FLOOD CONTROL AUTHORIZATIONS, 1949 TUESDAY, MAY 17, 1949 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C. The committee met, pursuant to adjournment, at 10 o'clock, Hon. Clifford Davis, acting chairman, presiding. Mr. DAVIS. The committee will be in order. We are going to change our program this morning to accommodate Senator Myers, a former colleague of ours in the House, for whom we have the very highest regard. We will take up the Allegheny River project. Senator, if you don't mind, Colonel Gee will make a preliminary statement. It won't take long. Then I think that may conserve your time. Senator MYERS. The Bradford project? Mr. DAVIS. Yes, sir. Colonel Gee, will you come around first on that Allegheny River, Bradford, Pa., and state in your own way the purposes of the project, and then we will hear from Senator Myers. ALLEGHENY RIVER AT BRADFORD, PA. Colonel GEE. Mr. Chairman, the report before the committee this morning on Bradford, Pa., was authorized in a Senate Commerce Committee resolution June 26, 1946, and involves the provision of local flood protection in and around Bradford, Pa., for the purpose of eliminating the threat of floods which have recurred in this city at a very high frequency rate and caused very severe damage. The city of Bradford, Pa., is located on the Tunungwant Creek, a tributary of the Allegheny River. Bradford is the center of the bulk shipment and processing of petroleum products produced in that rich, oil-producing portion of the State of Pennsylvania. In 1947, Bradford had a population of 20,000 people. Within a radius of 10 miles of Bradford is a population of 35,000 people. Their principal resource, as I have mentioned, is from the oil fields of that portion of the State of Pennsylvania. The average rainfall on the watershed of the Tunungwant Creek is 42 inches. There have been 11 outstanding floods in Bradford since 1917 and the flood of April 1947 was the most severe of these and produced damages in Bradford alone in the amount of $1,729,000. The average annual flood damages from all floods of record is $210,000 annually. 92329-49- -9 The stream slopes of Tunungwant Creek, beginning at its source, vary from 62 feet to the mile to 8 feet per mile in the vicinity of Bradford. As a consequence, the floods produced on this tributary of the Allegheny are flash floods and come with little warning, leaving no time for the residents of this community to make adequate preparation to take care of themselves and to escape from the floodwaters. The flood of April 1947 caused the loss of one life in Bradford. The plan of improvement recommended, and as indicated on the map before you, involves the improvement of the channels of the main stem of Tunungwant Creek and its tributaries within the limits of the city of Bradford. The method of improvement is channel straightening, revetment of side slopes, pavement of that portion of the channel under bridge openings to permit the passage of floodwaters, and some work on minor tributaries shown on the right bank of the Tunungwant Creek, as indicated. Mr. DAVIS. How much will this cost? Colonel GEE. The total cost of the recommended improvement, sir, is $7,909,000 of which local interests will pay $1,442,000 for rights-ofway, modification of utilities, and bridges. In addition, local interests will be required to maintain the project after its completion. Mr. DAVIS. Does the Corps of Engineers recommend this project? Colonel GEE. The report of the Chief of Engineers recommends the project. The benefit-cost ratio indicated is 1.02 to 1. Mr. DAVIS. Pardon me. Are there any questions? Mr. McGREGOR. Just one or two questions. Did I understand you to say the ratio of cost to benefits is 1.02 to 1? Colonel GEE. That is correct. Mr. MCGREGOR. Who will pay the cost of relocation and reconstruction or construction of the highways? Colonel GEE. The local interests. It is included in that figure of $1,400,000 which is the contribution from the city of Bradford. Mr. McGREGOR. That is all, Mr. Chairman. Mr. DAVIS. Thank you, Colonel. Mr. DONDERO. There is one question. Just so that it appears clear on the record, you use the term "unity" as meaning dollar spent and a dollar saved? Colonel GEE. Yes, sir; full return of the investment is unity. Mr. DONDERO. It appears in all of these reports. I just want the record to show what is meant by that term, unity. Colonel GEE. Yes, sir. Mr. DAVIS. Senator Myers, please. STATEMENT OF HON. FRANCIS J. MYERS, A UNITED STATES SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA Senator MYERS. Mr. Chairman, first let me say that I deeply appreciate this courtesy that you have extended in order that I might be able to get back to a subcommittee of my own. I am not here to discuss in detail the proposed plan of flood control for Bradford, Pa., because there is present at this hearing a delegation of citizens from Bradford who are far better qualified than I to give you all of the technical information, to give you the full report on the necessity for this project. Not only the mayor and the chairman of Bradford's Flood-Control Authority but leaders of the civic and industrial community are also here and they have with them Col. W. E. Lorence of the Ohio Valley Improvement Association, who was the district engineer for the United States Army at Pittsburgh under whose direction the Army engineers' report on this project was prepared. Thus, as for technical information, they are the best sources and I am sure their report to you will be thoroughly convincing. I have appeared here today because it was my pleasure to introduce the resolution back in 1946 under which the Senate Commerce Committee authorized the original survey of Bradford for flood-control purposes. I did so after being convinced that this area had a very serious flood problem in which Federal aid would no doubt be found to be justified. The resultant report of Army engineers established this beyond doubt, and consequently, last June, I introduced S. 2814 to authorize the construction of flood-control works at and in the vicinity of Bradford. Unfortunately there was not sufficient time to get this bill incorporated into the omnibus authorization bill which we enacted last year. Soon after the Eighty-first Congress convened, I introduced S. 625, which is substantially similar to S. 2814. I have followed the Army plans for Bradford with much interest and I want to say now that I am fully and wholeheartedly in accord with their proposed program. It is a practical program, one which will give Bradford protection against floods 50 percent greater than the greatest flood of record, which occurred in 1947. It is my understanding that the series of floods which Bradford has experienced since 1917 has caused damages far in excess of the cost of construction of this proposed project. Damages from the last three floods in this decade have accounted for losses equal to a high percentage of the total cost of the project. There are witnesses here today to tell you how these floods have completely disrupted business and industry in the community. Others can tell of the horrible dangers of fire under present flood conditions-first which the community would find it extremely difficult to combat. Others can report what these recurrent floods have meant in personal hardship and distress. Bradford is in the heart of the Nation's finest crude reserves. It is a nerve center of the American industrial and defense effort, since Pennsylvania crude oil of the quality which comes from this area is unmatched anywhere in the world. Members of this committee may recall the importance to which Congress in recent years has ascribed the secondary oil recovery research program administered by the Bureau of Mines in the Interior Department. I have been rather close to that program and intensely interested in it, and it was indeed impressive to me that so much of the early work in this vital field in the United States was carried on here in the Bradford area of Pennsylvania by private enterprise at a time when other oil-producing areas in the Nation were content to skim off gusher production and allow millions of barrels of oil to remain in the ground in abandoned wells once the gusher production began to fall. The northern Pennsylvania oil industry pioneered in the secondary recovery effort which our Government is now helping the entire oil industry to carry out. All of this indicates how progressive and alert this area of Pennsylvania has been. It establishes that investments made by the Federal Government in the Bradford area, through such things as flood control, will be enduring investments. I respectfully urge that this subcommittee hear the story which will be presented here by witnesses from Bradford, weigh it carefully, and analyze it thoroughly. If that is done, I am sure you will find this to be an exceptionally meritorious project and that you will recommend it for authorization so that we can begin to seek planning and initial construction funds for this work at the first opportunity. Mr. DONDERO. Mr. Chairman, I notice that Senator Martin has just come into the room. I suggest that we accord Senator Martin the same courtesy we did to Senator Myers. He may wish to return to his duties on the other side of the Capitol. Senator MARTIN. I do not wish to interrupt the orderly procedure of the committee, sir. Mr. DAVIS. No, no. A courtesy we inherently feel toward you. Mr. RICH. We are very happy to have Senator Martin here because he is very much interested in this project. Mr. DAVIS. You may proceed, sir. STATEMENT OF HON. EDWARD MARTIN, A SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA, IN SUPPORT OF THE BRADFORD, PA., FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT Mr. MARTIN. Mr. Chairman, I greatly appreciate the privilege of submitting to your committee this statement in support of the Bradford, Pa., flood-control project. I am hopeful that after you have heard the testimony of the representatives of the Bradford area you will concur in the opinion that this proposed improvement is completely meritorious and that you will recomend including its authorization in the Omnibus FloodControl bill. The record of recurring floods in the Bradford area presents convincing evidence of the great need of relief from the tremendous losses to which the people and its industries have been subjected. To touch briefly on the importance of the Bradford area, I would like to point out that it is a center of production, refining, and processing of the world-famous Pennsylvania Grade crude oil. It is the oldest oil-producing region in the world where the skills and techniques now used in every other oil field were developed. It is now the center of research in secondary recovery methods by which production in the Bradford area has been increased by 194,000,000 barrels a year. This will be substantially increased as new developments and advances are made in secondary recovery methods. In addition to the extensive oil industry, Bradford and McKean County have developed large-scale and diversified manufacturing of oil-well supplies, machinery and parts, metal and glass products, chemicals, leather and rubber goods, aircraft and parts. I point to these facts to show that Bradford is going forward and that protection from the severe flood damage it has suffered is amply justified from an economic standpoint. Other witnesses who will appear before you will submit statistics showing the extent of the damage to property by reason of floods. I would like to call to your attention the fact that the entire cost of the project would be more than covered by the savings that would be made in a 6-year period. That estimate is based on damage to physical property alone in the last 3-year period covering 1946 to 1948, inclusive. It does not take into consideration the large amount of additional damage represented by loss of wages, loss of production, and decline in real estate values in the districts of greatest damage where flood insurance is not obtainable. The project has been approved and concurred in all along the line by the Corps of Engineers from the district engineer through the division engineer, the board of engineers for Rivers and Harbors and forwarded to Congress by the Chief of Engineers. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has submitted its approval to the Department of the Army clearing the way for participation by the State in its share of the cost. The local subdivisions have likewise submitted assurances of participation in their share of the cost. My own study of the proposal has convinced me that the improvement is urgently needed to promote the welfare and further progress of this important district. Mr. DAVIS. I wish to thank both Senators Martin and Myers. Their appearance here has indeed made a contribution to the committee. We hope we have been able in some way to conserve your time. We know how busy you are. Senator MARTIN. I have been at one committee meeting this morning and I have another. Mr. DAVIS. Mr. Rich, we shall be happy to have you proceed, sir. STATEMENT OF HON. ROBERT F. RICH, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA Mr. RICH. Mr. Chairman, I am Congressman Robert F. Rich from the Fifteenth District of Pennsylvania, incidentally the best district in the whole United States. It gives me a great deal of pleasure this morning to come here and ask you for your consideration of the project for flood control in and around Bradford. Pa. Many details will no doubt be necessary for you to give your decision. It is a project that is well worth while, one that is essential and necessary. I am not going to take the time of the committee this morning to read any prepared statement. But I am going to introduce to you a gentlement from Bradford, Mr. Kenneth Meyer, who will make this statement relative to the necessity for this flood-control project. There are 10 men here from Bradford, accompanying Mr. Meyer, including Mayor Ryan, and I ask that you give consideration to these gentlemen and the suggestions of consideration of this project which |