accelerate the saline water conversion program conducted by the Secretary of the Interior, and for other puropses. Without objection, a copy of the bill, S. 24, and a copy of the President's letter to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House will appear in the record following my comments.

At the present time we may well be at the crossroads of decision as to our future course in our desalination program. I am confident that some of our witnesses during these hearings will be able to give us sound and knowledgeable suggestions and advice. The desalting research program was initiated in 1952 under the first Saline Water Act, which was approved on July 3, 1952. The initial authorization provided $2 million over a 5-year period. In 1955, the authorization was increased to $10 million and the life of the program was extended to 1963. Five demonstration plants were authorized for construction by the act of September 2, 1958. The present level of the program was not achieved until the Anderson-Aspinall Act of 1961, which authorized $75 million for the years 1962 to 1967, inclusive. Since that time, research and development expenditures have averaged about $10 million annually, and a substantial increase is proposed in the 1966 budget.

The five demonstration plants have been constructed at San Diego, Calif. (this one was moved successfully to Guantanamo Bay during the United States-Cuban water crisis there); Webster, S. Dak.: Roswell, N. Mex.; Freeport, Tex.; and Wrightsville Beach, N.C. These plants appear to be operating in a range of performance from satisfactory and fulfilling-all-expectations, to poor and vexatious. In addition to the operational plants, a very substantial and necessary basic research program has been carried forward with the hope of finding either a new process for producing low-cost desalted water or a radical improvement of one or more known processes.

The Office of Saline Water in the Department of the Interior has pursued its solutions to economical desalting through attacking two separate problems simultaneously: (1) to find a way to supply the water needs of large coastal metropolitan areas where conventional sweet water is in short supply: and (2) to develop a process for improving the quality and usability of brackish and mineral-charged waters for inland communities at prices that people and industry can afford to pay.

These goals will presumably remain much the same as they have been, because these are the areas in need of the products of successful and economical desalting. But the routes by which they may be attained may perhaps be somewhat altered. The dual-purpose plants now under consideration appear to offer excellent cost-cutting onportunities, because whether atomic energy or conventional energy sources should be used in them, the end product is twofold, electric power generation and distillation. Their "scaled un" size promises economy as well, if the experience of the electric utility industry applies in this

area.

(The bill and the message from the President follow:)

[S. 24, 89th Cong. 1st sess.]

A BILL To expand, extend, and accelerate the saline water conversion program conducted by the Secretary of the Interior, and for other purposes

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in order to expand, extend, and accelerate the saline water conversion program conducted by the Secretary of the Interior, the Act of September 22, 1961 (75 Stat. 628), is hereby amended as follows:

(1) Insection 2(b) add the words ", module, component," after the word "laboratory."

(2) In section 8 substitute the figure "$275,000,000" for the figure "$75,000,000" and the figure "1972" for the figure "1967”.

THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, March 29, 1965.

Hon. HUBERT H. HUMPHREY,

President of the Senate,

Washington, D.C.

DEAR MR. PRESIDENT. Past generations of Americans have been blessed with an abundance of sparkling, clean water. But in recent years we have become careless in our stewardship of this vital resource-polluting, wasting, and carelessly exploiting it.

Water shortages-real as well as prospective already plague some regions of our land. Other areas and communities will soon be threatened. Yet, we must have an abundance of fresh water if we are to continue to grow and prosper.

Action to conserve what nature has so generously provided has often been inadequate and too late. We are determined not to make this mistake again. I have already pledged full support for cleaning up our rivers-and keeping them clean. We will continue to foster conservation by planning for the wisest possible use of all existing water supplies and by curbing and eliminating wasteful and uneconomic uses of water.

But these steps are not enough.

News sources of supply at competitive costs

are also required if we are to stay abreast of the ever-mounting demand for water. The seas around us offer an inexhaustible reservoir to help meet this need in coastal areas while vast quantities of brackish water are available to supplement the supplies of many inland areas. We must spare no effort in learning how to desalt these water economically.

For the past 12 years the United States has been engaged in a program of research and development which has brought desalting technology to a point where it shows promise of economic application in the future. To stimulate the translation of this promise into reality, I requested the Department of the Interior last July to develop, in close collaboration with the Atomic Energy Commission, a proposed program which would significantly advance large-scale desalting technology.

The resulting report entitled "Program for Advancing Desalting Technology" was completed promptly and released to the public on October 26, 1964. It recommended-and I am transmitting with this letter draft legislation to accomplish-expansion, extension, and acceleration of the salt water conversion research and development activities now being conducted by the Department of the Interior under authority of the Anderson-Aspinall Act of 1961.

This legislative proposal would increase by $200 million the $75 million appropriation authorization provided in the 1961 act and extend through 1972 the time during which the authorized funds would be available to support this important program. Enactment of this legislation is vital if the Department of the Interior is to mount and lead the substantial sustained effort necessary to achieve truly economical desalting of sea and brackish waters.

In the meantime, I have already transmitted to the Congress a request for a supplemental appropriation of $3.9 million in 1965 to enable the Department, through a reorganized Office of Saline Water, to accelerate its research and development activities along the general lines outlined in the report mentioned above. Desalting activities will receive continuing emphasis in 1966. My budgetary recommendations to Congress for the coming fiscal year amount to

$29 million for the Office of Saline Water, more than double the amount appropriated for 1965.

By pressing ahead with a vigorous program of economic desalting to meet our ever-growing domestic needs for water, we will at the same time provide the technology which can be shared with other nations. This technology could prove to be the key that will unlock the door to economic growth for many of these nations.

It would be difficult to exaggerate the power for good, the palliative effect on age-old animosities and problems, that would result from providing an abundance of water in lands which, for countless generations, have known only shortage. To stimulate cooperation in the field with such great potential for the good of mankind, the United States will convoke a symposium of interested nations in October 1965 to exchange information on desalting technology.

In recommending this measure to the Congress, I wish to acknowledge the foresight of such able legislators as Clinton Anderson, Wayne Aspinall, and the late Clair Engle. Our present efforts in desalting rest in substantial measure upon the sound foundation they laid and on which we intend to build. I earnestly hope that their leadership and the progress which it has inspired can be carried forward without interruption by the prompt enactment of the bill I am transmitting today.

Sincerely,

Enclosure.

LYNDON B. JOHNSON.

A BILL To expand, extend, and accelerate the saline water conversion program conducted by the Secretary of the Interior, and for other purposes

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in order to expand, extend, and accelerate the saline water conversion program conducted by the Secretary of the Interior, the Act of September 22, 1961 (75 Stat. 628), is hereby amended as follows:

(1) In section 2(b) add the words ", module, component," after the word "laboratory".

(2) In section 8 substitute the figure "$275,000,000” for the figure "$75,000,000" and the figure "1972" for the figure "1967".

Senator ANDERSON. Before proceeding with our first witness, who is the Secretary of the Interior, I would like to invite statements or comments from any member of the committee.

Mr. Secretary, we are always happy to welcome you here and happy to have you here at the hearing. We are pleased with your participation and progress in the desalination program. I, for one, have been happy for many years with it. You have made a great contribution to what America can be in the future. We thank you for the attitude you have taken on the desalination program.

STATEMENT OF HON. STEWART L. UDALL, SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Mr. UDALL. I am pleased to be here to discuss the program to advance desalting technology. I would like to summarize part of my statement and read part of it, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, we are entering into what I think is probably the most critical phase of this program and I would like to say, first of all, that we appreciate the strong support we have received from this committee and particularly from the two gentlemen who are now present at this committee hearing. This program was initiated by the Congress and not the executive branch of the Government. The interest and support of the chairman of the subcommittee who is presiding, and

the chairman of the full committee, has been very vital throughout the life of the program.

I would like to say one other thing on a personal level and that is that the new director of our program, Mr. Di Luzio, who I borrowed from Senator Anderson, and I hope I borrowed him permanently, has proven to be what I had hoped he would be a very competent director in a very complex and fast-moving program. He is here today and he can speak for himself. His virtues will be obvious, I am sure. Senator Anderson was fully aware of my actions when I persuaded Mr. Di Luzio to accept our offer to join the Department of the Interior. He has turned in an outstanding performance during his first 3 or 4 months and we have the greatest confidence in his ability.

Senator ANDERSON. Mr. Secretary, it was like asking a man to cut his own throat when you asked me to release him. I do think this is a great program of real importance and I appreciate the fact you have

confidence in him.

Mr. UDALL. Up to this point, Mr. Chairman, that confidence has certainly been well placed.

Senator ANDERSON. I want to concur in that.

Senator JACKSON. I think the Secretary is very fortunate in having Mr. Di Luzio and the Secretary deserves great credit for the vigor in which he is pushing this program and the wisdom that he has exercised in getting good people to support him.

Mr. UDALL. Well, this is most vital as you know, and I think also the relationship that we have developed in the last 2 years with the AEC has been a very fruitful one. I think having the competence and the insight of two agencies or departments has given us new strength.

I am going to read part of my statement, starting at the top of page 6.

Senator ANDERSON. When you conclude your remarks, your statement will be placed in full in the record.

Mr. UDALL. Mr. Chairman, the desalting program was launched in 1952, with the passage of the Saline Water Act.

The initial authorization provided $2 million over a 5-year period. This authorization was increased in 1955 and not less than five demonstration plants were authorized in 1958. However, the program did not reach its present level until the Anderson-Aspinall Act was enacted in 1961. Since that time, research and development expenditures have averaged $10 million annually.

We are directing our efforts to the solution of two separate problems simultaneously. A way must be found to supply the water needs of large metropolitan areas near the coast where conventional water is in short supply.

Equally important, we need to develop a process that will improve the quality of brackish and minerally charged waters for inland communities at prices that will make this improvement economically feasible.

The Anderson-Aspinall Act enables us to establish substantial basic research programs to unearth knowledge that will hopefully lead to truly low-cost water through the discovery of new processes or the radical improvement of known processes.

Today, I would like to review these activities and discuss separately the plants that have been constructed under our demonstration and pilot plant programs.

The enactment of the Anderson-Aspinall Act in 1961 initiated an intensive program of basic research in the Office of Saline Water. Through basic research, we are increasing the storehouse of fundamental scientific information in areas relevant to desalting. The probabilities are that this research will pay off handsomely. Much of what we are learning may never be applicable to desalting, but may well find practical application in other related efforts.

In fact, some of it may have no practical application whatsoever. That risk is inherent in all research programs. Just establishing that an apparently attractive idea will not work adds to our total knowledge.

The engineering development program has been expedited by the establishment of a research and development test station at Wrightsville Beach, N.C. This installation provides a facility where the testing and development of processes, particularly at the pilot plant level, can be conducted under standardized conditions.

We have here at Wrightsville Beach a facility where Office of Saline Water contractors can conduct experimental work with administrative services and all utility services available; that is, sea water, fresh water, steam, electricity, compressed air, fuel storage. waste disposal, and reinforced concrete foundations for erection of pilot equipment or plants. At the present time, there are five pilot plants in operation and the sixth is nearing completion.

The Department was authorized under Public Law 85-883 of 1958 to construct not less than five demonstration plants to be located in five different areas and utilizing the five most advanced and promising

processes.

As these plants have become operative, they have provided valuable opportunities for testing new ideas and modification under actual operating conditions. In 1959 and 1960, the following processes and locations were selected for these plants:

The first of these plants at Freeport, Tex., using the multi-effect, long-tube distillation process, was completed in May 1961. Almost 1 billion gallons of water have been produced for the plant's customers during the past 3 years.

In the course of its operation, many components have been replaced and other modifications have been made to improve the plant's operation. With these modifications in place, the plant is now producing its rated capacity of 1 million gallons per day, using only two-thirds of the heat exchange equipment. Additional modifications have been planned which we believe will further improve the process.

The multistage flash demonstration plant at San Diego, Calif., operated successfully for almost 2 years prior to its transfer last February to Guantanamo to meet the Navy's emergency need. By using the pH method of scale control at San Diego, we were able to increase the plant's operating temperature from 190° to 250° F. As a result, the plant's output increased 40 percent to 1,400,000 gallons per day with only a slight increase in operating costs.