Document aJzVbV83LNj8n9VdK2nmr8XvX

July 1954 - PDrr.siLd.enBt,anHditMchacnoacgking Director Southern California Air Pollution Foundation 704 SouthSpring Street Los Angeles .14, California Dear Doctor Hitchcock: Please accept my thanks for your kindletter of July 2. I shouldlike you to feel sure that Iandmyassociates will be as helpful as we canto your group. We regard air pollutionandwater pollutionwithgenuine concern as major problems of modernurbanlife, whichwill continue to growin significance. Los jvngaies is of prime interest in connectionwithair pollution, since the peculiar conditions there have resulted in its having exceeded ehe limits of its ability to rid itself, bynatural means, of its discharge of wastes into the atmosphere. Yet Los Angeles continues to growandro increase its ownenvironmental problem, which, therefore, must be solved oytechnical means. The same general problem, as well as the water pollutionproblem, .exists inmanyother of the industrial cities of the world, andina fewof these the threshold of trouble of one kindor.another Iras been nearly reached, actually reached or exceeded. The general problemhas manyfacets, of whichtne hygienic groupc-i considerations is onlyone, and, inmy opinion, net nowthe most important. But it will became more and more important as .i:-.negoes on, andit may well be the crucial.one fromthe point.-.of viewof compulsoryaction. Weandmanyother groups will be inves tigating these matters for a long.time to come, andwhile this is no reason for complacency,, it is never-the-less reason for proceeding carefully, economically, and withthe mainobjectives inview. The physicist andchemist have the problems of identificationandmeasurement to workout; the meteorolo gist andtne geographer have the problems gnatural movement and removal of waste-materials to solve ina comprehensive manner; the physiologist and physician have to determine the limits of safety of the thousands of waste materials, individuallyandcollectively, not only those of the present but of the future as well, so as to set the specifications for safe andcomfortable atmospheric environment; andthe engineer must be capable of converting the physiologists specifications into actualities, throughproper design of operating equipment of manykinds - transport, manufacturing, etc. This is howit will be fromnowon, andunless industry realizes this fullyandprepared itself individuallyandcollectively to deal withit, along withits other technological -developments, we shall Lave trouble, waste and confusionwithincreasing frequency and intensity. We, inthis Laboratory, whohave had some experience inmatters relating . ^ 0-00.436? . ; - Dr. L. B. Hitchcock - {2} - July7, 1954 to industrial health., andara sot upto learn andtoteach others, are'prepared at considerable trouble andinconvenience to ourselves, to keepintouchwith what is going oninthe field. We expect to be at this for a longtimeto come. Weare gladto see competent people come into thefield, andwe want to work-. withthemso far as it is possible to do so. We have considered the opportunity whichpresents itself to make some observations inthe Los Angeles area in this light, andtherefore wehave made a proposal to you. Inviewof your comment onthe assistance whichmight be givenbyEthyl Corporationto the financing of this work, I thinkI should say that Ihave thought that it might be best if the project whichwe proposedto carry out were to be financed by the Foundation. However, it is myopinion, andIhave so recommended, that Ethyl Corporation should make a substantial contribution of moneyto the Foundation. Ihave every reasontobelieve that this will be done. Inaddition, Mr. Cholakexpects to obtaintechnical assistance from'.themin Los Angeles, so s.3 to carry onthe work'without'undue'cost andinconvenience. Sincerely yours, 'SAKef Robert A. Cehoe, M. D> 0004388