THEODORE R. McKELDIN, GOVERNOR                  1263

No. 24
(House Joint Resolution 24)

House Joint Resolution requesting the Congress of the United
States to appropriate a sufficient sum of money to enable the De-
partment of Defense to build a regulating reservoir and additional
sewage treatment facilities at fort George G. Meade, Maryland,
so that the further pollution of the Little Patuxent and Patuxent
Rivers will be prevented and the present dangerous condition
improved.

WHEREAS, The Department of the Army empties into the Little
Patuxent River all of the sewage generated at fort George G. Meade,
and, although said sewage is treated, the degree of treatment is not
high enough to permit the river to oxidize the large quantities
involved at times of low flow; and

WHEREAS, The Department of Defense further reduces the flow
of the Little Patuxent River by abstracting therefrom, above the
point of sewage discharge, all of its requirements for water supply
purposes; and

WHEREAS, The Department of Defense is in the process of moving
to fort George G. Meade The National Security Agency, for which it
is building a separate sewage treatment plant, the effluent from
which will also empty into the Little Patuxent River and, although
said sewage will be treated, the degree of treatment will be no higher
than that of the existing plant, so that the pollution of said river
will be greatly increased; and

WHEREAS, The Department of Defense proposes to abstract from
the Little Patuxent River all of the requirements for The National
Security Agency for water supply purposes, thereby further reducing
the flow of said river; and

WHEREAS, The increased activities of the Department of Defense
have created a heavy demand for housing in the fort Meade area and
the health and sanitation problems arising therefrom are becoming
most acute, most of which arise out of the fact that the Department
of Defense has preempted virtually all of the capacity of the river
to receive treated sewage; and

WHEREAS, Since the Patuxent and the Little Patuxent Rivers pro-
vide the only means of disposing of sewage effluent generated in the
fort Meade area, either the construction of housing to meet the
present and future demands will necessarily be inhibited, or problems
of health and sanitation will be presented which will make the area,
if not useless at least unsafe, unless a satisfactory remedy is found;
and

EXPLANATION: Italics indicate new matter added to existing law.
[Brackets] indicate matter stricken from existing law.
CAPITALS indicate amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken out of bill.