by Ralph Nader
WASHINGTON—Not a day
too soon, the quality of our
drinking t@ger is finally seen as
an urgent consumer issue.
Why the delay? For decades,
the public has known of the
burgeoning pollution of our
lakes, rivers and streams from
industrial, agricultural and
municipal wastes. Recently,
reports have detailed such
dangerous contaminants as
lead,.. mercury, pesticides,
hormones, detergents, acids,
plastics, viruses and bacteria,
in various bodies of water, such
as Lakes Michigan and Erie,
the Potomac and Mississippi
Rivers, and other waterways,
large animal
Yet the people have been told
little about the spillover of these
deadly wastes into their
drinking water and the gross
inadequacy of most municipal
water purification systems to
cope with them.
The reasons for this lack of
awareness rest on the govern-
ment at all levels and on in-
dustrial polluters. Local
authorities responsible for
drinking ater quality have
long encouraged public con-
fidence to avoid public panic.
Such confidence rests really on
propaganda, secrecy about test
results, waterborne disease out-
breaks, and a massive under-
investment in detection and
control equipment, already
available.
Federal officials in the Public
Health Service and the En-
vironmental Protection Agency
(EPA) are now displaying
concern and urging action. The
EPA has finally started work
towards a revision of the federal
water standards—the first,
incidentally, since 1962. Nearly
half of the nation’s population
drinks water that does not meet
the weak, imcomplete federal
water standards.
At present, these standards
only cover traditionally known
contaminants. There is no
mention, for example, of
mercury. The happy assump-
tion is that relatively unpolluted
water is the source of the raw
water. Both swordfish and lake
trout know better.
This week the Senate Sub-
committee on the Environment
will open hearings on drinking
water legislation. Senate bill
1478, introduced by Senators
Philip Hart and Warren
Magnuson, proposes a
modernization of established
water testing and treatment
methods, along with technical
assistance and training grants.
A controversial amendment
to empower the federal
government to establish and
enforce drinking water stan-
dards covering chemical,
biological, physical,
radiological and other con-
taminants will be the first focus
of the hearing.
Because meditating on
polluted drinking water is
thinking the unthinkable, a
fraternity of silence = has
developed among water
hygiene officials to keep the
facts from the public. Now it is
no longer sufficient merely to
dump chlorine into the water.
Sate water supplies cannot be
established by this old-
fashioned remedy.
What is actually needed is
rigorous prevention and
detection systems, and more
medical research. Once citizens
know the various long and short
term hazards of such con-
taminants, government action
will be forced. Corporate
secrecy about what and how
much industrial poisons they
by J.R. Freeman
are dumping into the water-
ways must be stopped. Federal
research and development
funds on drinking water
safety—just $2 million last
year—must be promptly in-
creased.
Let’s listen to what two
cancer researchers, Drs.
Wilhelm C. Hueper and W. D.
Conway, have to say on this
subject: ‘‘The most common
and often prolonged, and
therefore, the most dangerous
contact with carcinogenic
pollutants of water occurs when
water thus contaminated is
used for drinking purposes and
‘in the preparation of food. It is
agents (arsenicals,
chromium, radioactive sub-
stances, pesticides) are
retained in the body and may
accumulate in certain organs,
such as the liver, skin, bones or
fat tissue.”
Dr. H. A. Schroeder, the Dart-
mouth expert on trace minerals
(such as cadmium, mercury
and lead), has repeatedly
warned about ‘‘the correlation
of certain qualities of municipal
water supplies and deaths from
congenital abnormalities in the
U.S.”
It is time to face the facts, no
matter how unsettling they may
be. At least government and
industry must use the
preventive and corrective
action that is already available.
Otherwise, notes Harry J.
Graeser, Director of the Dallas
Water Utilities Department,
“We are surely moving towards
the time when a major water-
borne problem . . . is going to
create a national hysteria and a
crisis in water hygiene.”
The new hearings in the
Seante are an urgent matter.
Responding belatedly to ob-
vious disasters is not the mark
of a rational society fully
equipped to prevent them.
The Pennsylvania Milk Marketing Board
has begun to catch up with the times.
Under the leadership of Chairman Harry
Kapleau, the MMB has not only, begin to
focus its attention toward the 5
interest of the dairy farmer,
but to the interest of the milk
consumer as well, two areas
the MMB has been little
concerned with since its in-
ception in pre-World War II
days.
Chairman Kapleau’s tenure
as chief of the MMB has
hardly begun, and already |
innovative policies directed at
protecting the public interest
are beginning to show. In this
independent state agency, at
least, Gov. Milton Shapp may
have meant what he said when
he announced that this was going to be “the
yeq ‘of the consumer.”
No stranger to the milk industry, the 61-
year-old chairman has spent 30 years in the
dairy field, and was with the Federal Milk
Marketing Administration in New York and
Philadelphia. Later, as a dairy consultant, he
represented clients throughout Pennsylvania,
New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and New
York. After a stint as a bulk milk dealer for a
nuflber of years, Mr. Kapleau entered the
real estate investment field in 1968. Last
January he was appointed to the three-
member board by Gov. Shapp, replacing a
carry-over member from the Republican
administration whose term ex-
pired. ~~ Guided on one side by the wishes of
the governor, and on the other by MMB
consumer commissioner Nina Gowell, a long-
time Pittsburgh consumer advocate,
Chairman Kapleau is not likely to be led down
the path of ignoring the wishes of Penn-
sylvania milk consumers, no more than he is
apt to forget the interest of the Pennsylvania
dairy farmer. Put bluntly in his own words,
Mr. Kapleau recently wrote in a report to
Gov. Shapp, that he expects, as chief of the
MMB, to provide ‘‘protection to farmers by
fixing prices to be paid them that would
¢¥/urn their costs of production and a
reasonable profit; a sufficient quantity of
pure and wholesome milk to consumers at
reasonable prices, and a reasonable return to
milk dealers by fixing prices which they shall
charge all classes of sales outlets.” As Mr.
Kapleau sees it, this was the intention of the
General Assembly when it passed the Penn-
sylvania Milk Marketing Law.
In announcing a series of hearings across
the state to determine pricing, the chairman
told the governor that ‘‘I want to state it will
be the objective of the present board to
maintain in the Commonwealth an economi-
cally sound and prosperous dairy industry.
That indistury,” he continued, “the second
largest in our state, has annual sales at the
consumer level of some $850 million. Annual
cash farm income from milk is about $450
million, with annual milk production at 3.3
billion quarts and total milk cows of 712,000,
located on 21,000 dairy farms in the state.”
But the new MMB chief is
quick to point out his fairness
doctrine: ‘The board does not
intend to permit any one
. segment of the dairy industry
(farmers, dealers and con-
. sumers) to become enriched
or attain any other economic
advantage at the expense of
one or both of the other
segments.”
i Soon after taking office,
Mr. Kapleau got right to the
heart of the recent milk price
controversy. He began
studying U.S. Department of
Agriculture statistics and
other data which indicated Philadelphia and
Pittsburgh out-of store one-half gallon prices
of milk are the highest among 25 larger cities
in the country. “The board is now reviewing
these reports and supplementing them with
‘our own team of investigators visiting sales
outlets in states contiguous with Penn-
sylvania,” he told the governor.
. “The results of this survey and investiga-
tion will be made available to you as soon as
possible, he wrote the governor in a Feb. 3
memo. “They also will be put into the hearing
record by the board at all future price
hearings and made available to the press. It is
my understanding that heretofore the board
would not permit such data to be put into a
hearing record.”
Making his position clear regarding the
forthcoming April 20 Scranton milk price
hearing, Cahirman Kapleau said that
frequently the previous board restricted the
admission of certain testimony. “This board
will conduct future hearings with a very
broad view on the relevancy of any testimony
offered,” he said. ‘‘We intend to make a study
of the milk margins of supermarket and other
large outlets. The results of these studies will
be introduced by the board at price hearings
in the area studies.”
Calling attention to the fact that per
capita consumption of milk in Pennsylvania
is low, the MMB chief said that in 1970, for
example, the per capita consumption was 238
pounds, much lower than in other areas of the
country.
‘Farmers in Pennsylvania, he pointed out,
have entered into programs to provide funds
for an organized advertising campaign to
promote the use of milk. One common theory,
however, is that lower resale prices would
provide a great stimulant for increased milk
consumption. ‘‘A combination of both
programs perhaps could raise per capita
consumption and benefit the farmer by higher
returns and the consumer by better health
and lower prices,” Chairman Kapleau said:
Photo by Dave Kozemchak
statewide interest.
There are still those in the
area who think of the Red Cross
as the group of stinkers who
charged the GI for doughnuts
during the war. It is time, for
that segment of our society at
least, to be informed otherwise.
This is Red Cross Month, a
time for all of us to pay tribute
to the volunteers and" blood
donors who are dedicated to the
relief of human suffering.
The Red Cross symbol is
perhaps the most universally
respected throughout the world.
Representing as it does the
conscience of our society, it has
in the past—even as now—
served as a welcome beacon to
victims of pestilence, famine or
disaster.
Here at
home, when
everything goes well, we are too
prone to take the Red Cross for
granted. Too often most of us
feel it is just another social
service agency.
Yet, statistics show that each
year some Red Cross service
touches one of every three
families in the nation.
Just ask any local family
which has had need for “Red
Cross help in the past. They
don’t need any reminders of the
urgent role played by this world
wide organization in the
everyday life of the world’s
citizens.
It’s nice to know there is such
an agency available when and if
we need it. We hate to think
what the world would be like
without it.
To THE EDITOR:
At the time of Bertha Davies’
death at her home in Lake
Township I, Walter Hoover,
Reportable Accident
Damages Now $200
The Pennsylvania Depart-
ment of Transportation has
issued a reminder to operators
.of motor vehicles involved in
traffic accidents that, as of
March 26, the new reportable
property damage figure will
increase to $200.
“The new law, Act 7, signed
into law by Governor Shapp in
January, increases the property
damage figure from $100 to
$200,” William B. Blake, deputy
secretary for safety ad-
ministration, said.
‘“‘However, all accidents
occurring before March 26 fall
under the unamended section of
vehicle code, section 1217,”
Blake added,
vehicle operators involved in an
accident resulting in bodily
injury or death to any one
person or property damage in
excess of $100 to furnish a report
of the accident within five
days.”
Lake Township supervisor and
roadmaster, was consulted by
Chief of Police Henry
Stefanowicz, who asked if we
would do a little sanding at the
Davies’ home. William Cragle
and I went to the home and
found the surrounding area
Bronson, funeral director, who
was there at the time, was
grateful for our assistance when
we did some sanding.
A few days later, Clarence
Payne jumped all over Mr.
Cragle for doing the sanding.
He tore into him something
fierce.
I say that possibly, before he
began to complain so loudly
about the job done, he should
have thought about the good we
were doing. Mrs. Davies had
been a taxpayer for a long time
and some consideration was due
her even after death.
Walter Hoover
Roadmaster
Lake Township Supervisors.
Get Copy in Early!
Attention newspaper cor-
respondents, publicity chair-
S
Crew: Earl
Crispell, Jerry Talent.
Crispell, Dave Fritz.
Meeker.
3
Dallas Township
Bad road conditions, caused
by settling of sewer pipe lines,
were claimed as the reason for
a one-car accident on Lower
Road Saturday
morning at 8:50.
The operator of the car, Fred
C. Justice, 60, of Clarks Sum-
mit, told police he was traveling
southwest on Lower Demunds
going toward Dallas when his
vehicle went into a deep dip in
the road. The undercarriage
and transmission hit a manhole
cover, causing approximately
$150 damage to the machine.
Patrolman Carl Miers
reported that neither Mr.
Justice nor a passenger, Harry
Dewey, 9, of RD 3, Dallas, was
injured.
A Sunday afternoon accident
which happened on Route 309 at
the intersection with the
Kunkle-Alderson Road involved
two cars, but according to
police reports neither driver
was injured. Passengers in each
car also apparently escaped
injury.
Thomas P. Jancewicz, 19, of
Kingston told Patrolman
Douglas Lamoreux he was
traveling south on the highway
when a car, operated by Charles
J. Anderson, 67, of Wyoming,
stopped on the Kunkle-Alderson
Road and then proceeded to
cross the highway. The Jan-
cewicz youth said he tried to
avoid hitting the Anderson
vehicle by going into the north-
bound lane, but struck the other
car at its right front fender. The
Jancewicz automobile skidded
approximately 30 feet before it
came to rest on the berm of the
northbound lane.
Damages to both cars in the
5:20 p.m. mishap were
estimated at $600.
Kingston Township
A nine-year-old Trucksville
boy was injured March 14 by a
hit-and-run vehicle on Route
309. John Hendricks, 197 South
Memorial High, was taken
to Nesbitt Hospital by Dallas
Community ambulance after
his legs were run over as he was
sledding along the berm of the
highway.
Witnesses told Patrolman
William Pugh, who investi:
gated, that the operator of an
traveling south, apparently saw
the young boy on the berm of the
road and made an attempt to
stop. They said the victim saw
the approaching car and turned
out into highway to avoid being
struck, but had his legs run
over. The youngster remained
on sled after the car ran over his
legs, and continued across the
highway and came to rest in a
northbound lane.
The brother of the victim
made a number of pencil
drawings of what he believed
the hit-run car looked like and
gave the drawings to the police
for their continued investiga-
tion.
Boys Can Register
For Orange Baseball
Registration for boys whowish
League during the 1972 baseball
season will be held March 25.
Boys who will reach the age of
eight before Aug. 1 and those
who will not reach 13 before
Aug. 1 are eligible to register
between 3:30 and 5 p.m. with
Dick Hislop, Orange, or at Ben
Crafchick’s Market, Center-
moreland. Each boy must be
accompanied by a parent and
must have his birth certificate
with him.
Boys who still have uniforms
from last year, must turn them
in.
First Aid Courses
Standard and advanced Red
Cross courses will be given at
the Sweet Valley Fire Hall
‘starting March 23 at 7:30 p.m.
They are being sponsored by the
Sweet Valley Volunteer
Ambulance Association.
Marvin Dymond will be the
instructor. All interested
persons are invited to attend.
Lake Silkworth Forms
Ambulance Auxiliary
An Ambulance Auxiliary unit
was organized March 15 by
wives of the Lake Silkworth
Ambulance Association.
Serving as officers for the
new unit are Ellie Chickson,
president; Judy Thomas, vice
president; Judy Davis,
secretary: Mary Lou Neff,
treasurer; and Mary Ann
Cordick, publicity.
In a one-car mishap on Car-
verton Road March 15, the oper-
ator of the car blamed icy
factor in losing control of her
machine.
Christine Nicholson, 28, of 27
Meadowcrest, Trucksville, told
Patrolman Clifford Culver she
was proceeding west on Carver-
ton Road, about one mile west of
Orange-Wyoming Road, when
she came upon an icy spot
which caused her to lose control
of the vehicle. The car ran up an
embankment on the south berm
of the roadway.
The driver was not injured,
nor was a passenger, William J.
Nicholson.
Kingston police notified
PennDOT of the icy conditions
in the area.
A late-model Pontiac coupe
was ‘damaged extensively
March 18 when the driver fell
asleep and the vehicle came to
rest in Tobys Creek.
Richard Spak, 20, of Wilkes-
Barre, operator of a car owned
by Walter Prokopchek, RD 3,
traveling north on Route 309 at
approximately 2:50 a.m. and
pavement, and traveled ap-
proximately 100 feet on the
berm before going down the
embankment into the icy creek.
Mr. Spak sustained minor in-
juries and was taken to Nesbitt
Memorial Hospital by Patrol-
man Clifford Culver.
A Harveys. Lake resident es-
caped injury in a mishap caused
by a tire blow-out on Route 309
at 10:45 p.m. Sunday.
According to police records,
David Charles Finn, 21, was op-
erating a 1971 Opel coupe when
the left front tire blew out,
causing him to lose control. The
car struck a bridge abutment
way’s intersection with Harris
Hill Road. After hitting the
bridge, the machine crossed the
highway and struck guard rails
on the west side and came to
rest.
Damages to the vehicle were
estimated at $600 by Patrolman
Clifford Culver.
below.
14.
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TR
15.
. From time to time the
strewn along the bank.