OLEAN Twomile creek ALBANY, September 6, 1900 Hon. C. W. ADAMS, Consulting engineer, State Board of Health, Amsterdam, N. Y.: Dear Sir-You are directed to proceed to Olean, N. Y., for the purpose of investigating as to alleged nuisances caused by the waste from tanneries as explained to you over the 'phone this day. When you reach Olean you are advised to confer with the health officer, Dr. J. C. Clarke, who will no doubt fully explain the situation to you. In making your report to this Board, kindly have it in duplicate that one copy may be sent to the Olean parties. Very respectfully BAXTER T. SMELZER Secretary UTICA, N. Y., September 13, 1900 Hon. B. T. SMELZER, Secretary State Board of Health: Sir-Pursuant to your direction by letter of September 6th,. I went to Olean on the 10th to inspect the situation in that town in regard to the sanitary condition of a certain stream, alleged to be polluted by some tanneries located on its banks. I desire to submit the following report: A brief description of the topography will make the case more easily understood. The town of Olean includes the city of Olean. The stream in question, known as the "Twomile creek," runs its whole course wholly outside the city limits but close by. The city and the portion of the town lie upon a broad plain slightly rolling and quite level. This plain is bordered on the northwest and south by ranges of hills. Skirting the southerly hills runs. the Allegany river, into which the sewers of the city discharge. Springing from the hills on the north this Twomile creek flows as a mere brook across the plain in a southwesterly course and discharges into the Allegany river. Several manufacturing plants are located along the creek, including two tanneries; one owned by American hide and leather company is located about one mile from the mouth of the creek, and the other, owned by Adam Kinley & Son, is further up the stream, about one-fourth of a mile. At this dry season of the year the water that flows in the creek naturally is only a trifle. The tanneries discharge into it the bulk of its dry weather flow. I was unable to learn the quantity thus discharged, but it may be put at 200,000 gallons in the 24 hours. The water thus discharged from the tanneries carries with it an amount of lime, some salt, some hair, some fleshings and bits of hide; a very little of the tanning liquor, enough to give the discharge a reddish color. Previous to 1896 this polluted water was discharged directly into the creek and the organic matters and the mineral matters in suppression were carried on by it down toward the rver But the fall in the creek is so very slight that these matters were largely deposited on the bottom and sides of the creek. In addition to these wastes from the tanneries, there were at that time wastes from a chemical plant and an oil refinery which were discharged into the creek. I was informed that these latter wastes are no longer sent into it but are carried off by a city sewer. Certainly the stream above the Kinley tannery and below those plants showed no sign on its bottom or in the water then running of any pollution. At the instance of the health officer of the town of Olean, Dr. W. Carl Dallenbaugh, some three or four years ago the owners of the tanneries each built a series of settling tanks into which this waste-polluted water is discharged. At the Kinley tannerythe effluent from the last of its series of tanks, when we opened the gate provided, ran into the creek as a muddy looking water only, and I failed to detect any odor from it, nor did the bed of the creek show any signs of organic deposits. At the American company's tannery the effluent from the last of the series of tanks, when we opened the gate, appeared to be considerably polluted and a slight odor was noticed. The tannery owners have made an honest effort to remove the main portion of the polluting substances before turning the water into the creek. The design of these settling tanks could be improved. Instead of discharging from the last tank as they now do, through an opening at the bottom of the tank controlled by a gate, which when opened permits the water to rush out with force, carrying more or less pollution with it, the discharge should be from near the top of the tank, and it should be over a weir as long as practicable. The water would then discharge gently and continuously and the settlings would be kept in the tanks to be otherwise removed. Their operation would then be like that of a septic tank, and probably a similar bacterial oxidation of the organic matters would take place, resulting in a cleaner effluent. I had talks with the owners of property along the Twomile creek below the tanneries. These are the people who make complaint They each own a few acres of land through which the creek passes. They live there, and their complaint is that under certain conditions of the atmosphere, and the wind blowing from the right direction, they have to endure offensive odors which they attribute to this creek. It is quite possible, as with the methods I have described for discharging the tanks at the tanneries, some of the organic matter is carried down the stream, and as the flow is intermittent, this matter may lodge and putrefy. It is highly probable too that the practice followed of removing the sludge which settles in the tanks every few days and dumping on the surface of the ground and left only partially covered from the light and air creates another potent odor-producing condition. This should be stopped. The sludge should be put into tanks or receptacles and closed from the light and air until ready for removal by the farmers who use it for fertilizer. Two years ago the tannery owners began at the river and cleaned out the creek channel and straightened it in places all the way up to the tanneries They purchased the right to do this work from some of these complaining property owners. They propose to repeat this process now, and are willing to put in a box or wooden channel so that the water would flow more freely and carry off to the river any polluting matters. One or more of the property owners refuse to let the work be done on their land. They claim it is not effective, that it injures their property, and probably want pay for granting permission. The town board of health of Olean is ready to order this work done, including the wooden channel, but as a portion of the creek lies in the adjoining town of Allegany the Olean board is helpless. The Allegany board of health declines or neglects to act in the matter, so that the property owners who hold out against the work being done effectually block it. The whole matter is not a very serious one, but as it seems to be a recurring complaint, the authority to cope with it so divided all the parties being nearby constituents of Senator Higgins, he requests that something be done to effectually settle it. This is a fair statement of the situation; now what are the remedies? I suggest: First-The State Board of Health should, by resolution, declare that the stream known as the "Twomile creek" in the town of Olean, Cattaraugus county, N. Y., in its present condition is a nuisance and injurious to the public health of the citizens of Olean; and Second-By resolution call upon the town boards of health of the towns of Olean and Allegany, Cattaraugus county, N. Y., to take the necessary steps to cause the Twomile creek, where it flows through the towns of Olean and Allegany, to be cleaned out, and a new artificial channel of wood or other material be constructed so as to effectually drain the low lands contiguous, and reduce to a minimum the opportunity for lodgment of any organic matters, which the stream may carry, and Third-Advise the board of health of the town of Olean to cause at least a partial reconstruction of the settling tanks at the tanneries described in this report so that the polluting materials shall be less liable to be carried off by the effluent water and deposited in Twomile creek; and Fourth-Advise the town board of health of Olean to cause the owners of the tanneries to provide themselves with some form of receptacle into which the settlings or sludge from the tanks shall be deposited and kept covered from light and air until their final disposition. Respectfully submitted. CAMPBELL W. ADAMS Consulting engineer ALBANY, October 9, 1900 M. L. LEE, President Board of Health, Town of Olean, Olean, N. Y. Dear Sir-In compliance with a resolution adopted by this. Board at a meeting held September 30, 1900, I enclose herewith copy of a report made by C. W. Adams upon his investigation of a complaint concerning the unsanitary condition of Twomilecreek. It is requested that you submit the report to the board of health of the town of Olean at the earliest practicable date, calling their attention to the second, third and fourth recommendations made by Mr. Adams. You are requested to inform this Board as to such action as the local board may take on the report. Very respectfully BAXTER T. SMELZER, Secretary ALBANY, October 9, 1900 GEORGE A. HALL, President Board of Health, Town of Allegany, Allegany, N. Y.: Dear Sir-In compliance with a resolution adopted by this. Board at a meeting held on September 30, 1900, I enclose herewith copy of a report made by C. W. Adams upon his investigation of a complaint concerning the unsanitary condition of a stream known as Twomile creek. I would also call your attention to the several recommendations of Mr. Adams. |