges which had
not materially changed in quantity or quality. The Public Health Act
of 1961 requires applications for consent for the continuation of pre-
1951 discharges. The 1961 act and the Water Resources Act of 1963
greatly strengthen the role of the river boards and changes the name
to "river authorities." 9 10
Yugoslavia has no comprehensive Federal water pollution law now.
Pre-1940 legislation in the various Yugoslav republics still apply ex-
cept in Slovenia and Macedonia. Comprehensive Federal legislation
establishing water quality standards and classifications are now being
drafted.1'
INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS
Federal legislation in the United States has, during the recent years,
caused a significant shift in Federal-State relations, particularly in
the field of enforcement. It is interesting to review briefly this area
of intergovernmental relations in European water pollution law.
As mentioned above, in Yugoslavia the prewar water laws of the
Republic prevail at this time. Only two of these Republics, Slovenia
and Macedonia, have recently passed water pollution regulations en-
forceable within their own territories. They explicitly provide for the
treatment of wastes. The other Republics, if they had any pre-Second
World War water pollution control laws or regulations at all, these
were very general or nonexistent. Each of the Republics has its own
regulations for the protection of fisheries and these may require the
installation of treatment facilities. In the field of industrial wastes,
there is a Federal law which requires that no industrial enterprise may
be set up or altered in any way without authorization of its investment
program by the Federal Government. This includes consideration of
industrial wastes pollution problems and they are, in that context,
considered by the Federal Government.'2
As mentioned above, Germany, in 1960, adopted a comprehensive
Federal water pollution law which has now been, in principle, declared
unconstitutional as it was attacked in court by three of the German
States. Prior to that time and presumably still in force are the stat-
utes of each of the former German States which existed before the
8 LitwIn, op. cit., pp. 25, 96.
Garner, J. F., in Litwin, op. cit., p. 149.
10Lyon, W. A., and Maneval, David, "The Control of Pollution From the Coal Induetry
and water Quality Mana~ement in Five European Countries," Pennsylvania Department
of Health, Division of Sanitary Engineering, Publication No. 18, 1966, p. 1.
n Stjepanovic, Nikola In Lttwin, op. cit., p. 170.
12 Stjepanovic, op. cit., p. 180.
PAGENO="0276"
876 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
Second World War and these are quite varied and complicated by the
fact that some of the former German States have been combined and
reapportioned to form other states. Generally speaking, Prussian law
is typical in Germany, and it generally prohibits pollution and imposes
the riparian concept of water law.13
English law gives nearly all of the specific powers for the manage-
ment of water and control of pollution to the river authorities. The
Minister of Housing and Local Government merely hears appeals,
which is rare. He also is responsible for formulating a national policy
relating to water..
In Holland, Federal authority is limited to major rivers of national
interest as is the case in the United States. Power over lesser rivers
is in the hands of local watershed authorities established by the
provinces.15
THE USE OF CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS
The princi~1e of stream classification crops up occasionally in Euro-
pean legislation. The BeJ~ian Parliament seems to have been the
first to consider this prfnciple as is the case in some States in the
United States, in the 1965 Water Quality Act, which requires the
States to submit water qualit,y criteria which, of course, is a form of
classification. Poland is drafting regulations providing for classifica-
tion of its streams and this appears also to be the case in the U.S.S.R.
and in Bulgaria.16 In Yugoslavia too, legislation is being drafted to
include classification of water.
In France, the question of classification was debated considerably
when the 1964 bill was considered by the Parliament. The French
Government proposed classification but the French Senate, after the
first reading of the bill, rejected the classification proposal and pre-
scribed instead an inventory of all surface waters which would specify
the degree of pollution of all the streams. The French Assembly
amended the bill stipulating that water quality criteria were to be
established for each stream within a fixed period of time.
THE ORGANIZATION OF WATER POLLUTION CONTROL EFFORTS
* When one ~onsiders the organizational framework which exists in
the field of water pollution control among most of the European na-
tions, one finds an interesting trend to the management of most water
pollution problems on a drainage basin basis rather than on a state
or federal basis. In Holland, for example, although the major rivers
are now and will continue to be under the supervision of the Federal
Government, particularly the Ministry of Transport and Water in
the National Institute for Purification of Waste Water and the Minis-
try of Social Affairs and Public Health, all of the other rivers are ad-
ministered by watershed authorities which are formed by the prov-
inces, and had their origin in the need of farmers to jointly share
their efforts in the construction of dikes to provide protection against
the sea. It is very likely that the new laws in Holland will strengthen
~ C. J. Jackson, "Trade Effluent Disposal and Water Supplies in Western Germany,"
Federation of British Industries, 1P.57, p, 16,
~ Litwin, op. cit., 29.
1~ Lyon and Maneval, op. cit., p. 10.
~° Ljtvinov, N., "Water Pollution in Europe and in Other Eastern European Countries,"
Bulletin of the World Health Organization; vol. 26, No. 4; 1~G2.
PAGENO="0277"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 877
the role of these watershed authorities which now manage most of the
pollution problems of the watershed by collecting a revenue and treat-
ing the wastes of the communities and some industries.17
The French act is very broad in scope and leaves its implementation
to the Conseil d'Etat (Council of State) through state agencies with
water pollution control responsibilities, such as the Higher Council of
Public Health, the Directorate of Water and Forestry, the Highways
Administration, the Rural Engineering Administration, the Depart-
ment of Housing, the Higher Council of Fisheries, the Ministery of
Commerce and other national and local agencies. The act, for pur-
poses of planning and implementation, sets up specific river basin au-
thorities representing water users, local government, and other units
of government. It also provides for financing, the right to levy rev-
enues and even the power to collect effluent taxes from the polluters to
compensate for the harm they caused to the general economy. The act
authorizes financially autonomous river basin authorities which can
implement water management on a comprehensive basis.18
It is probably in the United Kingdom where one finds the most
sophisticated decentralized system of water quality management.
While the Minister of Housing and Local Government has responsi-
bilities in the formulation of national policy and hearing of appeals,
broad comprehensive pollution control authority rests with 27 river
authorities covering the entire Nation. They are responsible for not
only the management of water pollution control matters, but matters
relating to the entire water resource program. Each authority is, by
law, an independent corporation and is not subject to detailed super-
vision by any central government agency although in many of its ad-
ministrative duties, it may have to obtain central government consent
and its decisions regarding applications for permits to discharge efflu-
ents into a stream are subject to appeal to the Minister. The river
authority is governed by between 21 and 31 members which do not re-
ceive any remuneration except for expenses. The authority has a staff
and is financed by contributions from the counties and boroughs which
it serves.19
The organization of the water pollution control program in Poland
provides a contrast to the United Kingdom insofar as its program is a
highly centralized one. The agency responsible for water pollution
control under the new 1961 law is the Central Water Economy Office,
an office established outside of the purview of any of the existing minis-
tries or departments. It is directly under the supervision of the Chair-
man of the Council of Ministers and has responsibility for coordinat-
ing all problems of water resources development in the Polish Govern-
ment. The Water Economy Office is represented at lower levels of
government but these are merely units of the central office. The office
is responsible for the coordination of all state offices which have any
responsibilities in the water field.2° The 1961 act provides for the
development of regional plans for the protection of water.
In Yugoslavia, the responsibility for water pollution rests with the
central government for the more important streams and with the local
units of government for the less important ones. r~ his, as in Holland,
17Lyon and Maneval, op. cit., p. 9.
isDondoux, P., in Litwia, op. cit., pp. 96-97.
19 Garner, ~r. F., op. cit., 156-151.
20 Litwln, op. cit., p. 117.
PAGENO="0278"
878 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
is similiar to the situation which has now developed through recent
legislation in the United States where the Federal Government takes
an immediate interest in and concern with interstate streams.
In Belgium, the Ministry of Health is responsible for the control
of pollution. Informal and voluntary watershed councils have been
established and it is proposed that their powers and functions be con-
siderably strengthened in a law now being considered by the Belgian
Parliament.
In Germany, very general pollution control authority rests with the
water and navigation offices, the water economy offices and the public
health and fisheries ministries of the variou~ &erman states. By all
means the most comprehen~ive drainage basin organizations in the
field of water pollution control exist in Germany. These are the Ger-
man Genossenschaften. These public cooperatives or corporations are
responsible under state supervision not only for water pollution con-
trol but also for the collection and treatment of wastes flood control,
drainage, the distribution and sale of water, and many related processes
such as the recovery of certain industrial products from industrial
wastes. Members of these river basin authorities are, broadly speak-
ing, those who discharge pollutants into the drainage basin benefit
from the facilities owned by such authorities. These usually include
industrial enterprises, municipalities, and water' users. The state
government and the Federal Government usually. are members of
these authorities as well.
Each of the authorities has an assembly composed of all of its mem-
bers which elects a managing board. Members are those who meet
a minimum fixed contribution. The weight of a vote in the assembly
meeting depends on the amount of the contribution or annual payment
which is made. The laws establishing the Genossensehaften contain
safeguards to prevent certain industries, particularly the mining in-
dustry from controlling the vote. Members pay contributions to the
operation and maintenance of the waste collection and treatment .sys~
tems which are based on an appropriate share of the annual budget.
These charges are based on waste flow, waste composition, or a combi-
nation thereof. They are quite similar to the sewer service charges used
in this country.
The Ruhrverband is perhaps the largest and the most complex of
these organizations. It serves a watershed of 1,700 square miles. The
Ruhrverband operates 100 treatment plants, 40 pumping stations, and
together with the Ruhrtalsperrenverein, its water supply counterpart,
operates 20 hydroelectric powerplan.ts and 2 gas works. Two-thirds
of the industries in the basin discharge their wastes to treatment plants
operated by. the Ruhrverband. Recreational water use is very high in
the rural area.. The legislation establishing the Ruhrverband makes
its primary purpose the "cleaning up of the Ruhr." The actual rela-
tionship which exists between the German states and the Gen.ossen-
schaften ought to be a subject of further study. It is clear that the
Genossenschaften, or water authorities, must operate within the
framework of German Federal and State law. 21 22
21 Lyon and Maneval, op. cit., pp. 12~-2O.
~ Giecelie, Paul, River Basin Authorltie~ on the Ruhr aTh!1 oti Other Rivers In c4er-
many." Conference on Water Pollution Problems in Europe, United ~`Tat1ons Publication
Ci, II E/Mim 24; pp. 276-282.
PAGENO="0279"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 879
In Sweden, the primary Federal agency concerned with water pollu-
tion control is the National Water Protection Service. Its activities
are nationwide and conducted in cooperation with other agencies con-
cerned with water pollution control such as the local health commit-
tees which concern themselves with the public health aspects of water
pollution control. Applications for permits to discharge wastes to
streams in Sweden and conflicts concerning water use and water pollu-
tion problems are heard and decided by water rights courts. The deci-
sions of the water rights courts can be appealed to a superior water
rights court and, if necessary and permission is granted, to the Supreme
Court of Sweden. As can be seen, Sweden places a great deal of em-
phasis on the judicial aspects of water pollution control practice.23
PERMIT SYSTEMS
As is the case in most of the United States, some procedure for ob-
taining permits prior to discharge of wastes to streams exists in all
European countries. These procedures are usually safeguarded by
provisions for hearings in case of adverse proceedings. In some cases,
hearings are always held prior to the issuance of a permit. In nearly
all cases, interested parties are advised by public notice prior to the
hearing.
It is interesting to note that the laws of many countries provide
for time limits for granting permits. In England, for example, if
a permit is not granted within 6 months, the permit (consent) is con-
sidered as granted free of restrictive clauses. In Poland, permits
must be issued within 2 months from the date of the application. If
the permit has not be~n issued, the officials involved must notify
higher authorities requesting additional time and stating the reasons
for the delay. Officials who cause the delay are subject to disciplinary
action. In the United States, some State laws specify time limits for
dealing with applications for permits. If no time is set and there
is undue delay, applicants have, of course, the right to apply to the
appropriate courts. In Yugoslavia, according to Federal Administra-
tive Procedure Act, failure to issue a permit within 2 months means
that the application has been rejected.24
In some countries, such as Germany, Poland, and Yugoslavia, per-
mits for any change in industrial process are required and the question
of pollution by industrial waste is considered prior to the issuance of
such permits.
Most European laws, as is the case in the United States, provide
for revisions or modifications or even revocation of permits. In the
case of Germany and Poland, compensation can be provided for eco-
nomic losses incurred by modification or revocation of. permits.
Similarly, many national laws provide for damages to be paid by pol-
luters to water users. For example, in Sweden if the discharge of
industrial waste water in an area has an adverse affect on fishing,
the owner of the plant may be required to pay an annual amount in
the form of damages to be used for "the promotion of fishing in
Sweden." 25 In Poland, apart from any penalties and criminal sanc-
tions, the water economy section can impose a special water contamina-
~ Dyrssen,, Gösten, in Litwin, op. cit., pp. 181_145.
~ Litwin, op. cit., p. 49.
~ Dyrssen, Gösten, op. cit., p. 138.
PAGENO="0280"
880 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
tion fine, which is chargeable to the enterprises funds and can be re-
lated to the degree of pollution, particularly if there has been an
arbitrary ~change in. the manufacturing process. An enterprise to
which a fine has been imposed must trace the person who caused the
pollution and have recourse to law to recover the amount.26
The French law provides for a wide range of means to compel in-
dustrial plants to comply with pollution requirements. The Prefect, a
top local government official can order the work done at the manu -
facturer's expense or else issue an order suspending the operation of
the enterprise and, in that case, "compel the offender to pay his staff
during the period of suspension." Naturally, th~ manufacturer has
a right to appeal to the F'rench administrative court system.27
SUMMARY
Any study of the dynamics of pollution control legislation and
administration throughout industrialized Europe points to certain
general conclusions.
First, there appears to be in Europe, a general movement toward
decentralized river basin management of water pollution control and
waste treatment. Second., increased pollution of streams in the indus-
trial sectors of most countries has had an adverse effect on many of
the uses of rivers, particularly recreational uses. As `a result, conser-
vationists, fishermen, and professionals have put considerable pressure
on parliaments and governments with the help of an interested press.
This has caused stronger laws to be considered or passed in most
European countries, just as has been true for the United States. Per-
mit and classification systems are used in Europe as well as in the
United States.
In general, water pollution problems in Europe have increased as
has been the case in the United States. The public response in terms
of stronger laws is comparable to that in the United States. Signifi-
cant differences exist in the form of organization of national pollution
control efforts. In many countries the, trend is toward decentralized
water quality management on a drainage basin basis.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Information for this paper was drawn from two major sources.
The primary source has been a study conducted by Joseph Litwin,
professor of administrative law, University of Lodz, Poland for a
joint committee of the International Association of Legal ~cience
and the International Institute of Administrative Sciences, Brussels,
Belgium. The study included a detailed review of reports from the
Federal Republic of Germany, France, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden,
the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Yugoslavia..
I have borrowed freely from the study and only cited specific quota-
tion~ from the study. Much additional valuable information, partic-
ularly conceriling water pollution problems in Germany, Belgium,
Holland, and the United Kingdom was gathered during a travel fel-
lowship sponsored by the World Health Organization during the fall
of 1965.
26Litwin, op. cit., p. 42. .
27 Gentot, Michel, in Litwin, op. cit., pp. 87-88.
PAGENO="0281"
STATEMENT SUBMIrrED TO THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, RESEARCH,
AND DEVELOPMENT, BY PHILLIP SPORN, AMERICAN ELECTRIC POwER
Co., INC., AUGUST 25, 1966
OBSERVATIONS ON THE ADEQUACY OF AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY FOR
POLLUTION ABATEMENT WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO SULFUR
DIoxIDE
The subject of the inquiry; namely, the adequacy of Our tech-
nology for pollution abatement, raises not only a highly important
question for our society, but is, I think, particularly timely in view
of the current deepening concern with the cumulative effect of in-
dustrial and biological wastes on our environment. While many of
the situations that trouble this generation had their origins in the
industrial revolution, it has remained for those oriented toward space,
to apply fully the protective technologies to the indispensable bases
of human life on our planet-air, soil, and water. In part, this stems
from our new sense of affluence and in part from an uncritical view
that fails to distinguish between the technically possible and economi-
cally obtainable.
In the hearings of last January, I pointed out that, particularly
for SO2 and other gases in stack effluents resulting from the burning
of hydrocarbon fuels, the only satisfactory disposal known is the
discharge at an elevated point with resultant diffusion in the upper
air. I stated that the ability of a stack or stack system of practical
height to lower SO2 concentration at ground level to a value of 0.5
parts per million, even for powerplant complexes up to 5,000 mega-
watts, has been clearly established. I also called attention to the fact
that much lower levels of SO2 concentration have been postulated
in codes and regulations, without any technical or physiological basis
for such lower levels, and certainly without any demonstration that
such lower levels were at all needed.
The tall stack, which is available as a perfectly solid piece of tech-
nology to take care of a pressing problem, has been neglected by
some planners of facilities which could become sources of disturbing
pollution. Ear more distressing has been the reaction of many people
concerned with creating and enforcing standards for clean air who
for some strange reason have almost totally disregarded or discounted
this proven technology. Instead of critically examining the incon-
trovertible facts with regard to the performance of high stacks, we
find that various paper studies are produced and inserted in the litera-
ture in a fashion that exempts them from the criticism of other work-
ers in the field to whb~h scientific papers are normally subject. Later,
these exempt statements are quoted overseas and elsewhere as proof
that high stacks are ineffective. Along with this ostrichlike stance of
officials, we have repetition ad nauseam of the bad experience of
many years ago at Donora or the bad effects with washed, moistened,
and chilled effluents at Bankside and Battersea coupled with massive
881
PAGENO="0282"
882 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
low level emissions from household heating equipment in the much
publicized tragic experience of London in 1952.
Since, in my discussion of January of this year, I did not offer any
extensive proof of my statement, I would like to offer for the record
the experience with high stacks in two companies with which I
have been intimately associated, in one-the American Electric Power
System-over the past 40 years, and in the Ohio Valley Electric Coip.,
of which I have been the chief executive officer since its founding in
1952.
The entire development of this technology is set forth in a paper
that a colleague of mine, T. T. Frankenberg, and I prepared for sub-
mission at the International Clean Air Congress to be held in London
this coming October 44. This will in due course be printed in fulL
I offer it for the record here in the highly condensed version (see p.
884).
No reading and study of this record, it seems to me, can fail to
result in anything but agreement that high stacks offer a highly ac-
ceptable, effective, arid so far the only available pragmatic solution
to the problem of disposing of SO2. Efforts to remove sulfur from
fuel before burning it have so far come to naught. Numerous studies
seeking to remove S02 from the flue gas have arrived at estimated
costs which make the process totally unacceptable even before the
operating problems have been evaluated by actual construction and
operation.
In making the above categorical statement, I do not want to be
charged with the belief that high stacks are a permanent solution
to this problem, good for all timø i~ito the future. Very fe~ tech-
nological solutions have any such permanency and this is no excep-
tion. But it is certainly a solution that is good for some decades to
come. Still, since decades have a way of rolling around, there is
need for continuing careful studies to find other solutions which can
be developed to practiëal application. Economic application might
perhaps take anything from a decade to two or three decades.
In this connection. there is certainly also need for very careful
studies before and after the installation of every major powerplant
utilizing the technological device of high stacks in order to obtain a
more extensive evaluation of the mechanism of diffusion. Such
studies will without doubt provide the students of the problem, and
the designers of pragmatic technological devices for coping with them,
with a degree of confidence in evaluating this mechanism and varia-
tions of thismeohanism for dispersal of S02 so that we con continue to
improve the effectiveness of the solution in the years to come without
playing havoc with the country's economy.
In addition to the studies of high stacks by the Tennessee Valley
Authority~ alluded to in my January presentation, further attestation
to the abatement possible by this means has recently come to my at-
tention. In the July 1966 issue of the Journal of the Institute of
Fuel (vol. XXXIX, No. 306, pp. 294-30'T), A. Martin and F. B.
Barber of the Central Electricity Generating Board, Midland Region,
Nottingham, England, report "Investigations of Sulfur Dioxide Pol-
lution Around a Modern Power Station." The High Marnham Power
Station, situated in a relatively flat area, has a maximum output of
1,000 megawatts and two stacks, each 450 feet high. I should like
to quote briefly from the abstract of the paper:
PAGENO="0283"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOOY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 883
`Sixteen sulphur dioxide recorders have been `sited around a modern 1,000 MW
power station situated in a `rural area. The recorder layout was in the form of
a ring, the radius of `which was the distance of calculated maximum ground-level
pollution. The results from their operation during the period October, li~63, to
Septeraber, 1964, are `reported. O~a a long-term basis the overall average effect
of the power station on the concentration of sulphur dioxide as measured at
these sites was small (0.1 to 0.2 p.p.h.m.) compared with that already to be
found in the area (3 to 5 p.p.h.m.). Most of the pollution appeared to come from
distant cities and industrial areas. The most persistent effect from the power
station, amounting on average to only 0.6 p.p.h.m., was to the north-east of the
station and is thought to be due to the combined effects of wind frequency and
strength in that direction. Short-term (8 mm) power station contributions were
often detectable, but under the dispersing effect of the wind, were not usually
persistent at any one site. There was no significant pollution from the power
station in stable atmospheric conditions, with or without fogs.
This is an example of the careful work that should be done with
increasing frequency when new plants are planned and put into service.
Again I would point to the record that there was no significant pollu-
tion from the plant during stable (i.e. inversion) atmospheric condi-
tions, conditions which would however, create a great deal of difficulty
for low-level emissions.
High stacks are an excellent tool when they can be designed into the
plant, or even if a substantial fraction of the life of an existing plant
is still ahead of it. But what can be done for plants fast approaching
the end of their useful lives? Here research is badly needed and some
at least is underway. This has taken the form of investigating lime-
stone or other alkaline additives to react with the SO2 and SO, present
in the stack. The following groups have been active:
(a) Paper study of reactive rate of limestone and sulfur dioxide
being done at Battelle for U.S. Public Health Service.
(b) Study of limestone characteristics by Bituminous Coal Re-
search.
(c) In American Electric Power Service Corp., a modest re-
search program jointly with Arthur D. Little, Inc., has just been
initiated. This will cover a small section of the problem that ap-
pears particularly susceptible to direct attack at this time.
It is not expected that additives would be used full time, but as a
means of operating through adverse meteorological conditions.
Possibly the most significant research program of all, since it seeks
to correct our basio ignorance on the long-term, low-level effects of
SO2, is that announced since January 1966 by the Electric Research
Council. In this work to be done by the Hazieton Laboratories, Inc.,
under contract with the council, 18-month exposures of guinea pigs
and primates to SO2 levels comparable to those found in cities and
industrial areas will be conducted. Heretofore, most experimenta-
tion has been at concentrations seldom, if ever, reached even in acute
air pollution disasters such as London in 1952. In order to explore
the possible synergistic effects of fly ash and SO3 mist, a number of
parallel exposures will be made using these materials in conjunction
with SO2.
This statement has been somewhat longer than I first contemplated.
However, the subject is one of critical importance to the power indus-
try and is indeed an area in which it is altogether too easy to lose sight
of the industry's long history of constructive activity to abate air
pollution. For example, the reduction in plant heat rate from an
average 22,600 British thermal units per net kilowatt-hour in 1927
PAGENO="0284"
884. ADEQUACY OF TECImTOLOGY FOR POLLUTION 4BATEME'NT
to 10,493 in 1962 represents a major reduction in the potential air
pollution from this source, since only 46 percent as much fuel is being
used per unit of output as was the case 35 years earlier. Further,
electrostatic precipitators were commonly employed to clean flue gases
in the power industry a generation before the passage of the Clear Air
Act of 1963.
PIONEERING EXPERIEN(ffiJ WITH HIGH STACKS ON THE OVEC AND AMERICAN
ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEMS
(By Philip Sporn' and P. T. Frankenberg 2)
1. INTRODUCTION
In October 1952, the Ohio Valley Electric Curporation (OVEC) undertook the
building of two very large plants to serve a new gaseous diffusion plant of the
United States Atomic Energy Commission. These plants would be located on
the Ohio River, one in southeastern Ohio and the other near Madison, Indiana
(1~). The net capacities were originally estimated to be 1,000,000 kw for the
Ohio location and 1,200,000 kw at the Indiana site. .A1t that time the ten largest
thermal-electric plants in the United States had an average size of less than
600 mw. Both new plants represented difficult assignments from the standpoint
of controlling air pollution. Due to the economic availability of coal of rather
low quality the plants might burn fuel containing as much as 4 percent sulfur,
and would discharge at least twice the amount of sulfur dioxide as any previous
plant. Further, their locations in predominantly rural areas insured that any
inadequacies in the disposal of the flue gases Would be glaringly apparent.
Therefore every effort was made to design the plants so that they would have
a negligible effect on the ground level concentration of sulfur dioxide after
reaching full load operation.
2. PL~.NNING
Arrangements were made to conduct wind tunnel studies of the site at Madison,
Indiana, subsequently named Clifty Creek, since preliminary evaluation of this
location indicated that from the aerodynamic standpoint it would present unusual
difficulties. In the prevailing downwind direction from the plant, the flood
plain is very short followed by an abrupt escarpment.llke rise of the terrain to
a plateau approximately 850 feet above the plant grade. Siti~ated on. this high
plateau, at its closest approach to the plant, there is a very popular state park
with an inn directly overlooking the plant site. On the same plateau, slightly
further removed from the .site, there Is the Southeastern Indiana State Hospital
for mental patients. It was deemed absolutely imperative that the highl3r con-
centrated stack plume should not descend on either of these very sensitive areas
of habitation under any foreseeable circumstances. The wind tunnel work
included the terrain shown in areas A and B of Figure 1, which lay in the most
critical direction of the plant.
It was found that if the stack plume intersected the turbulent flow along the
sharp rise to the plateau, it would immediately be brought to the ground around
the inn. If the stack height was chosen so that the plume could be kept above
this boundary layer, then a definite lift of the plume occurred, as shown in
Figure 2. This lift varied between 50 and 150 feet and was so obvious in the
wind tunnel that an allowance of 50 feet was made far the "ski jump" effect when
selecting the stack heights.
13. THEORETICAL DIFFUSION CALOIILATTONS
K~as diffusion calculations were carried out to determine the ground level con-
centrations of SO2 at distances well beyond those that could be modeled In the
wind tunnel. The Bosanquet, Carey and Halton equatIon (2) was used to cal-
culate a stack gas rise and thus determine the effective stack height. With this
calculated, the Sutton equation (3) was used to determine ground level concen-
tration but with somewhat less conservative parameters (4).
`President, Ohio Valley Electric Corporation.
2 Consulting Mechanical Engineer, American Electric Power Service Corporation.
8 Numbers in parenthesis refer to references at the end of paper.
PAGENO="0285"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTiON ABATEMENT
885
O5~
4~444
U,
+44,
4,4-4
4-4.4
4-4
44-4
4,
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440
wc:
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PAGENO="0286"
886 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
FIGURE 2
Irving A. Singer and Maynard E. Smith, Air Pollution and Meteorological Con-
sultants, made almost all of the diffusion calculations for the stacks. These
calculations were made using an exit gas velocity of 120 feet per second based
on the wind tunnel results.
It was necessary to make some choice of the limiting value of SO2 that would
be acceptable at ground level. A value of 0.5 parts per million for a one hour
period was chosen as being one fourth of the odor threshold, and low enough to
keep instantaneous peak b~ow 2-3 ppm. Only strong wind conditions would
produce values in excess of 0.5 ppm SO2 and such winds occur during a very small
percentage of the total hours in the year. Thus, it can be seen that with regard
to an entire year and to the whole terrain around the plant, the actual long-term
factor of safety was very much greater than four.
After careful consideration of all the data. and with considerable concern for
possible adverse conditions during the breakup of the nocturnal inversion, a
stack height of 683 feet was chosen.
4. KYGER CREEK STACKS
Having determined the stack heights for Clifty Creek on the basis of all the
factors considered previously, it became an easier matter to select a proper
height for those at the smaller Kyger Creek Plant. No `aerodynamic considera-
tions were present and since diffusion studies indicated that a height of 535 feet
would provide acceptable conditions both in the valley and on the hills, this was
the height chosen..
5. VERIFICATIOI~ OF CHOICE
Basic to the pioneering work on these two large plants was the decision to make
the necessary effort to verify the design by testing for both SO2 and dus'tfall prior
to operation and for a substantial period after commissioning. Dustfall studies
were discontinued three years after full load was reached when it became abund-
antly clear that the plants had had no significant effect on this variable.
Three Thomas Autometers were installed near each plant to obtain a contin-
uous record of sulfur dioxide at or close to ground level. One was located in the
valley, Station A, while Stations B and C were on the plateau. A careful review
of the sulfur dioxide records made late in 1959, after approximately four years
of operation of both OVEC plants, showed no hourly ,mean concentrations above
Boundary Layer Effect ann Acictea Rise
Over the Hill
PAGENO="0287"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 887
1 ppm of sulfur dioxide for either plant. It was agreed that concentrations
slightly above that level may occur infrequently on the plateau north of Clifty
Creek Plant, with an occasional peak value just reaching the odor thresholds
In general it was found that the original calculation of concentrations at both
plants had given somewhat higher values than were actually experienced.
The most gratifying finding was that the meteorological condition which was
expected to give rise to a severe problem, namely the breakup of nighttime inver-
sions, with calculated concentrations of 5 to 10 ppm, failed completely to follow
the mathematical modeL This model, which did not involve the Sutton equa-
tion, was based on the Idea that the gas would all be confined to a narrow wedge
of quite limited height below the inversion. Although there was a tendency for
the recorded ground level concentrations of sulfur dioxide to occur during the
mid-morning hours, there was not a single ease of the very high concentrations
typical of fumigations. The results seem to indicate that the more restrictive
ideas concerning the maximum size of thermal plants based On purely theoretical
fumigation calculations (5) should be reviewed and considerably modified toward
permitting larger aggregation of power generation equipment at a given site.
It was found that recording of any sulfur dioxide was an unusual event, aver-
aging only 1.8% of the daylight hours, with a maximum at the valley station of
3.0%. Night hours showed 502 present only an average of 0.3% of the time.
When sulfur dioxide was present it averaged only 0.10 ppm with short-term
peaks at some stations reaching 0.40 ppm. The records clearly establish the
fact that these tall stacks eliminate ground level concentrations during inversions.
Only a small proportion of the observed concentrations occurred at night when
the inversions were normally present. When concentrations did occur at night,
it was generally apparent from the winds, temperatures, or observations by the
plant personnel that no inversion was present. Thus, the inversion which is so
often described as a "lid" holding down noxious gases, actually becomes a shield
preventing the return of stack gases if they are first emitted at a height, velocity
and a temperature which are reasonable and appropriate.
6. CARDINAL STACICS
The desigil of the stacks for Cardinal Plant which will bave a total gene.i~-
ation on one site of approximately 2100-2300 mw represents, in many, ways, the
culmination of all of the information, design and operating e~cperience obtained
since the building of Clifty and Kyger Plants. The similarity of this terrain
to that at Clifty is shown on Figure 3. Here again, the plant is upwind of a
substantial plateau but this plateau is broken by major and minor streams in a,
highly irregular fashion.
COMPARISON OF CRITICAL DIRECTION AT CLIFTY CF~ECI( WITH 2 DIRECTIONS AT CARDINAL
FIGURE 3 `
PAGENO="0288"
888 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
After considering all factors, a stack height of 825 feet. above grade was
selected. This was based on many considerations, among which were the
following:
(a) It was decided that this height represented the maximum rea~onab1e
limit, to which the existing technology of stack construction could be reliably
extrapolated.
(b) The combining of the flue gases from two or more units into a single
stack would be beneficial from an air pollution viewpoint and was contempiated.
However, the experience with stack repairs at Clifty Creek argued against
such a choice. As it is, a single unit per stack represents approximately a 50
per cent extrapolation in capacity beyond the Clifty Creek stacks.
Also since regulations covering 502 emissions may be instituted under the
Clean Air Act of 1963, it is possible that the third unit might have to have
a higher stack than was selected at this time.
(c) Since only two units of the total plant development were to be built at
this time, it seemed certain that there would be a period of not less than five
years operation of these units before decisions were required concerning the
third stack. This period of operation and observation would permit ap~ exact
evaluation of the plant's effect upon the 502 concentrations in the surrounding
countryside.
I. SUMMARY-HIGE STACKS
It has become apparent that high stacks offer the only presently available
pragmatic solution to the problem of disposing of 502. Efforts,to remove sulfur
from the fuel before burning it have, so far, come to naught. Numerous studies
seeking to remove SO2 from the flue gas have arrived at estimated costs which
make the process completely unacceptable even before the operating problems
have been evaluated by actual construction and operation.
It is possible that high stacks can be accepted only as an interim solution
to thin problem. There is need for careful studies before and after the installa-
tion of every major power plant having high stacks in order to obtain a more
extensive evaluation of the diffusion equations. This might be done along the
lines that have been started by the Tennessee Valley Authority (6). Such
studies might provide the designer with a degree of confidence in evaluating the
disposal of 502 that he does not possess at the present time.
8. TEE COMING ERA OF 2500-4000 MW PLANTS AND 502 PROBLEMS
8.1. The geaeraZ solation
The era of 2500 mw-4000 mw steam electric plant is not a fact that needs to
be anticipated-it is here. Mention has been made of Cardinal. Recently, an-
nouncement was made of a new generating station to be located on the American
Electric Power System in West Virginia with an initial installation of two
800 mw units and with a third unit to be installed sometime after 1971. The
most likely size of this third unit will be 1050 mw. Thus, for coal burning
plants, we are confronted with the need to critically examine the problem that
a plant designer will be called upon to solve-to harmlessly dispose of 1250
tons of sulfur per day or 100 tons per hour when converted into oxides of sulfur,
mainly SO2.
The authors believe that this offers no occasion for fear or dismay. The high
stack properly desig~ned can, without question, take care of every require-
ment-ecological, economic, and esthetic. A number of special areas in connec-
tion with the adoption of this solution warrant further, if only brief, discussion.
These follow:
8.2. The muIU-compartmented, integrated stack
Such stacks have many advantages from the standpoint of obtaining the
maximum rise of the hot gas, the increase in the plume's ability to pierce
inversions and the maintenance of reasonable exit velocity when one or more
units is shut down. Offsetting these advantages, are the costs associated with
the poor utilization of the stack's cross section, the cost of' horizontal duct
work required to reach a stack of this type and finally, the question of ability to
work on and around an idle liner while the other two or three are in use. It
appears likely that several years may elapse before ,stacks of this general type
are built in the United States.
PAGENO="0289"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 889
8.3. The problem of height, material construction and maintenance
In applying vary high stacks, a considerable problem with the aeronautical au-
thorities must be faced. This is somewhat mitigated by the fact that it Is already
recognized that perhaps in level terrain, heights beyond 800 or 900 `feet do not
significantly improve the ground level concentrations. However, in hilly country
such as the terrain in which the plants described are located, it is conceivable
that stacks as much as 1200 or 1500 feet in height may ultimately be required.
Stack design has undergone more rapid change in the past ten or twelve years
than at any time since the power 1nd~try's beginning. New materials have
been tried, different construction techniques utilized, and new problems have
been faced.
Currently, the stack design cQfislsting of a rèlnforce4 concrete shell with a
low-alloy, corrosion re~i'Stant steel (sr~ch as Corten) lister, appears to be ade-
quate after approximately six years service Obviously, it would be desirable
to have double or triple this amount of experience `before concluding that it has
completely solved the problem.
8.4. The monitoring and buildAng up of technological history
The fortunate development of the high stack aa a solution to the su)Au~-
dioxide problem presented by large coal burning plants was carried out on the
basis of very meager experience. But for the future it is most ithportant that
tins deficiency be remedied The anthors most earnestly recommend therefore
as new high stacks are designed and constructed that an effort be made to obtafa
cjata on the ground level concentrations of 502 for extensive period's before an~
after operation. Needless to say, adequate meteorological Information for the
evaluation of these results should `be obtained either from other sources or by
special instrumentation at the site.
Every generation's engineers have been the heirs to tbe ingenious wQrk,.
records and experience co~npiled by and transmitted to them by their profee-
slonal forebears. Air pollution representS an area In which today's engineers
must In turn develop such necessary data and make it available'to the genera-
tions that will follow.
RuFERuNOES
1. P. Sporn and V. M. Marquis "The OVEC Project ~conomie, Engineering
and Finance Problems of the 2,200,000 Ew, 18,O00,000,00~ Kilowatt-Hour Pow~
Pro)ect of the Ohio Valley Electric Corporation" AIEIII Annual Meeting N V 0
1954 Paper No 54-57 Also presented at CEGRIP Meeting 1954
2. Bosanquet, Carey and Ilalton "Dust Deposition From Chimney Stacks"
Institution of Mechanical EngIneers pp 355-367, 1950.
3. `Sutton, `0. (1. "The Theoretical Distribution of Airborne Pollution from
Factory Chimneys" Royal ~eteorological Society, Quarterly Journal, 73: 426-
435, 1947.
4. `SmIth, M. E. "The Variation of Effluent ConcentratiopS `From an Elevated
Point Source" Ar~hives of Industrial Health, Vol. 14. pp 56-68, July 1956.
5 Pooler, F Potential Dispersion of Plumes From Large Power Plants"
Environmental Health Series U S Public Health Service-Publication No 999-
AF-lO, 1965.
8. *Gartrell, F. B. "Monitoring of 502 in the Vicinity of Coal-Fired Power
Piants-PVA Experience" Proceedings American Power Conferehee XXVII, 1965.
68-240--~6O-vol. iI-19
PAGENO="0290"
STAPEMENP SUBMITTED TOTHE SUBCOMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, RESEARCH,
AND DEVELOPMENT B~ EAra~ L. WILSON, INDUSTRIAL GAS CLEANING
INSTITUTE, INC., AUGUST 23, 1966
As president of the Industrial Gas Cleaning Institute, I attended
your committee hearing on Thursday, July 21, and again with mem-
bers of our IGCI Government Relations Committee on Tuesday,
August 9, 1966. We want you to know that we are very favorably im-
pressed with the work your subcommittee is doing and the knowledge
and understanding of the committee m~mbers. We are confident that
better and more practical approaches to research on pollution control
will result from your eIJ!orte.
us first acquaint you with the Industrial Gas Cleaning Institute.
The IGOI is a national association of manufacturers of gas eleaning
equipment. We are concerned with the collection of particulate matter
and as an instjtute are not presently involved with. the control of
gaseous emission. The IGCI encompasses all four types of air pollu-
tion control devices (particulate collectors) : Electrostatic precipita-
toi's, mechanical cqllectors, bag filtet~, wet scrubbers. We repre~ent
most of the majormanufacturers and an. estimated 80 to 85 percent of
the dollar volume of industrial dust collecting equipment sold in the
United States.
We are in complete agreement with many of the statements made by
the witnesses appearing before your committee and in the report of
theResearch Management Advisory Panel, and would like to comment
briefly on what We feel are some of the flicre pertinent statements.
Page 3 of your report states: "Policies which aid the efficient and
timely deploymentof private sector scientists and engineer~ are desir-
abI~." We wholeheartedly end~rse this statement and that o~ Thy.
Buech~ when he says, "Industry has the needed skills and facilities."
We believe that such:skills and knowledge are available within the gas
cleaning equipment industry. Many of these concems have been work-
ingin thisar~a ford 30ôr 40 years.
We agree with the ~ta~ement on page 11 of the report that "What the
~tation needs is not the revenue from penalty fines imposed on pollut-,
ers; rather, the need is for reduction in the volume of pollutants dis-
charged to the environment." Industry needs help and incentive, not
penalties. This is particularly true of the marginal operators who
could be forced out of business by the cost of control equipment. This
may sound contradictory coming from people whose business it is to
sell control equipment, but it is extremely important and should be
carefully considered.
Dr. Beuche said, in his most commendable statement, that the
* * * will be completed most rapidly if attacked on a competi-
tive basis." We firmly believe in this philosophy and were extremely
gratified to note the committee's awareness of, and attitude toward,
the value of profit as an incentive. The outstanding example of the
value of the profit motive is the problem of SO2 which was mentioned
890
PAGENO="0291"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 891
so often throughout the hearings. As you know, there is no eco-
nomical means of removing SO2 from effluent gases. Why? Because
until the past year or so there were no controls covering the emission
of SO2. As a result, there was no market. People in business do not
spend any significant amount of money on research of nonmarketable
products. Even today, there are controls in only three or four small
areas of the country and these regulations are met by burning lower
éulphur and higher cost fuels. The controls thust cothe first, but there
must also be time to permit industry to develop an economically fea-
sible solution.
Qu the question of who is to do what research, the ~hswer was
clearly and succinctly stated by Dr. Bueche when he divided research
into two categories:
* 1. .Research that will produce information use:f iii for establish-
in~ standards, determining necessary regulations, enacting appro
priate laws and suggesting methods; and
2 Research that will produce information useful in developing
hardware and systems that can be manufactured and sold
No 1 is strictly within the realm of the Government and ~o 2 that
of industry. Also, due to the urgency of the prdbiem, there should
be some governmental support of private research.
During Dr Bishop's testimony, Mr Daddario, you raised the ques
tion of how the ~t~el industry selects a collectdr to do a certain job
and why there isn't an industry standard for ~t given application It
is regretable that the~re wasn't ample time for Dr Bishop to give a
more coniplet~ atiddefinitiVe answer because; ~ this point, ~ve felt that~
there was a lack of rapport between the witness and the members of
the committee. In areas such as this, we feel that our institute could
lend the committee valuable assistance. In this letter, we cannot go
into all of the details involved relative to your steel industry question;
but, because two or three types of equipment will do the job required,
many things must be considered in selecting the equipment to be used,
such as-
1. First cost versus operating and maintenance costs.
2. Available space.
3. Availability of water.
4. Power consumption.
5. Disposal of waste product, wet or dry.
In Mr. Arthur C. Stern's testimony on July 21, there is, perhaps, an
implication that industry, and in particular the air pollution control
industry, is not making an adequate effort in research. We would like
to clarify this situation in regard to the gas cleaning industry. Be-
cause there is little or no control of gaseous emissions to date, and
our members account for 80-85 percent of the particulate collectors
sold, we essentially are the air pollution control industry as it is
presently constituted.
Contrary to popular belief, ours is not a large industry. The total
annual domestic sales of the members of the IGOI (no auxiliary
equipment or installation costs included) for the past 5 years are:
PAGENO="0292"
892 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FO1~ POLLUTION ABATEMENT
Total sales
Year: (orders)
19(35 $53, 069, 033
1904 45, 742, 415
1963 31, 831, 689
1962 32,402, 895
19(31 29,152,896
Since most of the companies in this industry were operating at close
to the break-even point for 10 years up until 1964, it is clear that there
was little money available for research. We do not know whether
or not these figures surprise you; but, if not, you are one of the knowl-
edgeable few who are aware that the industrial air pollution control
industry is not the vast, rapidly expanding industry it is so often
pictured to be.
Mr. Stern also stated that, "in the area of particulate control, device
development has been confounded by the lack of uniform criteria, for
data evaluation and equipment performanceS" Mr. Stern is quite
correct in this statement and this is precisely why the IGCI undertook
the establishment of standards immediately after its founding in 1960.
For your information, we are enclosing copies of the standards we
have completed to date. This, of course, is a continuing task and more
such standards will be published shortly.
Again, your committee is doing an outstanding pob and we ofl~er our
services and cooperation. Since we were not asked to testify, we have
taken the liberty of submitting some of our thoughts in this letter.
We would be happy to meet with you and your committee if you so
desire or try to answer, by letter, any questions you might have.
PAGENO="0293"
ST~TEMENT SUBMITTED TO TIlE StTBcoMMrr'rs~ o~ SCIENCE, RESEARCH,
AND DEVELOPMENT BY CONGRESSMAN DON EDWAEDS, CE OALII'ORNIA,
SEPTEMBER 6, 1966
Mr. Chairman, as a Representative from a State which has its own
serious and well-known problems of pollution of our environment,
I am very pleased to be able to present this statement to your com-
mittee as you inquire into the adequacy of our technology for con-
trofling pollution.
The deleterious effects of pollution, for plant and animal life, for
human health and comfort, for our economy and our recreational life,
are reaching a critical stage. An unfortunate byproduct of the growth
and development of America as an urban, industrial nation has been
the pouring into our waters, air, and land, the waste of our produce.
As we have taken out and used the resources of the earth, we have
paid little if any attention to the quality of what we put back. We
have reached a point where if we do not take forceful comprehensive
steps to clean up oul own filth and to place effective controls on the
source of pollutants, we shall indeed stifle life on earth.
We are essentially a user society, as opposed to a consumer society.
While the streamfiow and the amount of air remain constant, the
degree of pollution is ever greater with the increased production and
consumption of goods, the increased number of cars, the increased
demands for heat and electric power and the urbanization and concen-
tration of people.
The Federal Government has an undeniable and essential role in
reversing this deadly trend. I strongly support the legislation
now before the Congress to amend and expand last winter's Water
Quality Act and Clean Air Act and I will support strengthening of
these bills. We must recognize that this problem is not limited by
State lines. Air currents know no State boundaries. Nor do stream-
flows. The Federal Government, with its vaster resources, can finan-
cially assist loc~d governments in construction and operation of treat.~
ment plants and other facilities.. And it can offer incentives to munici-
palities and industries to take requisite action. Nationally coordi-
nated research can avoid duplication and wasted money. Finally, I
recommend strengthening the enforcement powers of the Government
of the United States. I'm in total agreement with the President's
recommendations in this regard, as he outlined them in his message
to the Congress in February of this year.
It is imperative that the National Government take the lead in this
fleld both because of its financial resources and its interstate character.
But there is the additional and more crucial reason that without this
potential force, we wifl not even be able to come close to eletLning up
our environment. Without the clearly defined national ~oais, force-
fully implemented, of unspoiled rivers and pure air, inaustries and
municipalities and individuals will continue to dump their refuse and
soot into surroundings belonging to all Americans.
893
PAGENO="0294"
894 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
How many small towns across the country have allowed their prime
industry to continue to pollute the rivers and the air for fear that
attempts to regulate may stimulate the plant to move? How many
of these towns do not have sufficient funds to construct a modern,
efficient sewage treatment plant? Instead of air pollution devices-
-or `safety features-the' automobile industry has offered an unendmg
and ama~zingassortment of gimmicks-from blinding chrome to stereo
phonographs-to catch the eye of the buying public.
These are, the reasons why Federal action is unavoidable if we
desire `to achieve the -goal the President hasoutlined.
* It has often been' said that our technology is'adequate to the problem,
if only it were `applied. `Although this is not entirely accurate, there
is' much to this statement. For, example, no technical advances are
needed for alleviating pollution from farm animal wastes, particulate
`materials in the air' and sewage effiuents-~-only standards `and regula-
*1~i'on~,' `CohtrOls and devices. Pittsburgh's battle against air pollution
is justly renowned. By placing controls on `sqot `and restricting the
u~e of high-sulfur fuels, pollution in that `city was reduced `by 67 per~
cent in 2 ye~rs.' ` `
Nonetheless, it would be foolish and shortsighted to `s~y our tech-
nology is adequ~te to our needs. Development of `feasibie technology
has been hindered by some impdrtant factors which'we might consider
attMs ~oint. ~, First; it has been shown'that there is not sufficient com-
munication ef the knowledge we' do' have-particularly between the
resOarch scientist `aiid' the engineer~ More work' iS needed in both
jasic and applied~researeh `but the work `of the `s'elèntist and enginee~
must htteract in ordertostim~ul'ate progreSs on'both ends.
"We cannot overlook the~p~qblems of cost and niarket for developing
technology. Without a requirement to do so, without a' clear `profit
incentive,,~industries ari~cl municipalities have not pressed for improved
eq~iipn~ent; ~k1us there `has' been `nO ma'r~et' fort such hardware. ` `Oon-
~rS~1y If these cön~ideratiôns `wOre `reve~sed' I have littj~ d~ubt that
:~~*ould See' `a cOhip~titive develo~pnient `,o~ `new; eff&~tFve; low-cost
e~uipmen~ fbr~ollution abatement
At this ~p~1~t,' `th~"~noStisèrióus `p~ob1en~"in ~ hoiñ'e ~t'at& of Cali-
forni~ `iS air `joll'ution. A conservati$~ `estimate is that, across the
Natiofl, `daniage tq ~ops,, det~rioratjon of' buildings, `bridges, `and
i~hii~s"ruiis' OvO~ `$11 billion a year.' `;`E~eh ~ar thO~e pollutants
are'rèleased'jnto the air :65 mill j~n tons~f ~arbton thonoxide, ~3'milljoñ
tone of ~n~fu'r' oxi'~es, `15 mWi&n ton~ of' liydtbcarboñs, `12 million tons
of ot~her matt~r. `Thes~ pollutants ~à~' be' transformed by' a èhemical
process, such ~S oxidation ~ or they m~iy bl~w sway or fall to the g~round
FhentiThthjg cj'~',Of the loc~i ar~a ~Sâi~ only~ handle SØn~iuch anti'
i'&aohi~ a~t~èae~ th~O~raphic and me~porblogica1' problems; such as
inyer~iqn, ~au~e eyen greater difficu!lty~; ,` ` " ` `, " `
~lif~h~vo~k `reth~i*~'ah~ad ~f' us in both re~earch thd techn~bgy.
W~ needL i~i'M~é eaPdh into the effe~s' `off `loiigf'iz~ie exposure in, ol-der
`tO ~st~bll~h' meaningful `standards for control.' Our `knthvied~ge of the
interi~e1~tion~hip' and' ,se~ondary e~eóts of var~otis ~oliütants' is not
fficlent~ `~ ,~" ` `` `,` ` ` ``*` ~", " ` ` " ," `
~l~'atiy~ twO Of our t~ic3~t' Seri'Ot~s ~rb1~1em~ `ar~ the' aut~mbbjle and
oxides~f~iil'fnr. `~ Incou~iIetç eqnibusti~h~in ~tbr~hic1e~ is a `major
problem, in every `iii~rO~Ei1!itan ~are~1nYöth~ `N'atiOi~.' `The `i~atiOMl
PAGENO="0295"
A1x~QtTACt OFTECHNOLOG~ F~OE pOtLtYPIO~A~A~M1~NT 895
`reqtiirenieiit of ccmtrol mechanisms is a signifrcantbeg~Aiiit1 .~ g. ` ~ am
in full aecord~ with tb~more ~t~nsi~ie ree~mni~iidat1ôns o~ M~ N~m~ia4~
Cousins, chairman of the mayor's task force on aii~ pollution, N~* `~~k
City, and I'd like to reiterate these ponit~ as hepi~esetitecl then~ t~ the
CommitteeonPublic Works earlier thi~year~
First, that studies should be made to dêtermme `wheliher the blowby
and afterbtirner devices r~quired under the Cl~uu1 Air Act ~thght not
have the adverse side effect of emitting oxides ~f nittdgen, thu~cre~t-
ing astibstai~t1al new probleni.
:Second, effective'air pniiution cot~~trOl dcvice~ should b~ reqt r~d~ f~r
all cars, regardless of age. *
Third, extensive research should be aimed at the idea of developing
hemical additives for use in all fuels which now produ~e: ~oTh~t~iit~,
including fuels used in automobiles, buses, trucks, heating furnak~es, and
steam and~ power generating statione.
With re~pect to sulfaP o~ide, a great deal of ~rogi~es~ can be *mØe
by using low-sñlfur fuels ~vhile continuing t~*drk~On ithprQvihg ~ur-
naces and developing inexpensive devices to eatch. ~diist an4 ~siiiftur
fumes. Inth~s whole field, I think it is extremel~y important to remeni-
ber this point recently expre~sed by SenatQu~ Ethnund~ S. Mjiiski~jof
Maine "Additional study is needed, of c*irse, butt this fact is too
often ulsed a~s an excuse for delay."
The riverS and streams of our Nation have for so long a tii~ñe served
a dumping ground for our waste products that it will reqtn~e a
tha)br commitment of money and talent 1~ô overcome the harm clone by
enterprising but unthinking Americans In this dky arid age, eve~,
approximately one fourth of our towns and cities a~e without any
kind of treatment facility foi' raw sewage Over $40 billion ~s required
~rnerely to catch up to the needs of the n'ioment In eoinparis6i~4 the
$600 nulbon to be spent by local cothn~unities and the $1~0 million
by the Federal Government are tothily inad~4uate The ~ouroes of
`c'~kiter pollution are many and inchide domestic sewage Iind other
oxygen demanding wastes, infectious djsea~~ producipg dgenf~, plant
nutrients, organic chethicai~ including ~esti~ides~a~id t~r~en~ i~&d~-
trial wastes, sediment and silt from land erosion, and heat from power
and industrial plants.
Intensified research and development is urgent to keep ahead of the
problem of waste treatment. We need advanced means of treating
municipal and industrial wastes. Particularly, we might look into
the development of joint treatment systems. such as is that shared by
the Potomac communities of Lake, Md.; Westernport, Md.; and Pied-
mont, W. Va.; and the West Virginia Pulp & Paper Co.
New methods of solving the problems of cities which have combined
storm and sanitary sewers are sorely needed. Over one-third of our
Nation faces having their sewage flow untreated into their streams
because of the overflow of the system during storms.
Another area of investigation for our scientists and engineers would
be to develop alternative methods of waste disposal, instead of the
age-old one of unloading it into our rivers. Basic research will always
be in demand to determine the effect and, fate of new chemicals dis-
covered and used in industry and on such complex problems as re-
gently cropped up in Riverside, Calif. when Scthnonelk& typhim~uQm
was polluting that city's well water supply.
PAGENO="0296"
896 `ADEQUACY O~ T i~OLOG~' FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
Two `indispensable elements of a successful program in combating
water' pollution are. `money and enforcement power. Funds~.re re-
quired to support both research' and construction. The demand for
treatment plant.s alone will require $20 billion in the next 6 years.
The Federal share of this should be at least $1 billion annually and
should constitute a contribution of 50 percent of the cost. The present
dollar limit for any one city's project should be removed for `this is
unrealistic and unfair to our large metropolitan areas.
Insofar as enforcement authority is concerned, I strongly support
my colleague, Representh&e John P. Dingell, who has `done a great
deal of work on this in urging that the Secretary of `the the Interior
be authorized to call a conference for intrastate as well as interstate
streanis on, his initiative without the requirement of the Governor's
consent.
`There is much to be done. Our technology is closely related to the
elimate we create ~f or its growth and to the goals the public sets for
its use.' Mthough there is no question but that the situation is urgent
and requires immediate action, we can take heart from the tremendous
example set by West Germany. With over one-half the West German
industrial capacity located along the Ruhr River, with that river's
relatively smali streamfiow, we `may `be surprised to `learn that the
Ruhr is not polluted. Their method was one which we might con-
sider: industrial plants are charged a stiff fine proportionate to the
amount of pollution each plant puts into the river. I feel sure that
with the wholehearted support. of the public and the Federal Govern-
ment, we can, do as well, As President Johnson has said: "We see
t~at we oan corrupt and destroy our lands, our rivers, our forests, and
the atmosphere itself-all in the name of progi~ess and necessity Such
a course leads to a barren America, bereft of its beauty, and shorn of
its sustenance. We see `that there is another course-more expensive
today, more demanding. Down this course lies a natural America
restored to her people. The promise is clear rivers, tall forests, and
clean air-ak sane environment for man." The responsibility and the
opportunitylie before us totake this other course.
PAGENO="0297"
STATEMENT SUBMITTED TO TUE SUBCOMI~ITTEE ON SCIENCE, RESEAIiOII,
AND DEVELOPMENT, iir EvElmrr P. PARTRIDGE, CALGON Corn~'., SRi'-
TEMBER 12, 1966
In the flood of reports by commititees and panels and of statements
by organizations before congressional subcommittees few engineers
with a substantial professional career in the managemen~ of water
for industrial use have become involved. I now consider it unfortu-
nate that what such engineers say to each other is not more freque3atly
said in the public forum. The following statement may be considerød
a personal expiation of my sins of omission.
As a chemical engineer immersed in research, development and en-
gineering consultation for 40 years, I offer first my convictions that:
1. We do not face an immediate national crisis with respect to
water.
2. We do not lack adequate technoio~y to meet the current aettial
needs with respect to control of pollution of water.
3. We cannot expect to overcome the "crisis" by simply allocat-
ing additional effort to research.
Is there an immediate national crisis? I believe not. Yes, we must
work harder and harder to keep a relatively constant supply of water
m condition to be reused more and more timesby more and more people
who desire to have more and more things manufactured by and for
them. But we do have adequate. time to adjust the economy of the
Nation to progressively greater reuse of water.
The reasons we hear the screaming of "Crisis! Crisis !" are multiple
and complexly interrelated. Perhaps the most pervasive factor is the
conviction at the level of practical political management that only by
crying "Wolf !" can we stimulate our society sufficiently to support
even slow action.
Do we lack adequate technology to face a crisis, if one actually
existed? No, of course not. Economics limits our action, not tech-
nology. Our society already has available effective technology to
meet the problems posed by pollution, but it is only just beginning to
face up to the cost and the readjustment of our national economy to
absorb it. Few citizens comprehend that they are individual thxpayers
and buyers of the products of industry must each contribute part of
their personal effort in the form of earnings to buy for their use and
enjoyment the clean water they are being encouraged to demand.
When we talk' about new, advanced technology for control of pollu-
tion what we really are hopeful of attaining is a minimized increase
in the cost of doing what must otherwise inevitably become the more
and more burdensome job of keeping water reusable.
Can we create the new technology to minimize the cost of keeping
water reusable? Perhaps. But we must consistently remember that
we are seeking economy of operation as well as improvement in tech-
iucal performance. `
897
PAGENO="0298"
898 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOE POLLUTION ABATEMENT
Appropriating any number of millions or billions of dollars in the
hope of achieving a research goal does not in any way determine that
the goal actually is attainable. A case in point is the saline water
program, which was created specifically with the expectation that it
would provide water sufficiently inexpensive to be used for irrigation
ii~otir dwn~ country~ Th~s prograin~ now see~ns destined to ~bccoi~te
~rimariiy ~an in~trnmert of ~1d to tother ~onntrie~ ~o much ~nôre in
need of water than the United States that they can pa~ a high cost for
it.,
A corporation in'crests ~rn a number of ~resc~rch ~rojedts, each selected
with tlieexpectation that'the benefit to the~harehdlders `will be'greater
than the cost of the project When it a~sumes the fux1ction~ of a social
:~o~p9ration, the Federai Government has the s~me~ba'~ic responsibility
to n~vest in projects which ptomise to prodtice hTiore real benefits than
their' `il &~sts. Neither the `corpor~tion-for-~rofit `ilor th~è Gvern~
ment can expect every research project Thp~o~,btit'thO adeqiia~of
t~ie itiitnagenie~nt in each case will uItim~tely be judged by the ratio of
~th~ysO which cl'dto thOse which donot. , ` ` ` " ,
For'humah beings to `derive real benefits fro~n scithitific r~1search,'the
result's of this research must ulti~ate1y be applied by indiyiduals who
think lik~ engineers.' In the' c~ntrol' of pOllution this, wbuld mean
engineering ap~licaticn ~f' sciènôe in tOrth~ Of large ~uañtities of ma-
`terial being processed `with high' efficiency in equipment that will con-
tinue to function for long period~ of'time; pi~odncing:'a i~esuit at3 an
optim'çim ratio of value to cost.' ~A. cifrrent erfti~ism of `en~inéei'ing
education is that it has been ~ro'ducing tOo `f&w men c~apabie of tFaim-
ferr~ng the results of scientific Fesearch into processes prO~pe~rly en~i-
noered for'efficicnt operation.' ` `~ ` ` ` "~ ` ` ` `~`
What are Our real needs in the `~i~Id~df pollution control ~" i'hein~st
immediate need is, fo~ nianpower eoth~eteni~, to `apply":the results of
g~ientitic investigatibn to beneficial useS ~ri the-
1. Design; construction n~nd continuing o~Oi~átioi~ of `tre~ment
plants for municipal sewage and industrial waS~tes, ethploym~
e~dsting technolOgy and adapting' coñteuipor~ry `impi'~ovemerits.
2. Evaluation and regulation at the level of locai~ state; `ii~i~.
state, and Federal agencies for control of j~olltition
:Encouraging more young men of abil~ty with an interest in the ap
~piication of technology to choose en~'ineering tramuig in the field of
pollution control is obViously more e~sent~al to early progress in this
1fielcl th~i the more remote research to dthrelbp new~sdientific informa-
tion of pOssible utility
`rhe next ttlost immediate need is to establisJ~ an ~Am~sphere of iticezi
~tive fOi~ industry to innovate iipro'~rethents hi bd~~~Os and equi~ptheiit
which will compete for us~ in co±itrol of potlutlOn, pul~ject to the ~ilti
mate test of the market
Important, but still third in order of immediacy, is 1~'ederal sup~drt
of the search for uew scientific facts upon whu~h the engmeer may be
able to build new technology lvhich in ~ttrn may meet the ultimately
dedisrve test of eCOnomics 4
Science i~ ~`the endless frontiOF~" ~Btit 4umtil' It ~s applied to the benè~.
`fi~of thanit'yields ôhly mt ilectii~l ~al'tt~s tó the :fë~v siã~~t~ ~a~-
ble of comprehending its findings. A wise goveri'ithent `*111 ~ccOrd..
ingly be as concerned with encouraging the application of science as
it is with the accumulation of new scientific information.
PAGENO="0299"
ST~TEM1~N~ SU]3MITT1~D TO TIlE St coMM~rreE O~ SCIENCE, RESEARCH,
A~D DEYJ~LOPMENT BY fliE AToMIC J~NERGY Coi~unssIoN, SEP .i~rn~R
12, 1966
INTRODUCTION
The Atomic Energy Commission is' an ~ ra~ti~ng agency which also
has statutory responsibility for protecting the health nnd safety of ~he
public in nuclear energy. ~ctivities. But beyond this legislative man~
d~te, tim Commission-and its predecessor, the Army's Manhattan
`Engineer District~-recognized `from the o~utset an essential respOnsibil~
`it~ for controlling potential danger to the public. Thus, from the
inception of the program, special steps were taken to protect agatast
all types of envirOnmental pollution.
The use of nuclear energy to produce electric power is expanding at
`a rapid rate. . Power reactors are safe and reliabie,'tl~e~ ~njoy~a high
degree of public a~cceptanee~ and the cost of nuclear pow.er has dropped
sharply iii recent years with improved technology and with the~ cbni-
struction of larger units. `*
Among the factors that affect a) utility decision between fossil fuel
and nuclear fuel generation a're.the following:
Thitial capital cost . " , ``
The cost of n~ilear plants is ~e~eral~y higher than for equivaJent
fossil-fuel plants. However, this difference~ becomes less as t~e size of
t~e generating unit increases. ror example, recent bids received, by
TVA for two wilts ~,f 1400,000 kilo~at~s each actu~ally indicated ,
slightly lqw~r COSt for phe nu~lear wiits,t~a~'ifpr,a c~~ai,,burhing pla4t.
Fuel cOgt~'~
In geogmphic areas where the' deliyered'~dst of fossil fuel is rela-
tively high, nuclear fuel costs provide~ a sigilificant advantage~ `Stich
areas include most of the eastern seaboard States, the upper Midwest,
and California. Over the past few `years, as' the cost of nuclear fuel
has steadily decreased, areas in which nucle~ power appears econ~m-
icallyattract~.ve have expanded. . `)`~` .
`Operation ~artd `niaintencø~e `, :` ` ,
FOr miclear plants this item of `cost; like capital cdsts, i~ sensitive t~
`unit' size.. Uñde~, `present tec'hnoio~y `and" safety rë4tiireinents, tim
~taft1ng needs for' smaller, nuclear plantS a~re' donsiderab'ly ii~ e~es~ of
those ~or' equi~aleht foSsil-fuel plants. "In `the `large `sizes liOwe~ér~ a
nuclear plailt may require a `smaller staff than a coal plant of compara~
bie `si~e. ` ``,` ` `" ) .` ` ` ` `
Timrefóre, in ~`Onip'arative ~dst evaluation' of~fossil fuel and nuclear
power, `consideration m~i~t `be gi~ren' to such,'factors as unit Size, tela~
trve fuel co~ts, the anticipated e~tent to whfcl~ ~he plant will be oper-
ated (plart't factor), the possibility of installing a mine mdtii~h coal-
burning `plant' "*ith long' distance t~nsmission `and ~n1y ~eConcithè
advantage which might be gained `by adding a `fOs~iI' fuel unit to ~i1.
899
PAGENO="0300"
900 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
existing fossil station. In general, at the present time, nuclear power
is not economically feasible in unit sizes under about 200,000 to 300,-
000 kilowatts or when the generating unit is operated at a reduced
plant factor. In the last 2 years, more and more utilities have chOsen
nuclear plants over fossil plants in the larger sizes.
In our discussion of the question of pollution, we will discuss two
broad areas-the potential pollution aspects of nuclear power and the
technology which has been developed to control pollution.
NUCLEAR POWER AND ITS POLLUTION ASPECTS
The rate of nuclear power growth, is increasing more rapidly than
the most optimistic forecasters had predicted. In 1964 it was estimated
that the installed nuclear capacity in the United States in 1980 would
be 60,000 to 90,000 electrical megawatts. The recent large number of
nu~lear power announcements have raised these 1980 power estimates
to 80,000 to 110,000 electrical megawatts.
With this expanding industry, one might reasonably ask if this in-
creased nationwide use of nuclear electric power will produce serious
environmental pollution problems or, conversely, if the extent of power
reactor waste management operations will be of such magnitude as to
deter the orderly development of the industry. The control of reactor
effluents, to date, has been carried out in a safe and economical manner,
and these operations have not resulted in any harmful effects on the
public, its environment, or its resources. We believe this excellent
environmental pollution control record will be continued.
We will summarize briefly the state of technology and of the re-
search and development being parried out to achieve this objective.
The potential effluent control problem from nuclear power systems
may be considered in two parts: (1) the handling, treatment, and dis-
posal of increasing quantities of liquid, solid, and gaseous wastes with
very low levels of radioactivity from the normal Operation of civilian
nuclear power stations, and (2) the processing and disposal of highly
radioactive wastes from facilities which process irradiated reactor fuel
to recover the unburned fissionable. material.
NUCLEAR POWER REACTORS
While the management of radioactive waste at nuclear power sta-
tions is not expected to impede the development of large-scale and
widespread nuclear power generation, sufficient quantities of low~
activity wastes (liquids, solids, and gases) are produced to require ef-
fective and economical collection, handling and managenient systems,
and to insure that effluent control does not become the limiting opera-
tional factor in the production of power. The scope and magnitude
of these operations vary with each type of power reactor. For ex-
ample, the satisfactory handling and disposal of gaseous effluents. is an
important design consideration for organic, gas-cooled, and direct-
cycle, boiling water reactors The low activity liquid wastes produced
by water reactors are, either treated before disposal or are reused a~
reactor feed water. The nature and quantity of low-activity wastes
from thermal and fast breeder reactors will be evaluated as develop-'
ment proceeds on these reactor systems.
PAGENO="0301"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 901
Waste systems for power reactors have employed conservative do-
sign criteria in terms of safety, pollution control, and plant perform-
ance. These criteria include the following salient features:
(1) Waste plant capacities are sized to `handle higher than normal
volumes arid activities which might be caused by higher than expected
corrosion and leakage rates, frequency of maintenance, and radioa~-
tivity from fuel failures.
(2) Plant flexibility is provided to accommodate waste from future
fuel types, new decontamination solutions, and unforeseen abnormal
wastes and cleanup solutions from accidents.
(3) Some dilution of liquid wastes by mixing with main condenser
discharge water or other water is permitted in order to keep well below
radiation protection standards; however, the dilution capacity of sur-
face water streams receiving the condenser discharge water is not used
to meet acceptable radiation protection standards.
(4) Limited use is made of on-site disposal for low- and intermedi-
ate-level liquid wastes or packaged, solid wastes.
(5) Piping and tanks (for all except very low-activity liquids) are
provided with separate secondary containment by placing them in pipe
trenches and in concrete enclosures, so that leakage can be detected and
collected and returned to the waste system.
Treatment and storage systems at water reactors now operating (and
those planned for the expanding industry in the next decade or more)
include radioactive decay hold-up tanks, evaporators, ion exchangers,
steam-stripping, catalytic recombination of hydrogen and oxygen, fix-
ation of solids and liquids in concrete, incineration, baling, and liquid
and gas filtration. In many cases, liquid wastes are stored to permit
decay of short-lived radioactivity. They are then monitored to assure
that they meet acceptable standards and then are released without fur-
ther treatment. The waste volumes handled at power reactor facilities
are not large (50 to 100,000 gallons per day for 200 to 400 milliwatt
reactors) in comparison with industrial waste volumes from many
other industries. The total radioactivity handled in these wastes is
quite small. Radioactivity concentrations in existing power plant ef-
fluents, with no environmental dilution, have ranged from 1 to 3 per-
cent of internationally accepted radiation protection standards for the
general public. The plants have used conservative methods for estab-
lishirig discharge limits.
Solid combustible wastes are generally baled (volumes reduced by
4-6: 1 through the use of standard baling machines), then sealed in
fiber drums or boxes and shipped off site for land burial at approved
sites. Incineration of combustible wastes at power reactor sites has
not been widely used because of high operating costs and the rela-
tively small volumes of such waste handled. Disposal of ion exchange
resins, evaporator concentrates, and cOntaminated noncombustible
waste is accomplished by fixation in concrete in standard 55-gallon
drums and transported by commercial firms off site for land burial..
Solid waste volumes for reactor facilities of the Dresden and Yankee
types amount to several thousand cubic feet per yenr. Final disposal
of these Wastes is readily achieved through commercial land burial
operations at special locations on Government-owned land-currently
in the States of New York, Kentucky, Nevada, and Washington-
where the necessary perpetual control is assured. The capacity and
PAGENO="0302"
902 ADEQtTACY OF TEC~OLOGY FOR POLLUPION ABATEMENT
a~rai1abi1ity of suitable land burial facilities db no~a~ppear~to be ~s~tên-
tial problems for future power reactor Oper~tio~ns, even* with the n~ost
optimistic growth projeôtiona. .
Radioactive gases ~re normali~*'produced jn `water~oole& and mod-
erated. reactors. Some of the radioactive effluents may be associated
with particulate matter. All radioactive particulates' discharged to
the atmosphere pass through high efficiency absolute filters which re-
move 99.9 percent of'th~ particles Q.~ miCrons or larger. Some ptants
have holdup capacities for radioactive eases to `permit' decay of soni~e
of the species to innocuous levels Radioactive gaseous effluents from
nuclear power plants are contmuou~ly monitored at the plant and ftir
ther off-site monitoring is also provided by~'both State and `Federal
agencies. `Nuclear power plant records indicate ga~eous' discharges
that are only one-tenth of 1 percent" (0.1 .percent) of permissible
limits. In one recent case, involving a pressurized water reactor, it
was determined that a tailstack' for release' o'f'gase.ous effluéi~ts~as not
necessary because of the small amounts of effluents produced.
Data for power `reactor wastemanagement systems shOw that capi-
tal costs for water-type reaotor~ to date have ranged from appro~i-~
mately $0.5 to $4.0 `million for the collection:, processing, disposal, and
monitoring systems required. Such èosts' pi~esent'ly constitute' 3 to 5
percent of the total reactor facility cost, operating and maintenance
Costs have ranged between 5 afid 10 "percent. of the overall `plant opera-
tion and maintenance costa `
From an overall water pollution standpoint, a significant problem
in the futur~ may' involve thermal'effects from both nuclear and~ fossil
fueled electric power plants. The magnitude and severity of thermal
effects arehighly dependent.on local environmental conditions. That'
is, `thern availability of `adequ~te surface water `supplies for condenser
cooling is becoming a `majkr `consideration in the siting of" both
nuclear and convefttionaI~,thermal..eleetri~ geneFating stations. Nu~
clear `piant~ of' `current' design" discharge more waste heat to "the `en-
vironment than a convent~onaJly firec~E plant of the same si~e because
of a lower thermal effioienc~r As more efficient nuclear plar~ts are pro~
duced, "this dili!erence in thermal effect `between nu'c~Iear an~j, ~o~il'
plants wiil'be diminished. Auxiliary cooling' s~stems,"involvjng' the
use of reservoirs, ponds, or cooling towers, can be Ia sohiti'on, but in-
stallation costs of about $5 per kilowatt of plant capaci't~' may' b~'re-
qmre'd over a conventional river"water cooling system. I~owever; these
costs may be offset by increased flexibility in site selection, which
could result in lower fuel, power transmi~ion, and land costs
`PURL RRPROORS5INQ PLANTS `
During the chemical reprocessing of irradiated reactor fuel to re-
cover unburned uranium and, pluto~iurn highly :ra4ioaotive wastes
are produced which must be contained an!1 isolated from man and his
natural resources for hundreds of years. The magnitude of the high
aet~vity waste management problem with an expanding nuclear power
industry has been under continuing assessment as an integral pa$ of
the Commission's radioactive eMuent control research and develop-
ment program For example, chirmg hearings before the Joint Com-
mittee ?~ Atomic l~nergy oi~ the sub~ect of inc1u~trial radioactive
waste disposal held m 1959, it was estimated that using the then cur-
PAGENO="0303"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 903
rent processing technology the volume of high and intermediate level
waste accumulated by 1q80 would reach 36 million gallons.
The intervening years have brought improvements in `fuei~rteeh-
nology and in fuel reprocessing methods which have served to markedly
reduce the volume of wastes generated per unit of nuclear power pro-
duced. Thus, while estimates, of installed nuclear power in the year
2000 remain about the same, estimates for 1980 have risen almost four-
fold from 25,000 electrical magawatts at the time of the hearings to
95,000 electrical magawatts now~ f6recast, and predicted accumulated
waste volumes in storage by 1980 have dropped by a factor of 10 `to
40 (from 36 million gallons down to 1 to 4 million gallons) depending
on waste handling techniques within the reprocessing p'ant. With
the currently projected nuclear power growth rate, the cumulative
waste volumes by the year 2000 are estimated at 20 to 40 million gal-
lons, which is not inordinately large when compared with tho over
65 miilion* gallons of high activity wastes which have been satisfac~
torily handled in the 4~EC's own operations to date.
These estimated waste volumes are predicated on the assumption
that confinement of the~w,astes will be accomplished by means of long-
term tank storage of liquids. . llo~wever, while more than ~0 years'
experience with, storage of liquid high activity wastes in tanks has
shown it to be a safe, practical means of interim handling, the long-
term usefulness of this method is limited. This is due to the long
effective life of the wastes (hundreds of years) and the comparatively
short life of storage tanks, estimated at several tens of years. Ac-
cordingly, the Commission has pursued a vigorous research and de-
velopment `program aimed at developing, and demonstrating, on., an
engineering sca.le, `systems for the conversion of high level liquid
wastes to stable solids and. th~ir subsequent storage in a dry geologic
fórmatioh'such as salt.' . ` ` .
This solidification and disposal technology for high activity waste
appears quite feasible and practical, and has, now reached the', hot
pilot plailt and field demonstration `phase. Results of these resea~rch
and development programs are being provided to industry as corn
mercial reprocessing of spent reactor fuel becomes operational during
the 1966-72 period. .; .
While it appears that the presently ,proposod waste mana~em.ent
systems will fulfill the requirements for safe and economical disposal
of high-level ~a~tes from: our future nuclear power industry, there ar~
two potential problems which may require additional attention These
involve the proposed practice of releasing krypton 85 and tritium to
the environment from fuel prOcessing plants. Although these rare'
gases are far less hazardou~ than many other fission products, the
release of krypton 85 at those processing plants which might be located
near populous areas may ~impose certain operational limitations.,' The
removal and contaii~ment of krypton 85, to prevent a significant
buildup of this radionuclide in the atmosphere, may be required in
an.exp'anding nuclear power economy. Technology to acc~mplish this
is being developed in the Commis~i9n~s waste research program.
Tritium, a fission product of very low yield, may also merit special
consideration from the standpoint of its management in wastes from
fuel processing. In the case of present splvent extraction plants, at
least 75 percent of the tritium in the irradiated fuel is discharged to the
PAGENO="0304"
904 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR ~POLLUTION ABATEMENT
environment in low-level aqueous wastes. Future plants, if situated
less remotely, may be restricted in the quantity they can release to their
immediate environs.
The costs of `high-activity waste treatment and ultimate storage in
the nuclear power future have been estimated between 0.02-0.03 mill
per kilowatt-hour of nuclear electricity produced. This represents
about 1--2 percent of the total fuel cycle cost and substantially less than
1 percent of the cost of nuclear power in a 4-miil-per~kilowatt-hour
economy. On the basis of laboratory and engineering process data,
and on an expected, successful field demonstration and testing program
with high-activity waste, it is believed that waste management costs
will not deter the development of safe and economical nuclear power.
NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY IN POLLUTION CONTROL
While waste management te~hnolcgy has been and is `being de-
~eloped which we believe will continue to provide satisfactory environ-
mental pollution control systems for the expanding nuclear power
industry, there are also other facets of the AEC program which are
making significant contributions to the Nation's overall pollution
abatement efforts~ ~These* programs deal. with the development of
instrumentation and monitoring equipment for the measurement and
control of nonradioactive contaminants in our geohydrologic and at-
mospheric environments.
EADIOTRACER RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
Pollution of the' environment generally involves the presence of
chemical substances in low concentrations. To control pollution, one
must be able to measure it. Here the use of radiotracers is a particu-
larly useful tool for quantitatively analyzing the problem, because of
the extreme sensitivity of radioisotope measurements. An example of
an early use of tracers was their employment in 1958 in a study of
Sewage flow rates near El Segundo, Calif.
In the past few years, the development and refinement of ultra-
sensitive analytical techniques (such as neutron activation analysis)
and of sealed sources of radioisotopes have enabled scientists to apply
moderfl methods and portable equipment for determining more ac-
curately and conveniently the concentration of a wide variety of en-
vironmental pollutants. Activation analysis, for example, permits the
use in some cases of inert tracers to follow the course of a particular
contaminant without having to add radioactivity to the biosphere
Reliable and intense sources of alpha, beta, and gamma activity are
incorporated in field instruments' wherein the degree of attenuation,
scattering, or emission of radiation is a measure of the properties of
the medium.
instrument for continuously monitoring the concentration of
sulfur dioxide and ozone in air has been developed in. the AEC isotopes
development program for air pollution control and is under evaluation
by a commercial company. This device uses a newly available radio-
chemical (krypton clathrate) to measure parts per million levels of
sulfur dioxide and parts per billion levels of ozone. Air containing
the contaminants is passed through an organic compoun.d in which the
radioisotope krypton 85 is' trapped. Reaction of the contaminants with
PAGENO="0305"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 905
the organic material releases an equivalent amount of the radioisotope,
which can be measured with great sensitivity.
For stream hydrologic work, a suspended sediment density meter has
been developed, a rugged portable device for measuring the concentra-
tion of suspended sediment in rivers and streams. This unit employs
a sealed source of cadmium 109 which emits soft X-rays. The degree
of attenuation of the radiation is related to' the concentration of
sediment.
Another new analytical technique which appears promising for
stream pollution studies is a portable dissolved oxygen analyzer. In
this method, a radioactive material-metallic thallium 204-reacts with
the dissolved oxygen, in stoichiometric quantities, in the water flowing
through a column of metal particles. The radioactivity in the effluent
is counted. This unit can measure parts per million concentrations of
oxygen, and can provide data over longer periods of time than other
devices, without interruption.
Other radiotracer work is being carried out in connection with stream
pollution control for the pulp and paper industry in the State of Wash-
ington. A tracer technique using chromium 51 has also been developed
to determine the efficiency of ion exchange waste treatment for chro-
mium bearing waste solutions. Increasing use of various radionuclide
`tracers (krypton 85, chromium 51, and scandium 46) for sediment
transport studies is another area where radioisotope technology is
being used in the overall problem of environmental pollution measure-
ment and control.
While not considered as nuclear technology, per se, the AEC in its
environmental pollution research and development program has pio-
neered the use of a "team approach" in assessing the environmental
impact of large-scale nuclear energy operations on man and his re-
sources. The application of a wide variety of chemical and analytical
techniques and~ competencies in many scientific disciplines, including
operations and systems analyses, has resulted in comprehensive environ-
mental evaluations of (1) stream conditions in the Clinch River below
Oak Ridge, Tenn.; the Savannah River below the Savannah River
plant, Aiken, S.C.; the Mohawk River below Knolls Atomiu Power
Laboratory, Schenectady, N.Y., and the Columbia River below the
Hanford works, Richland, Wash., and (2) atmospheric conditions in
the vicinity of Oak Ridge, Tenn.; National Reactor Testing Station,
Idaho; and Brookhaven National Laboratory' near lipton, N.Y. We
believe the techniques used, including systems analysis, are equally
applicable to other environmental pollution studies.
METEOROLOGICAL APPLICATION
The meteorological problems faced by air pollution abatement and
nuclear energy authorities are similar, despite the differences in em-
phasis engendered by the differences in source materials and configura-
tions. In many cases, such as releases from stacks, the problems are
identical and the same meteorological tools may b~ used to esthnate
downwind dosages. In other cases, such as the urban area source, the
meteorological parameters governing single source emission are the
same but applied in a somewhat differeutmanner.
Because of the intensity of effort and the fundamental nature of the
stndies of turbulence and diff iis~on within the unclear energy field over
~5-240-66-vo1. 11-20
PAGENO="0306"
906 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
the last 15 years, there has been a significant flow of basic and applied
meteorological information into the air pollution technology. The
various national laboratories and other contractors of the Atomic
Energy Commission have carried out research in several major cate-
gories: aerosol studies, precipitation studies, atmospheric transport
and diffusion studies, and the development of sampling equipment.
All of these programs have direct application to the overall air pollu-
tion problem.
For example, the aerosol studies have as their objective an under-
standing of the interrelationships between very small particles and
their environment. Since many air pollutants are aerosols, it can be
seen that the work done in this category would have direct application
to many of the industrial air pollution problems.
The precipitation studies are designed to understand better the
effect of scavenging or the cleansing of the atmosphere by precipita-
tion. This involves understanding the processes involved in precipi-
tating systems and the creation, development and eventual dissipation
of such systems. The scavenging of the atmosphere by precipitation is
nature's method of keeping the air clean of all air pollutants. There-
fore it is vital that we know more about the scavenging mechanism.
Although the programs in atmospheric transport and diffusion
studies are primarily supported for the purpose of developing a capa-
bility to forecast efficiently and expeditiously the concentration of
radioactive material from an accident, operational release, etc., any-
where in space and time, the results of these studies are applicable to
any problem where the atmosphere acts as the transporting and diffu-
sion mechanism. Many of the studies use nonradioactive materials as
tracers. A good share of these contracts emphasize basic studies of
atmospheric turbulence, since it is the turbulence which diffuses ma-
terial in the atmosphere.
In other research studies, the AEC has pioneered in the use of tall
towers and constant level balloons for probing the atmosphere, in the
performance of some of the major diffusion experiments necessary to
verify theoretical models and develop empirical techniques and in
studies of the deposition and washout of material on surface features.
These studies have been responsible for new techniques in meteorologi-
cal instrument development and use, for plume height of rise studies
and for the development of advanced climatological formats which
delineate those features of local climate that determine the diffusive
capacityof a site.
Another significant contribution to the quantitative assessment of
air pollution problems has been the publication of "Meterology
and Atomic Energy" (now being updated), a technical guide used by
the nuclear industry during the past 10 years in reactor safety analyses.
The calculational methods and techniques which have been developed
for determining atmospheric. transport and diffusion of radioactivity
are now being use~ in the evaluation of industrial air pollution
probleixis.
,~tEC STUOT OF ~?OLLtTTIQN PROBI~D1~ZS
It has recently been suggested that the AEO and its national labora-
tories be used in assisting with the problem of pollution control from
fossil-fuel plants, as well as other pressing national industrial waste
problem. The Commission, as part of its broad public responsibility,
PAGENO="0307"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 907
is vitally concerned with overall problems of pollution, and is espe-
cially interested in developing nuclear techniques or systems which
would contribute to the solution of various industrial waste problems.
The AEC actively promotes the maximum use by others of technology
deireloped within the AEC complex. Further, the Commission stands
ready to make AEC facilities available to other Federal agencies,
where the Commission's special competence may be useful. In this
connection, arrangements have been made for AEC and its national
laboratory staff members to visit with the National Coal Association
research group for technical discussions on the coal industry pollution
problems.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
Pollution abatement is one of the major `factors being considered by
the power industry `in the selection of fossil fuels or nuclear reactors
for electric power generation. Power reactor effluent control has been
carried out in a safe and economical manner and these operations have
not resulted in any harmful effects on the public, its environment, or
its natural resources.
Waste management technology has been and is being developed
which will continue to provide satisfactory environmental pollution
control systems for the expanding nuclear power industry. Surveil-
lance programs have been established to assure that concentrations of
radioactive materials released to the environment are maintained well
below internationally accepted health and safety standards. The costs
of power reactor waste management to date have been nominal, and it
is estimated that the future costs for treatment and storage of highly
radioactive wastes which are produced in the chemical processing of
irradiated reactor fuel will be substantially less than 1 percent of the
cost of nuclear power in a 4 mill per kilowatt-hour economy. Instru-
mentation and analytical techniques using radioisotopes have been
developed for use in nonnuclear environmental'pollution measurement
and control. Basic and applied meteorological research data from
AEC programs are being used in industrial air pollution control
programs.
The subject of industrial radioactive waste disposal was thoroughly
and extensively discussed in hearings conducted by the' Joint Commit-
tee on Atomic Energy in 1959. Among the salient conclusions reached
as a result of the exhaustive JCAE hearings on this subject were (1)
radioactive waste management practices have not resulted in any harm-
ful effects on the public, its environment, or its resources; and (2)
the general problem of radioactive waste need not retard the future
development of the nuclear energy industry with full protection of the
public health and safety. Even with the most optimistic nuclear power
projections, we believe these conclusions are still valid.
The Commission is grateful `fOr this opportunity to provide inf or-
mation on a subject of such vital significance to the people of the
United States.
PAGENO="0308"
STATEMENT SITBMITTED TO THE SIJBCOMMIrflDE ON SCIENas, RESEARCH,
ANTh DEVELOPMENT, BY JAMES R. GARVEY, BrruMINovs COAL RE-
SEARCH~ INC.,'SEPTEMBEB 19, 1966.
My name is James B. Garvey. I am president of Bituminous Coal
Research, Inc., which is the research affiliate of the National Coal As-
sociation. At our research laboratories at Monroeville, Pa., we are
seeking through research to improve the means by which bituminous
coal is mined, prepared, shipped, and utilized. A substantial portion
of our research effort is devoted to finding means for controlling the
pollution resulting from the mining and use of bituminous coal.
Our organization is supported by the bituminous coal industry,
through the National Coal Association, and, in addition, receives fi-
nancial contributions from the coal-hauling railroads, coal wining
and utilization equipment manufacturers, and a number of the leading
electric utility companies.
We believe the obj8ctive of the heariugs by this committee, namely,
to assess the technology for pollution abatement, to be a most laudable
one. The coal industry, like many other industries, is alarmed by the
rate at which legislative action commanding pollution abatement has
accelerated well beyond the rate of development of feasible means for
accomplishing that abatement; especially in light of the questionable
need in some instances for abatement. The situation was well de-
scribed by Dr. Abel Wolman of the Johns Hopkins University in his
special report on pollution made to the Management Advisory Panel
of this subcommittee.
A review of the present status of water, air and land pollution and proposals
for abatement thereof make reasenably clear that corrective legislation has
quite well outrun both factual basis for action and smooth machinery for develop-
ment and regulation.
We appreciate the opportunity to present this material, and it is our
intention, in line with the objectives of the hearings, to review the
state of the art of abatement, primarily, of air pollution resulting from
the combustion of bituminous coal, and, to a somewhat lesser extent,
the abatement of water and land reclamation involved in the mining
of coal. We will attempt to brief you on the research and control
methods which are currently underway and the expectations we have
for the attainment of improved pollution control methods which will
enable a reduction in coal's contribution to air and water pollution
and land reclamation problems, and at the same time, enable the coal
industry to continue as a vital part of our industrial economy.
Bituminous coal is vital since it is the primary source of heat energy
used in the generation of electricity and the carrying out of many
industrial processes. It is estimated that during 1966 about 263 mil-
lion tons will be used for electric generation, 106 million tons will be
used directly by general industries, and 94 million tons will be used
in the form of coke for the manufacture `of steel. This 463 million
tons, combined with somewhat lesser amounts used for other purposes,
908
PAGENO="0309"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 909
including export, wIll bring the total bituminous coal production this
year to about 534 million tons. This coal production, in addition to
providing an important contribution to our industrial progress, also
provides employment for more than 128,000 men and contributes
$2.5 billion to the national economy.
When this bituminous coal is utilized for the generation of heat
energy, whether for conversion to electricity or for direct use in in-
dustrial processing, a number of byproducts considered pollutants are
produced. These include smoke, which is unburned carbon; ash, which
is the noncombustible portion of the coal; and gaseous oxides of certain
foreign elements in the coal, notably sulfur. The coal producers, in
cooperation with those who use coal, have a long record of accomplish-
ment in the development of means for controlling these pollutants.
The emission of smoke from a coal-burning plant is, and should
continue to be, a thing of the past. Through intensive research, car-
ried out almost 20 years ago, the technology for coal combustion with-
out smoke pollution was developed and the modern, coal-burning
plant of today emits practically no unburned carbon.
A similar situation exists with regard to the uncombustible ash of
coal. The development of mechanical and electrostatic collectors has
progressed to where the stack emission of "fly ash" in modern plants
can be reduced to less than 0.5 percent of the original ash in the coal.
Because the development of this ash control equipment is more recent
than that of smoke control, not all coal-burning plants are so equipped.
But as old plants are phased out of use through obsolescence, and
new plants are constructed to replace them, this high-efficiency ash-
collection equipment is being installed. The electric utility industry,
in particular, should be commended for their efforts in the develop-
ment of such equipment and the investment of non-profit-making
capital to the extent of millions of dollars per plant to enable this
achievement in dust control. And the ultimate in the control of dust
has not yet been achieved. Research still continues and the more
recent development of bag filters, which remove almost 100 percent
of the dust from the gas stream, are currently being tested by a number
of large utility companies.
The third byproduct which I mentioned earlier, namely, the oxides
of sulfur, are the cause of the most concern at the present time. The
technology for controlling this so-called pollutant is by no means
as advanced as that for control of smoke and fly ash. This is perhaps
understandable because it has been apparent for many years that
unburned carbon in the form of soot, and unburned other constituents
of coal in the form of fly ash, were true pollutants. One could see
them, feel them, and readily assess the damage being done. No such
means for assessment of the damage of sulfur oxides has been possible.
One cannot see them or feel them, and the only way one is aware of
their existence is in extreme cases wherein the concentration rises to
the point where one can smell them. But this is a rare instance, and
the concentrations of sulfur oxides in the air are for the most part
so low that we are not aware they exist. Whether their existence is
detrimental to health is a matter which has not been resolved. As was
pointed out in the report of the Environmental Pollution Panel of
the President's Science and Advisory Committee, "Restoring the
Quality of Our Environment":
PAGENO="0310"
910 ADEQI~AC~ OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
While we all fear, and many believe, that long continued exposure to low levels
of poUntion is having unfavorable effects on human health, it is heartening to
know that careful studies have so far failed to produce evidence that this is
so * *
Further along this line the report of the Research Advisory Panel
of this Subcommittee on ~cience, Research, and Development, entitled
"The Adequacy of Technology for Pollution Abatement," stated:
The facts on the physiological responses of man to long-term low-level ex-
posure to pollutants are lacking, but are necessary for setting criteria and
standards. No evidence has yet been produced that low levels of pollution
have unfavorable effects on human health.
However, so that I will not be misunderstood and accused of quoting
out of context for a special purpose, I want to hasten to add at this
point that the same report from which the foregoing quotation was
taken went on to say:
But abnormal changes in animal populations are considered to be warnings of
potential hazard.
We, the coal industry, acknowledge that the danger of a potential
hazard exists. We believe every effort should be made to define the
extent to which such a hazard exists and at the same time to develop
means for needed control of the pollution which causes it. We urge
that criteria and standards for pollution control be based on factual
information and not on emotions. We also urge that until the exact
levels of pollution which are dangerous to man have been established,
the criteria and standards be set with reason in accordance with the
state of the art of the technology for their control.
What is being done by industry itself in line with the determina-
tion of the tolerable degree of exposure and the development of methods
for control of sulfur oxide pollutants? Our organization has been
engaged in research directed at the control of this pollutant for over
10 years. In the conduct of most of this research, we have had the
financial support and technical guidance of the electric-utility indus-
try through the Edison Electric Institute and the Association of Edi-
~on Electric Cos. This research has resulted in greater knowledge of
the occurrence of sulfur in coals and the development of guides for
removal prior to combustion, as well as increased knowledge of the com-
plex chemistry necessary for the development of processes for recov-
ery of sulfur oxides from the flue gases after combustion. And, as of
January 1. 1966, our program has been expanded, again in coopera-
tion with the utility industry. A projected 5-year program has been
developed at an estimated cost of $4.3 million. This research, in
summary, will include:
1. A thorough study of the physiological effects of sulfur oxides,
both alone and in combination with other air contaminants. This work
is being carried out by the Hazleton Laboratories of Falls Churth,
Va. In addition, our organization, in cooperation with the oil in-
dustry and the steel industry, is sponsoring another project at Mellon
Institute, also directed at determining the physiological effects of
sulfur oxides. While both of these research programs will utilize
animals instead of humans to study these effects, it is anticipated
that the ~results will provide guidelines for determining the suscepti-
bili~y of man to low-level exposure of pollutants.
PAGENO="0311"
ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 911
9. Our organization, in its own laboratories, is carrying out re~
search directed at the development of equipment which will enable
the removal of additional quantities of sulfur from bituminous coals
before they are burned. In many bituminous coals, the sulfur occurs
primarily as a mineral pyrite which, if the coal is crushed fine enough,
can theoretically be removed. However, because of theextreme fine-
ness of crushing required (to as fine as talcum powder) in order to
free these pyrite particles, the development of the necessary tech-
nology and equipment is progressing slowly. But, progressing it is,
and we expect some time late this year to have installed at a central
Pennsylvania powerplant the first pilot unit for achieving this reduc-
tion in sulfur content of coal.
3. We are also carrying out accelerated research on the development
of low-cost methods for recovering SO2 from flue gases following
combustion. Our present research is directed at the injection of
chemicals into the flue gas stream, which will react with the oxides of
sulfur and deposit them with the fly ash. Again, the development of
the necessary knowledge of reaction rate of various chemicals, the
most effective temperatures at which the reactions should be carried
out~ and other design data cannot be achieved immediately. It is our
intention that the basic laboratory work will be completed some time
early next year, and trial installations on a full scale can be started
shortly thereafter.
In addition to the research which we are doing, a number of others,
including both Government and private industry, are carrying out
extensive investigations. Both the Bureau of Mines and the Public
Health Service are investigating processes for sulfur oxide recovery.
The Bureau of Mines work will move into the early pilot stages this
year, and hopefully, a full-scale installation can be made sometime
the latter part of next year. The Public Health Service work, we
understand, includes an evaluation and possible erection in this coun-
try of a pilot unit incorporating a process which has been developed
in Germany.
Investigations by the manufacturers of equipment includes the in-
stallation of wet gas scrubbing processes. One of these has already
been installed for test at a powerplant, and another is projected for
installation late this year.
And, in this overall effort directed at finding a means for economi-
cal control of sulfur oxide pollutants, one of the large chemical com-
panies, a primary supplier of sulfuric acid to industry, in cooperation
with a utility company, is constructing on a substantial scale the
equipment necessary for recovering the sulfur oxides from flue gases
in the form of sulfuric acid which that company then will market.
In summary, the state of the art of control of pollutants from the
combustion of coal is moving forward on all fronts. As I pointed
out earlier, the technology for control of smoke in fly ash is already
available in an advanced state, and additional progress is being made.
However, much still remains to be done, despite an expanded research
effort by industry, in connection with the control of sulfur oxides.
Those processes which are most advanced in technical feasibility are
still at the present state of development far too expensive to install
and operate, especially in light of the lack of knowledge regarding
the degree of control which is necessary to protect human health.
PAGENO="0312"
912 ADEQUACY o1~ T1~CHNOLOG~ FOE POLtUTION ABATEMENT
But progress ~ being and will continue to be made, and as the work
which I described earlier, passes through the large pilot stage of de-
velopment, opportunities will be available for improvements in the
technology which will make them economically as well as technically
feasible.
The mining and preparation of coal for shipment to market also is
the cause of pollution, including air, water, and land disturbance.
Air pollution results from the spontaneous ignition and subsequent
combustion of the refuse discarded in the cleaning of coal for market.
Since this refuse amounts to approximately 1 ton for every 2 tons of
coal produced, the amount of this material which has accumulated since
coal mining began in this country is substantial. The technology for
prevention of spontaneous combustion in new refuse piles has been de-
veloped, and by means of careful compaction and selection of site, this
source of air pollution can be eliminated in the future. However, a
great deal more work is required in the development of means for
extinguishing fires and prevention of reignition in old and abandoned
refuse piles. Our organization has investigated a number of ap-
proaches2 including the pumping of noncombustible material into the
refuse pile. Other organizations, such as the Bureau of Mines as
well as other industrial groups, are carrying out additional research,
and while some progress has been made the complete answer is not
yet available.
Water pollution results from two sources; namely, the fine coal
particles suspended in the water used for coal washing, whichis in turn
discarded to streams; and the acid drainage from mining areas which
ultimately by natural flow finds its way into the streams. The tech-
nology for control of "black water" discharge is well advanced, and
by the use of settling ponds and filters the modern coal preparation
plant is rapidly making black rivers a thing of the past.
Acid drainage, however, represents a far greater problem insofar as
control is concerned. The mechanism for production of acid water in a
coal mine is not completely understood, and the means for changing
the acid drainage from a coal mine into so-called sweet water is not as
simple as many would have us believe. A large coal mine may dis-
charge as much as 10 million gallons of water each day. The equip-
ment and chemicals necessary for rendering this water suitable as de-
fined by some State laws for discharge into natural streams can be
extremely complex and costly. But progress is being made.
The principal object of the coal industry's attention to the solution
of acid drainage problem~ has been in the field of eliminating those
areas of drainage in operating mines. The responsible coal producers
are surveying the sources of ground water which pass through their
mining operations in an effort to minimize the amount which becomes
acid; sampling and analyzing the waters discharged from their mines
so that they can determine the degree of acidity, and the mineral content
as a basis for determining the best approach for neutralization and
removal of these minerals; and planning their new operations in such
a manner as to reduce to the minimum the water pollution potential.
Again, as in the case of ai~ pollution control, a great deal more must be
learned about the pollutant itself, both its formation and its effects,
before criteria and standards for water quality can be established.
}]!undreds of thousamis of dollars are being speiit by the coal industry
PAGENO="0313"
AD1~QUACY OF ~I?ECH~OLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATE~LENT 91~
~nd associated groups in an effort to find a practical, economical, and
effective method of removing the acid coutaminants from the mine
drainage waters. A number of theories are being reviewed. The most
popular approach to the problem has been the neutralization approach.
This, however, has its shortcomings in that with the volume of mine
water to be treated in a large openition, the cost could be highly un-
realistic.
In 1963 the Pennsylvania Coal Research Board began intensive re-
search into various problems confronting the coal industry, with main
emphasis placed on pollution control.
And just a few months ago the Northern West Virginia Coal Asso-
ciation announced that it would spend $150,000 for a study of that
State's No. 1 water conservation problem-mine acid drainage. This
2-year study will be conducted by the West Virginia University School
of Mines with two primary and immediate research objectives:
(1) To discover the sources of pollution and determine cor-
rective measures by which its volume may be reduced; and
(2) To obtain factual engineering and economic data on chem-
ical treatment of mine drainage by actual operation of a field
pilot plant.
In the final session of this subcommittee's public hearings, Dr. Abel
Wôlman, a recognized authority in the field of ecology atid pollution
control, testified that 35 years ago he had been a member of one of
the earlier research teams investigating the discharge of acid waters
from mines in the Appalachian area. The project spent $20 million
and in Dr. Wolman's words: "We did not succeed and the Bureau of
Mines Director pointed out that they have no solution to acid mine
wastes." This lends credence to the contention of the coal industry
that a great deal more research and study is necessary if the problem
of acid mine waste is to be solved. Dr. Wolman agreed that this was
a field "where deep seated and prompt research is absolutely essential."
Much research has been done here by the U.S. Bureau of Mines and
by private research organizations, as well as by those institutions
supported by the various States, Perhaps there has been too much
independent action by the researchers. As one means of eliminating
this situation, Bituminous Coal Research, Inc., is cooperating with
the Coal Industry Advisory Committee to the Ohio River Valh~y
Water Sanitations Commission in developing a program, to be financed
by funds from CIAC with BCR contributions, to set up a coordinating
agency whereby all of the various research projects that are now being
conducted in the area of mine drainage can be brought together and
summarized and evaluated. By this means, the various independent
research sponsors can recognize any areas of duplication or conflict
and avoid any waste in the funds much needed for the ultimate solving
of the problem. On this subject, we would urge that the subcommittee
look into the possibility of a recommendation that at least a sizable
part of Federal funds that are appropriated to meet the needs of re-
search and pilot plant tests be made available to some of the inde-
pendent groups that are doing such a dedicated job in this effort to
find a way out of the disconcerting maze that presently surrounds
every perimeter of the mine drainage continent.
Reclamation of disturbed lands is another area in which the broad
concept of environmental conservation is involved. Surface mining
PAGENO="0314"
914 ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABAPEMEWT
for minerals and fuels is a mining process in which the surface of the
land is removed to permit the taking of the natural `resource product.
This process, because of its lower cost operation and the recovery of'
greater quantities of minerals, ~provides an economical base for the
marketing of the product whether it be coal or other material. In
many cases, surface mining, or strip mining as it is also known, pro-
vides the only way in which large deposits of valuable materials can
be obtained. In the operation of this process, there is necessarily a
dtsturbance of the land surface. The coal industry has been often ac-
cused of being a poor neighbor for not r~habilitating this disturbed
surface. For almost ~0'ye~rs, however, the industry has been pursuing
a voluntary program of reclamation of mined lands. Early in 1900,
a request for tree seedlings was made to the Ohio Department of
Forestry by a strip mine operator, but it was not until 1918 that we
have any `substantive evidence of this program. Then an Indiana
Operator planted `an area in fruit trees, some of which are continuing to
bear today. In 1920, in Illinois, the use of mined lands for tin~ber
production was instituted. In 1928, the Indiana strip operators orga-
nized into a group which, for the first time sponsored a program of
statewide planting of lands. This effort has continued and has been so
successful that today practically every responsible operator in the 22
States where surface mining is conducted is engaged in a program of
land reclamation. Many of these lands are converted into recreational
areas, homesites, shopping centers, and agricultural and grazing lands,
in addition to the many acres which are devoted to timber protection
and wildlife and bird propagation and protection. One of the major
contributions which the industry's reclamation effort; is making is
providing water impoundments, ponds, and lakes which contribute to
the source of waters for `all purposes of the community.
As evidence of the industry's sincerity in the land reclamation effort,
in 1962 the responsible members of the industry joined together into
a voluntary organization for the purpose of encouraging, promoting,
and developing the program of reclamation of mined lands. `This
organization-the Mined Land Conservation Conference-(an affiliate
of the National Coal Association) has done much to improve the land
reclamation program and provide new knowledge and practices to aid
in more effective and economical methods of reclaiming mined lands.
A major assist in this field is given by the MLCC Technical Commit-
tee made up of experts in all of the scientific and technical fields that
are in any way connected with the adaptation of mined land's for pur-
poses of community and economical uses. This committee serves not
only the individual and group members of the MLCC but is also avail-
able without cost to all types of governmental agencies, including this
committee, for such advisory or consulting services `as may be `helpful.
In its effort to further the cause of land reclamation and utilization,
the conference has instituted a voluntary industry program of surface
mine conservation. The principal tenets of this code include the fol-
lowing:
Dispose of all refuse in a manner that will prevent stream poi-
lution. `
Prevent acid drainage both during and after the mining opera-
tion.
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ADEQUACY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR POLLUTION ABATEMENT 915
Where final-cut lakes are not created, cover all toxic materials
in the final-cut pit.
Place pit cleaning and other highly toxic materials where they
may be easily covered with clear overburden.
These practices are followed by the majority of the strip mine oper-
ators in their day-to-day operations.
In closing this statement, I would like to call the attention of the
committee to what we consider to be a most important reference in
the report of the Research Management Advisory Panel. This was the
discussion of the need for industrial research laboratories to partici-
pate to a greater extent in the development of pollution control meth-
ods, and the role of the Federal Government in encouraging this par-
ticipation. And here I quote directly from the report:
The Federal Government routinely purchases research and development results
from industry, more or less as a product. The data are used in the performance
of agency missions as a basis for regulation and control administration, and
for dissemination to local and state governments.
In the pollution field, however, Federal research funds, for the most part, are
spent intramurally or in non-profit universities and institutes. For example, it
is estimated that only about one million dollars out of sixteen million dollars for
fiscal year 1967 air pollution research is spent in industrial laboratories.
The Federal roles in waste management technology seem to be, first, stimulus
to industry to speed development, and second, the establishment of the yard-
stick to gage whether the state of art is ready for regulation and control meas-
ures. The direct contracting with industry for research and development on
broadly applicable devices and techniques is a desirable part of the overall
Federal effort in pollution.
The ultimate test of any process developed for the control of pol-
lutants will be a full-scale installation at an operating plant, mine, etc.,
where the pollutant is being produced. Such installations will involve
the expenditures of many millions of dollars-a large capital invest-
ment in a nonprofit operation. This will necessarily defer capital in-
vestment in other areas, which would ultimately lead to the expansion
of our industrial economy. We urge that the committee give careful
attention to the full report of the Research Management Advisory
Panel, but also give special attention to those portions which recom-
mend Federal Government financial assistance to industry in the de-
velopment and application of pollution control methods.
(A 28-page detailed statement was received from the Advanced
Products Division, VACCO Industries, South El Monte, Calif. This
statement, copy of which is in the committee file, deals with the design,
development, and test of a device to maximize combustion efficiency
in internal combustion automotive engines.)
C
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