SUMMARY OF CONFERENCE
POLLUTION OF INTERSTATE WATERS
OF THE
MAHONING RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES
(OHIO-PENNSYLVANIA)
February 16-17, 1965
The Mahoning River drains an area of 1,131 square miles, of which
1,076 square miles are in northeastern Ohio, and 55 square miles are in
western Pennsylvania. The headwaters of the Mahoning River are in the
vicinity of Alliance, Ohio. It then flows northeasterly to Warren,
Ohio, where it continues southeasterly through Youngstown, Ohio, cross-
ing the State line about nine miles downstream from Youngstown. The
Mahoning River flows through Pennsylvania for a distance of about 12
miles, before it joins the Shenango River near New Castle, Pennsylvania
to form the Beaver River. The Beaver River then flows in a southerly
direction about 20 miles, before it becomes confluent with the Ohio
River at Rochester, Pennsylvania.
On the basis of reports, surveys, or studies, the Secretary of
Health, Education, and Welfare, having reason to believe that pollution
of the Mahoning River and its tributaries, caused by discharges of
untreated and inadequately treated sewage and industrial wastes in Ohio,
was endangering the health or welfare of persons in Pennsylvania, called
a conference in the matter of pollution of the interstate waters of the
Mahoning River and its tributaries. The conference was held on
February 16-17, 1965, in the Voyager Motor Inn, 129 Market Street,
Youngstown, Ohio.
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The following conferees representing the State water pollution
control agencies of Ohio and Pennsylvania, the Ohio River Valley Water
Sanitation Commission, and the U. S. Department of Health, Education,
and Welfare, attended the conference:
E. W. Arnold, M.D.
Charles L. Wilbar, Jr., M.D,
Richard Boardman
Edward T. Cleary
Leonard A. Weakley
H. W. Poston
Murray Stein, Chairman
Chairman
Ohio Water Pollution Control Board
Columbus, Ohio
Chairman,- Sanitary Water Board
Pennsylvania Department of Health
Harrisburg, -Pennsylvania
Chief, Water Quality- Section
Pennsylvania Department of Health
Harrisburg,-Pennsylvania
Executive Director and Chief Engineer
Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation
Commission
Cincinnati, Ohio
Legal Counsel
Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation
Commission
Cincinnati, Ohio
U..S. Department of Health, Education,
and Welfare
Chicago, Illinois
U. S. Department of Health, Education,
and Welfare
Washington, D. C.
The following also participated in the conference:
Robert Barker
Hayse Black
Walter Brazon
Superintendent
Waste Water Treatment Department
Warren, Ohio
U. S, Department, of Health, Education,
and Welfare
Cincinnati, Ohio
Civil Engineers
U. S. Army-Engineers District
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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George Compson
Larry Cook
Clyde C. Cupps
R. F. Doolittle
George Eagle
Honorable Anthony B. Flask
Samuel Gould, Jr.
Bruce Graybill
Barton A. Holl
Robert K. Horton
Honorable John C. Jordon
F. W. Kittrell
Maurice LeBosquet
Kenneth M. Lloyd
Chief, Division of Legal Services
Ohio State Department of Health
Columbus, Ohio
Secretary, Ohio Coal Industry
Water Pollution Commission
Columbus, Ohio
Plant Engineer, Bumper Division
Rockwell Standard Corp.
Newton Falls, Ohio
Vice President
Youngstown Sheet 6 Tube Company
Youngstown., Ohio
Chief Engineer
Ohio Dapartment of Health
Columbus s Ohio
Mayor
Youngstown, Ohio
Mahoning County Engineer
Youngstown, Ohio
Superintendent
Water and Water Pollution Control
Alliance, Ohio
Chairman, Ohio River Valley Water
Sanitation Commission
Logan, Ohio
Assistant Director
Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation
Commission
Cincinnati, Ohio
Mayor
New Castle, Pennsylvania
U. S. Department of Health, Education,
and Welfare
Cincinnati, Ohio
U. S. Department of Health, Education,
and Welfare
Washington, D. C.
Executive Secretary
Mahoning Valley Industrial Council
Youngstown, Ohio
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Walter A. Lyon
Kenneth M. Mackenthun
Samuel KcBride
Seth L. Myers
John E. Richards
J. P. Richley
Honorable Raymond E. Schryver
J. J. Sullivan
DeYarman Wallace
Graham Walton
Fred Wampler
Kenneth S. Watson
Director, Division of Sanitary Engineering
Pennsylvania Department of Health
Harrifeburg, Pennsylvania
U. S. Department of Health, Education,
and Welfare
Cincinnati, Ohio
Manager«, Beaver Falls Municipal Authority
Beaver Falls5 Pennsylvania
National Delegate
Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs
Sharon, Pennsylvania
Engineer in Charge
Sewage and Industrial Wastes Unit
Ohio Department of Health
Columbus, Ohio
Commissioner, Water Works
Youngstown, Ohio
Mayor
Warren, Ohio
Chief
Community Facilities Administration
Chicago, Illinois
Research Department
Youngstown Sheet & Tube Company
Youngstown, Ohio
U. S. Department of Health, Education,
and Welfare
Cincinnati, Ohio
U. S. Department of the Interior
Cincinnati, Ohio
Manager, Water Management Laboratory
General Electric Company
Louisville, Kentucky
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The Chairman of the conference pointed out that:
1. Under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 466 et seq.)
pollution of interstate waters which endangers the health or welfare
of persons in a State other than the one in which the discharges originate,
is subject to abatement under procedures described in section 8 of the
Federal Act.
2. The first step of this procedure is the calling of a conference.
3. The purpose of the conference is to bring together the representatives
of the State and interstate water pollution control agencies and the
U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, to review the existing
situation and the progress which has been made, to lay a basis for future
action by all parties concerned, and to give the States, localities and
industries an opportunity to take any remedial action under State and local
law which may be indicated.
Conferees representing the Ohio Water Pollution Control Board, the
Pennsylvania Sanitary Water Board, the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation
Commission, and the U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
were present throughout the conference.
Representatives of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
presented a report on the Mahoning River and its tributaries (Ohio-
Pennsylvania) which specifically covered the sources of pollution, the types
of wastes discharged, and the interferences with water uses.
Representatives of the Ohio Water Pollution Control Board, the
Pennsylvania Sanitary Water Board, and the Ohio River Valley Water
Sanitation Commission presented statements concerning pollution of the
Mahoning River and its tributaries and remedial measures which have been
taken.
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In light of conference discussions the following conclusions were
reached:
1. It is the position of the Federal conferee that interstate pollution
of the Mahoning River is occurring which endangers health and welfare of
persons in Pennsylvania from discharges in Ohio. Waste discharges from
municipalities and industries in Ohio cause deterioration of the inter-
state waters of the Mahoning River so as to interfere with the use of
these waters for municipal water supply, industrial water supply,
recreation and fishing, and create an offensive appearance. From
Warren, Ohio, to its mouth, bacterial pollution renders the Mahoning
River hazardous to any who might swim in it, and even to those who might
contact its waters incidentally in boating or fishing. Bacterial pollu-
tion of the Mahoning River caused by discharges in Ohio endangers the
health and welfare of the users of the municipal water supply at Beaver
Falls, Pennsylvania.
2. It is the position of the Federal conferee that measures presently
used for treatment of sewage and industrial wastes are inadequate to
secure abatement of pollution of the interstate waters of the Mahoning
River. The delays in the abatement of such pollution are due to the
failure to install adequate waste treatment facilities or other methods
for reduction of pollution by the municipalities and industries concerned.
3. The Federal conferee recommended that the following pollution abate-
ment program be put into effect:
a. Disinfection of all municipal sewage is to be practiced
throughout the full year, starting immediately.
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b. The full capacity of municipal waste treatment plants are
to be utilized the year round, starting immediately.
c. Secondary treatment of all municipal wastes is to be
accomplished within three years. Preliminary plans to be
developed within six months; final plans to be developed
within six months after completion of preliminary plans;
financing to be completed within six months after final plans
are developed; and construction to be completed no later than
eighteen months after completion of financing.
d. Industrial effluents are to be monitored and sampled daily;
analysis to include all significant pollutants found in the raw
waste.
e. Industrial waste treatment is to remove essentially all
oil, eliminate the discharge of toxic wastes, and eliminate
acid discharges.
f. Waste treatment provided by municipalities and industries
is to meet the water quality control objectives of the 1954
report prepared by the Ohio Department of Health on the Mahoning
River Basin.
U. The conferees representing the States of Ohio and Pennsylvania» and
the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission requested that the
record of the conference be held open for two weeks so that the conferees
could evaluate conference discussions and submit additional statements
for the record. The conference Chairman stated that the record would be
held open for two weeks.
5. Subsequent to the conference, the conferees representing Ohio,
Pennsylvania, and the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission
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submitted individual statements, which have been made part of the
conference record. These statements follow:
Subsequent to the conference the Pennsylvania Department of Health
presented the following statement, March 2, 1965, for the record:
Based upon the statements presented and evidence submitted at the
conference with respect to pollution of the Mahoning River which was
held at Youngstown, Ohio, on February 16-17, 1965, pursuant to call of
the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, as conferee for the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I have reached the following conclusions:
1. The State of Ohio aggressively attacked the problem of pollution
of the Mahoning River in 1954 on the basis of a comprehensive
program for the abatement of pollution of that stream prepared
by the Ohio Department of Health in collaboration with the United
States Public Health Service. That program, which was approved
by the Surgeon General of the United States Public Health SErvice,
established treatment requirements and water-quality control
objectives for the Mahoning River.
2. Impressive accomplishments in curbing pollution of the Mahoning
River have resulted from the efforts of the Ohio Water Pollution
Control Board in furthering that program.
3. In response to the leadership provided by the State of Ohio, every
municipality on the Mahoning River has or is in the process of
constructing treatment works and, with the completion of the
Youngstown, Ohio, disposal system, which is scheduled to occur
within the next five months, all sewage discharges into the
Mahoning River from communities situated in Ohio will be purified
in accordance with the requirements of The 1954 program mentioned
above.
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4. Installation of industrial waste-control facilities for plants
situated on the Mahoning River has also proceeded in accordance
with the 1954 program mentioned above. Currently, 70% of such
installations are meeting pollution-abatement requirements
established by the program and an additional 13% of such installa-
tions have control facilities under construction. The schedule
developed by the State of Ohio for the furtherance of the 1954
program calls for compliance with its requirements by all industrial
installations prior to the end of 1966, with the exception in a few
instances of those related to spent acid-pickling discharges.
Decisions with regard to the latter problem are presently being
held in abeyance pending final work on an important technological
innovation related to acid-pickling operations in steel mills.
5. As evidenced by data compiled by the monitoring station at the
Ohio-Pennsylvania State line and by records of the water plant
at the downstream City of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, water quality
in the Mahoning River already has been improved; with the sewage-
treatment facilities of the City of Youngstown in full operation
and with the completion of industrial-waste control facilities
now under construction, additional improvements in water quality
of the Mahoning River can be anticipated.
6. The remedial measures taken and being taken with respect to
abatement of pollution of the Mahoning River by municipalities
and industrial installations are designed to maintain quality
conditions established by the State of Ohio and by the eight
States signatory to the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation
compact; however, final evaluation with regard to adequacy of
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the degree of sewage treatment to meet quality objectives cannot
be made until after the treatment facilities of the City of
Youngstown are placed in full operation during the coming summer
and following the conduct of detailed evaluation of river-quality
tests.
7. The effectiveness with which the water pollution abatement
authorities of the State of Ohio, together with the municipalities
and industrial installations situated on the Mahoning River, have
been curbing the existing interstate pollution of the Mahoning
River, coupled with the progress which has already been made in
that direction, eliminates any legal or practical basis for
further intervention of the Department of Health, Education, and
Welfare, in carrying out provisions of the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act.
Subsequent to the conference, the Ohio Water Pollution Control Board
presented the following statement, March 2, 1965, for the record:
Based upon the statements presented and evidence submitted at the
conference with respect to pollution of the Mahoning River which was
held at Youngstown, Ohio, on February 16 and 17, 1965, pursuant to call
of the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, the conferee
representing Ohio has reached the following conclusions:
1. The State of Ohio aggressively attacked the problem of pollution
of the Mahoning River in 1954 on the basis of a comprehensive
program for the abatement of pollution of that stream prepared
by the Ohio Department of Health in collaboration with the United
States Public Health Service. That program, which was approved
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by the Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service,
established treatment requirements and '.'ater-quality control
objectives for the Mahoning River.
2. Impressive accomplishments in curbing pollution of the Mahoning
River have resulted from the efforts of the Ohio Water Pollution
Control Board in furthering that program.
3. In response to the leadership provided by the State of Ohio,
every municipality on the Mahoning River has or is in the process
of constructing treatment works and, with the completion of the
Youngstown, Ohio, treatment plant., which is scheduled to occur
within the next five months, all sewage discharges into the
Mahoning River from communities situated in Ohio will be treated
in accordance with the requirements of the 1954 program mentioned
above.
4. Installation of industrial waste-control facilities for plants
situated on the Mahoning River has also proceeeded in accordance
with the 195M- program mentioned above. Currently, 70% of such
installations are meeting pollution-abatement requirements
established by the program and an additional 13% of such installa-
tions have control facilities under construction. The schedule
developed by the State of Ohio for the furtherance of the 1954
program calls for compliance with its requirements by all industrial
installations prior to the end of 1966, with the exception in a
few instances of those related to spent acid-pickling discharges.
Decisions with regard to the latter problem are presently being
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held in abeyance pending final work on an important technological
innovation related to acid-pickling operations in steel mills,
which would in itself solve the problem.
5. As evidenced by data compiled by the monitoring station at the
Ohio-Pennsylvania State line and by records of the water plant
at the downstream City of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, water quality
in the Mahoning River already has been improved; with the sewage-
treatment facilities of the City of Youngstown in full operation
and with the completion of industrial-waste control facilities
now under construction, additional improvements in water quality
of the Mahoning River can be anticipated.
6. The remedial measures taken and being taken with respect to
abatement of pollution of the Mahoning River by municipalities
and industrial installations are designed to maintain quality
conditions established by the State of Ohio and by the eight
States signatory to the Ohio River Valley Sanitation compact;
however, final evaluation with regard to adequacy of remedial
measures to meet quality objectives cannot be made until after
the treatment facilities of the City of Youngstown are placed
in full operation during the coming summer and following the
conduct of detailed evaluation of river-quality tests.
7. The effectiveness with which the water pollution abatement
authorities of the State of Ohio, together with the municipalities
and industrial installations situated on the Mahoning River,
have been curbing pollution of the Mahoning River, coupled
with the progress which has already been made in that direction,
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eliminates any legal or practical basis for intervention of the
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, in carrying out
provisions of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.
8. If it is the aim of Federal policy to promote optimum use of
water resources — and this is the reason why Congress has
appropriated millions of dollars for comprehensive river-basin
studies — then it is inconsistent for the Federal conferee at
the Mahoning Conference to conclude at this time that all sewage
discharges must be provided with 85% treatment. Such a conclusion
ignores the fact that the Public Health Service is currently
embarked on a $7 million comprehensive study in the Ohio Valley
whose purported objective is to provide the data for evaluating
future waste treatment needs in such areas as the Mahoning River.
9. The lack of scientific objectivity displayed in the report on
the Mahoning River compiled by the Department of Health, Education,
and Welfare, which was distributed prior to the conference is
deplorable. We note in particular that when the report was
presented at the conference, it was preceded with verbal corrections
of alleged statements of fact. This acknowledgment of inaccuracies
coupled with other admissions made upon questioning by the conferees
as set forth in the transcript of the proceedings, leads to lack
of confidence in the validity of findings contained in the report.
In brief, the report was hastily contrived and distribution of
several hundred copies has rendered a disservice not only to the
public and to the State and interstate agencies, but to the Federal
agency that produced it.
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10. Statements of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare,
that they were hampered in their investigations by lack of
cooperation in obtaining information from either the State
agencies or ORSANCO are simply not true. The State agencies
and ORSANCO provided all the reports, investigations and data
in their possession from which it would be possible to make an
assessment of river conditions. The contention of the Department
of HEW that it needed additional data on the volumes and
characteristics of individual waste discharges in order to evaluate
river conditions cannot be supported.
Subsequent to the conference the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation
Commission presented the following statement, March 3, 1965, for the
record:
Based upon the statements presented and evidence submitted at the
conference with respect to pollution of the Mahoning River which was
held at Youngstown, Ohio, on February 16-17, 1965, pursuant to call of
the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, the conferees represent-
ing the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission have reached the
following conclusions:
1. The State of Ohio aggresively attacked the problem of pollution
of the Mahoning River in 1954- on the basis of a comprehensive program for
the abatement of pollution of that stream prepared by the Ohio Department
of Health in collaboration with the United States Public Health Service.
That program, which was approved by the Surgeon General of the United
States Public Health Service, established treatment requirements and
water quality objectives for the Mahoning River.
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2. Impressive accomplishements in curbing pollution of the Mahoning
River have resulted from the efforts of the Ohio Water Pollution
Control Board in furthering that program.
3. In response to the leadership provided by the State of Ohio,
every municipality on the Mahoning River has or is in the process
of constructing treatment works and, with the completion of the
Youngstown, Ohio, disposal system, which is scheduled to occur
within the next five months, all sewage discharges into the
Mahoning River from communities situated in Ohio will be purified
in accordance with the requirements of the 1954 program mentioned
above.
4. Installation of industrial waste-control facilities for plants
situated on the Mahoning River has also proceeded in accordance
with the 1954- program mentioned above. Currently, 70% of such
installations are meeting pollution-abatement requirements
established by that program and an additional 13% of such installa-
tions have control facilities under construction. The schedule
developed by the State of Ohio for the furtherance of the 1954
program calls for compliance with its requirements by all industrial
installations prior to the end of 1966, with the exception of a
few instances involving control of spent acid-pickling discharges.
Decisions with regard to the latter problem are presently being
held in abeyance pending final work on an important technological
innovation related to acid-pickling operations in steel mills.
5. As evidenced by data compiled by the monitoring station at the
Ohio-Pennsylvania State line and by records of the water plant at
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the downstream City of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, water quality
in the Mahoning River already has been improved; with the sewage
treatment facilities of the City of Youngstown in full operation
and with the completion of industrial-waste control facilities
now under construction, additional improvement in the quality of
the water in the Mahoning River can be anticipated to the extent
that criteria established by the State of Ohio in the 1954 program
will bo satisfied.
6. The remedial measures taken and being taken with respect to abate-
ment of pollution of the Mahoning River by municipalities and
industrial installations are designed to maintain quality conditions
established by the State of Ohio and by the eight States signatory
to the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation compact; however, final
evaluation with regard to adequacy of remedial measures to meet
quality objectives cannot be made until after the treatment facilities
of the City of Youngstown are placed in full operation during the
coming summer and following the conduct of detailed evaluation of
river-quality tests.
7. The effectiveness with which the water pollution abatement author-
ities of the State of Ohio, together with the municipalities and
industrial installations situated on the Mahoning River have been
curbing existing interstate pollution of the Mahoning River, coupled
with the progress which has already been made in that direction,
eliminates any legal or practical basis for intervention of the
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in carrying out
provisions of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.
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8. Finally, we regard the conclusion of the Federal conferee — that
all sewage discharges into the Mahoning Rivar should be provided
with secondary (85%) treatment — as a premature and arbitrary
determination. Such a conclusion ignores the fact that the
Public Health Service is currently embarked on a $7 million com-
prehensive study of pollution-control requirements in the Ohio
Valley whose objective is to provide the necessary data for
evaluating future waste-treatment needs in such areas as the
Mahoning River.
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