hazards has occurred. Prevailing wind directions and the season of occurrence can be important since favorable conditions in mild weather can find windows of residences open. Problems for the site selected have been predicted in a publication of the Minnesota Department of Health ("An Appraisal of Air Pollution in Minnesota," January 1961, p. 46). Both Stillwater and Bayport are specifically identified as locations where "local conditions for the dispersion of pollution are adversely affected by their location in river valleys." Low-level inversions (generally between the banks of a river) would be pierced by the high stacks. Highlevel inversions covering substantial areas have been measured on a high tower located in the Twin Cities up to an altitude approximately 800 feet over the altitude of the river bottom (500 feet plus difference in altitude between the river and the foot of the KSTP tower). The number of inversions for the 1962 year totaled 164, meaning that conditions existed for a rapid return of the stack gases to the ground for the period of these inversions. The exact concentrations and location of such return is difficult to predict as is recognized by the previously cited data. Attempts may be made to make predictions based on the Bosanquet and Pearson equations, and by Sutton. However, their usefulness has been reported as unreliable in estimating the dispersion of powerplant stack gases (Journal of Air Pollution Control Association, February 1961, p. 60). The Metropolitan Land Study Report No. 4, April 1960, notes that the most serious air pollution problems occur when wind velocity is under 8 miles per hour. In the summertime when windows are open, the most frequent winds are from the southeast. Winds under 8 miles per hour occur 3 percent of the time. This direction should be considered as the location of activities that produce offensive odors. A reference to the "frequency of inversion chart" shows that large-scale highlevel inversions occur over two-thirds of the days in August and September, and about one-half of the days in June and July. The town of Stillwater, especially the higher bluffs, will be the most likely target for high concentration "slugs" reaching the ground when both people and vegetation are likely to be affected. There seems to be little disagreement that the only sure way to control noxious effluent is not to produce it. However, the need for electric power is growing rapidly. Requirements in the Nation and in our region will double every 10 years, at least into 1980. How best can we accommodate the growing needs of vital industry, yet not destroy irreplaceable natural resources? The practice of the air pollution control board in the city of Chicago requires the power companies to burn low sulfur content natural gas during periods when the meteorological conditions are unfavorable. High sulfur fuels are permitted only when the conditions for dispersion are favorable. NSP, by burning natural gas in the Twin Cities units during the warmer months, is already practicing this method in part. Favorable meteorology and fuel regulations would make it possible to decrease the great height of the stacks, reopening the question of alternate site locations. The sale of the natural gas to homes in the winter may not be feasible to the extent practiced now in the Twin Cities, thereby affecting their ability to get the lowest possible gas rate for their plants, but it would seem more in the public interest to have a slightly higher power cost than to take unpredictable risks with human lives and health. Point 3 The damage to vegetation and materials which sulfur gases in the form of sulfur dioxide and sulfuric acid (to which it can become oxidized and which exists in the stack effluent to the extent of 1 to 5 percent of the total sulfur burned) is well known, and needs no detailed documentation. Dr. James Roger Fox will submit a discussion of these hazards to health as a separate report. It will suffice to say that exposures of 0.3 parts per million are suspect, especially if the exposure is to elderly people, or to those with respiratory ailments or cardiac problems. We feel that high concentrations at the stack exist up to 4,000 parts per million, plus inversions, low wind velocities, or both, indicate real possibilities that dangerous concentrations can exist. People may avoid polluted streams or drinking polluted water or other sources of public health hazard. One has no choice but to breathe the air as he finds it. The economic costs of air pollution have been calculated in a study by the U.S. Department of Health at Steubenville, Ohio, as $95 per capita per year. Close at hand we have the example of damage to buildings and claims paid for crop damage from the coal-burning generating plant at Alma, Wis. The power company has alternate choices, and will increasingly be required to solve its serious environmental problems. The people of the States of Wisconsin and Minnesota and those of the expanding Twin City metropolitan area who use the St. Croix River, as well as those who live in the valley, have only one St. Croix Valley. Point 4 There appears at best to be some confusion regarding authority and standards in the application of air pollution laws in Minnesota. There is a statute act, S. 812, April 10, 1957, "Delegating to the State board of health the power to make regulations relating to atmospheric pollution which may be injurious or detrimental to public health." These regulations have the force of law, "except where they conflict with a statute or with the charter or ordinance of a city of the first class." In a report entitled, "An Appraisal of Air Pollution in Minnesota," January 1961, published by the Minnesota Department of Health, the conclusions state: "Now is the time to take action to combat air pollution; first, to cope with existing problems, and second, to conserve vital air resources for the future. *** Present laws in Minnesota are limited in scope and do not adequately meet present and future needs." C. W. Griffen, Jr., engineer-journalist, in one of the increasing number of articles on air pollution, said in Reporter magazine of September 10, 1964, re injury of health by air pollution: "To wait for irrefutable cause-effect proof could of course delay action forever. The assumption that each disease has a single, discrete cause, so fruitful in the etiology of cummunicable diseases, appears false in analyzing chronic diseases like bronchitis. Moreover, the theory that a public agency confronted with a community health hazard should proceed like a murder trial jury, taking action only if the hazard is proved guilty beyond reasonable doubt, could have disastrous consequences. If the sanitation pioneers of the 19th century had postponed action on water purification and sewage treatment until they had irrefutable proof that filth causes disease, the world would have suffered untold thousands of unnecessary deaths." It is difficult to believe that in an age where man is preparing to fly to the moon, that serious risks to human health and property, strongly suspect from data collected in extensive experience elsewhere, must be subordinated to local land-use ordinances, real estate tax benefits, and bottom-dollar production economies. Are we to presume that air pollution, which has already become a serious problem in other parts of the country, cannot happen here? Note.-Presented as a report of progress at the American Industrial Hygiene Association annual meeting in Philadelphia, Pa.. May 1964. Mr. Mertes. Mr. MERTES. This chart we prepared, data collected off the U.S. Geological Survey charts, shows a profile of the St. Croix River and the valley on the Wisconsin side and also on the Minnesota side. It shows it from Prescott up to and above Stillwater on the Minnesota side and above New Richmond on the Wisconsin side. The blue line shows the water surface of the St. Croix River. The solid black area shows the upper and lower limit and the elevations of the various cities within the valleys. The green line is the line which designates the top of the bluff within the lower valley, and the top line, the black solid one, shows the valley perimeter. Now, the point we try to bring out with this, particularly on the Wisconsin side as we see there, the valley is a very definite bowl and the red is the proposed smokestack which is 800 feet high, but only 200 feet high with relation to the valley perimeter on the Wisconsin side, and, of course, much more on the Minnesota side. That is all I have. We will submit this chart for the record by December 18. (Subsequently, the chart referred to was submitted:) MILES ABOVE MOUTH OF ST. CROIX RIVER 15 MILES ABOVE MOUTH OF ST. CROIX RIVER 1. ELEVATION ELEVATION Senator METCALF. Mr. Mertes, since this is going to be reproduced in the record and the colors aren't going to be there, let's identify the lines, beginning at the top. You identified them by color. Would you identify them by position? Mr. MERTES. You will note there are letters on there stating valley periphery on top and the green line is designated by lettering. Senator METCALF. That is the second line? Mr. MERTES. Yes. Mr. THUET. May it please the committee, we have a report of Dr. James Rogers Fox that will be presented by our chairman, Mr. Adrian Warren. STATEMENT OF JAMES ROGERS FOX, M.D., PRESENTED BY ADRIAN WARREN, CHAIRMAN, SAVE THE ST. CROIX, INC. Mr. WARREN. The report, gentlemen, is quite lengthy. I think what we would like to do is perhaps read excerpts of it. The entire report, as I understand, has been placed in the record. Senator NELSON. The entire report will be printed in the record, so if you would like to summarize it, it would be fine. Mr. WARREN. The doctor, James Rogers Fox, asked that you gentlemen accept his apologies for being unable to be present personally for the time assigned for the professional report as an expert witness. He asks his qualifications Senator NELSON (interrupting). Excuse me, I was going to ask that. Are you introducing his qualifications? Mr. WARREN. Yes. They are as follows: B.A. from St. Thomas College, graduate of the University of Minnesota with an M.D., M.B., and B.S. He did postgraduate work at the University of Minnesota and the University of Edinburgh. He is on the faculty of the University of Minnesota. He is on the visiting faculty of the University of Edinburgh, Great Britain. He is a member of the American Medical Association and component societies. He is a member of the American Society of Internal Medicine and component societies. He is a fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians, a fellow of the Industrial Medical Association. He is a medical adviser to the President's Council on Physical Fitness. He is a public health educator "Doctor's House Call" radio and television syndicated program throughout the United States and abroad in cooperation with the American Medical Association. In addition to that, he is the author of several books on health education which are used by school systems throughout the country. So he is quite well qualified. The principal air pollutants that one considers from power generating stations includes smoke, fly ash, hydrocarbons, and gaseous oxides of nitrogen and sulfur. Merely because of esthetic objections, smoke and fly ash emissions have received considerable attention in the past several years, primarily as a result of interference with visibility, soiling and corrosion of structures, metals, fabrics, and other materials. Those that are of concern to the medical profession are particularly related to (1) the fine particles because of the chance of retention in the lung resulting in chronic disease, (2) hydrocarbon substances which have been demonstrated definitely to be cancer-causing irritants, (3) the gaseous oxides of nitrogen and sulfur. In themselves there is danger, but even more completely is the fact that there is the ability, in some instances, of an increase in the rate of oxidation to result in the trioxides. I believe Mr. Humphries mentioned the trioxides. The effect of all these various noxious agents upon the community is dependent upon a number of factors, including the fuel that is used, the protection of the effluent byproducts, the physical location of the community (good versus bad air circulation), the usual humidity of the community and the protective measures established by the local health officer. Larger particles of dust, particularly in concentrated amounts, can result in local skin irritation, upper local upper respiratory secretions and irritations, but, most importantly, in lung irritation. The result of this latter generally comes only after chronic exposure. The hydrocarbons have been shown to be cancer causing in nature. In areas of heavy concentration of hydrocarbons, the incidence of cancer of the lung is greater. The oxides of nitrogen are definitely dangerous, but fortunately are very seldom in sufficiently high concentration to be significant. The oxides of sulfur, however, can result in acute respiratory problems, as well as chronic reaction. These will cut the ability of the little hairlike cilia to function and will increase the amount of mucus formation. With this combined abnormal functioning, the ability to exchange air is lessened, the promotion of a chronic cough is increased, and, although mortality is not great, morbidity is. Thus, it becomes just as evident that the control of air pollution is important to the health and the life of these United States as was the need for proper water supply and sewage disposal back at the turn of the century. Let us hope that instead of a drive for clean water, as currently is promoted by the Government, a drive for clean air before it becomes dirty can be effected. The last factor that enters into the medical profession's evaluation is that of safety. Since I have been asked to cover all of the causes and influences of this proposal upon the health of the community, it may be pointed out that the medical profession prefers to prevent accidents and illness, rather than to treat what has occurred. Since far and away the greatest proportion of deaths in children are accidental, and since the number of deaths on the highways are about the same as the number of deaths from cancer, it is well to realize that any increase in potential can result in an increased number of injuries and deaths. Therefore, with industrialization as a part of the influence of a powerplant in the St. Croix River Valley, necessarily there will arise further problems of safety and safety control, including river traffic, which is not well patrolled and even now, railroad traffic, construction, et cetera. In summary, gentlemen, the effects of the powerplant upon a community are dependent upon the size of the plant, the type of fuel that is being used, and the protective measures instituted. Secondly, the effects include those of mental reaction and those of physical reaction. Mental reaction is one which has no mortality attendant to it, but does have a good deal of morbidity. Thirdly, the morbidity of the physical reaction varies from simple irritation of the skin, the mucous membranes and the lung tissues, whereas the mortality is related to chronic irritation of the lung tissues, resulting in respiratory collapse, or heart failure. One other |