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Region V Public Report
MAY 1972
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MAYO
hv William Omohundro
Region V was recently honored by the appointment of its
Administrator, Francis T. Mayo, as co-chairman of the
U.S.-Canadian International Joint Commission (IJC)
Great Lakes hater Quality Board being established under
the terms of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
which was signed on April 15 in Ottawa by President
Nixon and Prime Minister Trudeau.
Mayo will serve as co-chairman with [)r. Alan T. Prince,
Director General of the Inland Waters Directorate of the
Canadian Department of the Environment.
The announcement was made earlier this month by the IJC
which, at the same time, announced that the 18-man
Board will be set up at an early date with an equal
number of members from each country, including repre-
sentation from each of the Great Lakes States and Pro-
vinces. The Commission hopes to have its first meeting
with the Board in mid-July.
The IJC, established following a 1909 boundary waters
treaty between the U.S. and Canada, has been given gen-
eral and specific responsibilities under the terms of
the new agreement to serve in a "watch dog" role to mon-
itor progress in pollution control programs agreed to by
both countries in the pact and to serve as a focal point
in coordinating the efforts of the two countries to
clean up and protect the water quality of the Great
Lakes.
The agreement requires establishment of the Great Lakes
Water Quality Board to assist and advise the Commission
"in the exercise of the powers and responsibilities
assigned to it" under the agreement.
Both Mayo and Dr. Prince have been serving as co-chair-
men of four IJC Water Pollution Advisory Boards which
will be discontinued with the establishment of the
Great Lakes Water Quality Board.
As Administrator of EPA's Region V Mayo directs the
Federal program in air and water pollution control,
noise abatement, solid waste disposal, pesticides and
radiation regulation in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan,
Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.
A civil engineering graduate of the University of Utah,
Mayo has worked in water resources and water pollution
control since 1950. He served with the U.S. Geological
Survey, the State of Utah water resource Division, and
the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration
(FWPCA).
Before coming to Chicago, he served in Washington as
Director of FWPCA's Division Planning and Interagency
Program. Preceding that he was Director of the Region-
al Enforcement Program of the FWPCA in San Francisco.
THE PRESIDENT'S ENVIRONMENTAL MERIT AWARDS
Eleven high school environmental projects in Region V
recently received awards for environmental excellence
as part of the President's Environmental Merit Award:
Program. These projects were among the first fifty
nationwide to receive such recognition.
The President's Environmental Merit Awards Program was
established to recognize the achievements of high
school students who have made constructive environ-
mental contributions during the school year. Accord-
ing to EPA Administrator, William D. Ruckelshaus, "The
President feels that young people make up the vanguard
of the population most concerned with environmental
renewal. He feels that young people can be an extraor-
dinarily capable force for improving the quality of
lite in America, and that such service must not go
unre-cognised or be dismissed with a men.' 'thank you'."
Because the program is designed to provide national
recognition to community related projects, the eval-
uation of the projects and programs took place at the
local level. Projects were judged on the basis of
service in the fields of educational achievement,
environmental awareness, community service and public
affairs. However, the major premise used in judging
the merits of all of the projects was the constructive
contribution they made to improve the local quality of
life.
One of the winners in Region V, Oak Park and River
Forest High School, was selected to represent the
Midwest at the Presidential Merit Awards Ceremony in
Washington, D.C. on April 12. During the program
they received recognition for their project entitled,
"Pollution Control Center", please turn to page 14
Far left: Richard Winkle-
hoffer of the Ohio District
Office presents the Presi-
dential Merit Award to stu-
dents from Cleveland. Left:
The Award.
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Left: Marsan Corp. demonstrates straw spreading technique for oil cleanup. Center: Participants in course
water demonstrations. Right: Raking oil-saturated straw off water. Upper left corner of photo hubbies from
air barrier, as well as the floating barrier are visible.
Oil Spills In The Midwest: A Serious Problem
•
Over 25,815 barrels of oil from 528 accidental oil
spills have polluted the waters of the six midwestern
states (111, Ind, Wis, Mich, Minn, Ohio) since July,
1971.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released these
figures in connection with an oil pollution control
course designed to encourage prevention of spills as
well as development of effective countermeasures in the
event that spills occur. The course was held in Chicago
during the first week of May.
Francis T. Mayo, EPA's Midwest Regional Administrator,
reported that 250 of the 528 oil spills occurred since
January 1, 1972. About 145 of the spills have taken
place in the Chicago-Northern Indiana industrial complex.
"This number of spills presents a very serious problem,"
said Mayo. "And the actual number is much higher than
indicated by these figures. Oil spills can be included
in our records only when they are reported to EPA or
the Coast Guard. Some remain unnoticed or unreported
and are never cleaned up. Some reported spills involve
unknown quantities and therefore cannot be included in
the totals."
The greatest number of oil spills in the Midwest have
occurred in the Chicago-Northern Indiana metropolitan
area, the area covered by the Illinois District Office
of EPA, explained Chester Marcyn of the Office of Oil
and Hazardous Materials during the first day of the
course. The 145 spills have resulted in at least 5510
barrels of oil entering the waterways, primarily from
oil tanks. The smallest number of spills reported were
from the Minnesota and Northern Wisconsin area where
3100 barrels were reported spilled in 60 incidents.
The greatest volume of spillage occurred in southern
Illinois and Indiana, the area serviced by EPA's
Indiana District Office in Evansville. At least 7591
barrels of oil have been spilled in 97 incidents.
Throughout the Midwest region the greatest number of
spills occurred in pipeline transport of oil.
The Oil Pollution Control Course was designed not only
to encourage prevention of spills but to provide tech-
nical and legal information on how to comply with the
relatively new oil pollution control requirements of
the Water Quality Improvement Act of 1970. Federal
law requires that all spills be reported immediately
by the responsible party upon discovery. Under the
1970 Act, a fine of up to $10,000 for each incident
can be imposed on anyone responsible for a spill or
discharge of oil on navigable waters, who knowingly
fails to notify the appropriate Federal Agency as soon
as the spill is discovered.
EPA received the mandate to share with other government
agencies the imnlementation of oil pollution control
requirements of Section II of the h'ater Quality Im-
provement Act under Executive Order 11548. EPA is
responsible for cleanup and enforcement for inland
waters; and the Coast Guard, for Great Lakes waters,
coastal waters, and high seas.
According to Bob Bowden, Chief of the Regional Office
of Oil and Hazardous Materials, each EPA District
Office has an Oil Spill Coordinator who responds to
as many oil spills as possible. In the case of large
spills, Regional and National Response Teams are
available to assist in and direct containment and
cleanup activities.
At the present time several types of cleanup methods
are in use.
The Chicago Metropolitan Sanitary District in connec-
tion with Shell Oil demonstrated several available
countermeasures on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship canal
on the final day of the three-day course. Shell Oil
employs an air barrier (nicknamed a "bubbler") in the
event of a spill at its transfer terminal. The air
barrier relics on the formation of bubbles on the water
surface as air is forced upward from the bottom of the
channel through holes in a pipeline. The pipeline is
permanently fixed at a 45° angle across the channel.
The spilled oil is directed to the apex of the angle
formed by the barrier from which it can then be
cleaned off the water. Following demonstration of
the air barrier the Metropolitan Sanitary District
Oil pollution pick up barge moved into position to
cleanup the imaginary oil that had been forced into
the restricted area. To further restrict the movement
and spreading of the oil, MDS experts were released
with a small boat onto the canal where they affixed a
plastic floating barrier between the shore and the air
barrier bubbles to form a complete enclosure for the
"oil." The Marsa Corporation then demonstrated use of
a straw spreader which "spits" straw into the air and
onto the oil in the water. The oil is adsorbed and
then raked to the shore with large metal rakes.
Following cleanup of an actual spill, enforcement
action may be taken. Since December, 1970 the EPA
Regional office has recommended prosecution of 19 oil
spill cases under the River and Harbors Act of 1899.
Such a prosecution could result in fines of up to
$2500 on each count. Other recommendations for court
or administrative action, including those under the
1970 Act, are originated by the Coast Guard.
please turn to page 14
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The Incomparable Lee Botts
"Having lived in the Oklahoma dustbow], I just haven't
gotten over the Lake," reflected Lee Botts, in her
bright blue office at the Lake Michigan Federation
Headquarters in Chicago. As Executive Secretary of the
Federation, Mrs. Botts has been able to put her enthusi-
asm for the Lake to work.
The seeds of this love of the Lake were planted in the
panhandle of Oklahoma where two of her grandfathers had
homesteaded. She spent her summers with one grand-
father in particular.
"He wasn't really a conservationist....but his farm was
different from all the others." He had planted trees
and made a tree belt to protect the soil from strong
winds.
"I've always appreciated those efforts to conserve"
she says with admiration.
Lee Botts complemented her early interest in conserva-
tion with the ability to speak articulately and force-
fully about it by participating in debate and journal-
ism activities during her years at Oklahoma State
University. After completing her degree there. Lee
Botts and her husband came to Chicago where they planned
to spend a year while he worked towards a graduate
degree at the University of Chicago. They have stayed
now for 25 years.
Always living near the lakefront in Chicago's Hyde Park,
Ms. Botts has worked for 25 years to conserve and
beautify Lake Michigan and its shoreline.
In 1958 she participated in establishing the Annual
Garden Fair in Hyde Park to bring as much of nature
into the city and into urban dwellers' homes as possi-
ble ••• It was an expression of a particular need of
city people."
Also in the 1950's she worked on an annual sale of
crabapple trees that today blossom throughout Hyde
Park. As a member of the executive council of the Save
the Dunes Council she worked on public relations.
Then in the 60s she gained a stump for expression of
her views when she joined the staff of the Hyde Park
Herald writing a weekly garden and conservation column.
This led to her selection as a member of the Chicago
Beautiful Committee. In 1966 she accepted the position
of editor of the issue-oriented Hyde Park Herald where
she served until 1969 when she was offered a position
with Open Lands.
"I was paid a salary to do full time the things I'd
want to do anyway." With Open Lands she developed an
environmental education program striving to imbue young
students with the importance of ecological awareness.
Meanwhile it had become increasingly obvious to Open
Lands staff as well as many other citizens that the
Lake was in need of a permanent citizen's advocate to
stress to industry and government the problems facing
the Lake. Senator Vance Hartke of Indiana in fact
suggested that there ought to be something like a
"Save Lake Michigan Council" patterned after the "Save
the Dunes Council" which had been successful in estab-
lishing a national park at the Indiana Dunes on the
southern end of the Lake. As a result, in the spring
of 1969 Open Lands invited conservation organizations
from the four states around the Lake (Wisconsin,
Indiana, Michigan and Illinois) to send representatives
to a conference in Chicago to review the problems facing
Lake Michigan. While a permanent organization embracing
the whole area was not started at that time, Open Lands
kept the participants informed for the next year about
issues pertaining to the lake and when citizens could
take part in decisions on them.
At the Second Lake Michigan Conference on "Power Pro-
duction and Protection of the Lake" held in April 1970
at Zion, Illinois, Lee Botts asked, on behalf of Open
Lands, for expressions of opinion about whether action
could proceed in setting up a four-state organization
aimed at protection of Lake Michigan. When numerous
statements expressing support for such an organization
were received. Open Lands requested and received finan-
cial backing from two Chicago foundations for establish-
ment of the Lake Michigan Federation.
Initially operating out of the offices of Open Lands,
but becoming independent in the fall of 1971, the Lake
Michigan Federation acts primarily as a communication
link and an information and education center. Botts
explains, "It is called a Federation because it is not
designed to act on behalf of its members, but to provide
information needed by its members to decide when and
where to take action of their own So the basic
structure of the Federation provides for membership to
organizations and individuals who can look to the
Federation as their clearinghouse for information about
Lake Michigan."
The constitution states that the Federation will encour-
age its members to set their own positions on individual
issues and take action without any questions as to agree-
-------
ment with other members of the Federation separately or
collectively. The Federation will inform as many people
as possible about local problems so that they can make
their own decisions; but, as Botts says, "we remain
convinced that we will achieve more for the lake in the
long run by dealing with broad policy issues which these
local situations reflect."
One reason for this policy is that unless decision-makers
hear from many different organizations rather than a
single spokesman, they might be able to persuade them-
selves there is really only a single voice. Says Botts,
"It's far easier to stop listening to a single source of
clamor than many." She continues, "We do not want to be
the single spokesman on Lake Michigan. We are trying to
get more citizens and more organizations to take part in
protection of the Lake."
The Federation has affiliation with over 300 individual
citizen organizations, including the League of Women
Voters Four State Inter league Group with 76 separate
chapters and the Indiana Izaak Walton League with 26
chapters. In addition, membership has expanded beyond
conservation groups to include other citizens groups
as diverse as Region 3 of the United Auto Workers and
the Evanston Junior League.
In the Federation's daily work, Botts says, "we try to
complement and supplement, but not duplicate the work
of others." The Federation investigates the causes and
solutions of pollution; interprets public opinion to
government agencies, industry and other interested
parties; tells its members where, when and how decisions
will be made that affect the lake; and advises what
citizens can do to help save the lake.
It appears to Botts that the existence of the Federation
has facilitated communication from government at many
levels to the public. "We are being asked for inform-
ation by regulatory, legislative and administrative
agencies. We are being depended on by them to inform
the public of their activities." Botts claims too that
the Federation has facilitated press dealings with Lake
Michigan issues. "Almost daily we refer a TV or news-
paper reporter to a source of information."
While it is difficult to point to specific accomplish-
ments with the idea of claiming credit, Botts feels
some specific developments are related to activities
of the Federation. Increased public participation in
the later meetings of the Lake Michigan Enforcement
Conference can be called a result of the Federations'
information activities. The agreement on strong ther-
mal standards has been maintained by continued public
pressure encouraged by the Federation. Legal and
technical assistance to citizens who intervened in
the Palisades nuclear plant development contributed to
an unprecedented agreement by the power company to
install cooling towers and a more sophisticated radia-
tion treatment system, she notes. The Federation, she-
added, has done extensive work in attempting to
pressure government officials to ask for a stronger
effluent standard in the Refuse Act Permit Program.
In more general terms, Botts and the Federation can
claim some credit for the increasing citizen effort
to go beyond rallies and bumper stickers to partici-
pate in changing the laws and working through the
political system. Botts has been concerned with the
question of how citizen participation can be made
part of the political decision-making process.
Her activities with the Lake Michigan Federation have
led Ms. Botts into other activities. In 1969 she
and 5 other citizens from across the country were
invited by the Office of Science and Technology to
consult with top government officials who deal with
power, in reference to the Power Siting Bill. She
was recently asked by the Ford Foundation to partici-
pate on a two year study on National Energy Needs and
Resources Advisory Committee. She is currently
assisting the Corps of Engineers in a Chicago-South
End of Lake Michigan Study which will identify areas
on the Lake which must be maintained for recreational
purposes. While she is assisting the Corps, she
emphasizes she is not compromising her poals--"I've
been very critical of what they have been doing --and
I'll continue to be critical."
"I attempt to play a constructive as well as critical
role, but reserve the right to be critical," she says
with a firmness in her voice and a twinkle in her eye.
Throughout all these hours of work and involvement.
Lee Botts has managed to maintain an active family
life and raise four children. It hasn't 'icen difficult
because, as she says, "my family shares my interest."
The Botts have owned a sailboat for many of their
years in Chicago. They spend a lot of time at the
Indiana Dunes and in Michigan. And last summer, in
an attempt to get their mother away from her constant
involvement with the lake, the Botts' took a trip--they
drove around the eastern shore of Lake Michigan and
then spent two peaceful weeks at--Lake Superior.
For more information, write:
Lake Michigan Federation
53 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, Illinois 60604
Cover photo credit: Karl Botts
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Mrs. Muebner (left) of St. Peter Canasius School in
Chicago and student Pat Noonan stop by the new
Midwest Environmental Information Center to pick up
some films from Ann Hooe, a staff member.
The Chicago regional EPA office receives hundreds of
inquiries each week from citizens from throughout the
midwest requesting publications, asking questions,
complaining about specific pollution problems, re-
questing speakers or asking for advise.
The office serves the 40 million residents of Illinois,
Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Minnesota. It
serves as the LPA's focal point for dealing with cit-
izen groups, news media, students and the public in
general.
Television and radio public service announcements and
programs arc coordinated here, in addition to publi-
cation of a monthly Regional newsletter to thousands
of midwest residents.
Information Center Director Frank Corrado emphasized
that EPA's public information effort in the Midwest
"will concentrate on putting citizens in touch with
groups working on pollution control projects and also
on providing timely news to citizens and businessmen
throughout the Midwest on how EPA can help communities
work solve pollution problems at the local level.11
Mayo said: "We will measure our successes not in a
grandiose cleanup campaign, but in hundreds of small
victories in hundreds of communities throughout the
region."
Francis T. Mayo, Region V Administrator dedicated a
new "Midwest Environmental Information Center" at EPA
regional headquarters as part of Earth Week.
Mayo said the center, located on the 8th floor, "is
designed to improve communication between the Federal
government's environmental programs and the public in
the Midwest."
"The new center," said Mayo,
concern of the Environmental
Federal government for giving
men, students, newsmen, other
and the general public direct
environmental information and
officials working on problems
waste, noise, pesticides and
"reflects the increasing
Protection Agency and the
citizen groups, business-
governmental officials
access to the latest
to the governmental
of air, water, solid
radiation."
The environmental information center, which includes
a press office, a publication distribution point, and
a speakers bureau and inquiry response section, will
provide citizens who phone or appear in person with
an immediate access to information or people working
on a particular problem, according to the EPA Regional
Administrator.
Or. 0. Garth Fitzhugh, retiring Chief Toxicology Ad-
visor to the Pesticides Office of EPA, has received
the Agency's first Distinguished Career Award for
"his outstanding contribution to a healthier society
for all people." The award was presented by EPA
Administrator William D. Ruckelshaus in a recent
ceremony held in Washington, U.C.
EPA has cancelled the registrations of some 23 pesti-
cides based on the failure of the companies to furnish
data required for setting a tolerance. A tolerance
fixes the amount of residue of the chemical that may
be left on a raw agricultural project sprayed or
treated with the pesticide.
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LOCAL AND NATIONAL
A preliminary summary of plans submitted by states
to implement the national ambient air quality stand-
ards has been released by EPA. Twenty of the states
have asked for time extensions to achieve the stand-
ards. A total of 54 out of 55 states or jurisdictions
have now submitted plans, the only exception being
Alaska. The plans were required by the Clean Air Act
of 1970.
An extensive review of three additional persistent
pesticides—benzene hexachloride (BHC), lindane, and
endrin--has been begun by EPA to determine if any
uses of these chemicals are endangering the environ-
ment and desirable life forms within it.
Two Green Bay Wisconsin pulp and paper mills, Charmin
Paper Products Co. and American Can Co., as well as
the Wisconsin communities of Green Bay and Sheboygan,
were served with 180-day notices by EPA March 10 for
the alleged violation of Federal-State Water Quality
Standards. The announcement was made by EPA Region V
Administrator Francis T. Mayo who said this is the
first time EPA has issued 180-day notices to any of
the large pulp and paper mills located in Northeastern
Wisconsin. Under the 180-day notice the industries
and municipalities have six months to take corrective
measures to abate pollution or face court action.
A substantial number of proposals have been received
from firms and institutes in response to the invitation
issued by EPA for the performance of a study and de-
velopment of recommendations for the State of Indiana.
The study will examine the State's present environ-
mental statutes and standards, organization, strategies
and assess the resources needed for the State to ac-
complish its environmental goals. A technical eval-
uation of each proposal was made by several EPA
members and three Indiana officials designated by
Governor Whitcomb. All of the proposals were eval-
uated on the basis of established criteria cited in
the "Request for Proposal". Jim Marth, the EPA
Project Officer for the Study, stated that technical
briefings will be held with the technically acceptable
offerers in mid-May at Indianapolis. Shortly there-
after, the Contracts Administration Division in
Washington will negotiate for a contract with the
technically qualified firms. The study is due to be
completed in late Fall, of this year.
EPA has begun an in-depth review of state plans which
have been submitted for implementing the national
ambient air quality standards required under the
Clean Air Act. The reviews are to be completed by
a statutory deadline of May 30, 1972. No announce-
ment of State plan approvals will be made until the
State involved is notified.
EPA Administrator William D. Ruckelshaus acted March 24
to stop the interstate shipment of nearly all remain-
ing pesticide products containing mercury in an effort
to avoid further hazard to human health and contamina-
tion of the environment from this source.
The U.S. Water Resources Council has forwarded its
proposed report on a comprehensive water and related
land resources study of the Big Muddy River in South-
western Illinois and its tributaries to the Governor
of Illinois for review and comment. The Big Muddy
River Basin study was accomplished by a Coordinating
Committee comprised of representatives of: the State
of Illinois; the Federal Departments of Agriculture,
Army, Commerce, Interior, and Health Education and
Welfare; the Federal Power Commission; and EPA.
Aircraft specially equipped and operated by EPA's
Western Environmental Research Laboratory (WERL) in
Las Vegas, Nev., are being used in a project begun in
May to study eutrophication in lakes and impoundments.
The Agency will employ two UH-lh "Huey" helicopters
and two Otter fixed-wing aircraft obtained from the
U.S. Army in a nationwide aerial survey of approximate-
ly 1,200 lakes in order to identify bodies of water in
the United States with potential or actual eutrophi-
cation (accelerated aging) problems brought on by the
discharge of excessive amounts of phosphates into them
from various sources.
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The Envi.ronz.ent;
iiittee of the
Chicago Federal Executive Board held
an Enviro-inental Impact Statement
Seminar ir. Chicago last ror.th. (The
agenda for that seninar was carried
in last month's issue of this public
report). he will attenpt here t=
suamarize soae of the major state-
ments Bade at that seainar.
thoughts
on
WILLIAM J. DIRC1S (staff member,
President's Council on Environmental
Quality): Mien Congress was consid-
ering passage of the National
Environmental Policy Act in 1969
there »as great concern that the new
law contain so»e Beans of assuring
that Federal agencies would give
real heed to the new policy of Fede-
ral environmental concern. The
Congress responded with what is called
the "Section 102" provision of KEPA.
It directs all Federal agencies to
interpret and adainister their au-
thorities in accordance with the new
environaental policy, and to give
"appropriate consideration" to envi-
ronmental values in all decisions.
And Section 102(:)(C) required all
agencies to prepare, for any "major
Federal actions significantly af-
fecting the quality of the human
environaent," a detailed statement
of what the environmental effects
.culd be. In preparing the statement,
agencies were directed to consider
alternative actions and consult with
other agencies having environmental
expertise. The Council on Environ-
mental Quality publishes a monthly
list (The 102 Monitor) of environ-
mental impact statements received
and now has in draft and final fora
some 2400 statements. About half of
the EIS come from the Departaent of
Transportation (principally airports
and highways). The next largest
groups are those on water resource
projects (1/4 of the total) and power
(about 100 actions). The Council's
objectives in the review of the 102
statenents are three: (1) to check
agency compliance with NEPA arri the
Council's Guidelines, (2) to identify
environmental problem areas where
soae general reform via executive
order or legislation would be desir-
able, and (3) to monitor important
and highly controversial actions via
the 102 process and to keep the
White House ar.- OMB advised. The CEQ
wants the KEPA process to be self-
enforcing at the agency level. The
thinking is that if an assessment of
environaental impacts is available
to the decisionmakers in a timely
and intelligible fora, if there is
ample public notice and opportunity
and
I
for comoent, if the expert Federal,
State and local commenting agencies
co their job, there should be little
need for CEQ intervention in most
cases.
CHARLES E. NELSON (Office of Manage-
ment and Budget): While no explicit
assignment of responsibilities to
OMB is made by the KEPA and the
follow-up Executive Order, there are
implicit responsibilities which grow
out of OMB's role as a central staff
agency supporting the President:
(1) OMB has certain basic responsi-
bilities with respect to the manage-
ment of the executive branch, and
clearly there are nanageaent impli-
cations in the implementation of the
SEPA. (2) OMB has specific respon-
sibility for certain matters with
which the XEPA is directly involved—
proposed legislation and budget items.
Guidelines issued by the CEQ, pursuant
to Executive Order 11514, list certain
specific responsibilities for OMB.
The Guidelines indicate that OMB shall
consult with agencies on procedures,
if the agencies desire and OMB shall
issue instructions on the use of
existing mechanisms for handling
legislation, budgetary materials and
water resource projects. Among the
actions taken or being taken by OMB
are: (1) preparation with CEQ of
the draft Executive Order which was
noted above (2) revised OMB circular
A-95 to incorporate instructions
which provide for the use of proced-
ures for the project notification
and review systea and the clearing-
house mechanism to obtain evaluation,
by appropriate State and local agen-
cies, of potential environaental in-
pact of proposed projects (2) Estab-
lishment of procedures through an
OMB directive (10/5/71) establishing
a procedure for improving interagency
coordination of proposed agency re-
gulations, standards, guidelines, and
similar materials pertaining to envi-
ronaental quality (5) Imputs provided
to revise CEQ guidelines, with parti-
cular emphasis on matters involving
OMB directly, on State and local
government participation, on matters
affecting appropriate balance in
achieving program and environaental
objectives (4) Discussions with
Federal agencies on procedures for
review and with State local and
public interest group personnel.
OMB is very much concerned about the
potential unnecessary red tape asso-
ciated with environmental impact
statements. OMB now has underway an
examination into the effect environ-
mental impact statements have had on
grant processing times, toward de-
termining the need for action to
eliainate any unnecessary delays.
Finally, OMB has issued Bulletin
No. 72-6 which prescribes procedures
to be followed by the Federal agen-
cies in providing OMB with environ-
mental impact statement information
related to proposed legislation and
comments on bills and to the budget
estimates which the agencies submit
to OMB.
SHELDON MEYERS (Director, Office of
Federal Activities, U.S. EPA) Under
Section 102 of the National Environ-
mental Policy Act, all agencies of
the Federal government shall
"include in every recommendation or
report on proposals for legislation
and other major federal actions
significantly affecting the quality
of the human environment, a detailed
statement by the responsible offi-
cials on: (1) The environmental
impact of the proposed action (2)
any adverse environmental effects
which cannot be avoided should the
-------
proposal be implemented (5) alter-
natives to the proposed action (-1)
the relationship between the short-
term uses of aan's environment and
the maintenance and enhancement of
long-term productivity, and (S)
any irreversible and irretrievable
commitments of resources which would
be involved in the proposed action
should it be implemented. Section
102(2)(C) also requires the respon-
sible Federal official, prior to
making a detailed statement, to
consult with and obtain the consents
of any Federal agency which has
jurisdiction by law or special
expertise with respect to any envi-
ronmental impact involved. This
section, which states that copies of
the comments should be made available
to the public, was published in the
Federal register on April 25, 1971
and Executive Order 11514 describe
the content and mechanics of what we
now call Environmental Impact State-
ments. The effectiveness of EIS's
has been variable. In many instances,
preparation of the EIS for a particular
project has had absolutely no effect
on the project; in soae cases pro-
jects have been delayed, in others
alterations were made which were
environmentally beneficial and there
are examples of projects which have
been cancelled. Noteworthy amongest
the last category is the cross-
Florida barge canal which was
cancelled by Order of the President.
There is a problem with projects
that are in various stages of
completion. But solutions can be
developed which will accommodate
the near-tern problems. It is the
longer-term use of EIS's that will
ultimately determine the kind of
environment in which we all live.
Once the intitial crunch is overcome,
the EIS can be used in a project's
formulative stages in much the same
manner as is technical and economic
information. Thus, it is in the
planning stages of a project that
the EIS will prove its ultimate
usefulness as a mechanism for pro-
tecting the environment.
G. ROBERT ADAMS (Michigan Department
of Highways) The Environmental lapact
Statement should be one of the tools
that will lead to the evolution of
mechanisms desparately needed to
insure the quality of life. The
very concept of the purpose of an
environmental impact statement is
being warped to the point where the
statement is being forced to serve
many masters, and thus, is losing
its effectiveness as a discussion of
the impacts upon the environment of
any oajor course of action. The EIS
is not the means to environmental
protection; is merely a report on the
means. Environmental Assessment of
actions that have an impact on the
natural and human environment is the
means whereby, we can ascertain the
trade offs between activities and
their effect on the environment.
The impact statement should be
merely a reporting of the findings
of environmental assessment;
therefore, the stress should be on
the system and not on the document.
This particularly refers to the
state and local involvement. The
EIS should and cannot be a justifi-
cation of a project. It should be a
clear setting down of the environ-
mental impacts, both positive and
negative, anticipated from the pro-
ject and alternatives to avoid or
mitigate the impacts. SEPA did not
anticipate that one Federal agency
could be making decisions concerning
project actions of another Federal
agency. It did anticipate that if
the environmental costs of a pro-
ject are so great that its imple-
mentation is questionable, this
issue should be brought forth so that
the agency proposing the project
would necessarily take a serious
second look.
The production and circulation of
environmental impact statements, as
presently constituted is not accept-
able in terms of making the statements
available for public scrutiny. The
Michigan Department of State High-
ways has taken the responsibility of
providing our environmental assess-
ments free of charge to interested
citizens on all our projects. The
department also makes them available
at public hearings. It is our view
that this is the only way that an
assessment or an impact statement
can be an effective tool for environ-
mental protection. Distribution of
environmental assessments and impact
statements through the national
Technical Information Service is not
an effective method. It is essential
that environmental assessment be
built into the development of the
project from the beginning. The
Impact Statement is then the re-
porting of the determined impacts.
Since environmental assessment should
be a long-term ongoing program, and
since the impact statement should
be directed primarily at the assess-
ment of impacts, I believe the
inclination of some Federal agencies
to take exception to the alternatives
selected on the basis of a review of
the impact statement alone, or on
the basis of the review of the
impact statement and one field
investigation is not consistent
with the orderly discharge of
Governmental activities.
The reviewing agency must accept
some responsibility for recognising
the state of the art on assessing
environmental impacts. If anything
sheds a lack of credibility on the
operation of government, it is for
a list of seemingly reasonable re-
quests for information that in fact
are beyond the state of the art.
It is not appropriate for individuals
to pursue their interests in changing
the political direction of this
country in the administration of
existing programs. The review of
environmental impact statements -ust
be on the basis of avoiding environ-
mental degradation rather than
attempting to stop programs author-
ized by congress.
EDWIN PILHOLOHAN [Federal Highway
Administration, Chicago) FHKA does
not have the staff to perform
environmental studies nor to pre-
pare and process environmental
statements. And even if we did,
it would be a break in the successful
tradition of the Federal-State
partnership in the highway program
were we to do so. So even though
the language of .SEPA is phrased in
terms of Federal requirements, pre-
paration and circulation of environ-
mental statements for Federal-aid
projects are a fuction performed
by the State Highway Department.
The development of a highway project
can be identified by several stages—
the most common being: network
selection or planning, corridor
selecting or location, and design.
The development may take as long as
1- years for major projects in
urban areas. FHKA guidelines
specified the point in the highway
planning and design process the
requirements for processing an
environmental impact statement are
applicable. This point was desig-
nated as the corridor approval stage
the point (following a public hear-
ing) at which one highway corridor
from among several alternatives, is
selected for further development.
The guidelines required for all pro-
jects, the preparation of an environ-
mental statement or an "negative
declaration" the latter being defi-
nite determination that a statement
is unnecessary. Final statements
must have approvals concurred in by
Office of the Secy, of Transporation.
FHMA division engineer have the
authority to approve negative
declarations and to approve draft
environmental statements for
circulations.
-------
A Tale of Two Lakes
(Editor's Note: In an attempt to avoid confusion the
Public Report uses Delaven Lake and Geneva Lake in
referring to the bodies of water and Lake Geneva and
Delavan in referring to the municipalities.)
Midwesterners have been rushing in ever-increasing
numbers to stake out claims around the areas inland
lakes .
They've done so for a number of reasons. Lakes have
been great places for outdoor recreation such as
fishing, boating, swimming, and water skiing. Also,
lake homes have been attractive to retirees and have
been touted as real estate investments.
Whatever the attraction, the inland lakes are becoming
densely populated and as a result are in danger of
becoming stagnant cesspools of algae and sewage as
our citizens buy and build on their subdivided shores.
What can be done to save the vital natural and recre-
ational water resources of our inland lakes? A look
at what communities located on two Wisconsin lakes
are doing might give us some answers.
Geneva Lake and Delavan Lake are located just a few
miles apart in Southeastern Wisconsin. Experts agree
that Geneva Lake is cleaner and shows fewer signs of
premature aging (eutrophication) than Delavan Lake.
What are the reasons?
Some Facts About the Two Lakes
Here are some salient facts taken from a prelininary
report for the Delavan Lake Sanitary District by a
firm of civil and sanitary engineers, Jensen 6 John-
son, Inc., of Elkhom, Wis., a 1969 Wisconsin Depart-
ment of Natural Resources study of Geneva Lake, as
well as from interviews with local authorities.
Geneva Lake is almost three times as large as
Delavan Lake and deeper. The average depth of
Geneva Lake is 50 to 70 feet with the maximum
depth around 135 feet. Delavan Lake, on the other
hand, has a maximum depth of around 40 to 50 feet.
Geneva Lake is fed by hundreds and maybe thousands
of springs and has a constant flow to its outlet,
the White River, a tributary of the Fox River.
Delavan Lake has very little circulation. About
the only portion which is ever stirred to any extent
is the area near the mouth of Jackson Creek which
flows into the lake carrying effluent (now receiving
secondary treatment) from the sewage treatment plant
operated by the City of Elkhorn and the Malworth
County Hospital and Some.
Geneva Lake with its large estates has had less pop-
ulation pressure whereas the Delavan Lake shore is
crowded in many places with subdivisions.
Moreover, Geneva Lake communities have secondary
sewage treatment facilities preventing most of the
sewage effluent created on the lake from entering
the lake while the houses around Delavan Lake have
disposed of their sewage with septic tanks.
The soil around Delavan Lake is generally of a silt
loam type which allows the effluent from the septic
tanks to seep into a high groundwater table and not
only pollute the groundwater but the lake as well.
The Delavan Lake drainage basin is made up of
24,000 acres compared to a Delavan Lake surface
area of 1,841 acres, or a watershed to lake area
ratio of 13:1. Geneva Lake's watershed is about
18,500 acres and its surface area is 5,262 acres,
or a watershed to lake ration of 3.5:1.
A/
•r
5
wj
10
-------
. ..
These facts should give us a clearer picture of why
Geneva Lake is in better condition than Delavan Lake.
So, far, at least three important steps have been taken
to protect the two lakes. They are: (1) Formation of
a Delavan Lake Sanitary Sewer District and the funding
of a Sanitary Sewer System for the lake. Work on the
system is expected to begin next fall and is expected
to take several years to complete; (2) The passing
and enforcement of strong sanitary and zoning ordi-
nances for Walworth County; and (3) The formation of
a Geneva Lake Environmental Protection Agency by the
communities on Geneva Lake.
The Walworth County Planning and Zoning Office
The Walworth County Planning and Zoning Office has a
staff of five full-time men and two full-time secre-
taries. The office is headed by James Johnson. His
assistant is Ron Neumeistcr. Both men are former De-
partment of Agriculture conservation specialists.
The jurisdiction of the office is limited to the unin-
corporated areas of the county so it has no jurisdic-
tion within cities and villages. The county presently
has a zoning ordinance, a shoreland zoning ordinance,
a sub-zoning ordinance and a sanitary code.
Neumeister said the county is now in the process of
developing a revised zoning ordinance for the county.
Walworth County has 37 natural lakes. In the winter
the population of the county is 63,000 and in the
summer the population soars to 350,000, according to
Johnson.
lie said half of the county's assessed valuation comes
from property around its lakes, and he recommends care-
ful use of soil and water to keep the natural beauty
which attracted people to the county in the first
place.
Johnson and Neumeister believe that there is an in-
creasing acceptance by the citizens of the county of
the stronger land use regulations. They say builders
are looking closer at their land and the regulations
before they turn the bulldozers loose.
Johnson believes strongly in getting the word to the
public about the ordinances. His office uses slide
talks to make presentations to civic groups, church
groups, business groups, schools, etc. in regard to
new restrictions on the use of septic tanks in the
county on soils that can't "take it," Johnson said,
"If anybody—attorney, homeowner, contractor—comes
in and says he didn't know about this building re-
striction we feel he's not being very honest."
The Delavan Lake Problem
A.C. Peterman, editor of the Delavan Enterprise, said,
"Geneva Lake is the second largest lake in the State
of Wisconsin, next to Lake Winnebago. It could sus-
tain a greater amount of pollution than Delavan Lake
simply because of its size."
Peterman said almost all of the homes on Delavan Lake
have septic tanks and that for years they have been
seeping. "There has always been a fear that some
sewage was going into the lake."
He said the sewage plants at the Walworth County seat
of Elkhorn and the Walworth County Institutions there
have for years discharged into Jackson Creek which
flows into Delavan Lake.
11
Tom Gunderson, head of the Delavan Lake Sanitary
Sewer District Commission, emerges from Delavan Lake
covered with algae. Photo credit: Delavan Enterprise
"Two years ago," Peterman said, "The Delavan Lake
Improvement Association and six citizen residents
brought an action against Elkhorn before the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources (DNR)."
Elkhorn was ordered by the DNR to install pollution
control facilities and clean up their discharges as
a result of the action.
"There's been a long battle to install a sewage system
on Delavan Lake," Peterman pointed out, "and The
Enterprise has supported the effort strongly." He
said the stand has gained both friends and enemies
for his paper, but the efforts have succeeded.
"The success was confirmed last September when three
candidates strongly in favor of the sewer system
were elected Sanitary District Commissioners," he
added.
Peterman believes the pro-sewer system candidates
were probably aided by the fact that the DNR directed
that a sanitary sewer be installed around the lake.
He said the Sanitary Sewer District was formed as a
result of signatures on petitions in 1969.
"Opposition to the sewer system project didn't begin
to crystallize until it became evident that those in
favor of the project were serious and intended to
proceed," he said.
please turn to page 12
-------
continued from page 11
Peterman said most of the opposition came from older
people who had retired to homes on the shores of Dela-
van Lake. "The older retired people felt they couldn't
afford the improvements," he said.
The people who have investments and want to use the
lake, he said, could see their investments deterior-
ating. The real estate men, for instance, were
solidly behind the sewer district. "Just before the
election they took a one-page ad in The Enterprise,"
he added.
Since their election in 1971, the commissioners have
proceeded with floating a $1 million general obliga-
tion bond. A $600 special assessment was made on
every inhabited lakeshore property, and, in addition,
a $200 special assessment was made for every buildable
lot on the lake.
"This caused quite an expense for Lake Lawn Lodge
which merged over a year ago with the Ramada Inn
Corp.," said Peterman. He said their total assess-
ment was about $175,000. "They already had a sewer
system with a disposal plant, but it was an old one."
The special assessment for all the lake property totals
$1.8 million. State and Federal aid could total over
$4.7 million with EPA's share going as high as $2.25
million.
"This has been a really tremendous example of citizens
efforts to lift themselves by their bootstraps and
improve their situation," Peterman said.
Peterman feels that the important story is not so much
the pollution but the citizens' efforts to do something
about the pollution. He is optimistic that the citi-
zens there will succeed in their efforts.
"We have the solid support of the State DNR," he said,
"and the job is being done in a very intelligent and
sophisticated manner."
The Delavan area has a lot of sophisticated people, he
pointed out. "We have presidents of firms as well as
a lot of solid working people who understand the prob-
lem and are willing to spend money to correct the
problem."
"We took a strong editorial stance in favor of the
sewer system because I believe the economy of the
area is tied to the Lake," Peterman said.
Once, he said, the economy was almost totally depend-
ent on the lake, but the City of Delavan has become
more industrialized in recent years. "But none of
us would want to see the lake go down the drain. It's
a major asset aesthetically as well as economically."
Agriculture is strong around Delavan with dairying,
beef cattle raising and crop farming.
With the new sewage system and other efforts, Peterman
feels, the situation should improve. "But," he added,
"we're still going to have runoff and a lack of circu-
lation due to the nature of the lake."
"The deeper I get into the pollution question," ob-
served Pererman, "the more I realize you're going to
find pollution everywhere there is population pressure."
In the summer, he said, the population is 10,000 and
growing and a new freeway is coming in from Milwaukee.
Algae growth has been a problem at Delavan Lake as
in all lakes suffering from eutrophication. In the
past the Delavan Lake Improvement Association (DLIA)
has sponsored an algae spraying program which they
used to finance totally by themselves.
In 1970, due to financial pressure caused by the
increased cost of spray, etc., the DLIA went to Dela-
van township for assistance. The township contributed
$2,000 in 1970 and renewed their contribution in 1971.
This year, however, when the DLIA asked for $3,000 for
the spraying (with the cost totaling $7,000) the town-
ship turned them down.
"Now," Peterman said, "the burning question is whether
or not the lake will be sprayed at all." Either the
DLIA will have to get more money from wealthier members,
he said, or let people see what the lake looks like
without spraying.
The spraying, which was done at various times during
the summer season, had its opponents. "The fisherman
feel the copper sulfate chemical used to control the
algae also hurts the fish," Peterman pointed out.
Geneva Lake
Despite the fact that Geneva Lake is still in better
condition than Delavan Lake, it has shown enough symp-
toms of euttophication to alarm residents of the com-
munities around the lake.
They recently formed a Geneva Lake Environmental Pro-
tection Agency, and appointed Phillip Fogle director.
A long-time area resident who says he knows the lake
well, Fogle is still working out of an office in his
home.
"Algae has been increasing in Geneva Lake every year,"
said Fogle. He attributes the increase to the runoff
of excess nitrates and phosphates from lawns around the
lake as well as from agricultural runoff and the few
septic tanks still used on the lake. Sodium arsenite
and copper sulphate have been used to control the algae
every year for some time.
"However," he said, "Geneva Lake is in much, much bet-
ter shape than Delavan because of its greater size and
depth and because its a kind of self-flushing lake fed
by hundreds and maybe thousands of springs."
The Geneva Lake EPA is trying to get a complete profes-
sional survey of the lake in order to determine just
what the problems are so they can be attacked in an
effective manner.
He said his organization is getting help from the U.S.
Soil Conservation Service, the University of Wisconsin,
the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater department
of biology, and the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional
Planning Commission (five counties). A limnologist,
William Burkhard, who lives in Lake Geneva is also
giving professional assistance.
The Geneva Lake EPA is made up of five units, according
to Fogle. These include: Lake Geneva, Williams Bay,
Fontana, the Linn Township Sanitary Commission, and
Walworth Township. please turn to pageM
-------
Contract: Compliance
Region V employees Garrett Fitzpatrick and Charles
Lewis do not have time to become familiar faces in the
EPA Regional Office in Chicago. Most of the time
these two Compliance Officers are out in the field
assuring that recipients of EPA grants are in compli-
ance with Federal non-discrimination standards.
While many citizens are aware that EPA makes grants to
municipalities for construction or improvement of sew-
age treatment facilities, it is probably less well
known that such construction must proceed on a non-
discriminatory basis under Title Six of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964. This Act charges EPA with the
responsibility to assure that no person because of
race or sex is excluded from participating or is
subject to discrimination in any program receiving
such financial assistance.
EPA's two regional compliance officers, who function
as part of the Equal Employment Opportunity Office,
assure that the requirements of this law are met.
Fitzpatrick and Lewis are in the field as often as
three days a week, investigating worker's complaints
received during the course of construction and com-
plaints of community organizations regarding EEO
practices of a grant applicant. They must assure
that fair labor practices are maintained as outlined
in the Davis-Bacon Act.
According to Fitzpatrick, "A Compliance Officer stud-
ies industry and trade practices, policies, and pro-
cedures, and consults with other Federal agencies,
government officers and other interested parties."
Contract compliance procedure incorporates a number
of requirements. According to Lewis, all Federal
grant recipients are advised that in order to comply
with Federal grant assurances of nondiscrimination
they are responsible for the following:
(1) To include in the advertisement for bids a
statement that bidders are required to comply
with the President's Executive Order 11246,
Non-Discrimination in Employment.
(2] To include in all contracts and subcontracts
provisions to the Executive Order 11246, Grant
Provisions of the Labor Standards,
(3) To collect and maintain all compliance forms,
information required, and to insure that
contractor and subcontractors notices to
labor unions or other organization of workers
are properly posted.
(4) To hold a Pre-Award Contract Compliance Con-
ference on all contracts of a million dollars
or more to determine the EEO compliance pos-
ture of the prime contractor and any subcon-
tractors of $100,000 or more.
The Contract Compliance Officer participates in the
Pre-Award Conference with representatives of the appli-
cant, the prime contractor and major subcontractors,
and the consulting engineers.
"Our discussions at the meeting include a review of
the hiring practices of the contractor; the upgrading
and training of minority workers who are on his per-
manent staff; and his involvement with the apprentice-
ship and the pre-apprenticeship programs." Fitzpatrick
continues, "We also contact local community organi-
zations to get a feeling of local opinion regarding the
contractor's EEO posture. We discuss with the contrac-
tors and EEO officer the extent to which the company
has gone to assure equal employment opportunity for
all of its personnel."
Contractors are requested to submit the following
information at the meeting:
(1) The Affirmative Action Plan of the company.
(2) The Company Report, which spells out the
composition of the contractors present total
work force by trade and the minority breakout
(Negro, Spanish surnamed American, Oriental
and American Indian).
(3) The Projected Estimated Work Force for the
project, which also includes each trade that
will be involved on the project with a
minority breakout.
(4) The name and address of each union that will
provide work for the project together with an
estimate of the unions total membership,
including the number of its minority member-
ship.
(5) Copies of letters written by the prime con-
tractor and major subcontractors to unions
regarding non-discrimination in employment
and willingness of the contractors to hire
regardless of race.
"Following the meeting, we evaluate the information
submitted by the contractor to determine if he has a
satisfactory compliance posture," says Lewis. "Award
of the contract is subject to approval of the prospec-
tive contractor's EEO posture."
During the lj.fe of the contractor's project, On-Site
Reviews are conducted to monitor the contractor's
compliance posture. Says Fitzpatrick, "If during the
course of an On-6ite Review, we determine that a con-
tractor or any of his major subcontractors are not
adhering to the pre-award commitments, a letter out-
lining the deficiencies is forwarded to the applicant
with a request that the contractor comply within 30
days. In the event he does not comply, we have the
option to request that no further grant money be
forwarded to the applicant until deficiencies are
corrected."
According to EEO Director, Roland Cornelius, approxi-
mately half a dozen of these letters have been written
in the last four years. "In each case the contractor
got the message and was saved."
Noting that within the last four years EPA has done
business with dozens of contractors both prime and
major, he concludes, "It can be said, without reser-
vation, that we have seen a breakthrough in the
employment of minorities in the construction field."
13
-------
continued from page 12
members are: Prof. James Kerrigan, assistant director
of the Water Resources Center of the University of Wis-
consin at Madison; James Johnson, Walworth County Plan-
ning and Zoning Administrator; Herbert Johnson, member
of the civil and sanitary engineering firm of Jensen
and Johnson, Inc., of Elkhorn; Dr. Thomas Wehman, an
analytical chemists with the Morton Salt Co.; and Larry
Whiting, Walworth County deputy, pilot and aerial
photographer.
The chairman of the Geneva Lake EPA is Bruce Armstrong,
of the Armstrong Tool Co. who lives at Williams Bay,
and the vice-chairman is Robert Meyerhofer, member of
the Lake Geneva City Council.
Fogle said all three communities on the lake have sec-
ondary sewage treatment facilities. The effluent from
Fontana and Williams Bay facilities goes into lagoons,
and the treated sewage from Lake Geneva goes into the
A committee has been set up to advise the agency.
White River, a tributary of the Fox River.
The
The Agency director had high praise for the Walworth
County Planning and Zoning Office, "Walworth County
has one of the finest planning and zoning offices in
the nation. It's held up as a model statewide and
nationwide."
He is also happy about the response of the citizens
living around the lake. "Response around the lake has
been 95 percent positive," he said. "It's very grati-
fying ."
He works through schools and local libraries, as well
as community groups. He said Badger High School in
Lake Geneva has a very active environmental club.
"The young people have shown great interest in the
pollution problem and are working to do something
about it."
continued from page 2
Woodward, Ohio; Watkins-Memorial Jr.-Sr. High School's
"Governmental Protection of Ecology; A Problem in
Survival", Pataskala, Ohio.
Also receiving awards in Region V were: Fields High
School for "Ecology Behind Prison Walls," in Mansfield,
Ohio; Ashley High School for "Pollution in the Maple
River", Ashley, Michigan; Lawton Community High School,
Lawton, Michigan for its "Glass Recycling Center";
Gaylord Community High School for its projects enti-
tled "Petroleum in Otsego County" and "Study of
Gaylord Sewer System", Gaylord, Michigan; Royal Oak
Dondero High School for "SCUM: Students Cleaning Up
Messes", Royal Oak, Michigan; and Cumberland High
School for their projects entitled "Are Cumberland
Lakes Dying?" and "Is Beaver Dam Lake Dying?"
Cumberland, Wisconsin.
Regional EPA personnel participated in two of the
award ceremonies. Mr. Richard Winklhoffer, Chief of
the Surveillance and Analysis Division of the Ohio
District Office presented the Presidential Awards foi
Environmental Excellence to students who participated
in the Cleveland Institute for Environmental Education's
project, on April 24.
Mary Canavan, Office of Public Affairs, presented
awards to those involved in the Lawton Community High
School glass recycling project, which had been spon-
sored by a school club, LIFE: Lawton's Involvement
for Future Environment. These presentations took place
at an awards banquet in Lawton, Michigan on April 27.
The President's Environmental Merit Awards Program has
been expanded to include projects done by students at
the elementary school and junior high school levels,
as well as projects done by young people while attend-
ing accredited summer camps across the country.
Schools or camps interested in receiving more informa-
tion on the President's Environmental Merit Awards
Program should contact Art Peters, Office of Public
Affairs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 4th and
M Streets, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20460.
The other schools in this area that received awards
for their projects were: The Institute for Environ-
mental Education for its work with 80 high schools
in establishing teacher-student environmental train-
ing programs, Cleveland, Ohio; Swanton High School,
Swanton, Ohio, for their project "Glass Collecting
for Recycling"; Woodward High School for their
student and community programs, "School Clean-Up",
"Ottawa River Clean-Up" and "Plastic Recycling",
continued from page 3
Mayo said : "Any spill left unattended, regardless of
size, can cause damage to the environment." .Bowden
explains: "The large number of small spills is a
special problem in that small spills are rarely
cleaned up and the water is kept in a constant state
of degradation. And large spills can be catastrophic.
A small spill can destroy an animal's habitat for a
whole season, while a large spill can foul beaches and
kill fish and birds."
NEXT ISSUE:
ENVIRONMENTAL GUIDELINES
FOR SUMMER HOME OWNERS.
-------
g
Grand Rapids area environmentalists were greeted by
welcome news at the Earth Week 111 meeting of the
Michigan Air Pollution Control Commission on April 19
in Lansing. It was revealed that Betz Foundry, Inc.,
long a target of action by area environmental groups,
had begun to construct its air pollution abatement
control system.
In November of 1970, Betz Foundry management agreed
to install controls by March, 1972. The company or-
dered its equipment in May, 1971, only to encounter
labor troubles the following month. This problem and
some on-site vandalism forced a delay. It was dis-
closed, however, that as of April 12 the project was
again underway. Betz Foundry estimates that the total
system will be operational in about four months.
The APCC reacted to this news by deciding that six
months should be adequate for both completing the in-
stallation and conducting the testing and adjustments
so often necessary to achieve the design efficiency
of the equipment.
Oscar Mayer and Co. has begun work on the final stage
of a four-part program to reduce smoke emissions from
its power plant in Madison, Wis., according to the
Madison Capital Times. The company is completely
replacing an existing multiple cyclone, centrifugal
dust collector on one of its two remaining coal-fired
boilers. The new dust collector, which should be in
operation soon, will be more effective in removing
paniculate matter from power plant emissions, the
company said. The total program for reducing emis-
sions have cost about $1.5 million.
In a related pollution control effort, the firm said
that pilings have been driven for a new $440,000
waste water filtering system announced in January.
When completed the system will eliminate sludge la-
goons at the fltearby Burke waste water treatment plant
and thereby eliminate 50 percent of the odor at Burke.
Rolling Meadows, 111., police cars have switched from
gasoline to propane, thereby reducing pollution and
lowering maintenance costs along with giving better
performance, according to a Chicago Tribune story.
The switch cost about $100 to replace carburetors on
each of the five cars in the experiment, plus a month-
ly equipment rental charge of $10 each. The advantage
of propane is that it burns cleaner which results in
less engine fouling. Oil stays cleaner longer and
engines misfire less, according to Rolling Meadows
Police Chief Lewis R. Case. "The payoff comes when
my men are called into a chase," he said. "The en-
gines are so clean that they get up to 85 (miles per
hour) without even a slight hesitation." He said the
cars deliver 20 percent more horsepower, require
fewer tune-ups, and there is less valve trouble.
The Pielet Brothers plant in Summit, 111., where the
state's largest car shredding machine is located, will
dispose of an estimated 50,000 abandoned Chicago auto-
mobiles yearly under a five-year contract with the
city according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The junked
cars are being recycled and will eventually be return-
ed to the economy as refrigerators, desks, beverage
cans and automobiles.
The Pielet brothers say they have more than $180,000
invested in air pollution abatement equipment. In
eight hours their shredder can process 750 vehicles.
Current estimates are that as many as 20 million
abandoned cars are rusting throughout America, and
another eight million cars will go out of service this
year.
Union Carbide Corp. of Marietta, Ohio, has announced
the completion of a 362 foot high stack at its power
plant according to the Columbus Citizen Journal. The
stack was built as a result of recommendations issued
by an air pollution abatement conference held two
years ago in the area. A spokesman for the company
said the $2.5 million stack will eliminate the so-
called "downwash" of combustible, effluents from the
steam plant.
Sun Oil Co. recently revealed a technological advance
in air pollution control at its Toledo, Ohio, refin-
ery, according to the Toledo Blade. The Blade said
the process was developed in England for the removal
of sulfur from fuel and has been adapted to refinery
operations by Sun Oil engineers. The process will
enable Sun Oil to extract up to 15 tons of sulfur a
day that otherwise would be emitted into the atmos-
phere as sulfur dioxide. The by-product in turn will
be made available to Allied Chemical Corp. for use in
other operations at its own Toledo plant. The $2
million dollar sulfur removal plant inevitably should
contribute to cleaner air in the area, the Blade said.
The Dayton, Ohio, Daily News said a Do-I.t-Yourself
Environmental Handbook published last July by the Dayton
Museum of Natural History has been published by Little,
Brown and Co. The handbook, which hit the booksellers
on Earth Day, was written by two staff members at the
museum, E. J. Koestner and Joseph H. McHugh, and Museum
board member, Ralf Kircher. Koestner said the original
Dayton version had to be revised and expanded for nation-
al publication. The message, according to the Blade, is
that everyone is a polluter, and that the virtue is in
polluting as little as possible.
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