RECOMMENDATIONS

AGENCY COMPLIANCE WITH EXECUTIVE ORDER (Recommendation 1):

Each Federal agency should promptly insure that waste water disposal practices at all installations under its jurisdiction comply with the standards prescribed in Executive Order 11258 (November 17, 1965), entitled, "Prevention, Control, and Abatement of Water Pollution by Federal Activities." Any installation not now in compliance should intensify efforts to correct its pollution control deficiencies to meet fully those standards.

Results. The rate of construction of treatment facilities to control waste discharges at Federal installations more than quadrupled during the 3-year period 1966-68. However, the efforts of Federal agencies to achieve effective water pollution control and abatement at all their installations by the end of fiscal year 1972 are being hampered by budgetary stringencies resulting from the Vietnam conflict, and other competing demands for the Federal dollar. The requirements of Executive Order 11258 are now in Executive Order 11288, promulgated July 2, 1966 (31 F.R. 9261), to reflect the transfer of the Federal Government's water pollution control functions from HEW to the Department of the Interior.

HIGH PRIORITY FOR AGENCY BUDGET REQUESTS (Recommendation 2):

Each agency must implement the policy expressed in the President's economic message of January 27, 1966, that expenditures for "cleaning up the numerous and extensive sources of water pollution" from Federal facilities "will be given high priority." Each agency must resolve to accelerate its program of water pollution prevention and complete the long-overdue task of ending all pollution from Federal facilities. Therefore, each agency's plans and budget requests for funds needed to attain maximum control of waste water discharges should be "given high priority" and should be made with the objective of achieving such control at the earliest date possible.

Results. See results of recommendation 1, above. The Budget Bureau and the FWPCA have sought to establish a system of priorities whereby installations with the most serious water problems will receive priority consideration for funding.

GUIDELINES FOR ACCELERATING AGENCY PLANS (Recommendation 3):

The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration, should promptly provide to all Federal agencies full guidelines and assistance for developing and coordinating their plans for pollution abatement at an accelerated pace.

Results. The Federal Water Pollution Control Administration issued such guidelines in August 1967. (See results of recommendation 8(a), H. Rept. 555.)

FEDERAL AGENCIES COORDINATION WITH AREA TREATMENT SYSTEMS (Recommendation 4):

Federal installations should, wherever feasible, coordinate with and connect their water discharge lines to the metropolitan or area treatment systems providing adequate treatment.

Results. Federal installations generally seek to follow this recommendation. Section 4(a) of Executive Order 11288 stipulates that "Discharge of wastes into municipal sewerage systems maintaining adequate treatment is hereby declared to be the preferred method of disposal."

ACCELERATION OF CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULES (Recommendation 5):

Each agency should adhere to, or accelerate, its schedules for constructing treatment plants, or connecting waste discharge lines to municipal sewerage systems, and should not postpone or delay them. Each agency should deal with its waste water discharge practices and problems with the sense of urgency already shown by the Congress, the President, and the American people who are demanding an end to the rising tide of water pollution. Results. See results of recommendations 1, 2, and 4 above.

FEDERAL AGENCY ADHERENCE TO ESTABLISHED STANDARDS (Recommendation 6):

Each agency should become familiar with the Interior Department's "Guidelines for Establishing Water Quality Standards for Interstate Waters" and the standards established thereunder, and take the action necessary to insure that the waste discharge practices of all of the agency's installations do not violate those standards.

Results. Federal installations are generally aware of the importance of complying with established water quality standards, and the committee expects that every installation will comply with them.

IMPACT GRANTS PROGRAM (Recommendation 7):

The Federal Water Pollution Control Act should be amended, and funds appropriated to the Interior Department, beginning with fiscal year 1967, to permit a program of impact grants totaling $10 million per year for the next 4 years to assist communities near a Federal installation in constructing waste treatment facilities where the need for such facilities is due in part to the waste discharges of the Federal installation.

Results. This recommendation reiterated the committee's recommendation for an impact program (with twice as much funds) stated in recommendation 7 in House Report 555, above. The results noted under that recommendation are applicable also under this recommendation.

INTERIOR DEPARTMENT SURVEILLANCE (Recommendation 8):

The Interior Department should maintain regular surveillance over the waste disposal practices of Federal installations. The Department should keep a continuous inventory of those practices at each installation, detailing the problems which still exist or appear to be developing, the progress being made in resolving them, and the Department's recommendations for their early solution.

Results. This recommendation reiterated the committee's Recommendations 8(b) and 8(c) of House Report 555 (see above). The results noted under those recommendations are applicable also under this recommendation.

COOPERATION OF FEDERAL AGENCIES (Recommendation 9):

All Federal agencies should cooperate with the FWPCA to accomplish the national goal of ending water pollution. They should affirmatively seek FWPCA's assistance and guidance in developing the agency's plans and work for eliminating water pollution at its installations. The FWPCA should vigorously stimulate and motivate the agencies in such planning and construction efforts, rather than sit back and wait until it is asked for advice.

Results. The agencies and FWPCA have, in general, endeavored to follow this recommendation, but the vigor and dispatch of their efforts have at times seemed less than they ought to be.

AGENCY ANNUAL REPORTS (Recommendation 10):

All agencies should prepare annual reports of their waste disposal practices and plans for improving them, as specified in the committee's 1964 report (recommendation 8 on p. 5) and the President's Executive order of November 17, 1965. The committee requests each agency to send a copy thereof to this committee. The committee further requests the Bureau of the Budget, in cooperation with the FWPCA, to prepare a summary of the agency reports and plans and to transmit such summary, together with relevant attachments, to this committee. Results. Since the reports requested in this recommendation were not transmitted to the committee, the committee conducted its own survey of the agencies' plans and progress concerning control and abatement of water pollution at Federal installations during the years 1966-68, pursuant to Executive Order 11288 of July 2, 1966, which replaced Executive Order 11258 of November 17, 1965.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR SUMMARY OF ANNUAL REPORTS (Recommendation 11):

The FWPCA rather than the Budget Bureau should be primarily responsible for coordinating the water pollution control plans set forth in the annual reports and revisions made by the Federal agencies under Executive Oreer 11258, and appropriate

action necessary to implement such responsibility should be taken (preferably beginning with the reports due July 1, 1967, but in any even not later than July 1, 1968). The FWPCA should prepare a summary of the agency's reports and transmit copies thereof annually to this committee.

Results. Pursuant to Executive Order 11288, which replaced Executive Order 11258, the agencies transmit their annual reports and revisions, concerning their plans and progress in abating water pollution at their installations, to both the Budget Bureau and FWPCA. The coordination of their water pollution control plans requires both fiscal review, which is the responsibility of the Budget Bureau, and technical review by FWPCA. There is still considerable overlap and imprecision in the responsibility for such coordination. The committee is not convinced that this area of coordination is being most efficiently and properly achieved.

FWPCA has transmitted copies of agency reports to the committee, but not annual summaries thereof.

REPORTING WASTE DISPOSAL PRACTICES (Recommendation 12):

The annual inventory and report by each agency should make detailed qualitative analyses of the agencies' waste disposal practices. These reports should include (a) the degree of treatment; (b) the type and capacity, and the efficiency of operation and maintenance, of the agencies' water pollution control facilities; (c) the number, training, and an evaluation of the competency of their operating personnel; (d) a full analysis of all the deficiencies and the means of correcting them; and (e) the time schedule for the corrective action.

Results. Following the committee's report, the Budget Bureau issued BOB Circular A-81 (Mar. 30, 1967) entitled "Reporting requirements in connection with prevention, control and abatement of water pollution by Federal activities," which requires the agencies to include all of the data (except item (c)) outlined in this recommendation. The reports of the agencies include such information in varying degrees of detail.

REPORTING POLLUTION ABATEMENT PROGRESS (Recommendation 13):

The committee requests each agency with installations among the 237 included in appendixes 1-7 of this survey, to report to this committee, and to send a copy thereof to the Secretary of the Interior, not later than November 21, 1966, concerning its efforts to accelerate its program for accomplishing the remedial measures necessary to achieve full control and abatement of water pollution from the agency's facilities. The committee requests the Secretary of the Interior to review such reports and to report to this committee not later than December 20, 1966, his comments thereon and any proposals he may have for improving, accelerating, and expanding the plans and efforts of the respective agencies.

Results. Agency reports to the committee outlined in detail the progress made at the installations under their jurisdiction listed in appendixes 1-7 of the committee survey.

The report by the Secretary of the Interior contained general comments about the role of FWPCA's Division of Federal Activities Coordination vis-à-vis agency needs and requirements. (See results of recommendation 3, H. Rept. 555.)

AMENDING EXECUTIVE ORDER (Recommendation 14):

The present loophole in section 4(e) of Executive Order 11258which permits the discharge of substances in concentrations harmful to domestic animals, fish, shellfish, and wildlife if methods of treatment or removal cannot "reasonably be developed," even though it prohibits the discharge of substances in concentrations hazardous to health-should be substantially narrowed so that such discharges shall be permitted only in cases of clear emergency where the discharge is necessary to prevent substantial hazard to human life or health. Accordingly section 4(e) of the order should be revised to read substantially as follows:

Except in cases of clear emergency where the discharge is necessary to prevent substantial hazard to human life or health, no waste shall be discharged into waters if it contains any substances in concentrations which will result in substantial harm to domestic animals, fish, shellfish or wildlife.

Results. The recommendation has not been followed. The committee believes the proposed amendment should be included in any revision of Executive Order 11288 which replaced Executive Order

11258.

[H. Rept. 1648, 89th Cong., second sess.]

SEPARATING STORM AND SANITARY SEWERS IN URBAN RENEWAL (WATER POLLUTION CONTROL AND ABATEMENT)

Thirty-Second Report by the Committee on Government Operations

(Submitted to the Speaker June 23, 1966)

This report dealt with the problem of water pollution resulting from the use of combined sewers which commingle sewage and rainwaters and overflow or bypass treatment facilities to discharge untreated sewage into receiving watercourses. It particularly discussed the desirability of separating such sewers in areas which are being developed or redeveloped under federally aided programs, such as urban rewal. Ten principal recommendations were made, as follows:

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