GUY VANDER JAGT COMMITTEES:
9TH District, MICHIGAN SCIENCE AND ASTRONAUTICS
GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

Congress of the Anited States
House of Representatives
Washington, B.€. 20515

June 23, 1970

Dr. Joshua Lederberg

c/o Washington Post Company
1515 L. Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.

Dear Dr. Lederberg:

I found your June 6 column in the Washington Post on
the "Dramatic Results Unlikely From Replacing Phosphates"
to be particularly interesting. My Conservation and Natural
Resources Subcommittee has looked into this problem in some
detail and we share your concern over the environmental problems
caused by phosphates in detergents.

In one particular paragraph in the article you discuss
the long term solution to water pollution problems which
involves the radical restructuring of our systems of waste
disposal and the " manuring of farm lands." While the program
has not yet been given substantial publicity, in Muskegon
County, Michigan, in my Congressional District a lagoon-
spray irrigation system of municipal waste water treatment
is being developed which I am certain utilizes the fundamental
concept which you advocate. I've enclosed a copy of a statement
which I have issued concerning this particular program.

While you suggest that such a treatment system will be
costly, and there can be no doubt that you are correct in this
assumption, work so far in Muskegon County suggests that agri-
culture returns from this system will provide a substantial
offset to the initial cost over a period of time. There is
obviously a great deal of research which must be performed
before perfection of the system and before a complete under-
standing of all of its implications is available, but the
program is well along in many respects.

I would be very pleased to provide additional information
-2-
on the system if it would be of value to you.

Sincerely,

- LO, : -
GVJ:2n GUY VANDER JAGT, M.C.