28 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



POLLUTION DETAIL 



Paul A. Shaw, In Charge 



The program and work of the Pollution Detail, outlined in the 

 o5th Biennial Report, have been continued and expanded during the 

 present biennium to include a personnel of three from the Bureau of 

 Fish Conservation and eight from the Bureau of Patrol. 



OIL 



The Detail has maintained a frequent and more complete patrol 

 covering areas where production, refining, loading, shipping, storage 

 and use of oil and petroleum products constitute a potential hazard 

 to aquatic life in State waters. In this work the cooperation of Fed- 

 eral enforcement agencies has been extended ; patrol by boats and 

 planes, together with effective backing on enforcement having been of 

 inestimable benefit in the investigation and control of pollution from 

 this source. Many new and modern oil separating units, particularly 

 at the car loading, tank cleaning and roundhouse stations of the rail- 

 roads have been constructed during the period covered by this report 

 with resulting improvement to aquatic conditions. A further step, to 

 remove suspended solids, hazardous chemicals and final traces of oil 

 has recently been taken, on our insistence, by a concern handling oil 

 field waste waters where an installation costing over $100,000 is now 

 being completed for this purpose. 



MINING 



Pollution resulting from mining has, next to oil, required the most 

 active efforts of this Detail. Repeated inspections, suggestions on 

 proper control measures and emphasis on protection of recreational 

 values as well as fish life, combined with a more insistent public 

 demand, has served to initiate a greater degree of cooperation on the 

 part of mining company officials than has been evident in past years. 

 Thus, the improvements have largely been through suggestion, request 

 and the weight of public opinion rather than enforcement, but this 

 method is inadequate for the minority who delay action until forced to 

 do so. The same situation applies to the Klamath and Trinity area 

 where the legislation now in effect (Section 482) does not guarantee 

 stream clarity and efforts to preserve suitable conditions for recreation 

 and fishing depend on cooperative work and good will rather than 

 compliance with the law. 



This situation emphasizes the need of factual data to establish 

 more definitely the damage caused by pollution from placer mining, 

 on which a study will soon be under way, and also initiates the thought 

 that legislation to control pollution from this source would be justi- 

 fied on the basis of damage only to the recreational use of State waters. 

 Control of tailings from quartz mills is less difficult, potential damage 



