REMARKS ON TELEVISION PROGRAM,
"OUR BEAUTIFUL POTOMAC"

WRC-TV, WASHINGTON, D. C.

September 20, 1959

Question: I stipulate that the Potomac is one of Maryland's most
important natural resources... and would like to ask Governor Tawes
what the State is doing to protect it from destruction by pollution.

Answer: In my judgment there is no reason at all to assume that
the Potomac River is in danger of destruction by pollution. Communi-
ties upstream from the District of Columbia, with two minor excep-
tions, are in good shape with regard to sewage treatment facilities.
This, of course, anticipates the connection of three small communities
to the new waste treatment works being created by the West Virginia
Pulp and Paper Company, in the Luke-Westernport area. The Wash-
ington Suburban Sanitary Commission has worked hand-in-hand
with the District of Columbia authorities in financing the new Blue
Plains sewage treatment works serving the District of Columbia and
the adjacent Maryland area. Down river from the District there are
no Maryland communities discharging untreated wastes into the
Potomac. We would not deny, however, the existence of two pollution
problems, for which there are, at present, no corrective answers. One,
and the more serious of the two, is that of pollution by silt. The
second is the pollution of the upper reaches of the North Branch
where acid mine drainage is a significant problem. I believe that
Maryland authorities stand ready, however, to assume their full
share of the costs of study, research and resulting construction which
will be required to bring both of these problems under control.
Maryland has been participating actively in the Washington Metro-
politan Regional Sanitary Board which was recently organized, pur-
suant to a recommendation of the Bible Committee. Both through
this Board and the Washington Metropolitan Regional Conference,
made up of local governmental officials, efforts are being carried
forward to promote the most active possible cooperation between
governmental jurisdictions on both sides of the river in developing
a program for joint planning of sewerage services and facilities to
serve the area upriver from the District of Columbia. To a very
large degree, this activity, just described, is preventive in character
and will obviate the development of sewage pollution problems which
would later have to be corrected in order that the river would not
be degraded. We believe that the Washington Suburban Sanitary

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