In November 1968, at a public hearing to an overflow crowd at the city hall in Bellefontaine Neighbors, concern was registered because of the variance granted by St. Louis County and demands for relief were made. The people stated, simply, that Missouri Portland Cement Co., the violator in this particular case, had too much time already and requested action be taken and that the air pollution code be enforced.

As a result of this meeting, I appeared before the Missouri commission again in January 1969, requesting the Missouri commission to determine whether or not the variances granted by St. Louis County were proper. A report from the Missouri air commission staff assistant, Mr. H. D. Shell, stated that in view of the many complaints that were voiced to St. Louis County, the required time should have been shorter to develop a comprehensive plan to abate the air pollution.

I heartily agree with Mr. Shell's report of June 1969, regarding the extended time necessary to develop a comprehensive plan, and urge that the Federal Air and Water Pollution Committee do everything in its power to have the supervisor of St. Louis County look further into the scheduling and installation of the necessary equipment to see if something can be worked out to speed up the elimination of these emissions.

On September 19, 1969, I read with interest a newspaper article wherein the supervisor of St. Louis County criticized the Missouri Air Conservation Commission for "their inaction" on his request for a "smog alert_plan" during periods of severe air pollution in the St. Louis area. He, further, stated that meetings have been held by technical personnel in the past and that we cannot afford to wait any longer because the citizens are entitled to protection of an emergency plan.

I believe that criticism is in order for the supervisor of St. Louis County for the lack of enforcement. The people of Bellefontaine Neighbors cannot wait any longer and, as Mr. Shell's report of June 1969 indicates, we have waited too long. The abatement of this nuisance is long overdue. Perhaps, these emergency conditions which the supervisor seems to be worried about are actually due, in part, to these vary same emissions that I have been complaining about for these many years.

Now, gentlemen, you heard the dates. I am recounting here-1963, 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1969. We have had promises, promises, promises. What we want now is action-we are tired of promises.

Enforcement of the air quality standards seem to always be clouded when it is on a local basis. It appears, now, that a national or Federal law of enforcement is essential in order to be effective.

I ask that the Federal Government take immediate action to develop legislation for stronger air pollution control and more effective enforcement necessary to stop the emissions of the dust in this area be taken.

It appears as if the only hope we have for enforcement would be some Federal regulation or some Federal regulatory body on this matter.

Again, I wish to thank you for the time you have given me to register my ever growing concern, and I am sure that anything you can do to alleviate our problem in the city of Bellefontaine Neighbors will be appreciated. Again, gentlemen, I beseech you to act now.

Senator EAGLETON. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and thank you for the hospitality you afforded me yesterday.

Mr. ZIELINSKI. I didn't have my prepared text. As the president of the St. Louis League of Municipalities, the Governor requested of me in July to look into the situation so far as our immediate area is concerned. I returned from a trip in Montreal, Canada, and Toronto, Canada, with approximately 60 officials from St. Louis County area to help develop the same type of program in this immediate vicinity. I don't know what the result would be of this particular action, but hope that it would be favorable as far as the folks were concerned. It would take an awful lot of dollars to pay for this type of system, but I think it is time we started thinking primarily of the human rather than of industry.

Senator EAGLETON. Thank you. At this time I recognize here the Honorable Walter Meyer. Stand up Senator Meyer. Senator Meyer was the former mayor in the community and he knows the situation first hand.

The American Association of University Women, Mrs. Richard E. Kuster, director at large, Missouri State division.

STATEMENT OF MRS. RICHARD E. KUSTER, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN, MISSOURI STATE DIVISION, ST. LOUIS, MO.

Mrs. KUSTER. Good evening. I am representing today members of local study groups of the American Association of University Women. We are convinced that many of the air pollution control officials are working diligently in the public interest, and that some industries are finding that it's good business to be a good neighbor; but it's painfully obvious the air here is in a deplorable state. The recent "alert" or "near-alert" was alarming, especially to those people with severe respiratory problems. While we are glad to see plans being formulated in case there is another "alert," we hope that all this activity will not becloud the most important issue, which is long-term control of air pollution. The projected population growth-including that of automobiles-and the continuing dispersal of industry in our area require rapid action.

Therefore, we support and urge much more Federal commitment to: 1. Reduce air pollution caused by vehicles powered by an internal combustion engine. This should include development of mass transit systems in cities and finding a "cleaner" motive power for automobiles; 2. Accelerate research on long-term health effects of air pollution. More air quality criteria for individual pollutants are needed so that the lengthy process of setting standards and implementation can begin; and

3. Accelerate research on control devices for air pollution abatement. Adequate control devices are almost nonexistent-more must be developed, along with stringent rules for their use.

Companies can't justify to their stockholders the large expenditures required for pollution abatement unless it is made by law simply a part of the expense of doing business. Requiring adequate controls is an urgent responsibility of local and State officials, but if our governmental units fail at this, we will need Federal regulation. If a com

pany pleads this added cost will put it out of business, we should remember that the death-dealing air is putting a rapidly growing number of breathers out of business every year.

The consumer already knows he's going to have to pay for cleaner air-let's get on with it. The price for dirty air is too dear.

Women are very troubled by environmental pollution. Many of us spend our days with youngsters. We give them orange juice, vitamin pills, and a balanced diet, so they'll grow up strong and healthy. We wonder what's happening to them-what will they face after a lifetime dose of some of the newer poisons that are about? The clues provided by changes in some of the other forms of life are frightening.

Has man, as a species, reached his level of incompetence? We may find world peace, rebuild our cities, stop inflation, give all our children a quality education, but to what avail-if we have overturned the balance of nature and destroyed the biosphere.

Senator EAGLETON. Thank you for the very nice presentation.

Mr. James Pace, director, community action, Teamsters Local 688. Mr. PACE. I brought with me here three fellow Teamsters.

STATEMENT OF RICHARD KING

Mr. KING. My name is Richard King. I live at 6618 Vermont, South St. Louis. I am a member of Teamsters Local 688. I have lived in South St. Louis all of my 35 years. I want to congratulate the recent decisions on the Air Pollution Board. Of the 13 different appeals for variants, I feel the public interest was protected very well in 11 decisions. That is a pretty good batting average. My question is, what have they done for the last 35 years I have lived there. The updated city ordinance was approved on March 27, 1967. Two and one-half years have passed and now only in the month of October have we had any action. I hope your hearing will produce more action because 1 month out of 30 won't get the job done.

In my neighborhood there are 14 moderate sized or big plants close by. We have been told the steps are being taken to correct all air pollutants down there and then I hear the conversion process of coal to coke at Great Lakes Carbon is very difficult to control. But the city ordinance on air pollution has not even attempted to include coke conversion. I still have to wash soot off my car every morning. We have been able to deal with individual lawbreakers. Why the slowness in dealing with these lawbreakers? My wife is getting tired of having to rewash the baby's diapers. I am tired of seeing through burning eyes and breathing acid air from the Illinois side as well as the Missouri side.

STATEMENT OF MILTON BARLOW, CHIEF STEWARD, ST. JOE LEAD CO., HERCULANEUM PLANT

Mr. BARLOW. My name is Milton Barlow. I live in Leadwood, Mo., and work for the St. Joe Lead Co., Herculaneum. I am chief steward in the plant. I represent 435 workers as well as many people who live around Herculaneum. I submit to your attention, Mr. Chairman, the attached exhibit A, these letters and documents, which are proof of my concern for cleaner air, during the 3 years I have been chief shop steward at St. Joe Lead. You can talk about air pollution forever.

My company will only make changes when it is forced to make changes. Health, community health plays second fiddle to increased production and bigger profits. For example, a State inspector announces the date of his inspection tour to the company, and it is very easy to cut production that day, cutting back the furnaces; there is no risk of a furnace blowhole to pollute the air. After his trip, the inspector writes a good report and then there is business as usual.

What are the two main reasons for this? Lack of proper supervision. The furnaces are not kept properly charged. A blowhole develops and the extra pressure pushes the gas or smoke up through the top of the furnace instead of to the baghouse. No. 2, reluctance to cut back furnaces enough for proper cleaning. The walls of the furnace build up with slag until more smoke is produced in the baghouse than it can handle. The experts can talk about the night as the atmosphere causing more pollution. I have a feeling my company takes more chances at night. I don't think St. Joe Lead will ever do the necessary job against air pollution. There are only seven State division inspectors for out-State pollution and when one of those shows up at the plant, he gets the treatment and so do we, the workers and community. I am making a play for stronger Federal laws to force the States to act. Thank you.

Senator EAGLETON. Thank you.

STATEMENT OF MRS. MARTHA BLACKSHER

Mrs. BLACKSHER. Martha Blacksher. My husband is a teamster and I am a schoolteacher. We live in Madison, Ill. We have two children and the oldest boy is asthmatic. We have lived on the east side all of our lives and it is miserable most of the time. Granite City Steel is about 3 miles from our home, along with other places. With the smoke and dust that pour out of these places, it is often impossible for our son to play out. By impossible, I mean that if he does he will have an asthma attack which usually lasts 2 to 3 days. It will require medication and constant supervision. As you may know, allergies are one of the causes of asthma. This is true in the case of our son. All of the allergies he has, have been drastically controlled with allergy injections given weekly over the last 3 years except for his allergy to dust.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to build up an immunity to dust, since there are so many varieties. During the last alert of August, when none of the local plants stopped or curtailed their pollution, our son had an asthma attack which lasted 1 week and required medication. It is a very helpless feeling, as a mother, to sit and watch your son who is hardly able to breathe and you have done everything as is possible. On several occasions, it became necessary to give him adrenalin and intravenous injections. I cannot describe to you the agony he has undergone. The only solution the doctors have given us is to simply move to a cleaner climate. Unfortunately, this is impossible. My husband, who is a warehouseman, would not be able to get a job. I am speaking from experience because we have tried. An improvement would be to move to the suburbs or to the country, which we can't afford. With both of us working, we are able to have an air conditioner which keeps out much of the dust. In the summer, I can say there is never a window open in our house.

Unfortunately, many families living closer to the factories than us. cannot afford an air conditioner. They have far greater problems. Many people in the St. Louis metropolitan area have either a respiratory or sinus problem.

STATEMENT OF JAMES PACE, DIRECTOR, COMMUNITY ACTION, TEAMSTERS LOCAL 688

Mr. PACE. I would like to summarize some of the things that have been said. The present exaggerated time lag of enforcement of present air pollution controls; two, the inefficiency and threat to citizen community health where a problem is thrown back and forth from State agency to State agency without an adequate solution or effective followthrough; the lack of an adequate number of State inspectors. In behalf of the last two points, I would like you to bear special attention to this exhibit A, which shows the repeated efforts of Mr. Barlow to get State inspectors into St. Joe Lead and then the action to the reports and the lack of followthrough for another 6 months or a year; the need for mobilizing community resources to deal with current community problems on the basis proportioned to the present dealing with individual problems. There is the question of whether existing air pollution control resources have sufficient strength and coercive power to deal adequately, whether it be St. Joe Lead or General Motors or whatever. We need force and coercion on the part of the Federal Government to help the States and the Municipal authorities to do the job which we are facing. Concerning the Air Quality Act for 1967, it is too permissive. The time span for forceful action is too long. The wording with the law speaks of may, rather than shall; and then we have such things as a fine of a hundred dollars daily to a corporation which refuses to submit its report on its upgrading of its air pollution control equipment, and may I ask, then, what is the significance of a fine of a hundred dollars daily to a multi-milliondollar corporation?

In conclusion, the Federal Government cannot do too much in guaranteeing clean air for the future of its citizens and the question is: Is there the collective will to do so?

Senator EAGLETON. Thank you, Mr. Pace, and my thanks to your group for the excellent presentations. I hope you will find it convenient for this group, since they have stated their case very well and come from different geographical areas, with different problems, to appear at the November 12 hearing that has been so often mentioned during this hearing today. The reason I especially urge you, to appear, is that there is a school of thought that organized labor is not very vitally interested in air pollution restrictions. You have heard the rumor that when you get down to the nitty-gritty of strict enforcement, organized labor is fearful that it may cause some plants to be shut down. Because of the threatened loss of jobs it is alleged that organized labor isn't concerned. I cannot think of a finer group to appear at a public hearing where the standards are going to be discussed and ultimately set, than individuals who are from a group of organized labor. It could dispel some of that rumor that does go around. It was organized labor, I might point out, that would be the steelworkers, that brought about the changes in the Pennsylvania standards. So I think the rumor