Your continued support of this program is deeply appreciated by all who are charged with the tremendous responsibility of solving waste disposal problems. Please advise if and how further support from the local levels is needed. CITY OF KELSO, STATEMENT BY THE MID-AMERICA COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS JULY 15, 1969. The HONORABLE EDMUND S. MUSKIE, DEAR SENATOR MUSKIE: Enclosed is a resolution adopted by the Mid-America Council of Governments-Kansas City Region on June 26, 1969, endorsing the need for Senate Bill 2005 which you have introduced in the Senate. As you can see, this Council of Governments has gone on record supporting this measure as a way to provide for sanitary landfill operations in metropolitan areas. We respectfully request your doing what you can to get this bill enacted into law. Sincerely yours, [Enclosure.] JUDGE CHARLES E. CURRY, Chairman. RESOLUTION Whereas, the Mid-America Council of Governments in guiding the future growth of the Kansas City Metropolitan Region is concerned about the provision of adequate methods of solid waste disposal, and Whereas, the problem of satisfactorily disposing of solid wastes is an ever compounding one with ever-increasing costs, and Whereas, there is presently underway a major solid waste disposal study in the metropolitan area which will contain recommendations for locating and operating high quality sanitary landfill operations throughout the Region, and Whereas, local governments are sorely pressed to provide funds for the many other services people require in urban areas: Now, therefore, be it Resolved: Sec. 1. That the Mid-America Council of Governments endorses Senate Bill 2005 introduced by Senator Muskie in the U.S. Senate providing for Federal matching grants to localities to provide sanitary landfill operations. Sec. 2. That the Chairman send copies of this resolution to its legislative delegation respectfully requesting their support of this bill. JUDGE CHARLES E. CURRY, Chairman. NEWS ARTICLES [From the Times-Union and Journal, Jacksonville, Fla., Sunday, March 23, 1969] (By Julie Wilson, Staff Writer) "Enclosed is a story about pollution," Frosty Willis, 12, wrote the Florida Times-Union. "This might help the people to support (Mayor Hans) Tanzler in his campaign against pollution. I don't want any pay but I sure would like a letter from the mayor. "I could write lots more if you like, I can write on water pollution, air pollution, soil erosion and conservation. I don't expect to see my story in the paper but I sure would appreciate it." Frosty, son of Mr. and Mrs. Forest A. Willis, 2747 Herschel St., added that he has asthma and is "cooped up in the house most of the time." Because of his asthma, he is able to attend regular classes only a few months out of the school year. The rest of the time he is on the Home Bound program and his teachers come to his house. His asthma also accounts for his keen interest in clean air, he said, because air pollutants make breathing even more difficult for him. Since he was four, he has been raising fish and now has a collection numbering about 200. He hopes to be a marine biologist when he grows up. "I know what dirty water does to fish," he said authoritatively. "And it gets me mad how fish are being poisoned and killed in polluted rivers." Frosty's mother said her son is a voracious reader and keeps himself well-informed about a variety of subjects. "When he was in the third grade," she related, "he came home mad because the school library didn't have any books on birth control. I was so surprised I didn't know what to say. "I finally asked him what in the world he wanted with birth control books and he explained that his guppies would soon be having babies. 'And after they're born I want to know how to control them.'" His concern about various social problems has started correspondences with senators, congressmen, the President and the secretary of the interior, Mrs. Willis said. [From the Times-Union and Journal, Jacksonville, Fla., Sunday, March 23, 1969] A FISH STORY Frosty Willis, the author of the following "fish story," is 12. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Forest A. Willis, Herschel Street, and is an asthmatic. A concerned asthmatic. Not just for himself, but for everyone, including fish, who suffers from the effects of pollution. The rest of Frosty's story and how the Times-Union Women's Department learned about Frosty are on the next page. (By Frosty Willis) Pollution is for, well, certainly not for fish. This story is about Melvin Mullet and his trip up the St. Johns River. "Time to get up, Melvin," Mama Mullet said. "It's time to go up the St. Johns." So Melvin started the long trip up the polluted river. "Ugh, what is that horrible smell? (Gasp). Uh, oh, oil slick ahead, right full rudder!" Melvin said to himself. "If it looks like this down here, think what it must look like topside. What a horrifying thought!" Soon Melvin meets Bass. "Hey, Bass, what do you hear from upstairs?" "This place is something called a consolidated city. It's supposed to bring in a lot of tourists because it's such a big place," Bass answered. "If the people of Jacksonville think that tourists will want to come here with the river the way it is, they've got another think coming. As a matter of fact, the ocean around here isn't exactly a humdinger of a place either. It must make people sick to come over that bridge (Fuller Warren) over there. But, on the other fin, they might not even care." That second reason is probably the closest to being right. The people are so ignorant and inconsiderate that they don't care what happens to us," replied Bass. "Well, I've got to be going; see you around . . . maybe," said Melvin. "Hey, Melvin look out! You almost cut your fin on that rusty garbage can." "Thanks," Melvin mumbled as garbage came floating over his head. Melvin swam on . . . or tried to. Next Melvin reached a school of dead and dying fish and thought angrily about the pollution problems. "I need to tell the undertaker back home that he's missing a lot of business here. "I'm going home to mama where the water is clean, if I can find my way through this nightmare." THE END (for everything) STATEMENT OF M. VINCENT PROTHEROE, VICE PRESIDENT OF SMITH & GILLESPIE ENGINEERS, INC., REPRESENTING THE CONSULTING ENGINEERS COUNCIL OF FLORIDA (C.E.C.F. has 48 Consulting Engineering firms as members) Consulting Engineers Council of Florida recognizes water and air pollution as one of our major domestic problems. In spite of the increased emphasis on pollution control, in some respects the gulf between population growth, industrial development and the control of their pollutants seems to be widening. This is especially true in the field of air pollution. The C.E.C.F. and its membership stands ready to assist in the control of pollution and the restoration of our most important natural resources-air and water. We recognize the following factors as necessary to the solution of this (or any) problem, which might be called the "Accomplishment Equation": Accomplishment = Time + Technology + Money + Incentive. A brief overview of the factors seems pertinent to this discussion: 1. Time we have and will have. We cannot complete the job by tomorrow, even if all other factors were favorable and all parties were willing. The danger in this factor is that too much time is available, or that the contributors to our pollution problem will think so. Our natural resources do not have unlimited time and therefore we cannot allow unlimited time for the abatement of pollution. A realistic series of deadlines must be set and rigidly enforced. This is the subject of another factor. 2. Technology is available in the fields of water and air pollution to correct the problem. Granted each field is the subject of continuing research and development, we cannot wait until this work produces the ultimate in economy and performance. We must accelerate the research and development effort. but we must use currently known methods to control pollution at the same time. Water pollution technology is well advanced, standards have been set which apply to most areas of the country, and methods to achieve these standards are available and not prohibitively expensive. Industrial wastes present the greatest technological challenge in this area. The answer, in many cases, lies in removal of the uniquely industrial pollutants of water borne wastes by industry (pretreatment) and central treatment of the remaining effluent by conventional means. Hopefully we will someday be able to reduce pretreatment costs of this nature by salvaging useable by-products from these wastes. We cannot wait, however, until this possibility becomes a reality. Air pollution technology is much further behind and much emphasis should be placed on advancements here. We tend to look to the industrial smokestack too often in our activities in this field, however. Granted the industrial smokestack is a source of air pollution. A far greater volume of air pollution enters our atmosphere from automotive exhausts and trash burning-garbage, yard refuse, etc. A survey of Duval County's air pollution problem in the early '60s established automotive exhaust as a 95%+ contributor to our air pollution problem. This field lacks a set of standards, a uniformly accepted set of measurement standards and truly economical means of combatting the problem. 3. Money is the most critical deficienecy in our accomplishment equation. Compared to the problem the money resources presently allocated are entirely inadequate. We are trying to build Boulder Dam with five beavers! PL 660 has been an effective Federal Aid program for water pollution for a number of years. It has been instrumental in motivating many communities to build treatment facilities for waste water that would never have been built otherwise. A recent amendment to the W.P.C.A. has provided additional help if the states provide additional aid. When and if this is done, water pollution control facilities can be built for 50% Federal, 25% state and 25% local money. A similar program would be very helpful in the field of air pollution when suitable standards have been developed. It must be available to the private business sector to be effective, because most of those "smokestacks" are privately, not publicly owned. The money factor is further complicated, however. The money that communities have is under attack by the termites of inflation, rising construction costs and rising interest rates. These are corollary problems which must be checked or controlled if we are ever able to achieve a solution to pollution. The Government programs are an inducement-not a total payment for costs. In the administration of these programs it is important to keep them simple! Certainly controls and audits are necessary. Perhaps the consulting engineers should thank the administrators of these programs for making the paperwork sufficiently detailed and voluminous that it boggles the mind of the average layman. However, reckoned by current trends we can foresee the time when the cost of administration of a Federal program may actually rival the amount of grant available. This cannot and should not be. Therefore, I repeat, that these programs should be as simply administered as is consistent with reasonable control. 4. Incentive is a most importanct factor and one in which the Federal and state government must operate. The process is one of using a carrot and stick. Assistance in terms of money and technical help must be provided to motivate public and private interests to solve the problem. Control, deadlines and standards must be established and rigidly enforced to insure that public and private interests do not delay in undertaking solutions. How many thousands of contributors to pollution are today playing a waiting game! Many do not believe that the standards and deadlines we have now will be met or enforced. Incentives therefore must be realistic in terms of the problem-well conceived and enforced. Unless this is done, those who delay will be rewarded. Thus we see that there is much that Congress can and must do to fullfill this equation. It has a definite and indespensible role in promoting technological advancement, providing additional money and establishing proper incentives. The Consulting Engineerss Council endorses the work of this committee. We acknowledge an interest and responsibility in the process of controlling pollution. We urge the Congress to provide the legislative muscle and the finances equivalent to the magnitude of this problem. STATEMENT BY THOMAS J. ROUZIE, JR., P.E. WATER POLLUTION CONTROL IN THE CONSOLIDATED CITY OF JACKSONVILLE Water Pollution Problems in the Consolidated City of Jacksonville can be divided roughly into several areas; the Urban Service Districts No. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and the General Service District which includes everything in Duval County outside the Urban Service Districts. Urban Service District No. 1 is the old City of Jacksonville, Urban Service District No. 2 is the City of Jacksonville Beach, Urban Service District No. 3 is the City of Neptune Beach, Urban Service District No. 4 is the City of Atlantic Beach, and Urban Service District No. 5 is the Town of Baldwin. Within these political areas the pollution problems can be further subdivided into Domestic Sewage Disposal and Industrial Waste Disposal. Most of the sewage and industrial waste generated in Urban Service District No. 1 flows into the St. Johns River and its tributaries without treatment. But in 1960 the old City of Jacksonville did construct a municipal sewage treatment plant and a large trunk sewer line that extends westward through Springfield to the West Jacksonville Area and could serve about two-thirds of the Urban Service District. However after completion of this 20 million dollar project, no effort was made by the old city government to construct the miles of sanitary collection sewers, lift stations and force mains to serve this entire area, so that approximately 75% of the old city's domestic sewage still flows into the river raw. During the past four years the city has constructed additional trunk sewers, lift stations, and force mains to eliminate the discharge of raw sewage into McCoys Creek and Willow Brank at a total cost of about $1.5 million dollars. Also plans have been approved for construction of the Mayflower Relief Trunk Sewer, Lift Stations, and Force Main in the Murray Hill Section, and the Hogans Creek Relief Trunk Sewer, Lift Station and Force Main. The last project will pick up sewage from three hospitals in the Springfield Area and pump it to the Municipal Sewage Plant. However progress on sewering the old city has been very slow and it is primarily for this reason that the new consolidated government proposes to issue $90 million dollars in revenue certificates to speed up the construction of sanitary sewers, interceptor sewers, lift stations and force mains to serve the old City of Jacksonville. The City of Jacksonville Beach, or Urban Service District No. 2, is almost completely sewered and the sewage is presently treated in a Primary Treatment Plant. Also this city has a complete treatment plant of the aeration type under construction at the present time which will comply with the 90% B.O.D. removal requirements of the Florida Air and Water Pollution Control Commission. Jacksonville Beach deserves an award for its progressive and far sighted pollution control program. The City of Neptune Beach, or Urban Service District No. 3, is also largely sewered and is presently served by a Primary Sewage Treatment Plant. They are under notice by the Florida Air and Water Pollution Control Commission to install 90% sewage treatment by January 1, 1973, but so far no plans have been approved. The City of Atlantic Beach, or Urban Service District No. 4, is largely sewered and presently served by a Primary Treatment Plant. They are also on notice to install 90% B.O.D. removal by January 1, 1973 and have submitted a preliminary report. However due to the tight bond market, and high interest rates they have requested permission to build the additional treatment facilities in stages utilizing about $100,000 in their own treasury. The Town of Baldwin, or Urban Service District No. 5, is unsewered at the present time except for two small Federal Housing Developments, several commercial treatment plants, and the public school plant. The town officials have submitted a preliminary report to the State Board of Health and are seeking financial assistance from the Farmers Home Administration and the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration for the installation of sewers and sewage treatment. The sewage disposal problems in the General Service District or suburbs is somewhat different from those of the Urban Service Districts. Most of this development has occurred since World War II and due to F.H.A. and V.A. requirements both central water and central sewage collection and treatment have been installed in most of the larger subdivisions. At the present time there are approximately 85 subdivision sewage treatment plants and 110 subdivision water plants. These plants and systems were constructed entirely by private developers with no financial help from any government agency. The cost of the sewage systems alone has been about $50 million dollars and many of these systems have been and are still giving excellent service. However these privately owned utility systems have created some new problems for the county and city. The sewage plants are scattered all over the county and many of them discharge effluent into drainage ditches which are dry in dry weather. If the plant is overloaded or breaks down for even a few hours, the poorly treated effluent goes septic in the ditch causing bad odors and complaints. Another frequent cause of bad odors are sour digesters particularly in the Spring after a long cold Winter. Although the design of all of these sewage plants were approved by the Florida State Board of Health, the construction and operation was left largely to the private developer, his engineers, and contractors. Also many of these plants were built in stages according to a master plan approved by the State Board of Health. Theoretically the developer was suppose to expand his plant as each stage reached its design capacity. In actual practice however, it has been necessary for the Regional and County Sanitary Engineers to serve written notice on the developers warning them that their existing facilities were overloaded and recommending additional treatment. Many times this technical letter had to be followed by conferences with the Director of the Bureau of Sanitary Engineering, and often legal action was required to get the developer to install additional equipment which he should have done without waiting for a letter from the Board of Health. These situations have occurred so often not only in Duval County but all over the State of Florida. that the public is now demanding and getting new utility regulation laws and boards of a local nature. Nevertheless, the fact is that sewage collection and treatment is expensive and ultimately the customer must pay the bill regardless of whether it is in the form of a monthly or quarterly invoice from a private utility company or in the form of increased property taxes, assessments, and service charges from the municipal government. The $72 million invested in the sewage collection and treatment systems for the Consolidated City of Jacksonville is not the whole cost either. Operation and maintenance of these systems cost an equal amount of money over a period of time. Practically all of the sewer service charges by private utility companies is used for operation and maintenance; the capital investment was recovered by the developer from each customer when the homes were purchased. Furthermore the best engineering estimates of the cost of sewering the Urban Tax District varies from $100 million in 1958 to $150 million in 1969 with estimates of $200 to $300 million for the suburban areas in the |