Program ten

National Educational radio presents the following program in cooperation with a group

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Sounds like bass immortalizing a river or a mountain stream have become a part of our

American heritage. In most towns rivers and lakes played major

roads in the economy and recreation of the people living along their back

the generations of children from liked in the waters whole heroes like

emerge from their adventures some dead men courted their sweethearts on the rivers

and industry and transport with no thought of tomorrow dependent

upon the abundant waters to build the American way of

Los Lobos.

Today we live well in these United States. But the day of

reckoning has finally come for the old male's dream a century

of neglect. Has resulted in the water pollution which now prevents

affluent Americans from enjoying their heritage.

Group W the Westinghouse Broadcasting Company presents the pollution

explosion a 10 part study of the rising tide of air and water pollution

in America.

Your commentator.

During the last century Americans lived in an age of political and technological

innocence and the myriad problems of today's urbanized society are

partially the result. Certainly air and water pollution are direct

descendants of the innocent belief that air and water could go on

absorbing man's wastes indefinitely.

Today people all over the country are seeing sites like this

unhappy citizen describe river water itself is

strikingly different than say ocean water or pure a lake water.

It takes brilliance coloring

from the residue of factories.

And then there is that beautiful rarefied fresh

American air. The song writers and poets still tell us about it.

The pollution of our water and air and in some respects our very land has

grown to such proportions that if it is not stopped. America the most bountiful

country on earth may in the simplest of terms actually run out of

breathable air and usable water in certain areas. Dr

Steven Ayres of New York City St. Vincent Hospital who was also president of the

Manhattan branch New York state's action for clean air suggests

what New York City might be like in the future if its current air pollution

problem isn't checked.

If you want to see how things will be here in 1970 just take a trip to

London. Because England is a country in which some 60 million

people live on a piece of real estate the size of the state of Ohio

or of their air pollution is therefore concentrated in a very small area

and in London. Air pollution is a terrible problem. The climate is Ret.

and humid and this combination of a high degree of air pollution

and a great deal of weather difficulty has led to an increase of the

SEMA and bronchitis that is ten times what it is in the United

States. And more important young children in London and England in

general have a high incidence of bronchitis and the seamen were

fearful that if we don't take rather stringent control measures now

we will be in the said shape of the Londoners in 10 or 15 years.

And equally frightening prospect exists in the area of pure water.

Maine Senator Edmund Das musky who is chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on air

and water pollution has learned a great deal about the dangers of water pollution

contends that our waters must be protected.

There just isn't that much water to go around. The idea that we

we have a choice between jobs and pickerel for example a phrase that.

It was Karen not too long ago. It's false. We

need a policy which would be useful for birth

because we cannot do with less.

In the last 10 years. Recognition of this problem that we might run

out of clean air and water has brought the beginnings of the massive restart of

action that will be needed. The federal government has taken the initiative with

abatement legislation money and research. But as President Johnson

has explained the ultimate victory.

Reclaiming this portion of our national heritage. Really

rests in the hands of all the people of America. Yes

the government here in Washington. Much of the money.

Some of the imagination. Much of the effort.

Must be generated at the local level. And then.

And really only then. Well this blueprint for victory.

Becomes victory in fact.

What do we need for the future in our war against pollution. First

one is Colonel Alvin F. Maier chairman of the Defense Department's Pollution Control

Committee.

We need more than just paper legislation that

concerns me is that emphasis on a bike.

Can result in two things.

Iraq application and the research development and

evaluation and secondly the generation in the public

consciousness that simply by passing the laws and getting some of the bill

waste debate would work the problem is them so that I don't have to worry about.

This is the real hazard awareness that this is

not necessarily the problem.

We must have laws obviously to ensure at least the bare bones of

pollution cleanup. But hand in hand with the laws must go the

technology to accomplish their requirements. Right now there is some worry

that our abatement measures have outstripped our ability to implement them.

But can we wait for further knowledge John Barnhill deputy commissioner of the federal

water pollution control administration says as a result no

Remeron have all the technical and scientific knowledge we need to solve all the

problems and pollution that we have a considerable amount.

But at the same time we do have a considerable knowledge of the pollution problems a reasonably

old one and whatever however low gear it might have been in the

past we still develop some knowledge and there is a good deal we

can do based on our present technology.

We believe that within 10 years or so it will be possible to treat any race

economically to the point where it simply will not put the you know it

won't. Once it's been treated that water will be of such a quality that can be

used correctly. Actually we see emerging today.

Polluted water in a number of parts of the country and.

I've seen one of our research scientists literally drink

Reder which was representing purified sewage effluent

actually the water was in better quality after the after the purification

rise when and when it went into the into the faucets in the first

place. And I think this is a highly experimental thing as yet

but it represents the kind of accomplishment that we can see lying

ahead in the kind of area in which we can solve not only the

pollution problems that we have but the problems of water short areas such as the Southwest.

That last voice was Dr. Alan Hirsch program plan I have for the

F.W. PCa. He agrees however when Mr. Biden

emphasizes that even though this advanced technology may be only a

scant 10 years away there's nothing to be gained whatsoever except

disaster and not applying what we know now.

If we wait until we have the perfect answer. We'll be swimming in our own

muck.

The move now is school of thought applies also to the air pollution problem

although in this area as Thomas F. Williams chief Office of Legislative and

Public Affairs Division of air pollution U.S. Public Health Service points out

there are many more technological solutions needed.

There is equipment available for most sources of pollution in the farm the equipment

that is available were applied. We'd see a very dramatic reduction in air

pollution every place in the country.

Some of the major sources of pollution for which we do not now

have economically feasible means of control.

Are of course trucks and Bessus diesel powered trucks and busses.

Control of suffer dioxide and other forms of softness

gases from power plants and many other sources and

control of oxides of nitrogen which is not yet so critical in our opinion as a control of oxides

of sulfur.

These are the principal ones I feel that that right now we

cannot control we do not control because we cannot. Don't know how to control them.

But as Secretary Gardner said recently a country of the public in a country which

is and I am paraphrasing him which is accustomed to seeing a

new man in space every few months is not going to be

long patient with our plea that we don't know how to control diesel

exhaust because we're too dumb to do it.

The emphasis should be placed

on engineering. We

must find ways of controlling

more satisfactorily in the automobile.

Speaking now is Dr. A.J. Haagen Smit professor of biochemistry at

the California Institute of Technology.

We cannot possibly be satisfied with the present

efficiency. And that in a way goes also for any industry

that we must be able to control but I know the industry

is doing much better I think in general than the automobile does. But

nevertheless we will have other processes that

come in new chemicals being made. Almost no

problems I ask.

They deal with research and development income toward myself and

on the field which I think is Israel important that is

then finding out they need a kind of period of rant.

People begin to be affected.

People are plants. Let's back the people that are.

Guys it is not enough to say to me I get a

headache because it is too late.

We want to know long before before somebody gets a headache

and this is the kind of work that needs and years of

research and large funds and I went to probably have Tice not the body.

To put behind them.

But all too quickly became something I could not find

many public health officials feel that standards for clean air similar to those now

being set for what would be very helpful. Among them is Dr. Lester

Breslow Director of Public Health for California the better we can spell out

the air quality requirements.

In physical and chemical terms. The better we can plan our cities.

Design our transportation facilities for the future. And

the degree of control required. To achieve the goals.

If we can agree on the goals. I'm sure that we will all be in a better position

to decide how to reach them.

Although there is now a goodly amount of pollution control legislation at the federal level.

It will have to keep pace with new technology. Also clear is that

the strongest thrust in these measures. Must come at the local and state levels.

An excellent example of the type of program needed is the recent New York state's

billion dollar a pure waters bond issue.

As New York Governor Rockefeller asserts It's a unique program and I

hope sincerely that it's going to inspire other states to take the

same kind of decisive action. If they want to have the right after drinking and using

their communities if they want to have it for recreation purposes if they want to have a job that is going to

have to. Issue Bonds. To.

The states the local communities along with federal aid

carried this law. And that it's going to become a must.

Unfortunately as is true of water pollution air pollution can't be

cleaned up by passing a bond issue and it too is primarily a

local problem which must be dealt with by counties and states.

Tom Williams speaking for the US Public Health Service says hopefully.

It seems to me two things are needed. One is there must be adequate

policing adequate real adequate

policing. There must be adequate enforcement backed up by adequate laws at the

local and state levels of government that must it seems also increasingly it

seems be some means of encouraging industries

to purchase the equipment or make the operational changes or whatever might be

required to control their sources of air pollution.

And I think in most places in the country neither of these existence efficient

measure most of our local air

pollution control programs at this time still

made over versions of all smoke control programs

which are fairly obsolete in their approach toward controlling air pollution

in their understanding of the true nature of the problem and so on.

A lawmaker at the local level New York City Councilman Robert Lowe

feels that if industry is given the proper incentives are democratic free enterprise

system with its built in competitive values will come up with the necessary

solutions. It seems to us.

That a legislative timetable which gives industry a year or two

years of five years can provide the economic incentive to

develop basic new air pollution control equipment. New processes

and techniques are markets for them. And I might add of course that may be

incidental by products which will bring profit to industry. Furthermore

legislation providing such a timetable can create the climate for competition

within an industry or between industries and the economic incentive which

is the key in our judgment to technological progress.

However Pollution Control and Prevention is accomplished. It will cost money

a great deal of money. Much of the financing for waste disposal works will

come from federal cost sharing plans but a goodly amount must also come

directly from overstrained state and local sources. Many

government spokesmen assert that the costs can be managed without too much difficulty.

But Representative Donald Clawson of California says they can't and offers some

ideas on possible ways to ease local money problems.

Anyone familiar with the school. Problems of communities and states

certainly are aware of the fact that most of the tax sources

have literally been taken away from them or preempted by the federal government. The federal

government today collects about two thirds of the tax revenues

in America. And I believe as I have for many many years

that it is absolutely essential for every level

of government to give attention to a total

revision of our entire tax structure part of which would

be to devise something in the way of an extension of the

Bradley Byrne's concept which we have in California where a sales

tax could be shared on a broader scale with the property

tax. So as to provide relief at the federal level I have been one of those

that has held the view that we repeat as many of the tax sources

as we possibly can at this at the federal level and then permit the

states to pick them up. Now if this cannot be done

when considering the political facts of life why then it may be

necessary for us to develop this sharing of the

tax income tax that has been collected at the federal level.

Sharing it in such a way that we would return in the form of a

consolidated grant a percentage of the overall revenue that is

collected through the federal tax sources. And I believe

that in many ways this would promote simultaneous action

on the part of each level of government.

When federal officials talk in terms of billions of dollars to clean up pollution

Mr average homeowner shadows crying how can we afford it.

Actually in says Deputy Commissioner Baron Hill. The cost to each

individual is not to be shouted at.

I don't think the cost is that high for you and me as individual

citizens. It really doesn't amount to very much. It's

considerably less than what the average person spends a year for

cigarettes. And if you.

We were so bad off in this country that we can afford to buy cigarettes and we can afford to buy clean

water I think we're in trouble.

Edmond fall to Mayra staff writer for Fortune magazine made a recent study of the

costs of controlling air pollution and came up with the same answer.

I calculated roughly would cost the country about three

billion dollars a year to do this and this would work out to

about a dollar 30 a month per person 3 billion a

year sounds like a lot but that's less

than the roughly a revenant billion dollars a year that it's costing us to put

up with air pollution. So in a sense it's crossing us almost four

times as much to put up with it as it would do something about it.

All these things are necessary for returning our air and water to

cleanliness laws. Technology and engineers incentives

money but in the final analysis the case for pollution control

rests with the United States citizen. This is B brand. Hi I'm president of the

New York City citizens for clean air speaks for everyone concerned

with the clean up gambit.

We feel that the role of the citizen is the most crucial thing. This was

very dramatically demonstrated to me by the former Los

Angeles County Air Pollution Control Officer Smith Griswold who was the

person who brought about a revolution in Los Angeles and he said

repeatedly that he could never have done anything had there not been a citizen demand.

He told me of how when he reported a

violating oil refinery outside Los Angeles

15000 people in Los Angeles sent back their gas credit cards to

that company. How Children of the air pollution control

officers who were not doing their job at the time used to come home from

school with black eyes. That's how angry the citizenry of Los

Angeles was. That is how angry we are trying to make the citizens of New

York before the problem in New Jersey is

even begun to be tackled. We're going to have to make the citizens of New

Jersey angry. People invested in Philadelphia are not even

aware of the problem until a citizen group called it

to their attention.

Not only must a desire for pollution control come from the people. But also a

sense of personal responsibility for current pollution and a willingness to

abate this pollution on an individual basis at the moment. Judges Thomas R.

Glenn director of The New York New Jersey Connecticut interstate sanitation committee

that willingness doesn't exist.

You said we realize the major problem. We do

realize that there's a major health hazard from smoking and I'm going to turn

our pollution meter a little chap to baffle all their pollution experts around smoking

and if we can on this a very good type of person or type of pollution if

we can pass people that this is bad you have a harder time and passing

on the rare and not until the people as a whole raft of

enforcement like that about it not a right of pollution are the ground of them make these

big changes and employ people ready

to inconvenience themselves.

H h. Meredith Julia coordinator of air and water conservation for the

humble oil and refining company adds his voice to the swelling crowd of

pollution control experts who put the onus squarely on the public the

public has a responsibility.

The responsibility to become informed and to

understand it must become aware of what the situation

is in its own geographical area and what has to be done

to rectify any problems that exist.

Repeatedly the message comes across. The war is on the battle

against pollution joined and whatever it takes America

must be returned to productive beauty. The federal government will assume the

full responsibility for this attack only if the local government

defaults for says an adamant Tom Williams. This is one

battle that America will not be allowed to lose.

The role of the federal government in the future will be determined pretty much

by ROTT local and state governments and industry do from

this point on. Under current legislation the

main purpose of the Clean Air Act is to stimulate the

development of strong local and state programs. Strong enough.

And determined enough that they won't blow over at the first breath

of dissent from local polluters.

States and local governments do not respond to the challenge. Then

there is no doubt in my mind that the federal government despite or of a

howling that might come from all kinds of places will simply take over some of the

powers in this field that at this time we all believe ought to be

retained by states and local governments. The problem will not be allowed to

overwhelm us and it will overwhelm us if we do not move against it

with more alacrity than we have in the past. Those powers which are now rule

with states and local governments will have to be exercised. And to the

extent that they are not exercised I am sure we will hear a clamor

for somebody to exercise them. And as has been the case in many other fields

when the local governments are left to do what it ought to do. The state government takes it

over and with the state government they're asked to do it. Then the federal government takes it over

and then everybody complains that the federal government is trying to run everything. In this case the

federal government of course is not trying to run everything it is trying very hard to keep

from having to run everything.

The.

Group W the Westinghouse Broadcasting Company has presented the pollution explosion

a 10 part study of the increasing pollution of America's air and water.

The series was produced by Robert Franklin written and recorded by Stephanie Shelton

executive producer William J. Taylor.

This is John Daley with a final reminder we can end these

effluent days and exactly what we want if we want clean

air clean water clean land they are all possible. To

end the contamination of our environment. Will cost money but allowing this

pollution to continue is costing more money. The industries which we

make possible as consumers and workers the officials we elect

to run our cities and states and country as we want them run.

These respond only when we are interested enough angry

enough informed enough to make our wishes vociferous Lee and

constantly known as you have heard in these programs. A good

start has been made on pollution control and the money and new

techniques needed to finish the job are becoming available. The

final decision in this matter then rests as always in America

with us. It's our country. We have a right to bury and

stifle it with our waists. Or like the enlightened electorate we think we

are. We have a right to spend our votes our money and

our energies in reclaiming what has been lost.

The anyon network has presented this program in cooperation with a group w o the

Westinghouse Broadcasting Company. This is the national educational radio

network.