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Show financial assistance it provided, the States and the Federal Government have entered into a compre- hensive study of the effects of water pollution and the means of removing the offending substances. In the second place, there is need for an accept- able plan of approach to the water pollution con- trol problems under the individual State conditions. In the third place, the lack of trained personnel to engage in a pollution control program has been a major difficulty. With the adoption of the Fed- eral Water Pollution Control Act, this deficiency to some extent has been overcome through Federal assistance. At the present time all of the States have personnel assigned solely to this function. It is believed that additional personnel will be re- quired in the future in order to permit an accurate evaluation of the problem and adoption of a planned approach to pollution abatement. In the fourth place, there has been an absence of State laws which place the complete respon- sibility for water pollution control on the water pol- lution control agency and give this agency sufficient powers to enforce its findings. In some instances it is doubtful if this is the appropriate time to intro- duce this legislation because in some cases the water pollution control agency has not completely investigated the problem and the extent of need for legislation. Within the foreseeable future, such legislation will be mandatory if the individual State program is to advance. The Federal Water Pollu- tion Control Act has comparable deficiencies. In the fifth place, although many communities and industries might wish to provide adequate waste treatment processes, many are represented not to be in a position to finance such improvements. The financial provisions of the Federal Water Pollu- tion Control Act would, in a measure, provide aid to municipalitieSj if low interest rate loans were made available, as provided in the act.24 Such loans have not been available to the present. No assistance is available to industry under this act. Milling wastes from the mining industry have caused localized pollution problems and are re- sponsible for destroying some recreational and fish- ing streams. Abandoned tailing ponds are some- times sources of pollution, and as the owners of these ponds have disappeared it is impossible to obtain abatement. The courts have at times been reluc- tant to enforce abatement orders against the min- "Ibid. ing industry because of the threat to the economic interest of the region. Pollution from mine tailings is present to a greater or lesser degree in six tributary drainages in Colorado. A stream pollution condition exists on Ten Mile Creek due to ancient mine tailings that were dumped onto the flats below Climax. Dur- ing freshets some of these tailings appear in the water and destroy or drive out aquatic life. In a second case, the Blue River is polluted by ancient mine tailings. Also, the San Miguel is polluted be- cause of mining activities in the Telluride-Ophir area. As consumptive water use becomes more and more complete and the quantity of water in some stream channels is depleted in dry seasons, pollution hazards on the Colorado may be expected to in- crease. Regulated stream flow with appropriate allowance for dilution of polluted waters and treat- ment of wastes will aid in reducing pollution hazards. Conclusions (1) Pollution control is an integral part of water resources development. Pollution may adversely influence or even jeopardize various water use programs. (2) Streams have great value as a means of par- tial treatment and ultimate removal of the liquid wastes of municipalities and industries. This re- source is often abused through failure to properly treat municipal and industrial wastes. Treatment should be provided as necessary to prevent impair- ment of the water resources for downstream uses. (3) State laws (except California) are generally inadequate in the Colorado Basin as related to: (a) authority of the responsible State agency to abate pollution; and (b) the authority of munici- palities to finance abatement works. Improved legislation would do much to expedite abatement programs.25 (4) Pollution abatement is of interest to the Federal Government as related to: (a) protection of the public health; (b) maximum utilization of water resources for various purposes; (c) protection of the investment of individuals and local and State Governments in undertakings associated with de- velopment programs; and (d) protection of the Government as the principal underwriter of huge development activities. M Advice is available from the Public Health Service in its Suggested State Water Pollution Control Act. 401 |
