WEATHER CONTROL AND
AUGMENTED POTABLE WATER SUPPLY
JOINT HEARINGS
BEFORE
SUBCOMMITTEES OF THE COMMITTEES ON INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS INPERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE
« AND AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY ‘ UNITED STATES SENATE EIGHTY-SECOND CONGRESS ; FIRST SESSION
ON
5 3:5
A BILL TO*PROVIDE FOR RESEARCH INTO AND DEMONSTRATION
OF PRACTICAL MEANS FOR THE ECONOMICAL PRODUCTION, FROM
SEA OR OTHER SALINE WATERS, OR FROM THE ATMOSPHERE
(INCLUDING CLOUD FORMATIONS), OF WATER SUITABLE FOR
AGRICULTURAL, INDUSTRIAL, MUNICIPAL, AND OTHER BENE- FICIAL CONSUMPTIVE USES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
>. 222
A BILL TO PROVIDE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND REGULATION OF METHODS OF WEATHER MODIFICATION AND CONTROL AND
S. 798 A BILL TO AUTHORIZE THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE TO CONDUCT RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTS WITH RESPECT TO METHODS OF CONTROLLING AND PRODUCING PRECIPITATION IN MOISTURE-DEFICIENT AREAS
WASHINGTON, D. C., MARCH 14, 15, 16, 19, AND APRIL 5, 1951
Printed for the use of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, and the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1951
COMMITTEE ON INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS
JOSEPH C, O’MAHONEY, Wyoming, Chairman
JAMES E. MURRAY, Montana HUGH BUTLER, Nebraska ERNEST W. McFARLAND, Arizona EUGENE D. MILLIKIN, Colorado CLINTON P. ANDERSON, New Mexico GUY CORDON, Oregon HERBERT H. LEHMAN, New York ZALES N. ECTON, Montana RUSSELL B, LONG, Louisiana GEORGE W. MALONE, Nevada GEORGE A. SMATHERS, Florida ARTHUR V. WATKINS, Utab
Mi.us Astin, Chief Clerk
SUBCOMMITTEE ON 8. 5 CLINTON P. ANDERSON, Chairman
HERBERT H. LEHMAN GUY CORDON GEORGE A. SMATHERS ARTHUR V. WATKINS
COMMITTEE ON INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE
EDWIN C. JOHNSON, Colorado, Chairman
ERNEST W. McFARLAND, Arizona CHARLES W. TOBEY, New Hampshire WARREN G. MAGNUSON, Washington OWEN BREWSTER, Maine
BRIEN McMAHON, Connecticut HOMER E. CAPEHART, Indiana HERBERT R. O’CONOR, Maryland JOHN W. BRICKER, Ohio
LYNDON B. JOHNSON, Texas JOHN J. WILLIAMS, Delaware LESTER C. HUNT, Wyoming JAMES P. KEM, Missouri
EDWARD §S. JARRETT, Clerk
SUBCOMMITTEE ON 8. 222 LESTER C. HUNT, Chairman ERNEST W. McFARLAND JAMES P. KEM
COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY
ALLEN J. ELLENDER, Louisiana, Chairman
CLYDE R. HOEY, North Carolina GEORGE D. AIKEN, Vermont
OJIN D. JOHNSTON, South Carolina MILTON R. YOUNG, North Dakota SPESSARD L. HOLLAND, Florida EDWARD J. THYE, Minnesota CLINTON P. ANDERSON, New Mexico JAMES P. KEM, Missouri
JAMES 0. EASTLAND, Mississippi BOURKE B. HICKENLOOPER, Iowa HUBERT H. HUMPHREY, Minnesota KARL E. MUNDT, South Dakota
C, M. MovseEr, Chi’f Cleri
SUBCOMMITTEE ON 8. 798 CLINTON P. ANDERSON, Chairman
HUBERT H, HUMPHREY JAMES P. KEM II
CONTENTS
Statements of—
Barnes, Carlton P., research coordinator, Agricultural Research Ad- ministration, United States Department of Agriculture, Wash- ington, D. C :
Bennett, N. B., Jr., Assistant Director of Project Planning, United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D. C
Brown, A. A., Chief, Division of Forest Fire Research, United States Forest Service, Washington, D. C ;
Bush, Vannevar, president, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, D. C
Chapman, Oscar L., Secretary of the Interior, United States Depart- ment of the Interior, Washington, D. C_- .
Davies, Howard, president, Industrial Processes Co., Philadelphia, : _
Eardley, Carl, attorney, Claims Division, Department of Justice
Fox, Benjamin, superintendent, engineering and design, shipbuilding division, Bethlehem Steel Co., Quincy, Mass
Gillenwaters, T. R., special counsel, Water Resources Development Corp., Denver, Colo
Harrison, Henry T., Jr., manager, weather service, United Air Lines, Stapleton Airfield, Denver, Colo a
Hosler, Charles &., division of meteorology, the Pennsylvania State College, State College, Pa
Houghton, Henry G., professor of meteorology and head of department of meteorology, Massachusetts Instituie of Technology, Cambridge, Mass .
Howell, Wallace E., research meteorologist, Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass
Ingvalson, E. L., editor, Daily Journal, Rapid City, $8. Dak
Krick, Irving P., director of the American Institute of Aerological {esearch and president of the Water Resources Development Corp., Denver, Colo :
Lineweaver, Goodrich W., Assistant Commissioner, Bureau of Recla- mation, United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D. C ace.
Marshall, Harry, Marshall Flying Service, Rapid City, S. Dak
MeDonald, W. F., Assistant Chief, United States Weather Bureau, Washington, D. C ;
McKinney, Robert, chairman, New Mexico Economic Development Commission, Santa Fe, N. Mex
McKinnon, Clinton D., Representative in Congress from the Twenty- third District of California__ wae
Neuberger, Hans H., professor of meteorology and chief, division of meteorology, Pennsylvania State College, State College, Pa
Schaefer, Vincent J., scientist, General Electric Research Laboratory, the Knolls, Schenectady, N. Y .
Searles, Richard D., president, Salt River Valley Water Users’ Asso- ciation, Phoenix, Ariz _ - :
Sherwood, Thomas K., dean of engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass
Straus, Michael W., Commissioner of Reclamation, United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D. C wes
Suits, C. G., vice president and director of research, General Electric Co., the Knolls, Schenectady, N. Y---- :
Vonnegut, Bernard, scientist, General Electric Research Laboratory, the Knolls, Schenectady, N. Y- ; die ecbas/owna aie
Warne, William E., Assistant Secretary of the Interior, United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D. C_-
Page
102 126
148
151
131
262
83
IV CONTENTS
EXHIBITS
Acta Chemica Scandinavica 4 (1950), reprint from, The Phase Diagram of Sodium Chloride and Steam Above the Critical Point Agriculture Department: Official report on 8. 5 Official report on S. 222 Official report on 8. 798 ; Statement on 8. 1300, Eighty-first Congress Amendments: Proposed by Agriculture Department to S. 5 Proposed by Agriculture Department to section 1 of Proposed by State Department to S. 222 Proposed by Interior Department to 8. 5 Proposed by Budget Bureau to S. 1300, Eighty-first Congress Proposed by Interior Department to S. 1300, Eighty-first Congress Proposed by Justice Department to 8. 5 American Meteorological Society, statement on weather modification and control, May 3, 1951 American Meteorological Society Bulletin: Reprint from volume 31, No. 9, November 1950, on the Results of Recent Experiments in the Artificial Production of Precipitation Reprint from volume 32, No. 2, February 1951, An Appraisal of Cloud Seeding as a Means of Increasing Precipitation : teprint from volume 32, No. 2, February 1951, Effect of Sunlight on the Action of Silver-Iodide Particles as Sublimation Nuclei Army Department, report on 8. 5, 8. 222, 8. 798 _ - Artificial Precipitation, Outline of Studies of Probable Effects of, N. B. Ben- nett, Jr ; Artificial Precipitation, Research Needs in, N. B. Benneit, Jr ; re Bonneville Power Administration, John D. Davis, manager, Washington, D. C., office: Investigation of methods for producing rainfall Judget Bureau: Official report on 8. 5, 5. 222, 8S. 798 Official report on 8. 1300, Eighty-first Congress . California Legislature, 1951 regular session, not enacted: Assembly bill No. 101 Assembly bill No. 2706 Senate bill No. 986 Senate bill No. 388 Senate bill No. 617 Cleaver-Brooks Co., statement re S. 5 Cloud Seeding as a Means of Increasing Precipitation, reprinted from the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, volume 32, No. 2, February 1951 Cloud Seeding Operations, Some Evaluations of Sustained, by I. P. Krick and T. B. Smith Colorado House bill No. 251, enacted 1951 fommerce Department: Officia! report on S. 5, S. 222. and S. 798
798
PR
Siaiement by the Secretary on 8. 1300, Eighty-first Congress Community Facilities Service, General Services Administration: State- ment,by P. F. Seward, Commissioner, on 8. 1300, EKighi-first Congress
Defense Depariment: Project Cirrus (Press Branch fact sheet), July 19, 1950 . Report on 8. 1300, EFighiy-firsi Congress
Eneino waiter research group, statement re S. 5
Exhibits, list of printed material supplied by the Weather Bureau for
committee files Figure, air saturaior, Olin S. Proctor Figures submitted by I. P. Krick and T. B. Smith; Rainfall Relation Between Target and Control Areas: No. 1, Julv 1950, northeast New Mexico No. 2, August 1950, northeast New Mexico No. 3, August 1950, southeast Colorado No. 4, September 1950, southeast Colorado No. 5, Oetober 1950, tricounties, Oregon
CONTENTS Vv Figures submitted by I. P. Krick and T. B. Smith; Rainfall R Page Between Target and Control Areas—Continued No. 6, November 1950, tricounties, Oregon an 332 No. 7, December 1950, tricounties, Oregon 333 No. 8, Percent of normal snow pack, March 1, 1951 334 No. 9, Preliminary storm analysis, January 10-13, 1951 335 No. 10, Preliminary storm analysis, December 31, 1931—January 5, 1932 ‘ 336 Figures submitted by Wallace E. Howell: No. 1, Precipitation gaging stations obi 319 No. 16, Percent of normal precipitation during test period smoothed by 10-mile squares 320 No. 17, Precipitation anomaly in inches during test period, after United States Weather Bureau maps a 321 No. LS, Estimate percent of normal precipitation without seeding during test pe riod : : 322 Forest timber, present market value of ne 128 General Accounting Office, official report on 8, 5, S. 222, and 8. 798 F 30 General Electric research laboratory, visit to 273 Glare Research Institute, ‘‘We Don’t Have to Change Genesis Story” statement on 8. 5, S. 222, 8S. 798 A 205 Griscom-Russell Co., reclamation of sea water 231 Holy, William E., Division of Sanitation, Public Health Service, Federal Health | Service, Federal Security Agencv—Statement re 8. 1500, Eighty- first Congress ‘ 116 Interior Department: Official report on 8. 5 ‘ 75 feport on 8. 1300, Eighty-first Congress, July 7, 1949, and April 12, 1950 311, 313 Report on proposed amendments to 8. 1300, Eighty-first Congress 316 J. G. White Engineering Corp., 80 Broad Street, New York, N. Y., state- ment re 8. 1300, Eighty-first Congress ae 19] Justice Department, amendatory langauge for section 5 of S. 5 228 Landsberg, Helmut E., Executive Director, Committee on Geophysics and Geography, Research and Development Board, Department of Defens statement re 8S. 1300, Eighty-first Congress ; 112 Lineweaver, Goodrich W., Chairman, Indepartmental Committee to econ- sider legislation under 8S. 1300, Eighty-first Congress: Agriculture Department, statement ae 111 State Department, excerpt from letter May 8, 1950- 111 Defense Department, statement by Dr. Helmut E. Landsberg, Di- rector, on Geophysics and Geography, Research and Development Board 2
Commerce Department, statement Publie as Service, Division of Sanitation, Federal Security Agency Communit} Facilities Sers a General Services Administration Mayence cieaale Associates, M. B. Somerfield, director, post-office box 8, Longwood, Fla., statement in opposition to bills Mechanical Equipment Co., Inc., J. E. Pottharst, Jr., 861 Carondelet, New Orleans 13, La.. statement re possibility of increasing potable water supply by conversion of sea water Moon-Beam Catalytic Research Laboratory, statement re S. 5 National Weather Improvement Associatio! 1, Harvey L. Harris, president, Sterling, Colo., attitude on proposed bill National Weather Improvement Association, Senator Anderson’s letter to Secretary of re S. 222 res Navy Department, Bureau of Ships, letters from Henry E. Bethon ad- dressed to: J. H. Duffum, WEEI, Columbia Broadcasting System, Ine.,. 182 Tremont Street, vag 12, Mass ’ Valero Fernandez, Jr., Club Nautico de Marian: 10, Marianao, Habana, Cuba as H. A. Henson, 1000 Crescent Avenue NW., Atlanta, Ga ; John M. Hill, College of Engineering, the University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyo____- . G f. Capt. Frank Luckel, USN (retired) member of assembly, Seventy- eighth District, 1036 Savoy Street, San Diego 7, Calif Frank Zito, 206 Forty-fifth Street, Fairfield, Ala
VI CONTENTS
Page
New Mexico, Senate bill No. 219, enacted 1951 _ _- 352 Newspaper clippings:
Aberdeen American News, Aberdeen, S. Dak., March 21, 28, 1951_ 267, 268
Chamberlain Register, Chamberiain S. Dak., March 15, 1951 268 Daily Argus-Leader, Sioux Falls, 8. Dak.; March 23, 1951 269 Belle Fourche Post, Belle feo S. Dak., March 16, 1951 ‘ 269 Sundance Times, Sundance, Wyo. March 22, 1951 269 Deadwood Pioneer-Times, aa adwood Dak., April 1, 1951 270 Daily Republic, Mitchell, Dak., "Mare h 30, 31, 1951 271, 272 Gann Valley Chief, Gann Valley 8. Dak., March 15, 1951 272 Northern Arizona Range Improvement Co., statement re cloud seeding 214 Ocean Water Recovery is Essential to Further Development of Souther: California and Arizona; excerpt from Patents, Plans—-Philosophy, by Dr. Olia S. Proctor : 182 Oregon, Forty-sixth legislative assembly: Hou sf Joi it Reso] ition i No. 22, enacte | 1951 343 Senate amendments to House Joint Resolution No. 22, enacted 1951 344 House bill No. 666, not enacted 344 Project Cirrus: Department of Defense (Press Branch fact sheet), July 19, 1950 f 2d 10 Public Health Service, Division of Sanitation, Federal Security Agency, statement by William E. Holy on §. 1300, Eighty-first Congress 116 Reports: Agriculture Department on 8. 5 29 Agriculture Department on 8. 222 29 Agriculture Department on 8. 798_----- 28 Budget Bureau on S. 5, 8. 222, S. 798 174 Budget Bureau on 8. 1300, Eightv-first Congress 314 Commerce Department on 8. 5, 5S. 22, 8. 798 33 Defense Department on 8. 5, 8. 22, S. 798 34 General Accounting Office on 8. 5, S. 222, S. 798 30 Interior Department on 8. 5 75 Interior Department on 8. 1300, Eighty-first Congress, July 7, 1949, and April 12, 1950_ a 311, 313 Interior Department on proposed amendments to 8. 1300, Eighty-first Congress i a= ee . er a 316 Sti ate Department on S. 222 ; ‘ 31 Treasury Department on 8S. 222 31
8.5, Eightyv-second Congress, first session, a bill to provide for research into
and demonstration of practical means for the economical production, from sea or other saline waters, or from the atmosphere (including cloud formations), of water suitable for agricultural, industrial, municipal, and other beneficial consumptive uses, and for other purposes ] S. 222, Eightv-second Congress, first session, a bill to provide for the development and regulation of methods of weather modification and control oe 3 S. 798, Eighty-second Congress, first session, a bill to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct research and experiments with re- spect to methods of controlling and producing precipitation in moisture- deficient areas : ms 9 1300, Kighty-first Congress, first session, with penpnsee ame »ndments by Department of the Interior shown in italies, a bill to [conserve and increase the pueiort's water resources, for promotion of iateadhen in arid areas, by] prov for research into and demonstration of practical means for economical prod iction, Lof nroduci ing, J pce sea or other saline wate rs, of water suitable for agricultural, industrial, municipal and other beneficial
consumptive [use,] uses, and for other purposes . 315 Sea or other saline waters, practical means of producing water suitable for beneficial consumptive use, statement by Emil J. Rausch- 190 Sea Water Corp.: Description and costs of mechanical equipment company units 210 Water-rate comparisons, San Diego city water 211 Water, Suggestions Concerning the Enactment of Legislation Author- izing Appropriation of Funds for Desalting of, by Benjamin A. Moeller 194
Seward, P. F., Commissioner, Community Facilities Service, General Services Administration, statement re 8. 1300, Eighty-first Congress 116
——
CONTENTS Vil
Page Silver-Iodide Particles as Sublimination Nuclei, Effect of Sunlight on the Action of, reprint from Bulletin of the American Meteorological! Society, volume 32, No. 2, Fe., 1951 ‘ 146 Soil conservation districts, extent of j 129 State Department: Official report on 8S. 222___ 31 Excerpt from letter of May 8, 1950 111 Thermal Energy, a Development of Concepts Evidencing the Availability of Atmospheric, by B. A. Moeller 200 Treasury Department, official report on 8. 222 31 Weather Bureau: Cireular letters from F. W. Reichelderfer, Chief of Bureau, to all stations: July 7, 1947 37 August 26, 1947 38 October 31, 1947 39 July 27, 1950 12 December 22, 1950 14 March 6, 1951 14 Weather modification and control, statement by American Meterological Societv 318 Wyoming Session Laws, 1951, chapter 131 166 Yates, D. N., president, American Meteorological Society, letter from Professors Haurwitz, Emmons, Wadsworth, and Willett 13 Communications from Bethon, Henry E., Bureau of Ships, Department of the Navy, Washington 25, D. C 216 Boke, R. L., regional director, Bureau of Reclamation, post office box 2511, Sacramento, Calif 97 Chapman, Oscar IL.., Secretary of the Interior, Department of the Interior, Washington, D. C 32 Chilson, E. N., Vice President, The J. G. White Engineering Corp., 80 Broad Street, New York, N. Y 19]
Evans, Joseph E., foreign editor, the Wall Street Journal, New York, N. Y IS5 Glover, C. W., Moon-Beam Catalytic Research Laboratory, 607 East
Wilson Street, Madison 3, Wis 203 Harris, Harvey L., president, National Weather Improvement Asso
ciation, Sterling, Colo., telegram from Senator Anderson to 178 Hunter, James C., 421 Hynds Building, Cheyenne, Wyo 167 Hutchinson, K. T., Assistant Secretary, Department of Agriculture,
Washington, D. C 32 Krick, Irving P., 460 South Broadway, Denver, Colo 177 Larson, E. O., regional director, Bureau of Reclamation, Post Office
30x 360, Salt Lake City, Utah 96
Lineweaver, G. W., Acting Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation, United States Department of the Interior, Washington 25, D. C
enclosing copies of State legislation on artificial precipitation 343 Lloyd, Earl, deputy State engineer, Cheyenne, Wyo 64 Lloyd, R. B., supervising engineer, 1170 West Eighth Street, Los
Angeles 14, Calif.: March 9, 1951, August 12, 1949 208 McCauley, C. D., secretary-treasurer, Northern Arizona Range
Improvement Co., post office box 66, Winslow, Ariz 214 McPherson, Robert wai secretary, Sea Water Corp., 2644 Te resita
Street, San Diego 7, Calif.: Mareh 8, 1951, December 26, 1950 209 Moeller, Benjamin A., post office box 925, Black Mountain, N. C.:
March 8, 1951 194 April 26, 1949 195 Moritz, E. A., regional director, Bureau of Reclamation, Administra
tion Building, Boulder City, Nev 95 Mulligan, Paul C., 1817 Olive Way, Seattle, Wash 193 Nauheimer, G. Francis, director, Glare Research Institute, 6527 Sout!
Seeley Avenue, Chicago 36, II 204 Powder River Weather Research Corp., William W. Smith, president,
Gillette, Wvo 166
Proctor, Olin S., 349 East Third Street, Long Beach 12, Calif IS
VIIl CONTENTS
Communications from—Coatinued Page Rausch, Emil J., 1029 South Kenmore Avenue, Los Angeles 6, Calif 189 Reichelderfer, F. W., Chief of Weather Bureau, Twenty-fourth and
M Streets, Washington, D. C i : Dies 47 Ris, Kenneth B., president, The Griscom-Russell Co., 285 Madison
Avenue, New York 17, N. Y 7 213 Shapiro, Bernard K., Moyer & Shapiro, Tower Building, Washington 5,
2S: : 178 Shustack, Stanley B., president, Encino Water Research Group, 17530
Ventura Boulevard, Encino, Calif ‘ me 212 Somerfield, M. B., director, Mayence Research Associates, Post Office
Box 8, Longwood, Fla 186 Sturman, James M., Cleaver-Brooks Co., 326 East Keefe Avenue,
Milwaukee 12, Wis 215 Thompson, A. N., assistant regional director, Bureau of Reclamation,
Post Office Box 1609, Amarillo, Tex 96 Thornton, Dan, Governor of Colorado, Denver, Colo 174 Tuller, W. H., operations and maintenance supervisor, Bureau of
Reclamation, Post Office Box 937, Boise, Idaho 95 Varner, H.S., Jr., regional administrative officer, Bureau of Reclama-
tion, Denver, Colo 97
Vernon, Kenneth F., regional director, Bureau of Reclamation, Post Office Box 2130, Billings, Mont 96 von Platen, Baltzar, Baltzar von Platens Laboratorium, Gétgatan 16, Stockholm, Sweden IS6
WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED POTABLE WATER SUPPLY
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 1951
UNITED STATES SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEES OF THE COMMITTEES ON INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS, INTERSTATE AND FOREIGN COMMERCE, AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY, Wash ington, Doe.
The subcommittees met, pursuant to call, at 10:10 a. m., in room 224 Senate Office Building, Senator Clinton P. Anderson presiding.
Present: Senators Clinton P. Anderson, Lester C. Hunt, George A. Smathers, Guy Cordon, Arthur V. Watkins, and Francis Case.
Also present: Mills Astin, chief clerk to the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs.
Senator ANDERSON. The committees will be in session.
Senator Hunt and I are chairmen of the subcommittees, one from Interior and Insular Affairs, one from Interstate and Foreign Com- merce, and one from Agriculture and Forestry. We thought we would save a lot of time if we covered all three bills at the same time, S. 5 S. 222, and S. 798.
(S. 5, S. 222, and 8. 798 are as follows:)
;
{S. 5, 82d Cong., Ist sess.] A BILL To provide for research into and demonstration of practical meat r the economical pr ction, from sea or other saline waters, or from the atmosphere (including cloud formations), of water suitable for agricultural, industrial, municipal, and other beneficial consumptive uses, 1 for other purposes
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in view of the acute shortage of water in the arid areas of the Nation and elsewhere and the excessive use of underground waters throughout the Nation, it is the policy of the Congress to provide for the development of economically feasible means of producing from sea water, from other saline waters, or from the atmosphere (including cloud formations) water of quality suitable for agricultural, industrial, municipal, and other beneficial consumptive uses. To this end, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through such agencies of the Department of the Interior as he may deem appropriate, is authorized to construct, maintain, and operate facilities (including not more than one demonstration plant) to determine and to demonstrate the feasibility of producing water as aforesaid and for purifying, storing, transporting, and dis- tributing the water and byproducts derived from the operation of such facilities. Facilities constructed and operations undertaken pursuant to this Act shall be on a scale sufficient to determine the feasibility of the development of such production, transportation, and distribution, on a large-scale basis, for the purpose of conserv- ing and increasing the water resources of the Nation.
Sec. 2. In order to carry out the purposes of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized
(a) to conduct research and development work, and with the demonstra- tion plant and other facilities to make careful engineering studies to ascertain the lowest investment and operating costs, and to determine the best plant designs and conditions se aaeniint:
bo
WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY
(b) to study methods for the recovery and marketing of byproducts resulting from and incident to the production of water as herein provided for the purpose of ascertaining the possibilities of offsetting the costs of water production in any area by the commercial utilization of such products;
(c) to aequire, by purchase, license, lease, or donation, secret processes, technical data, inventions, patent applications, patents, licenses, land and any interest in land (including water rights, easements, and leasehold inter- ests), plants and facilities, and other property or rights: Provided, That the land or other property acquired hereunder shall not exceed that necessary » carry on the experiments and demonstrations for the purposes herein
1) to engage, by contract or otherwise, chemists, physicists, engineers, r personnel as may be deemed necessary, and any educational stitution, scientific organization, or industrial or engineering firm deemed suitable to do any part of the research or other work; e) to cooperate with anv other Federal, State, or municipal department agency, or instrumentality, and with any private person, firm, educational
ic institution, or other organization in effectuating the purpose of this Act
to request other Federal departments, agencies, and instrumentalities
provide assistance in earrving out his functions under this Aet, which ssistance suc departments, agencies, and instrumentalities are hereby iuthorized to rend ind to advance to them funds required to render such
assistance or to reimburse them for costs incurred in so doing; and
¢) to pursue on the ground or, anv provision of law or administrative
regulation to the contrary notwithstanding, in the air operations for producing iter fron e atmosphere (including cloud formations Ss 3. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to dispose of all water and her products produced as a result of its operations under this Act pursuant to r s to be prescribed by him: Provided, That any runoff resulting from
reciy n created artificially under the authority granted in this Act shall be nsid a part of the natural stream flow and shall be available for use in the same manner as other natural accretions to the stream flow; and the Secretary
sha ive authority to grant, under such terms as he may consider appropriate, licens inder patent rights acquired under this Act: Provided, That such licenses are consistent with the terms of the agreements by which such patent rights are No patent a iired by the United States under this Act shall prevent
he U i States, or corporation created under the laws of the
I _ > ereof, fror ‘us ig anv invention, discov ry, or proc- S nate restrict such use bv | such citizen or corporation,
against any such person or corporation on account
S +. All 1 ) ved for products of the plants and for royalties and
s A ‘ be paid into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts
S : s of anv person or corporation who, in accordance
’ t te f ict th the United States entered into under the pro-
s Act : ‘ rations for the artificial inducement of precipi-
rd parties who are or may be adversely affected by
! at : ther meteorological phenomena caused by such } leemed the acts and omissions of the United
> aw applicable to the same, and the Secretarv f tl Interior t zed to provide in any such contract that the | 1s shall ind vt contractor against liability on account of claims
( I ses of litigation and, when approved in advance by the Secretary, compr ttlement of such claims) made by third parties as her efore deseril and any contract so providing shall also contain appropriate | ms for not 1 he Government of suits or actions filed, of claims made, against the contractor with respect to any alleged liability to which the indem- nifie ym provisions relate and for control of or assistanee in the defense of any such suit, action. or cla by the Government as its election.
mi The Secretary of the Interior shall make reports to the President and the Congress at the beginning of each regular session of the action taken or instituted by him under the provisions of this Act. The report shall inelude suital recommendations for further legislation.
Sec. 7. The Secretary of the Interior may issue rules and regulations to effec- tuate the purposes of Ths Act
Sec. 8. There are authorized to be appropriated, from any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated ch sums, not to exceed 825,000,000, as the Congress
av fr I leer necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act.
WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY 3
[S. 222, 82d Cong., Ist sess.]
A BILL To provide for the development and regulation of methods of weather modification and control
yntroi,
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Re presentatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the ‘‘Weather Control Act of 1951’.
DECLARATION OF POLICY
Sec. 2. (a) Frnpinas AND DECLARATION.—Research aud tation in the field of weather modification and control have attained the stage at whiel
application of scientific advances in this field appears to be practical. The effec of the use of measures for the control of weather phenomena upon the social, economic, and political structures of today, and upor ational security, cannot now be determined. It is a field in which unkn fa are involved It
reasonable to anticipate, however, that effective modification and yitrol ot weather will cause profound changes in our present way of life, and will result in vast and far-reaching benefits to agriculture, industry, commerce, and the general welfare and common defense While the ultimate extent to which weather modification and control may bé utilized is lative, the application of such
measures without proper safeguards, sufficien ta, and accurate information
may result in inadequate or excessive precipitation; May cause catastrophic droughts, storms, floods, and other phenomena with consequent loss of life and property, injury to navigable streams and other channels of interstate and foreign
commerce, injury to water supplies for municipal, irrigation, and indust poses, and injury to sources of hydroelectric power; may
ial pur- otherwise impede the production and transportation of goods and services for domestic consumption and export and for the national defense; and may otherwise adversely affect the general welfare and common defense. Thorough experimentation and full-scale operations in weather modification and control will of necessity affect areas extending across State boundaries. The Congress therefore recognizes that experimentation and application of such measures are matters of national concern. Accordingly, it i
hereby declared to be the policy of the Congress. in or 1 r to effect th ma: in r benefit. which may result from experiments and operations designed to i control weather, to authorize such regulation and supervision as may be deter
mined to be necessary or desirable of those who attempt to engage in such activity to correlate and evaluate the information derived from su activity; and
31 1 to cooperate with the several States and the duly authorized officia heres vitt respect to such activity, all to the end of encouraging the intelligent experimenta- tion and the beneficial levelopment of weather m ification rr col pre venting its harmful and indiscriminate exercise, and fosteri1 sound eck ic conditions in the public interest.
(b) Purpose or Act It is the purpose of this Act to effe set out in subsection (a by providing among other ror e Iolo ; or programs relating to weather modification and con
1) A program of assisting and fostering private 1 ul und « Oo} encourage Maximum scientific progress.
(2) A program of federally conducted research and developt Government of adequate scientifie and technical accomplishmer
(3) A program for Government control of experin und rations in orde1 to advance the general welfare, assure the common defense and national securi and promote the broadest possible exploitation of the fields
(4) A program of administration which will be consistent with the regoing
policies and with international arrangements made by the United States, and which will enable the Congress to be currently informed so as to take further legislative action as may hereafter be appropriate.
ORGANIZATION
Sec. 3. (a) WrEATHER CONTROL COMMISSION. 1) There is hereby established a Weather Control Con MIssj]ol h rein
i i¢ called ommerce (or his designee), and four members from private life to be appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Three members shall constitute a quorum of the Commission. The President shall designate one appointed mem- ber as chairman of the Commission.
(2) The term of office of each appointed member of the Commission shall be
five years, except that the terms of office of the members first taking office shall expire, as designated by the President at the time of appointment, one at the end
the ‘“Commission’’), which shall be composed of the Secretary of C
i
4 WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY
of two years, one at the end of three years, one at the end of four years, and one at the end of five years after the date of enactment of this Act;.and any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was appointed shall be appointed for the remainder of such term. Any appointed member of the Commission may be removed by the President for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office. Each appointed member, except the chairman, shall receive compensation at ihe rate of $15,000 per annum; and the chairman shall receive compensation at the rate of $17,500 per annum; but any member who is an officer of the Government shall receive no compensa- tion in addition to that received by him as such officer. No member of the Commission shall engage in any other business, vocation, or employment than that of serving as a member of the Commission, except in the case of members who are officers of the Government.
(3) The principal office of the Commission shall be in the District of Columbia, but the Commission or any duly authorized representative may exercise any or all of its powers in any place. The Commission shall hold such meetings, conduet such hearings, and receive such reports as may be necessary to enable it to carry out the provisions of this Act.
(4) There are hereby established within the Commission—
(A) a General Manager, who shall discharge such of the administrative and executive functions of the Commission as the Commission may direct. The General Manager shall be appointed by the Commission, shall serve at the pleasure of the Commission, shall be removable by the Commission, and shall receive compensation at a rate fixed in the Commission’s discretion but not to exceed $15,000 per year; and
(B) a Division of Research, a Division of Military Application, and a Division of Civilian Application, but the Commission .may from time to time create such additional divisions as it deems necessary. Each division shall be under the direction of a Director who shall be appointed by the Commission and shall receive compensation at a rate of $12,000 per annum. The Director of the Division of Military Application shall be a member of the Armed Forces. The Commission shall require each such division to exercise such of the Commission’s powers under this Act as the Commission may determine, except that the authority granted under section 4 (a) of this Act shall not be exercised by the Division of Research.
(b) GeNERAL Apvisory CommiTrer.—There shall be a General Advisory Committee to advise the Commission on scientific and technical matters relating to operations, experimentation, and research and development, to be composed of nine members, who shall be appointed from civilian life by the President, Kach member shall hold office for a term of six years, except that (1) any member appointed to fill a vacaney occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was appointed, shall be appointed for the remainder of such term; and (2) the terms of office of the members first taking office after the date of the
enactment of this Act shall expire, as designated by the President at the time of appointment, three at the end of two years, three at the end of four vears, and three at the end of six vears, after the date of the enactment of this Act. The ‘committee shall designate one of its own members as Chairman. The committee shall meet at least four times in every calendar vear. The members of the com- mittee shall receive a per diem compensation of $50 for each day spent in meeting or conferences, and all members shall receive their necessary traveling and other expenses while engaged in the work of the committee.
(ec) Miurrary Lratson Commitree.—There shall be a Military Liaison Com-
mittee consisting of a chairman, who shall. be the head thereof, and of a repre- sentative or representatives of the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Foree, detailed or assigned thereto, without additional compensation, in such
number as the Secretary of Defense may determine. Representatives from each of the three Departments shall be designated by the respective Secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The committee chairman shall be appointed
by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and shall receive compensation at a rate prescribed by law for the Chairman of the Muni- tions Board. The Commission shall advise and consult with the committee on all weather modification and control matters which the committee deems to relate to military applications, including the control of information relating td the utilization thereof in military operations. The Commission shall keep the com- mittee fully informed of all such matters before it and the committee shall keep the Commission fully informed of all weather modification and control activities of the Department of Defense. ‘The committee shall have authority to make
WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY 5
written recommendations to the commission on matters relating to military applications from time to time as it may deem appropriate. If the committee at any time concludes that any action, proposed action, or failure to act of the com- mission on such matters is adverse to the responsibilities of the Department of Defense, derived from the Constitution, laws, and treaties, the committee may refer such action, proposed action, or failure to act to the Secretary of Defense. If the Secretary concurs, he may refer the matter to the President, whose decision shall be final.
(d) APPOINTMENT OF ARMy, Navy, AND Arr Force Orricers.—Notwithstand- ing the provisions of section 1222 of the Revised Statutes (U.S. C., title 10, see. 576), section 212 of the Act entitled “An Act making appropriations for the Legis- lative Branch of the Government for the fiscal vear ending June 30, 1933, and for other purposes’’, approved June 30, 1932, as amended (U.S. C., title 5, see. 59a section 2 of the Act entitled ““An Act making appropriations for the legislative, executive, and: judicial expenses of the Government for the fiscal vear ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety-five, and for other purposes’’, ap- proved July 31, 1894, as amended (U.S. C., title 5, sec. 62), or any other law, any active or retired officer of the Army, Navy, or Air Force may serve as Director of the Division of Military Application established by subsection (a) (4) (B) of this section, without prejudice to his commissioned status as such officer. Any such officer serving as Director of the Division of Military Application shall receive, in addition to his pay from the United States as such officer, an amount equal to the
difference between such pay and the compensafion prescribed in subsection (a (4) (B) of this section. Likewise, notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, any active or retired officer of the Army, Navy, or Air Force may serve as Chairman of the Military Liaison Committee established by subsection (c) of this section, without prejudice to his commissioned status as such officer. Any such
officer serving as Chairman of the Military Liaison Committee shall receive, in addition to his pay from the United States as such officer, an amount equal to the difference between such pay and the compensation prescribed in subsection (¢ of this section
e) INTERDEPARTMENTAL ApvisoRyY Boarp.—I!n order to promote cooperation and coordination between governmental agencies concerned with weather modi fication and control, there is hereby created an interdepartmental advisory board to the Commission, to consist of the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of state, or their designated re presentatives, and repre- sentatives of such other governmental agencies as the President may designate It shall be the function of the Board to meet with the Commission from time to time, at its request, and to advise the Commission with respect to matters relating to weather modification or contro! in which their agencies, or any other agencies of the Government, m:.y be interested.
RESEARCH AND OPERATIONS
Sec. 4. (a) Researcu.—The Commission is directed to exercise its powers in such manner as to insure the continued conduct of research and development activities in the fields specified below by private or public institutions or persons
and to gssist in the acquisition of an ever-expanding fund of theoretical and practical knowledge in such fields. To this end the Commission is authorized and directed to conduct, and to make arrangements (including contracts, agree- ments, and loans) for the conduct of, research and development activities relating to (1) the theory and development of methods of weather modification and control, including processes, materials, and devices related thereto; (2) utilization of weather modification and control for agricultural, industrial, commercial, military, and other purposes; and (3) the protection of life and property during research and operational activities.
(b) To the end that methods of weather modification and control may be applied with the greatest benefit to the public interest and national security, the Commission is authorized and directed to conduct, and to make arrangements (including contracts, agreements, and loans) for the conduct of, operations and projects for weather modification and control.
(ec) The Commission may make arrangements as provided in subsections (a) and (b) without regard to the provisions of section 3709 of the Revised Statutes (U.S. C. title 41, see. 5) upon certification by the Commission that such action is necessary in the interest of the common defense and security, or upon a showing that advertising is not reasonably practicable, and may make partial and advance
6 WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY
payments under such arrangements, and may make available for use in connection therewith such of its equipment and facilities as it may deem desirable. Such arrangements shall contain such provisions to minimize danger to life or property, and to require the reporting and to permit the inspection of work performed thereunder, as the Commission may determine: but shall not contain any pro- visions or conditions which prevent the dissemination of scientific or technical information, except to the extent such dissemination is prohibited by law.
MILITARY APPLICATIONS OF WEATHER MODIFICATION AND CONTROL
Sec. 5. The Commission is authorized to eonduct experiments and do research and development work in the military application of weather modification and control. The President, from time to time, may direct the Commission to authorize the armed forces to engage in activities for weather modification and control as a military operation.
MEASURES FOR WEATHER MODIFICATION AND CONTROL
Sec. 6. (a) Licenses Requirep. It shall be unlawful, except as provided in section 5, for any person to engage in activities for weather modification and control except under and in accordance with a license issued by the Commission authorizing such action. Licenses shall be issued by the Commission only if, after considering the effects of the action authorized thereby upon the equitable distribution of precipitation among the States, the interests of agriculture, industry, commerce, the general welfare, and the common defense and such other factors as it may deem relevant, the Commission determines that the issuance of such licenses will be in the public interest.
(b) IssuancE or LicENsEs.—The Commission shall issue licenses in accordance with such procedures and subject to such conditions as it may by regulation estab- lish to effectuate the provisions of this Act. Each such license shall be issued for a specified period, shall be revocable at any time by the Commission in accordance with such procedures as the Commission may establish, and may be renewed on the expiration of such period. Where activities under any license might serve to maintain or to foster the growth of monopoly, restraint of trade, unlawful com- pensation, or other trade position inimical to the entry of new, freely competitive enterprises in the field, the Commission is authorized and directed to refuse to issue such license or to establish such conditions to prevent these results as the Commission, in consultation with the Attorney General, may determine. The Commission shall report promptly to the Attorney General any information it may have with respect to measures for the modification or control of weather which appear to have these results. No license may be issued to any person for activities which are not under or within the jurisdiction of the United States, to any foreign government, or to any person within the United States if, in the opinion of the Commission, the issuance of a license to such person would be inimical to the common defense and security.
(ce) REGULATION OF Rates.—The Commission may, in connection with the issuance of any license, provide for the regulation of rates, fees, and charges which may be exacted for carrying out weather modification and control projects on a commercial basis.
(d) ExemptTions From LicENsSING REQUIREMENTS.—The Commission shall, to the extent it deems practical, by regulation provide for exempting from the licensing requirements laboratory research and experiments, activities of an emergent character for protection against frost, ice, or fog, and activities normally engaged in for purposes other than those of causing, increasing, or decreasing precipitation.
(e) INspEctTIONS, REcoRDs, AND RePorts.—The Commission is authorized by regulation or order to require such reports and the keeping of such records with respect to, and to provide for such inspections of, activities and studies of types specified in section 4 and of activities under licenses issued pursuant to this section as may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this Act.
(f) This section shall take effect thirty days after the date of enactment of his Act.
INTERNATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS
Sec. 7. (a) Derinrrron.— As used in this Act, the term “international arrange- ment’’ shall mean any treaty approved by the Senate or international agreement hereafter approved by the Congress, during the time such treaty or agreement is in full foree and effect.
WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY 7
(b) Errect or INTERNATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS.— Any provision of this Act or any action of the Commission to the extent that it conflicts with the provisions of any international arrangement made after the date of enactment of this Act shall be deemed to be of no further force or effect.
(c) Poxticres CoNTAINED IN INTERNATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS.— In the _per- formance of its functions under this Act, the Commission shall give maximum effect to the policies contained in any such international arrangement.
GENERAL AUTHORITY
Sec. 8. (a) ADMINISTRATIVE FunctTIons.— In the performance of its functions the Commission is authorized to—
(1) establish advisory boards to advise with and make recommendations to the Commission on legislation, policies, administration, research, and other matters: ;
(2) establish by regulation or order such standards and instructions to govern the carrying out of research or projects in weather modification and control as the Commission may deem necessary or desirable to minimize danger to life or property;
(3) make such studies and investigations, obtain such information, and hold such hearings as the Commission may deem necessary or proper to assist it in exercising any authority provided in this Act, or in the adminis- tration or enforcement of this Act, or any regulations or orders issued there- under. For such purposes the Commission is authorized to administer oaths and affirmations, and by subpena to require any person to appear and testify, or to appear and produce documents, or both, at any designated place. No person shall be excused from complying with any requirements under this paragraph because of his privilege against self-incrimination, but the immunity provisions of the Compulsory Testimony Act of February 11, 1893 (U.S. C., title 49, see. 46), shall apply with respect to any indivi- vidual who specifically claims such privilege. Witnesses subpenaed under this subsection shall be paid the same fees and mileage as are paid witnesses in the district courts of the United States:
(4) appoint and fix the compensation of such officers and employees as may be necessary to carry out the functions of the Commission. Such officers and employees shall be appointed in accordance with the civil-service laws and their compensation fixed in accordance with the Classification Act of 1949, as amended, except that to the extent the Commission deems such action necessary to the discharge of its responsibilities, personnel may be employed and their compensation fixed without regard to such laws. The Commission shall make adequate provision for administrative review of any determination to dismiss any employee;
(5) aequire such materials, property, equipment, and facilities, establish or construct such buildings and facilities, and modify such buildings ana facilities from time to time as it may deem necessary, and construct, acquire, provide, or arrange for such facilities and services (at project sites where such facilities and services are not available) for the housing, health, safety, welfare, and recreation of personnel employed by the Commission as it may deem necessary};
(6) with the consent of the agency concerned, utilize or employ the services or personnel of any Government agency or any State or local government, or voluntary or uncompensated personnel, to perform such functions on its behalf as may appear desirable; and
(7) acquire, purchase, lease, and hold real and personal property as agent of and on behalf of the United States and to sell, lease, grant, and dispose of such real and personal property.
(b) Securtry.—The President may, in advance, exempt any specific action of the Commission in a particular matter from the provisions of law relating to contracts whenever he determines that such action is essential in the interest of the common defense and security. .
(ce) Apvisory COMMITTEES.—Service or employment of any person as a member of the General Advisory Committee established pursuant to section 3 (b) or as a member of any advisory board established pursuant to subseetion (a) (1) of this section shall not be considered as service or employment bringing such person within the provisions of section 281, 283, 284, or 1914 of title 18 of the United States Code, or of any other Federal law imposing restrictions, requirements, or penalties in relation to the employment of persons, the performance of services, or the payment or receipt of compensation in connection with any claim, proceed-
8 WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY
ing, or matter involving the United States, except insofar as such sections may prohibit any such member from receiving compensation in respect of any par- ticular matter which directly involves the Commission or in which the Commission is directly interested. = ENFORCEMENT
Sec. 9. (a) Penatties.—Whoever willfully violates, attempts to violate, or conspires to violate, any provision of this Act, or of any regulation or order pre- scribed or issued under section 6 (d) or 8 (a) (2), shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of not more than $5,000 or by imprisonment for not more than two years, or both, except that whoever commits such an offense with intent to injure the United States or with intent to secure an advantage to any foreign nation shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of not more than $20,000 or by imprisonment for not more than twenty years, or both.
(b) InsuncTIons.— Whenever in the judgment of the Commission any person has engaged or is about to engage in any acts or practices which constitute or will constitute a violation of any provision of this Act, or any regulation or order issued thereunder, it may make application to the appropriate court for an order enjoining such acts or practices, or for an order enforcing compliance with such provision, and upon a showing by the Commission that such person has engaged or is about to engage in any such acts or practices a permanent or temporary injunction, restrain- ing order, or other order may be granted.
c) Surpenas.—In case of failure or refusal to obey a subpena served upon any person pursuant to section 8 (a) (3), the district court for any district in which such person is found or resides or transacts business, upon application by the Com- mission, shall have jurisdiction to issue an order requiring such person to appear and give testimony or to appear and produce documents, or both, in accordance with the subpena; and any failure to obey such order of the court may be punished by such court as a contempt thereof.
GOVERNMENT ASSUMPTION OF LIABILITY
Sec. 10. With the approval of the Commission, any contract with a Govern- ment agency relating to weather modification or control may provide that the Government will assume and will become solely responsible for either or both of the following, to the extent that they arise out of the performance of said contract, are not compensated by insurance or otherwise, and do not result from a willful violation on the part of the contractor of any regulation or order established by the Commission pursuant to section 8 (a) (2
1) all liability on account of claims by third persons, including employees of the contractor, for death, bodily injury, or loss of or damage to property, whether due to the negligence of the contractor or otherwise; but any contract so providing shall also contain appropriate provisions for notice to the Govern ment of any claims made against the contractor, with respect to any alleged liability for death, bodily injury, or loss of or damage to property; and
2) | f or damage to property of the contractor arising as a result of a
in the contract as unusual.
{ risk defined If such a provision is included in the contract, no cause of action with respect to any such claims may be maintained against the contractor but such third person’s sole cause of action and only remedy shell be by suit against the United States i the Court of Claims for the reeovery of his reasonable and entire compensation with respect to such claims; but this section shall not create a cause of action in favor of any person against the United States unless, except for this section, a cause of action would lie against the contractor. In any such suit the United States may avail itself of any and all defenses, general or special, that might be
pleaded by the contractor were the contractor the defendant in the suit
{EPORTS
Sec. 11. The Commission shall submit to the Congress, in January and July of each year, a report concerning the activities of the Commission. The Commis- sion shall include in such report, and shall at such other times as it deems desirable submit to the Congress, such recommendations for additional legislation as the
Commission @eems necessary or desirable.
v
WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY q
DEFINITIONS
Sec. 12. As used in this Act
(a) ‘‘Weather modification and control’? means initiating, changing, or con- trolling the courses or effects of the forces, masses, and other factors constituting weather phenomena, including temperature, wind direction and velocity, and the inducing, increasing, decreasing, and preventing, by artificial methods, of precipita- tion in the form of rain, snow, hail, sleet, or mist.
(b) The term ‘‘Governinent agency’? means any executive department, com- mission, independent establishment, corporation wholly or partly owned bv the United States which is an instrumentality of the United States, board, bureau division, service, office, officer, authority, administration, or other establishme in the executive branch of the Government
ec) The term “person’’ means any individual, corporation, partnership, firm, association, trust, estate, public or private institution, group, the United States or any agency thereof, any government other than the United States, any politica subdivision of any sueh government, and anv lega! successor, representative, agent, or agency of the foregoing, or other entity, but shall not include the Com h ‘ e of du 1uthor-
mission or officers o1 emp!ovees of the Commission in t ized funetions d) The term “United States’’, when used in a geographical sense, includes al
Territories and possessions of the United States and the (‘anal Zon
e) The term research and development’? means theor fl AMALVSIS, explora- tion, and experimentation, and the extension of investigative findings and theories of a scientific or technical nature into practical application for experimental! and demonstration purposes, including the experimental production and testing o
models, devices, equipment, materials, and processes
Sec, 13. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary and appropriate to carry out the provisions and purposes of this Act
SEPARABILITY OF PROVISIONS
See. 14. If anv provision of this Act, or the application « ic] Vision to any person or circumstances, is held invalid, the remainder of this Act or the applica- tion of such provision to persons or circumstances other than those as to which it is held invalid, shall not be affected thereby.
[S. 798, 82d Cond., Ist s A BILL To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct researc! i riments with respect t methods of controlling and producing precipitation in n u
Be ul enacted by the Senate and louse of Rep esentative f the 1 nited States of America rn Conares assembled, That the Seeretary of Agriculit ire, acting throug! the Soil Conservation Service and Forest rervice, sha condu such researet
and experiments and shall take such further action as may be necessary to perfect at the earliest possible date methods of causing rain to fall in deficient areas to provide supplemental moisture for production of crops and grasses, prevention of forest fires, protection of municipal water supplies,
Sec. 2. (a) The Department of Commerce and other meteorological and other 1ecords and data pertinent to the accomplishment of the purposes of this Act shall make such records and data available to the Secretary of Agriculture
b) Any excess Government property and equipment which the Secretary of Agriculture finds suitable for use and necessary in accomplishing the purposes of this Act shall be transferred to the Secretary of Agriculture without compensa- tion therefor.
Sec. 3. There is authorized to be appropriated to the Depart ment of Agriculture, from any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums as the Congress may from time to time deem necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act.
and other purposes. l’ederal agencies possessing
83116-—51
10 WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY
Senator ANDERSON. We will deal with them concurrently. We will not take up one bill at a time. In other words, a witness can testify on sections of all three bills that are common, or if there is a particular bit of testimony that relates to a specific bill, he can so identify it.
For example, tomorrow morning Secretary Chapman will be here and I imagine he will testify rather largely on that portion of Senate bill 5, the O’Mahoney bill, which relates to the research and demon- stration of means of making sea waters into water which may be suitable for irrigation. That problem concerns not only an area like California but it also concerns certain of the Rocky Mountain States and other States where it is desirable to control salinity in the water used for irrigation. However, there is in Senate bill 5 a section which deals with the attempts to control weather and make rain. Therefore that is a part of the subject.
Senate bill 222 is one which is devoted entirely to the development and regulation of methods of weather modification and control, and suggests the establishment of a group which might participate in that work.
The bill by Senator Case, 5. 798, is based, I am sure, on his own
practical experience with rain making in western South Dakota and-
suggests the desirability of the Secretary of Agriculture conducting research through the Forest Service and through the Soil Conserva- tion Service and to making reports at the earliest possible date.
It would have been desirable, perhaps, to have had all testimony from Government groups at the same time, but that may not ever be possible, and certainly is not possible in this instance. We will start with testimony from Mr. McDonald, the Assistant Chief of the Weather Bureau, and then testimony by three representatives from the General Electric Co., which has conducted the Project Cirrus and various other cooperative endeavors with the Army and Navy. Then tomorrow, Oscar Chapman, the Secretary of the Interior, will testify, as will Mr. Warne, the Assistant Secretary of the Interior, Michael Straus, the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, and Mr. Bennett, Assistant Director of Project Planning of the Bureau of Reclamation. In other words, we will give a full opportunity for that Government agency to be heard. I will ask Mr. Astin to state other witnesses to follow. Do you wish to identify those persons to follow?
Mr. Astin. Mr. Chairman, acceptances of the invitations to attend these hearings are still coming in. In addition to the representatives from the Department of the Interior, tomorrow, it is our understanding that Congressman McKinnon and Congressman Phillips of California will be heard. We have heard from Dr. Howell of Harvard, and I have the telegram that you sent to Mr. McKinney of New Mexico. Those would be witnesses for tomorrow.
On Friday we are expecting Dr. Vannevar Bush of the Carnegie Institution, Dr. Houghton of MIT, and Mr. Henry T. Harrison of the Weather Service, United Air Lines
In accordance with your plan ‘to go into the salt water extraction processes, we have lined up for Monday Mr. Davies 6f the Industrial Processes Co. of Philadelphia, Dr. Krick from Pasadena, Calif.—he will appear Monday afternoon—Dr. Sherwood of MIT, Mr. Holser of Pennsylvania State College, and Mr. Fox.
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WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY ll
Senator Corpon. Do I understand that the plan is, on Monday, to limit the hearings to the matter of extraction of salinity?
Senator ANpERSON. No. As a matter of fact, Dr. Krick is head of one of the largest, possibly the largest of the rain-making organiza- tions. He is moving from Pasadena to Denver, and found it im- possible to be here this week. He asked to testify Monday morning. Subsequently he wired and asked if we could hear him Monday after- noon. He could not get here Monday morning. We will try to arrange the Monday afternoon schedule for his convenience.
May I say that if witnesses will help by the preparation of papers, it will be of assistance to us, and I know it will be of assistance to the press groups. I am sure some of this testimony gets a little com- plicated and I am quite confident the press would appreciate having it written insofar as possible.
In addition to the witnesses scheduled here, we do want to hear people who have had practical experience and who desire to make statements on this subject, which seems to hold quite a little promise for many parts of the world.
I may say in passing that temperatures have been surely rising the last few years. A study prepared by the Smithsonian Institution shows that temperatures are becoming higher throughout this con- tinent, and particularly out. through the Rocky Mountain areas where irrigation is usually practiced, and that rainfall is becoming somewhat lower gradually. We have seen some extremely large installations for hydroelectric power uselessly standing because no water has come to them. We have other areas where it is proposed to spend huge sums of money for irrigation development, and we natu- rally face the possibility that if one series of projects can dry up after a few years, others might also suffer.
Maybe there is a way of correcting some of it by the control of weather. I know that the trip which ‘I made to the General Electric laboratories to study their processes and to see their results have persuaded me that if we could engage in a scientifically controlled experiment across most of the western part of the United States and perhaps all of the United States, with stations that might be on or off the continent of North America, that we could at least reach a deter- mination as to how much promise there is in the theory of weather control.
I do not wish to say that I believe it is possible to control weather. I do not think any of us want to make that blunt statement, but I do think we are convinced that there is sufficient evidence that we ought to start paying some attention to it. It has some other implications that relate to our military activities, and these we hope to cover at a later date.
Senator Hunt, did you desire to make any statement?
Senator Hunt. No statement, except I hope we do not make a liar out of Mark Twain.
Senator ANDERSON. Well, up to his time nothing had been done. I think that a good deal of the effective work has been done since the death of Mark Twain.
All right, Mr. MeDonald, with that introduction we will be very happy to hear from you, representing the Weather Bureau. I know Dr. Reichelderfer would have been happy to be with us. but the State Department pressed him into other duties. We are very happy to have you here, Mr. McDonald.
12 WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY
STATEMENT OF W. F. McDONALD, ASSISTANT CHIEF OF THE UNITED STATES WEATHER BUREAU, WASHINGTON, D. C.; ACCOMPANIED BY F. W. HALL, SPECIAL ASSISTANT, SCIENTIFIC SERVICES DIVISION, AND R. C. GRUBB, BUDGET OFFICER
Mr. McDona.p. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a prepared statement which, with your permission, I would like to follow exactly and read into the record.
The proposal for extraction of fresh water from saline sources falls outside the province of Weather Bureau activity, hence the following remarks are directed solely to the proposals regarding artificial en. er modification contained in the three bills, S. 5, 5. 222, and S. 798 here under consideration. The Bureau has Ke ‘en deeply intereste ia in, and has done considerable experimental work in cloud seeding and in the evaluation of results. We have had access to much of the data on scientific tests made by others in this country and by the weather services of other countries.
The Weather Bureau finds reasonable evidence that some cloud modification is possible, and we admit the possibility that rainfall may be locally influenced in some degree by artificial means. Most competent meteorologists concur in this opinion. The Bureau feels that it is still too early to try to define what can or cannot be done in this field and that a good deal more work is necessary before sound conclusions can be formed.
Weather is now controlled within enclosed spaces where heating, cooling, humidity, and air-current regulation can be obtained by design and choice. In the open air there is far less choice but never- theless practically effective and somewhat controlled artificial weather modification is obtained through such means as orchard heating, flooding cranberry bogs, planting windbreaks, and tHere has even been some success, though costly, with the dispersal of fog on an extremely limited scale.
We are now seriously confronted with the question as to whether and how we can artificially induce and practically control the processes of natural precipitation. This problem, attacked even in the most localized sense, obviously faces vastly greater difficulties than those attending local temperature modification and fog dispersal.
First of all, natural precipitation occurs at any given place within a wide range of intensity and frequency. Moreover, the occurrence of natural precipitation often involves the reaction of air currents coming together from different sources, these sources usually widely separated in space. Notwithstanding all the intensive study these problems have received because of their relation to weather prediction, great gaps in knowledge still exist.
For example, we are constantly furthering our knowledge of the previous trajectories of those parcels of air that hold the moisture and produce the rainfall. We are studying the reasons why similar amounts of humid air arriving over a given place can produce very dissimilar amounts of rainfall or none at all. We are intensively seeking the explanation of the transformation from invisible moisture through clouds that sometimes consist of water droplets, at other times ice crystals, and are sometimes mixed, to the final stage where precipitation reaches the ground. Our knowledge of the varieties or
m wi di al fa pe Ww be pl
WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY 13
importance of natural particles resembling artificial nucleation agents or whether they are absolutely necessary to produce natural pre- cipitation must be broadened.
We do know that there are no hedgerows to define boundaries or streets to guide traffic in the free atmosphere. Hence, we cannot set up experiments in rain making with definite limits in space, and controlled action in time.
The problems of air motion and cloud formation have engaged the attention of the leading meteorologists for decades. We have made ood advances but do not have the final answers. The problem of precipitating clouds once formed will be partly won in the laboratory. It will be partly won by means of “flying laboratories.”” The Weather Bureau continues its researches concerning these matters although we have been handicapped by inability to obtain a suitable flying laboratory.
It is a basic scientific principle that evaluation of an effect produced by experimentation requires either complete controls on the condi- tions of the experiment—which is impossible in the atmosphere—or a predictable knowledge of the course the event takes when left alone without introduction of the artifice under investigation. Hence the evaluation of results under discussion is closely related to the Weather Bureau’s work of weather forecasting, weather observing, and recording.
A scientific investigation of weather modification by artificial measures must involve the greatest possible knowledge of the proc- esses that make weather. Research in weather forecasting and other fields in meteorology seeks exactly the same body of knowledge. We cannot conceive a profitable separation of research in rain making from the equally important and closely related field of general re- search in meteorology. With respect to research the Weather Bureau has kept in close touch with every development in the science, whether historical or as presently being pursued, by ourse ‘Ives, by other agencies of the ¢ eee nt and by research institutions here in our own Nation, or by the weather scientists and physicists elsewhere in the world.
Meteorologists agree that there is posed at the outset for scientific rain-making research a most difficult problem of designing and testing repetitive experiments followed by top-notch statistical evaluation of carefully measured results to sort out long-run effects. In the Weather Bureau’s tests of rain making we have diligently attempted to meet these conditions, and to avoid as far as possible the weak analo- gies, engaging half-truths and delusory conceptions that are so numer- ous in the weather business because the truth in weather science is so hard to get hold of, and the need to find and use it so great.
The whole matter is amongst the most serious problems attending man’s age-long effort. to adapt himself successfully to the natural world. Partly because the conquest of weather science is so beset with difficulty, but more, perhaps, because our civilization so urgently needs and seeks to reduce the hazards and losses from adverse — r factors, the problems of weather forecasting and weather control : peculiarly open to wishful thinking. This is not something new, ve we have today an aggravated epidemic of the affliction, for we seem to be tuned to the expectation that any given technological miracle is purchasable at a price. We often fail to get what we pay for, and that
14
WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY
is especially true in so-called weather controls except on the most limited scale. But we can get more than we bargain for.
The latter is exemplified in the case of New York City’s efforts to replenish a dangerously low water supply by the best artificial induce- ments available. Cooperation of the Weather Bureau was fully extended in the way of specialized forecasting service for the cloud- seeding operations then carried on. We have since been examining the results. So far we are unable to find any clear evidence that they got appreciable water beyond the amount unaided nature in due course provided. On the other hand, the city has reaped more than it bargained for in damage claims amounting at last report to something approaching $2,000,000, from citizens and communities that allege they were adversely affected by the acts of New York City in its efforts to increase the precipitation of the vicinity.
Senator ANDERSON. You would be a pretty good defense witness, then, against the damage suits.
Mr. McDonatp. I would be an excellent defense witness.
Even the most enthusiastic proponents of the present feasibility of rain making on a practical scale claim no more than to be able to extract moisture from the air locally under conditions predisposing to the natural occurrence of rain or snow. Since these-experimenters or “operators” only seek results under marginal conditions, or try to increase precipitation after it has started, the proof or disproof of their claims to success becomes doubly difficult and often impossible.
Moreover, we are confronted at all times by natural tendencies for precipitation to occur in excessive or abnormal amount with conse- quent damage to a wide variety of interests. This being the case, our inability to distinguish natural from induced effects opens the way to unlimited controversy including damage claims of the most difficult and extensive sort. Here is a new frontier of jurisprudence which may justify legislative action to clear the air.
There may be some need for legislation resembling the regulatory features of S. 222. If so, we would suggest consideration of more modestly designed and less restrictive legislation, to establish a rela- tively simple and economical regulatory procedure providing that specified large-scale activities undertaken in the release of agents or materials designed to influence or modify the occurrence of natural precipitation be suitably controlled and reported to the national authority.
We strongly represent the need for much greater emphasis on the search for knowledge of the whole meteorological substratum of the rain-making process in relation to those great natural controls on the weather we experience. Added resources for such accelerated re- searches must, however, be provided, especially to implement more fully the experimental process as a tool of weather research. The Bureau invites and encourages coordinated effort, and welcomes the serious weather researches of any scientist or any group that can find means—meaning finances—to do things that we have been unable to do.
However, we are of the opinion that research in meteorology should be guided all the way by reference to the best know-how in tbe gen- eral field of our science. In the broad sense this know-how exists within the Weather Bureau and in its coordinated relationships with other agencies and institutions, maintained under the basic legislation
WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY 15
running to the Department of Commerce. The Weather Bureau is charged by law to cooperate wath other recognized agencies of research, including those of other countries, to ‘‘coordinate meteorological re- quirements,’’ and to make results broadly available and practically useful in the national interest.
In our judgment the further scattering of Federal authority for meteorological research is a poor means of getting forward with the problems under discussion. And since any practical advance involves filling great gaps in our basic knowledge of the weather sciences, the most important question underlying the weather research objective of all three of these bills under consideration is the question of how best to get forward with such researches.
We are of the opinion that the Weather Bureau should continue to be responsible for leadership in this field. We doubt that a concen- tration of authority in a new Federal Commission, with complicated organs for action and advice, as proposed in 5. 222, offers the most productive way toward progress in the science of meteorology, — ‘n asa whole. Such a Commission would add tremendously to overhea costs, to say the least.
The Weather Bureau operates with a sober sense of responsibility to the public, and in respect to this important question of weather modification the Bureau has endeavored in an economical manner to do three things: First, to test methods of making rain artificially; second, to evaluate objectively the results of our own tests and the tests made by others; and, third, to accelerate investigations of cloud physics and natural rain processes in order to be in a better position to design and evaluate experiments in this field, and to improve our ability to forecast the weather.
In connection with the long-established and well-understood place of responsibility to the public held by the Weather Bureau as the constituted national weather service, we have the opinion that, apart from the possible need for some regulatory legislation, there now exists abundant authority to pursue the researches to which the posed bills are directed. A new legislative pronouncement will be likely to divide and confuse the public understanding of Government responsibility in this field. Moreover, should such further division of national interest in meteorologic ~ research be established the costs to
‘
the taxpayer will be increased unnecessarily through duplication of work and diffusion of effort.
We invite the interest and energy behind these diy sory proposals to concentrate cooperatively and constructively be nine the Department of Commerce, where the national weather service is now established with broad legislative authority to do all things 1 necessary to get for- ward with the national interest in the field of me ‘teorology. In that case everything possible of achievement in these matters can be obtained and put to constructive use, at minimum cost to the t: ixpayers.
Senator ANpERSON. Mr. McDonald, I noticed here on page 4 that you say that you ‘‘eannot conceive a profitable separation of ese arch in rain making from the iis important and closely related field of general research in meteorology
[ assume from that that you would be against the proposal in
Senator Case’s bill, for example, to turn this over to the Department of Agriculture?
16 WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY
Mr. McDonavp. I think we would be for the general reasons that I have tried to set forth.
Senator ANDERSON. You would be equally against the proposal in my bill that we set up some sort of a general group, of which the Department’s Weather Bureau is one?
Mr. McDonaxp. Correct.
Senator ANDERSON. You say here that ‘We are of the opinion that the Weather Bureau should continué to be responsible for leadership in this field.””, How much has been done in the knowledge of rain making by the Weather Bureau? I am just trying to find out whether you have leadership or whether the private rain makers in General Electric have leadership.
Mr. McDonaup. They have leadership in advertising.
Senator ANpERSON. Did anyone else work out the idea that it was possible artificially to produce storms?
Mr. McDona.p. That idea has been broached in one form or another historically over a long period of time. This is not the first effort.
Senator ANDERSON. There was a man who advocated doing it by cunpowder.
Mr. McDonatp. Yes.
Senator ANDERSON. But advocating doing it by the development of silver iodide treatment—was that worked out by the Weather Bureau?
Mr. McDona.p. No. We give full credit to the experiments done with silver iodide.
Senator ANpERSON. Who has leadership, that is what I am trying to find out? Who does have leadership in the field?
Mr. McDonatp. Are we talking about leadership in advertising or leadership in science?
Senator ANDERSON. Do you think that silver ‘odide has contributed anything to this?
Mr. McDona tp. Yes.
Senator ANDERSON. Did it come from the Weather Bureau?
Mr. McDonatp. I do not know. The Weather Bureau did not originate it.
Senator ANpeRSON. The Weather Bureau discourages it; does it not?
\ir. McDona.p. I do not think we do; no.
Senator ANDERSON. You do not?
Mr. McDonatp. I do not think our position on the silver iodide experimentation is one of discouragement. We have tried to test results.
Senator ANpERSON. Let me go a step further. You say on page 8 of your statement:
The Weather Bureau operates with a sober sense of responsibility to the public I | j | ,
and in respect to this important question of weather modification the Bureau has endeavored in an economical manner to test methods of making rain artificially.
Mir. McDowna.p. That is right.
Senator ANDERSON. You are familiar with the fact that Dr. Krick’s organization is operating in Oregon?
Mir. McDonaup. Yes.
Senator ANDERSON. And that in Oregon College they are testing his results. Are yen familiar with what tests they have made?
WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY 17
Mr. McDona.p. Not precisely. Perhaps Mr. Hall is.
Senator ANDERSON. Wait a minute, I am trying to find out. Are you following the tests in Oregon?
Mr. Hau. Yes.
Mr. McDonavp. Pardon me, Senator, but the specialist on this matter, Mr. Hall, who is here with me
Senator ANDERSON. May we have his name for the record? ‘
Mr. McDona.p. The recorder has his name, | am sure. Mr. Hall will perhaps have to answer some of these questions.
Senator ANpERsON. [I am sure the recorder has his name, but is there an objection to those of us on the committee having his name?
Mr. McDonaup. None whatsoever. You mean Mr. Hall’s name?
Senator ANDERSON. May we have it?
Mr. McDonatvp. Mr. F. W. Hall, special assistant in the Scientific Services Division of the Weather Bureau, with a full-time responsibil- ity to work in this area of evaluation of these results. Now, may I ask your indulgence, Mr. Chairman, to go back to the question you posed earlier: What has the Weather Bureau done?
Senator ANDERSON. You had money for some thunder cloud experi- ments; did you not?
Mr. McDona tp. I have J statement here that is not too long, two pages, which, if you wish, 1 will be very glad to read into the record.
Senator ANDERSON. | think we had better have it.
Mr. McDonatp. This summarizes very briefly what the Weather Bureau itself has done in this matter. As a result of laboratory experiments and indications that supercooled clouds of water droplets could be converted into clouds of ice particles by introduction of dry ice
Senator ANDERSON. These are laboratory experiments whereby the Weather Bureau
Mr. McDona.p. This describes general testing, general experimep- tation.
Senator ANDERSON. Who made these laboratory tests?
Mr. McDonavp. The General Electric tests began this.
Senator ANpERSON. I see.
Mr. McDona.cp. Yes; we are giving full credit.
Senator ANperson. I was wondering about this leadership of yours. Go ahead.
Mr. McDonatp. May I go back to your point?
Senator ANDERSON. Yes.
Mr. McDonavtp. What we mean to say, and perhaps did not say
clearly enough in this statement, leadership in the general field of me teorology.
Senator Anperson, But you have consistently and steadily fought rain making.
Mr. McDonatp. No.
Senator ANDERSON. No?
Mr. McDona.p. No.
Senator ANDERSON. The Weather Bureau has taken steadily the position there is not anything in it up until this testimony; has it not?
Mr. McDona.p. Let me read into the record what we have done.
Senator ANpERSON. All right.
Mr. McDona.p. Affirmatively and in fact to get into this field of research.
18 WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY
Senator ANDERSON. Proceed.
Mr. McDonaup. As a result of laboratory experiments made by General Electric, if you please, and also I may say of findings by meteorologists.in Europe and their conclusions regarding the probable importance of ice crystals in the rain-making process, a finding which itself is still not conclusively proved as the only rain-making process— the basic finding on which this whole.thing began is still open to some question as to how important it is, or at any rate as to whether it is always present in rain. Now, I take it that far back to show why we pick up this particular facet of it in these laboratory experiments, and I will, with your indulgence, read this into the record.
As a result of laboratory experiments and indications that super- cooled clouds of water droplets could be converted into clouds of ice particles by the introduction of dry ice, the Weather Bureau, in a joint project with the United States Air Force and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, began an extensive test program in January 1948, to determine in definite quantitative terms the practical limits and general utility of cloud modification processes in producing or suppressing precipitation. * * *
The project was begun in Ohio where an extensive network of recording rain gages was available, and where radar facilities per- mitted observations of precipitation. At this location 38 seeding operations on stratus clouds, and 79 operations on cumulus clouds were carried out. The location was then shifted to the Donner Pass, Calif., area where 15 operations on orographic clouds were conducted. Finally, the project moved to the vicinity of Mobile, Ala., where 39 additional seedings were made, this phase of the project terminating in the middle of June 1949. In all, nearly 200 individual tests were conducted. Beginning in February 1949, and continuing to June of the same year, the Weather Bureau operated a ground silver iodide generator at Colfax, Calif., at the foot of the Donner Pass. This location was chosen as being perhaps the most favorable for the use of silver iodide. The generator was operated on a periodic basis and seeded and nonseeded periods were compared for the period of opera- tion. No significant differences in precipitation could be detected.
Throughout the above periods, and continuing at the present time, the entire resources of the Physical Research Division of the Weather Bureau have been thrown into the problem of the mechanism of precipitation, with the expectation that by increasing our knowledge of the fundamental processes involved it will be possible to more definitely define the conditions in which artificial modification may be of practical importance. Extensive laboratory tests are under way in this field right now.
The Bureau examined the rainfall distributions in Arizona for October 1948, and also for the three summer months of 1948 and 1949, to evaluate the results of commercial seeding in the upper central portion of the State during these periods. No significant results were noted, the seeded area exceeding the re mainder of the State in three of the months, and falling be hind for the other 3 months.
The Bureau is at present analy zing the results of the seeding opera- tions of the California Electric Power Co. at Bishop, Calif., which have been continuing since February 1948. This study is not quite completed. The Bureau is continuing its cooperation with the com-
V
WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY 19
pany on this project which, it is hoped, will be continued for as many years as necessary to obtain the answer.
The Weather Bureau is also analyzing the results of the rain-making operation of the city of New York over the Catskill Mountains during the past year.
Claims of commercial rain makers in the West are being examined, and analyses are being attempted where information permits.
I would like to say parenthetically, for the most part there are no controls. ‘The information on which to test the matter is exceedingly difficult to get. They do not get observations in connection with their work at all. They leave it to somebody else to pick up the pieces.
The Weather Bureau stationed Mr. William Lewis with Project Cirrus of the General Electric Co. as its representative, and Mr. Lewis made important analyses of the results of that project.
At present the Bureau is analyzing the results of other Project Cirrus tests in cooperation with General Electric and the Signal Corps, sponsor of the project.
Senator ANDERSON. The second set that you list is one that you apparently refer to there: to evaluate objectively the results of our own tests and the tests made by others.
Mr. McDona.p. That is right.
Senator ANDERSON. May I return to this situation in Oregon, where Dr. Krick’s organization is working with the Oregon State College, and they arg evaluating and attempting to pass on what he is doing and making a basis for payments by the farmers to the rain makers. Are you familiar with the work?
Mr. McDona.p. Mr. Hall would speak to that. He is the man who is following these tests and trying to evaluate results.
Senator ANpERSON. Are you evaluating those Oregon tests?
Mr. Hat. Sir, we are not evaluating them ourselves, although we are keeping in touch with it. When the evaluation began, a series of correspondence with the Weather Bureau was held and eventually one of the members of the Oregon State College visited our Bureau and discussed the methods for this analysis. Subsequently we have had further correspondence with Mr. R. T. Beaumont who is, I believe, in charge of the analysis there, with further regard to the} methods of analysis.
We do have a copy of his final analysis and results, rather the pay scale, as you say—we have that on file. We have written again to Mr. Beaumont, offering further services of the Bureau in connection with the analysis. We have not heard any more from him for, I would say, about 2 months.
Senator ANDERSON. But the Bureau has not done any real evaluat- ing itself. It is all done by Oregon State College?
Mr. Haut. That is right. We are trying to encourage the evalua- tion by others on a scientific basis, since our facilities do not permit us at the present time to evaluate all of these individual projects.
Senator ANDERSON. The ones you have evaluated, then, are the Bishop project of ——
Mr. Hauu. Yes, sir.
Senator ANDERSON. And the seeding projects of your own which went on under a was that not a thunder cloud appropriation which you had? What did you do this work under? What was the appropriation?
20 .WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY
Mr. McDona cp. Since you open that question, we, as a Bureau, have never had a direct and clear appropriation—I mean, an addi- tion to our funds in terms of this experimental work.
We have had to cut it out of our general fund where we could get it, as we could get it, and I must say it is pitifully small for the im- portance of the project. We are the first to say that. We stand seriously handicapped, and I do not want to seem to impugn some other parts of Congress in saying this.
We are taxpayers, too, and we know that sales appeal in terms of appropriations is pretty important, but somehow or other we have not managed to get the money to get into this thing on the scale which we ourselves believe to be puape in the investigation of this matter.
Senator ANpERSON. The Government indirectly is paving huge sums for this. One organization has more than $100,000 worth of contracts with cattlemen in my State, and certainly that is all going to be charged to expense, and the Government is going to pay 40 to 50 percent of that prob: ibly more than that.
Mr. McDonatp. I hope you will realize that we are just one little P irt of the Government and that I could get over the barrel so fast and
» far if | open up here and speak as a private citizen and a taxpayer on this matter, until it would not be funny.
Senator ANDERSON. I think that would be belpful.
Mr. McDonatp. Well, I think the Government is wasting a lot of money in this field for the failure to get behind the agency that has the best know-how in the field. I defy anybody to bring to this matter a more serious and a greater interest. I defy anybody to bring to this matter a higher sense of public responsibility than the Weather Bureau brings to it.
Senator ANDERSON. But if you approach it with a preconceived notion that it is no good, the money that would be spent with you might be wasted. It would be like turning over the development of the atomic bomb to some group that says, “We will try it but we know it cannot be built.”’
Mr. McDona.tp. Mr. Chairman, you certainly are putting words into our mouths, and I must protest that in some manner or other I think you have taken a judgment about the Weather Bureau and its position on this matter which—well, I hesitate to say it, but which does not just quite fairly take into account the whole position of the Bureau.
Senator ANpERSON. I admit that is possible. I recognize that fact, but after one has tried for months to put a bill together and has had one group steadily working in the other direction, one comes to con- clusions if one is at all mentally alert
Mr. McDonatp. Mr. Chairman, I would only suggest that you go back, if it is possible, to evaluate the two sides of this controversy. You seem to say the Weather Bureau stands alone in a conservative position, to put it mildly. I think you will find that meteorologists stand together on our side of this question wherever they are.
Senator Corpon. What is your side?
Mr. McDonatp. We are conservative about this. We think it is sufficiently important to warrant running down to the bottom, absolutely so, but we are not going to predict any miraculous results as we sit here today, and we do not think it is wise to advertise it as it has been advertised, at this stage of the game.
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WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY 21
Senator Corpon. What do you think should be done that might be
said to be a constructive field of criticism? What is your idea as to what should be done?
Mr. McDona.p. Are you asking what would be our plan if we had an appropriation?
Senator Corpon. Yes.
Mr. McDona.p. In brief it is this, and this is very brief. It can be spelled out at great length. This is one page.
The Weather Bureau envisions as further steps in tackling the over-all problem of weather modification and artificial precipitation, extensive field tests both in the air and on the ground, and compre- hensive laboratory research.
A series of field tests and related studies will be conducted under different climatic and meteorological conditions in various parts of the country. Such a program can be expected to reduce the uncer- tainties as to quantitative results obtainable and to define the meteor- ological conditions favorable and unfavorable for artificial precipita- tion.
The laboratory work will be devoted to an examination of the basic processes producing clouds and precipitation. Those are physical processes, perhaps chemical, we do not know, perhaps electrical. These laboratory studies will assist us in determining the links in the chain of rainfall-producing mechanisms where human influence can be expected to be most effective in providing beneficial results.
This program will require additional technical staff and field equip- ment as well as greatly expanded laboratory facilities.
Senator AnpEeRsON. [ am going to surprise you, Mr. McDonald, by saying that 1 would not object to having the Weather Bureau do that. I would like to see somebody do it and I wondered why the Weather Bureau, so far as I can find out, has never asked for 5 cents to do it. When did you ask for these appropriations for these extra laboratories?
Mr. McDonaup. Mr. Grubb, the budget officer of the Bureau, Mr. R. C. Grubb. He has the figures in hand on that very question.
Senator ANDERSON. Can you furnish us a list of the requests that you have made from the Bureau of the Budget for funds to do this sort of thing year after vear, construction of laboratories, testing out of this silver iodide theory, the testing out of when it is best to do these things? I know that you did get some money that you spent on this thunder cloud experiment, but when did you try the actual request for funds for rain making?
Mr. Gruss. The first vear, Mr. Chairman, was in 1949. We re- quested from the Bureau of the Budget
Senator ANpERSON. This rain making had been going on for years by 1949. Private investors had spent fortunes trying to get this work done. You spoke of the work out in Arizona yourself in 1948. I think Mr. Searles is here to testify this morning. The first time you asked for it was in 1949?
Mr. Gress. That is for artificial precipitation. We asked for research funds, naturally, in previous years.
Senator AnpERsoN. Yes; I understand that.
Mr. Gruss. And some of our research funds were undoubtedly devoted to the initial steps.
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22 WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY
Senator ANDERSON. But for this project, this work of testing rain making, it began in 1949. What did you ask for?
Mr. Gruss. From the Bureau of the Budget $1,867,000 for a research program.
Senator Corpon. What year?
Mr. Gruss. Fiscal year 1949.
Mr. McDonaup. That was requested in 1947, then?
Mr. Gruss. Yes; for fiscal year 1949.
Senator ANDERSON. Senator Case, do you have a question there?
Senator Casre. I was wondering, Mr. Chairman, if that was for a general research program, and how much of that was broken down for the particular thing we are discussing here.
Mr. Gruss. This is for the general research program. The increase for the preceding year was approximately $1,200,000, which was principally for artificial precipitation. I will have to furnish for the record, Mr. Chairman, details as to each individual project.
(Nore.—Mr. Grubb subsequently supplied the following informa-
tion: )
Weather Bureau plans for investigating artificially induced precipitation were first developed during the winter of 1946-47 and first represented formally as a budget requirement to the Department of Commerce on July 1, 1947. The amount requested at that time for this program was $2,163,076. Subsequently, the following amounts were requested:
ie ee: || RSS a aya ), $1, 538, 014 a ee |” | rr . . & Got, b24 July 1, 1950-_--- os 2, 430, 231
Present plans call for representing a comparable amount on July 1, 1951.
Details of the origina] plan as finally represented in 1947 to the Bureau of the Budget as a budget requirement for fiscal year 1949 are quoted below:
“The investigation of artificially induced precipitation will be carried out by one of two major research groups to be organized under the project leader. This project will be conducted in three phases: (1) laboratory study, (2) study of cloud ‘seeding’ from the ground, and (3) study of cloud ‘seeding’ from aircraft. The laboratory experiments are designed to determine the important physical factors that control the precipitation of super-cooled droplets under very carefully controlled and measurable conditions. These data developed in the laboratory will be checked by a study of the results of ‘seeding’ clouds from the ground and from aircraft with the object of determining under what specific conditions precipitation can be produced and how much may be expected. A ground opera- tion group will establish a network along the lee side of a sharp ridge at a suitable location; release of activators, such as dry ice particles or silver iodide, in cloud areas will be made throughout the network by means of balloons. The quantity of precipitation produced as a result of the ‘seeding,’ compared with the pre- cipitation arising from natural meteorological factors will be checked. A study of distances between release points within the network will be made to determine the most effective spacing of artificiel stimuli. The air operation group will work both in cooperation with the ground group and independently. The air group will be utilized primarily for ‘seeding’ operations in selected areas where meteoro- logical conditions are favorable.
‘“‘A second major group will devote its attention to other projects in basie physi- eal research. This work, principally laboratory, will consist of cold chamber investigation of cloud and ice particle formation and study of the electrical phenomena of precipitation. Results of laboratory developments will be checked with conditions observed in the natural state, and coordinated with the field studies described above.”’
The Weather Bureau’s present plan, previously introduced in this record, is substantially the same as that originally represented.
Funds were included in the President’s budget (fiscal year 1949) for the plan first developed in 1946-47 for consideration by Congress. This request was dis- allowed in its entirety. The Weather Bureau has, however, continued to repre- sent this requirement to the Department and to the Bureau of the Budget each fiscal year, but no funds have been included in the President’s Budget during the past 3 years for a program of this nature.
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WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY 23 Senator ANDERSON. What I am trying to get to is this. Senator Case has been living out in an area that has become a little dry, and when they tried to get some rain making, he had to dig up his private money , along with that of other people, for rain making experiments; is that not correct?
Senator Case. We did not put in a fortune.
Senator ANDERSON. You put in private money.
Senator Casz. We put in some private money.
Senator ANDERSON. And got, you think, some results?
Senator Casn. We thought we did.
Senator ANDERSON. Did the Weather Bureau evaluate those re- sults?
Mr. McDona.p. I presume not. I do not know whether that par- ticular experiment came to our attention or not.
Mr. Hauv. I do not recall that particular experiment.
Senator ANDERSON. Let me give you one thing that Dr. Krick refers to. He hasarelease No.8. Iam sorry I have no way of know- ing when this was put out, but I assume it was early in 1951, from the Water Resources Development Corporation, and he talks about their target area and he lists a series of seven places in New Mexico and shows that their increase ranged from 419 percent down to 156 per- cent. Then he lists the areas outside the target area where he did not seed and they got 44 percent of normal up to 125, but nearly all of them were below normal. Have you evaluated that?
Mr. Hau. Yes, sir, we have.
Senator ANDERSON. What is your evaluation of that?
Mr. Hau. Our evaluation, as far as we can make it, shows that the seeded area got roughly i5 percent more than the surrounding areas, but that that state of affairs occurs roughly every 2 or 3 years naturally, and has done so in the past 40 years.
Senator Corpon. In the same area?
Mr. Hatt. Yes, sir.
Senator AnpreRSON. Therefore, you would feel that what these ranchers spent for rainmaking was probai ly wasted?
Mr. Haut. Sir, 1 do not know that on any one experiment like that we can make up our minds very much about what effect the silver iodide has because, you see, it always comes out in these uncertain terms of probabilities.
| think what we will have to do is just to keep analyzing many, many of these cases and finally build up a large fund of knowledge on them, and eventually we may narro'v the probabilities down to such an extent that we can say something about the quantities that can be produced.
Senator ANpERSON. Mr. Hall, let ms turn to one section of this statement by Mr. McDonald and | et your comment on it, because I do know that you have tried to be very much interested in this sort of work [reading}:
It isa basic scientifie principle that evaluation of an effect produced by experi- mentation requires either complete controls on the conditions of the experiment and then something else. If I can take just that part about it, do you not feel that if anyone is to know what happens by the spraying of silver iodide into the atmosphere, there must be ¢ omplete knowledge of what is going on across the entire country?
24 WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY
Mr. Hau. That would be very desirable, but as is mentioned there, it cannot be obtained in nature.
Senator ANpeRsoN. It cannot be obtained? You could not find out who is putting silver iodide into the air?
What I am trying to get at is this. As you know, there was an experiment going on for quite a while in which 50 pounds of silver iodide was put into the air in New Mexico, and rainfall got quite heavy in the eastern part of the country. Let us pray there is no relationship between the two, but when the amount was reduced to 20 pounds per week there was a dropping off of these storms in the Kast.
Again there may be no relationship between the two, but would it not be desirable when you were trying to study results in Ohio, to know how much silver iodide was being put into the air in Arizona or California or New Mexico?
Mr. Hatt. Yes, sir, that is going to be quite a problem in the future with all these unregulated, and a lot of them unknown, experi- ments being conducted.
Senator AnpERSON. Exactly, unknown. Do you recognize that there is one rancher who owns three generators out in my part of the country ?
Mr. Hatu. Yes, we have beard a lot of reports to that effect.
Senator ANpERsSoN. What opportunity is there for a complete control on an experiment if you may be spraying silver iodide into the skies one place and this rancher just over the hill has three generators working?
Mr. Hau. It is going to be impossible.
Senator Anperson. I am trying to find out if you think there is any necessity, then, for a Federal bill which would keep track of what is going on.
Mr. McDona.p. May I raise a point, which I think is very impor- tant to this line of discussion. The line of discussion is based, | believe, if 1 understand it correctly, on an acceptance of the silver iodide thesis pretty much as it has been proclaimed, with no ques- tions about its efficacy.
Moreover, I believe that line of questioning fails to take account of a fact recently discovered at MIT or the Cambridge Laboratory of the Air Force. I am told by meteorologists in the Air Force who are doing extensive meteorological research work at Cambridge
Senator Anprerson. Dr. Houghton will be here tomorrow or the next day and we will hear him on the subject.
Mr. McDonatp. I am told that they have discovered that there is a photosynthetic decay in this silver iodide effect, and that in full sunlight silver iodide loses much of its efficiency in 20 minutes. Now, it seems to me this whole discussion must stop to consider possibilities like that which have not been drawn into this thing so far.
Senator ANpEeRSON. I agree with that, but what do you do with a group of men who pay their money and get rainfall? How do you start saving to them that silver iodide passes off in 20 minutes? If rainfall comes, they are naturally going to continue to contribute.
I mean you are going to have some difficulty even with Senator Case who paid his money, and it paid off like a slot machine, like a xood slot machine.
Senator Warkrns. You mean he hit the jackpot once.
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WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY 25
Mr. McDonatp. Maybe it was like a slot machine. I think that is a very, very appropriate comparison.
Senator ANpgeRsoN. I think it may be, but what I was trying to find out was
Senator Case. What the Senator meant was it hit the jackpot.
Senator ANDERSON. It did hit the jackpot. What I am trying to say is; is it possible for us to find out from you whether you believe there would be any value in knowing what these experiments are—to make judgments?
Mr. McDona.p. Senator, I cannot tell you too many times or too emphatically, we try to approach this problem without preconcep- tions and to establish a belief on the basis of facts and nothing else. It is as simple as that.
Senator Corpon. That raises a major question here: The extent to which you seek the facts. If you spray silver iodide into the air, that is a fact.
Mr. McDona.p. Yes.
Senator Corpon. It is released. If within a reasonable period of time rain falls, that is a fact.
Mr. McDona.p. Yes.
Senator Corpon. Now, whether the first fact has any relation to the second fact——
Mr. McDonaup. Is open to all kinds of questions.
Senator Corpon. Is a matter for conclusion, but if those two facts exist, Whether they are connected or not connected, is a matter for investigation, is it not?
Mr. McDonatp. Yes; it is.
Senator Corpon. Then if we have a series of those facts over the United States, and if, as a result, although perhaps disconnected, in each instance there does follow precipitation, that should raise in a reasoning mind a question as to whether there is connection.
Mr. McDona.p. That is exactly our process of test.
Senator Corpon. It seems to me that Senator Anderson’s position is not an assumption that the two are connected. It is an assumption that the fact that one result followed another action is enough to put the United States of America on inquiry and necessitate that sort of an organization which can take those facts in hand and correlate them over the United States, which then, I think, requires a conclusion that there must be an organization to do that. Is that sound?
Mr. McDonaup. Well, that is pretty involved.
Senator Corpon. | think it is fairly simple if you follow it through.
Senator ANpERSON. I just say that what you stated, Senator Cordon, is exactly the position | have taken. I do not claim that spraying silver iodide into the air produces rainfall, but I say if you spray it on Friday and it rains on Saturday, and you spray it on Friday and it rains on Saturday and you do that for 20 straight weeks, I begin to say to myself there might be some connection. The Weather Bureau says you can’t prove it and therefore there is not any.
Mr. McDonaup. Senator, I think that line of connection is just as
~asonable as to say because the washerwomen hang out their clothes ddaneaiae on Monday and it rains on Wednesday, that there is a con- nection between those two things.
Senator Corpon. If that were true, you could.
8$3116—51——-3
26 WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY
Senator ANpERSON. That is exactly why I question the advisability of turning over any money to the Weather Bureau. You see where the trouble is.
I can see that if men spray silver iodide into the air and it subse- quently rains, and then they do it again and it subsequently rains and that thing goes on and there is a periodicity to their spraying and periodicity to the resulting rainfall, | think there might be a connec- tion. You say there is absolutely none?
Mr. McDonaup. No; we do not argue against that whatsoever.
Senator ANDERSON. You just got through saying that it was just like hanging out the wash on Monday and it raining on Wednesday.
Mr. McDona.p. As far as connection is concerned, it might be just as remote as that.
Senator ANpERSON. Then, that is an absolute statement on your part that the silver iodide has nothing to do with the rainfall?
Mr. McDonaxp. No, sir; that must not be considered so.
Senator AnpERsoN. I beg vour pardon, there was no connection between the woman doing the washing and the raining on Wednesday. Therefore, you are saying that there is nothing to the spraying of silver iodide into the air.
Mr. McDona.p. May | tell you a story?
Senator Anperson. Now, if they can produce this effect in the laboratory time after time after time, and people think they can pro- duce it out in the open country, the Weather Bureau persists in saying there is nothing to it?
Mr. McDonatp. Senator, vou put words in our mouths which we do not use.
Senator ANDERSON. I just listen to you. There is a record being made, thank heaven.
Mr. McDona.p. We do not use the expression at all that we think there is nothing to it. On the contrary, we filed in the record our serious interest in this, our intent, if we are given a mission and the funds to do it, to pursue this thing to a sound conclusion, but let us do it in terms of facts which are repetitive, reviewable facts and not simply the theories or the claims of somebody who says this is the fact because these things happened together.
Senator Corpon. You mentioned the matter of hanging out the wash on Monday and it raining on Wednesday.
Mr. McDonatp. It probably was a very unfortunate figure of speech,
Senator Case. I was just wondering, Mr. Chairman
Senator Warkins. Let me say this
Senator ANDERSON. Senator Case.
Senator Case. | was just wondering, Mr. Chairman, if the women In a certain community all hung their wash on Monday for 20 consecu- tive weeks and if then on 20 consecutive Wednesdays it did rain, would the Weather Bureau feel that there was no relationship between the two?
Mr. McDonatp. You know where we would stand seriously on a question like that? We would want to try that for more than 20 weeks, because we know in weather—it is not as funny as it may sound—we know that in weather strange repetitions, Le rl se- quences are so common, and there are repetitions back in history of unaffected weather, weather prior to any of these things bei ‘ing intro-
duced, patter I th you pl know. Sena out? Mr. sometl sponsl that w worku The be ver cal inv right | tistica high s Sen: ing at you hi Sen Statist Mr. settle Sen Weatl some formu to inf the fa Mr Sen Mr Sen the p Mr Ser Mr Bures of th it on Sel An job, | Mr Sel ever wher Mi the fi Sel with to it,
WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY 27
duced, and we will find weather patterns which are exactly like these patterns which occur after these things are begun. .
I think we are justified in a degree of conservative agnosticism, if vou please. It is not skepticism. It is agnosticism. We do not know.
Senator Corpon. The question is: Are you interested in finding out?
Mr. McDonavp. Finally, in the business of trying to establish something about which we could say soundly under our sense of re sponsibility to the public we seek those things we believe we know so that we can hand them to the public with a confidence that we are working in the public interest.
Then, we would like to have a great deal more, although we micht be very content to publicize results if the correlation, if the statisti- cal investigation of the matter on the best facts available at the time right now, before we know all about the weather—gave a high sta- tistical value to this thing. But, as a matter of fact, we do not get high statistical values.
Senator Corpon. That is exactly what I think the Senator is driy- ing at.. The thing I am interested in is, you do not get the statisties- you have no method of getting the statistics.
Senator ANDERSON. And when someone tries to help them get the Statistics, they are against the bill.
Mr. McDona.p. We believe that the question will have to be settled finally in terms of statistics or not at all.
Senator Corpon. Then must there not be, whether it be the Weather Bureau, the Department of Commerce, or some other ageney, some agency charged with the over-all duty and responsibility of in- forming itself, which is to say requiring those eng: ized In experiments to inform it of these experiments, of tabulating and evaluating all of the factors involved over the United States?
Mr. McDonaxp. We do not object to that at all.
Senator Corpon. You say you do not object to it?
Mr. McDonavp. No.
Senator Corpon. Are you in favor of it? Do you believe it is in the public interest to do it?
Mr. McDonaxp. I will answer that question this way
Senator Corpon, “Yes” or “no” will answer it for me
Mr. McDonaup. I will favor it unhesitatingly, and in the Weathei Bureau; but with this proviso: We have to be recognized for the size of the job and given enough money to do a job and not left to do it on a shoestring.
Senator Corpon. There is no question about that.
Any other agency would have to have the necessary funds to do thy job, but we have to establish first things first.
Mr. McDonaxp. I agree. I have no quarrel with that
Senator Case. Mr, Chairman, I wonder if the Weather Bureau has ever had an observer at any of these experiments or on any planes where they have used dry ice?
Mr. McDonatp.. Yes; we have conducted i rg ourselves in the field. We have had observers with Proje et Cirrus.
Senator Case. How do you explain that when planes go up and with a number of clouds in the sky a plane may take the one nearest to it, seed it, and see visibly that the cloud begins to boil and finally
28 WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY
produces a concentration and eventually lets loose with rain, that that particular cloud does it and none of the other clouds on the same day within a general area——
Mr. McDonap. I say, we would accept that as a result, as a cause, but then we also see this in our tests, we do the same thing with clouds, and instead of boiling we get a dissipation; we get a streak of no cloud; we have diminished the amount of cloud.
Senator Case. Maybe you overdid it.
Senator ANDERSON. That could be overseeding, could it not?
Mr. McDonatp. We do not know. We do not know enough about the processes. There is a lot to be discovered.
Senator ANDERSON. If you do it 100 times and 1 time it boils too much and does not precipitate rain, and the next time it precipitates rain with a smaller quantity, could you not possibly draw a conclusion from that?
Mr. McDonatp. We would have to do a lot of testing and evaluat- ing from it. We would not want to draw a hasty conclusion at all. That is not our. way of doing business.
Senator ANDERSON. I am sure of that.
May I file with the committee at this time reports which we re- ceived on these three bills: on S. 222, from the State Departmeni, from Commerce, from Treasury, General Accounting Office, and from Agri- culture; on S. 5, from the General Accounting Office, from Commerce, and from Agriculture; and on 8S. 798, from Commerce, from Agricul- ture, and from the General Accounting Office.
(The reports referred to are as follows:)
Marcu 13, 1951. Hon. ALLEN J. ELLENDER, Chairman, Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, United States Se nale,
Dear Mr. ELLENDER: We have given careful consideration to the bill (S. 798) to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct research and experiments with respect to methods of controlling and producing precipitation in moisture- deficient areas, which you recently sent us for comments. ‘Lhis bill appears to assign primary responsibility to this Department for research into methods of inducing rainfall.
We are greatly interested, not only in the induction of rain or snow, but in the possibility of cloud dissipation or other devices to reduce windstorm, hail, and tlood damage, and lightning activity, the latter being one of the important causes of forest fires.
We should like to have clear authorization to perform research in methods of weather control as it affects agriculture. In conducting such research we would plan to carry it on in close cooperation with the Department of Commerce. We suggest the desirability of the Department of Commerce having primary responsi- bilitv, or at least coordinating responsibility, in view of the scientific organization already at work on this problem in that Department, for research in weather control among Federal agencies.
We should prefer that the authorization of such research he*to the Secretary of Agriculture, rather than to specific bureaus of the Department. This provision would be in line with recommendations of the Hoover Commission that authorities be vested in the hes ads of 1 Lencir
We, therefore, suggest ar Stein section 1 of the bill, as follows:
“Section 1. That as Secretary of Agriculture is authorized, by contract or ttherwise, to conduct research and experiments to discover practical means of dissipating clo - so as to reduee lightning activity, curtail formation of hailstones
and serve other eful purposes, and to ascertain the mo&t practical use of the techniques and principles of artificial induction of precipitation in providing moisture for crops and pastures, prevention of iaatadt fires and other purposes; Provided, that the Secretary of Agriculture, in the conduct of such research and
experiments shall cooperate as closely as possible with the Department of
i ommerce
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WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY 29
With these amendments we favor enactment of the bill.
If the committee should see fit to include authority to contract as provided in the above amendment, it may wish to consider providing means of protecting con- tractors against claims which might arise in connection with carrying out tracts under this authorization.
The Bureau of the Budget advises that it has no objection to the submission of this report.
Sincerely,
con-
C. J. McCormick,
yy . T nder secretary »f Agri dture,
Marcu 13, 1951.
Hon. E, C. JOHNSON, Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Comme
United States Ser
DEAR SENATOR JOHNSON: You have requested the views of tl Department on S. 222, a bill Lo provide for the development and reculat m of nethods of weather modification and control.
The proposed legislation recognizes a problem which we believe requires the enactment of le vislation to guide the future course of Fede rai and nor a “cle rai action. It is clear that recent research and discovery in cloud cs has great! advanced the understanding of the exact conditions under whic uds precipitate
rain or snow. It has also charted the theoretical possibilities for pract tion of this new knowledge to artificially induce local modifications of the weather at a desired time and place.
Specifically, S. 222 would provide for progress of (1) assisting and fostering private research and development, (2) federally conducted research and develop- ment, (3) Government control of experiments and operations, and of (4) admin-
istration. It provides for the establishment of a Weather Control Commissior with subordinate divisions and committees. It provides for the licensing of measures for weather modification and control; enforcement of the provisions of the act; Government assumption of liability; and appropriations for carrying out the provisio is of the act.
It is recognized that there has been recent grow interest on the part of various groups in the Nation in modification of weather Chere is evidence that
some individual States are contemplating State legislation in an effort to exercise
some control over experiments and operations in this field.
There may be some question that significant modificati the weather is already practical on a considerable scale. In light of technieal problems, the proposed creation of a somewhat complex regulatory commission may also bi
open to some aqurestion., I
It would appear that further careful study needs to be given to the form of organization and extent of its powers in light of the present knowledge of this subject. The most in portant task wo 1 j be that of © rrelating re ireh ar) 1 of exercising proper control over independent local efforts to modify the weather.
It is noted that a great deat of the emphasis of S. 222 is placed on the military significance of the work. This may be appropriate in view of national defense aspects. It should be recognized, however, that man-induced precipitation may most frequently be prompted with respect to the production of agricultural crops. We believe, therefore, that any form of organization established should provide for adequate representation of agricultural interests.
We appreciate the opportunity extended to this Department to review S. 222. If we can be of further assistance to vou, please do not hesitate to call on us.
The Bureau of the Budget advises that, from the standpoint of the program of the President, there is no objection te the submission of this report.
Sincerely, C. J. McCormick, Under Secreta of Aariculture
Marcu 13, 1951. Hon. Frepertck J. LaAwTon,
Director, Bureau of the Budget. Dear Mr. Lawron: This is in reply to your request for the comments of this Department on the bill, S. 5, to provide for research into and demonstration on practical means for the economical production, from sea or other saline. waters,
30 WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY
or from the atmosphere (including cloud formations), of water suitable for agri- cultural, industrial, municipal, and other beneficial consumptive uses, and for other purposes.
We believe the discovery of economically feasible means of producing fresh water from sea water might afford large benefits to agriculture in certain water- deficit areas, and would also produce far-reaching benefits to the public in other respects. Also of great concern to agriculture are those aspects of weather control that involve cloud dissipation and other devices to reduce lightning, hail, flood, and windstorm damage. At the request of the chairman of the Senate Com- mittee on Agriculture and Forestry, we have also prepared comments on 8. 798, which authorizes this Department to conduct research on methods of controlling and producing precipitation. We have favored enactment of that bill, subject to certain amendments. A copy of our comments on 8. 798 is attached.
If, however, the committees considering weather-control legislation prefer the enactment of this bill, S. 5, to further authorize the conduct of weather-control research in the executive departments, we suggest its amendment so as to author- ize the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct research to ascertain the most practical use of the techniques of artificial induction of precipitation to provide moisture for crops and pastures, prevention of forest fires and other purposes, and to discover practical means of dissipating clouds so as to reduce damage from hligtning, hail, windstorm, erosion, and floods.
We believe that the bill also might well contain provisions that in their conduct of research in weather control the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture shall cooperate as closely as possible with the Department of Commerce, in view of experience and scientific staff available in the Weather Bureau of that Depart- ment. The possibility of utilizing the Department of Commerce as a coordinating agency for Federal research in weather control might well be considered.
With the changes suggested we would have no objection to enactment of the bill.
Sincerely,
K. T. Hurcuinson, Assistant Secretary of Agriculture.
GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE,
Washington, March 14, 1951. Hon. Josepx C. O’ MaHoney,
Chairman, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, United States Senate.
My Dear Mr. CuarrmMan: Reference is made to letter, dated February 26, 1951, from the chief clerk of your committee, with respect to 8. 5, Eighty-second Congress, entitled ‘‘A bill to provide for research into and demonstration of prac- tical means for the economical production, from sea or other saline waters, or from the atmosphere (including cloud formations), of water suitable for agri- cultural, industrial, municipal, and other beneficial consumptive uses, and for other purposes’’; 5.222, Eighty-second Congress, entitled ‘‘A bill to provide for the development and regulation of methods of weather modification and con- trol,’ and 8. 798, Eighty-second Congress, entitled ‘‘A bill to authorize the Secre- tary of Agriculture to conduct research and experiments with respect to methods of controlling and producing precipitation in moisture-deficient areas.’’ The letter states that your committee is considering 8. 5, that S. 222 is being considered by the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, and that 8. 798 is being considered by the Agriculture and Forestry Committee, but that hearings on the bills will be held jointiv. The letter requests a copy of a report said to have been requested on 8. 222 and invites this Office to have representatives at the forth- coming hearings, to observe and to testify, if desired.
The bill pending before your committee, 8. 5, would confer upon the Secretary of the Interior authority to take such action as is set out therein to accomplish the purposes indicated in its title. ‘This Office has no information as to the need for or desirability of the enactment of this bill and makes no recommendation with respect thereto. No request has been received here for reports on S. 222 or S. 798. However, under date of January 2, 1951, this Office made a report to the chairman of the Senate Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce on S. 4236, Eighty-first Congress, which bill was practically identical to the pending bill,
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WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY 31
S. 222. Since this Office had no information concerning the purpose and need of the proposed legislation other than that contained in a statement by Senator Anderson and in pertinent articles by two scientists printed at pages 16475- 16476 of the Congressional Record for December 8, 1950, no recommendation was made with respect to the enactment of 8. 4236, Eighty-first Congress. Simi- larly, this Office has no special information with respect to any of the three bills here under consideration.
The suggestion contained in the letter from your committee that this Office might desire to have representatives at the hearings is appreciated but, since as stated above, this Office has no information which it is believed would be helpful to the committees having the said bills under consideration, such representatives will not be in attendance unless specifically requested.
Sincerely yours, FRANK L. YATEs, Acting Comptroller General of the United States.
Marcu 2, 1951. Hon. Epwin C. JOHNSON, Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, United States Senate, Washington, D. C,
My Dear Mr. CHarrRMAN: On December 12, 1950, you requested any com- ments which the Treasury Department might wish to offer concerning 8. 4236, to provide for the development and regulation of methods of weather modification and control. This proposed legislation has been introduced in the Eighty-second Congress as 8. 222.
S. 222 would establish a Weather Control Commission, composed of the Secre- tary of Commerce and four members appointed from private life by the President. The Commission would be authorized to conduct research and development activities relating to methods and utilization of weather modification and control. It could also conduct weather control operations and projects of benefit to the public interest and national security. The bill would make it unlawful for any person to engage in weather control activities except pursuant to license issued by the Commission.
The subject of the proposed legislation is not related to the activities of the Treasury Department, and the Department has no comments to make with respect to the merits of the bill.
Very truly yours, Tuomas J. Lyncn, General Counsel for the Treasury.
Marcu 14, 1951. Hon. Epwin C. JOHNSON, Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, United States Senate.
My Dear Senator Jonnson: The following is in response to your letter of January 10, 1951, requesting comments of the Department of State on 8, 222, the Weather Control Act of 1951, introduced by Senator Anderson.
The portion of the bill falling within the special competency of the Department of State is section 7 (International Arrangements). A canvass of the appropriate offices within the Department of State does not reveal this section to be in con- flict with any international agreement, treaty, or convention to which the United States is a party. Further, there is no record of international incidents or claims involving the United States which have arisen from weather modification. It is suggested, however, that consideration be given to the modification of line 10, page 14 (sec. 6-b) to read ‘‘common defense, security, or other national interest,”’ in order that other aspects of national interest, in addition to security and common defense may be embodied in the provision,
Since the urgency of the matter did not permit prior clearance with the Bureau of the Budget, copies of this letter are being transmitted to that Bureau.
Sincerely yours, Jack K. McFatt, Assistant Secretary (For the Secretary of State).
32 WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, Washington, D. C., March 13, 1951. Mr. Miuts AstTIN,
Chief Clerk, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, United States Senate.
Dear Mr. Astin: This is in reply to your letter of February 27, respecting re- quests for funds and authorizations enabling this Department to carry on activities in the artificial induction of rainfall, weather control, and the extraction of potable waters from sources including sea water.
This Department has not requested appropriations specifically earmarked for use in any of these kinds of activities. The President’s budget for fiscal year 1950 and fiscal year 1951 did carry an item of increase for research in forest fire-contro] research, part of which would have been used to experiment with methods of cloud dissipation to reduce the number of so-called dry-lightning storms which are the cause of so many forest fires in the Northwest. However, funds for these in- creased activities were not appropriated.
There is no legislation which specifically authorizes this Department to under- take research along any of the lines mentioned in your letter. We consider, however, that the MeSweeny-MecNary Act (Public Law 466, 70th Cong., approved May 22, 1928), which authorizes us to carry on forest fire control research, provides authorization for us to undertake weather control experiments which might dis- close means of reducing forest fires.
We have undertaken no work along the lines mentioned in your letter except a very small amount of exploratory work on cloud dissipation to minimize lightning, as a basis for judging whether further activities of this kind might be justified.
Sincerely yours, K. T. Hurcutnson, Assistant Secretary.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, Washington, D. C., March 14, 1951. Hon. Joserpn C, O’Manoney, Chairman, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, United States Senate.
My Dear Senator O’Manoney: Reference is made to your letter of February 27, 1951, relating to joint hearings on pending legislation in connection with artificially induced rainfall, weather control, and the salt water distillation pro- gram, in which request was made for information relating to previous authoriza- tions or appropriations for such purposes.
There is attached a copy of a memorandum prepared by the Bonneville Power Administration on this subject, which memorandum may be of interest to the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs.
Sincerely yours, Oscar L. CHAPMAN, Secretary of the Interior.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, BONNEVILLE PowER ADMINISTRATION,
Washington, D. C., March 8, 1951. Memorandum.
lo: Director, Division of Water and Power From: Bonneville Power Administration Subject: Investigation of Methods for Producing Rainfall
This is in response to your request for a report of Bonneville Power Adminis- tration’s activity on the above subject.
Pursuant to discharge of the duties imposed upon him by statute and depart- mental order, the Administrator has reached substantial agreement on a contract providing for a survey of the feasibility of increasing run-offs in the Columbia tiver drainage basin to optimum by means of inducement of precipitation through artificial nucleation and cloud modification. Actual inducement of precipitation is not included in the survey.
The Administrator’s authority is found in section 2a of the Bonneville Project Act, 16 U. 8. C. see. 832a, and Order No. 2115 of the Secretary of the Interior
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WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY 33
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which directs the Administrator ‘‘to make such surveys * * * as he may determine to be useful or appropriate in connection with the marketing of power.” The estimated cost of this investigation is $7,500 which will include a report by the contractor on the legal problems involved. Joon D. Davis, Manage r, Was/ ington, Bit: Office.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, Washington, Varch 14, 1951. Hon. Epwin C. JOHNSON, Chairman, Committee on Interstate and For: ign Commerce United States Senate, Washington, D. C.
Dear Mr. CuHarrMAn: This letter is in further reply to your request for our views with respect to S. 5, 8S. 222, and S. 798, bills providing authority for Gov- ernment assistance to the development of processes for producing water suitable for agriculture, industrial, and other beneficial uses from saline waters and for research and regulation of weather modification activities.
There is attached a statement of our views concerning these bills
The Bureau of the Budget advises us that there would be no objection to the submission of these views. If we can be of further assistance in this matter please call on us.
; Sincerely yours,
’
THomas W. S. Davis, Acting Secreta j if Comm re
VIEWS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CoMMERCE WitTH REspeEcT TO S. 5 AND RELATED Bitus To Assist IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROCESSES To INCREASE THE AVAIL- ABILITY OF UsasLe Water From Satine WATERS AND THE ATMOSPHERE, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
S. 5 would authorize the Secretary of Interior to conduct research on the production from saline waters of water suitable for agriculture, industry, munici- pal and other beneficial uses, and on the production of water from the atmosphere.
S. 222 would establish a Weather Control Commission with broad powers to conduct research in the field of weather control and rain making and to license others to perform these functions.
We believe generally that Government research and development in the field should proceed and we therefore favor the general objectives of these bills.
In drafting 8S. 5, the importance of the economie feasibility of processes de- veloped for obtaining usable water from saline waters is stressed. We share this view and believe this to be the most important aspect of this development. For this reason we recommend that consideration be given to imposing a safeguard in the bill to provide that, to the fullest extent practicable, cost studies of any pro- posed method be made before a plant for the demonstration of erected.
We also recommend that consideration be given to the fullest utilization of water resources presently available. Fresh water in vast quantities is discharged into the oceans from the rivers of the United States. Utilization of this river water, if possible, would, in large measure, eliminate the ocean-side costs of obtaining additional salt-free water, while transportation costs would, depending on the area, remain the same as for processed saline waters. Consideration should also be given to the increased use of sewage effluent for agricultural purposes, which would permit greater utilization of natural water resources for domestic and other uses. It is not clear that research on these two aspects of the problem would be authorized by 8. 5, and the legislative history of this bill or the language therein should, in our opinion, be written to authorize their inclusion
With respect to controlled production of water from the atmosphere, or rain- making, we enter the area of speculation and uncertainty Acting under au- thority of Public Law 691, Seventy-ninth Congress (49 USC 603, 60 . 944), and Public Law 657, Eightieth Congress (62 Stat. 470) the Weather Bureau has conducted extensive research in weather control and rainmaking. This research and experimentation does not support the conclusion that significant amounts of rainfall can be artificially induced in addition to that which would have occurred naturally in the locality. We had contemplated that this research would be continued until the fullest possible knowledge of the subject is gained.
that control is
34 WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY
If we assume the development of artificial rain-making, we are of the opinion that the processes developed will effect climatic changes in the area directly con- trolled and elsewhere. Certainly the Weather Bureau, and the Department of Commerce generally, would have a most direct and immediate interest and responsibility in these effects. In the light of this interest and responsibility and in the light of the research already carried on by the Department in the field, which has resulted in considerable data (see The Thunderstorm, etc., 1949, available at Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office), we believe that primary responsibility for furthering weather control should be continued in the Department of Commerce.
We recognize the potential danger of unrestricted experimentation in the control of weather, and of restrictions which are not uniform, and therefore recommend that, in addition to conducting such experimentation, the agency should be em- powered to license activities in the field giving consideration to the exclusion by class from the requirement of licenses, such localized activities as fog dispersal at airports, frost prevention in orchards, ete. We would also favor the enactment of provisions safeguarding contractors hired by the Government to carry out ex- perimentation in this field from liability arising out of their activities. We believe that the state of development in this field does not warrant further Govern- ment action.
(The report of the Department of the Army on S. 5, S. 222, and S. 798 which follows was received after the close of the hearings.)
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, Washington, D. C., May 28, 1951. Hon. Epwin C. JoHNson, Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, Unued States Senate. Drar SENATOR JoHNSON: Reference is made to your recent request to the Secretary of Defense for the views of the Department of Defense with respect to
S. 222, a bill to provide for the development and regulation of methods of weather modifications and control. Although your committee has not requested an
expression of the views of the Department of Defense with respect to 8. 5, a bill to provide for research into and demonstration of practical means for the eco- nomical production, from sea or other saline waters, or from the atmosphere (including cloud formations), of water suitable for agricultural, industrial, municipal, and other beneficial consumptive uses, and for other purposes, and S. 798, a bill to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct research and experiments with respect to methods of controlling and producing precipitation in moisture-deficient areas, for the convenience of the subcommittee which is considering those bills together with 8. 222, and at the suggestion of the Secretary of Defense, the views of the Department on all three bills are incorporated in this report. The Secretary of Defense has delegated to this Department the respon- sibility for expressing the views of the Department of Defense on the mentioned bills
The Department of the Army, on behalf of the Department of Defense, favors the enactment of S. 5, subject to the comments and recommendations set forth below, and is opposed to the enactment of 8. 798 and 8S. 222 in their present form.
S. 222 sets out findings intended to establish the importance of the matter of weather modification and control; the proposed policy of the Congress, among other things, to regulate and supervise experiments and operations designed to modify and control weather; and the stated purpose of the bill, which is to effec- tuate the policies and establish certain major programs. The bill also provides for the establishment cf a Control Commission much along the same lines as the Atomie Energy Commission, with advisory and liaison committees.
S. 5, with one exception, is substantially the same as S. 1300, Eighty-first Congress, and in general sets forth the policy of the Congress to provide for the development of economically feasible means of producing from sea water, other saline waters or from the atmosphere, water of quality suitable for agricultural, industrial, municipal, and other beneficial consumptive uses. To this end, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to conduct research and development work, to acquire patents, inventions, and other property, to cooperate with other govern- mental departments, agencies, or instrumentalities, and to request other Federal departments, agencies, and instrumentalities to provide assistance. Certain authority is also granted to the Secretary of the Interior to dispose of water and other products produced as a result of his operations under the bill. Authoriza-
tion fo: provisi rules & S. 7§ and to rain to their r contal The which to dat conclu some | upon | as to \ there ¢ means howev implic milital tion a The the pl some ¢ that 1 Large of seri experi per vi also p’ tion, € tectiv needs and e: It t servic weath valid expen bill. be est Empl be ne spons a sim Inters terms ment shall | Suc this fi direct is con by tl contr than resea! that | no ca again the ¢ broac due t Gove acco from equi
WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY 35
tion for appropriations of up to $25 million is contained in the bill, as well as certain provisions for indemnification, periodic reports to the Congress, and issuance of rules and regulations.
S. 798 directs the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct research and experiments and to take such further action as may be necessary to perfect methods of causing
rain to full in deficient areas. Other Federal departments are directed to make their records and data available to the Secretary of Agricultur The bill also contains an authorization for appropriations.
The armed services have been engaged in basic studies of weather modifications which have led to certain techniques now being tested. Experiments and tests
to date have had some possible significance but their results cannot be considered conclusive as yet. The results to date indicate that under favorable conditions
some local changes can be produced by artificial means. This is generally agreed upon by most independent experts. There is, however, considerable controversy as to whether cloud modification can effect major weather changes; for instance
there appears to be no hope at the present time to break a genuine drought by this means. The evidence that some changes can be induced is sufficiently strong however, to make it desirable to explore further possible tactical and strategic implications. Current and prospective tests by the services also have possible military applications the nature of which necessarily constitute classified informa- tion at this time.
There is a considerable element of doubt concerning the validity of results to the present because of cloud-seeding activities of others, which may have had some effect on the tests conducted by the armed services. It is generally agreed that methodical, systematic, and coordinated research should be encouraged. Large operations by irresponsible persons could seriously upset research activities of serious students in this field. Legislation which would protect the validity of experiments by providing for coordination of effort and, at the same time, not ham- per vigorous prosecution of valid research is desirable. Such legislation should also provide means for protecting the publie against the great danger of victimiza- tion, especially farmers and others who need water from time to time. The pro- tective mechanism which is required should, however, be commensurate with the needs and at present it appears that this mechanism should be relatively simple and easily enforceable.
It thus appears that there is no basic difference of opinion between the armed services and the author of S. 222 as to the necessity of control of experiments in weather modification and control; the services feel, however, that the extent of valid scientific knowledge on the subject is not vet sufficient to justify a large and expensive control ozganization or the degree of regulation contemplated by the bill. It is believed that the mechanism to accomplish the necessary control could be established within the framework of presently existing Government agencies. Emphasis at this time should be on research with only so much control as may be necessary to ensure coordinated effort and to present indiscriminate and irre- sponsible attempts at cloud modification. This control could be provided for by a simple bill which would vest in an existing agency, such as the quasi-judicial Interstate Commerce Commission, authority to issue regulations setting fort] terms and conditions on which all seeding may be conducted, including a require- ment that all persons, firms, or corporations engaged in the seeding of clouds shall furnish specified information and findings to the Weather Bureau.
Such a bill should also give to all Government agencies engaged in research in this field authority to indemnify their contractors against liability for all damage directly resulting from their research. Appropriate language for such a section is contained in section 10 of S. 222, which provides generally for broad assumption by the Government of liability for damages resulting from the performance of contracts relating to weather modification or control. This section is broader than the provisions of section 5 or 8. 323 (a bill to facilitate performance of research and development work by and on behalf of the military departments) in that it provides for sole responsibility by the Government for damages, and that no cause of action with respect to any such claim for damages may be maintained against the contractor but shall be solely by suit against the United States in the Court of Claims. The provisions of section 10 are not objectionable, even as broad as they are, except the clause set forth on lines 2 and 3 on page 21, ‘‘whether due to the negligence of the contractor or otherwise.”’ It is believed that the Government should not be an insurer of a contractor so as to protect him on account of his own negligent acts. The quoted clause should be stricken out from the section. In addition, there should be inserted in whatever section is equivalent to section 10 a provision authorizing settlement of claims by the head
36 WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY
of the contracting agency and in such case, the second proviso of section 5 of S. 323 should also be included in the bill.
It is believed that a bill containing the foregoing provisions would be sufficient to meet present needs. Interested Government agencies would undoubtedly form a coordinating committee under the Interdepartmental Committee on Research and Development, or some other existing agency, who would advise the regulatory body, coordinate research activities of Government agencies, and review all the developments and recommend to the regulatory agency additional legislation as required.
The Federal Trade Commission under its authority to prevent ‘unfair or deceptive acts or practices in commerce”’ could be requested to exercise its au- thority with respect to false claims made by professional “rainmakers.’’ This would prevent, to a great measure, the victimization of farmers and others who need water from time to time and who might be deceived by extravagant or false claims.
With respect to 8. 5, which is described above, it is believed that express au- thorization to conduct research in cloud modification is not necessary for any Federal agency having an interest in the field. If the authority is not actually needed, it should be deleted from 8. 5 because it might cast doubt on the authority of other agencies to engage in similar activities.
S. 798 is based upon the premise that rain ean be made where and when wanted. To this extent the bill is misleading. Furthermore, this bill would accomplish very little in that adequate authority already exists in all agencies having interest in the field for the conduct of research in cloud modification. The provisions of section 2 (a) which requires all agencies to make all data relating to cloud modi- fication available to the Department of Agriculture might be seriously detrimental to the national security because it might require the furnishing of such data even though classified for military security reasons.
The Department of the eer in behalf of the Department of Defense, rec- ommends that 8S. 5 be modified in accordance with the foregoing views and, as thus modified, recommends its enac ct ment. The Department does not recommend enactment of 8. 798 or 8. 222.
The fiseal effect of S. 222 is unknown to the Department of Defense. The fiseal effect of S. 5 is apparent from section 8 thereof, which authorizes appro- priations not to exceed $25 million. The fiscal effect of S. 798 is also unknown to the Department of Defense.
This report has been coordinated among the departments and boards of the Department of Defense in accordance with procedures prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.
The Bureau of the Budget advises that there is no objection to the submission of this report.
Sincerely, Frank Pace, Jr., Secretary of the Army.
Senator AnpERsoN. May I say, as far as I am concerned, there is no difference of opinion between Senator Case and myself, or Senator O’Mahoney and myself, on these bills. I do not care whether Agri- culture ‘s it, Commerce does it, whether the Army does it, the Navy does it, or the Air Force does it, as long as some ‘body kee ps the score and ise s a find out what happens, and I think Senator Case feels the same way about it. He has had experience.
Senator Casn. Except with this modification: That I would want it in the hands of somebody who is going to try to get some results and not merely try to find a negative answer
Senator AnprERsON. I think so, too.
Mr. McDonatp. Might I file for examination of the committee or any of its staff a collection of reports and papers?
Senator ANpERSON. Is Research Paper No. 31 there?
Mr. Haun. Yes.
Mr. McDonatp. I presume so. Not all of them are by the Weather Bureau. There is outside opinion in there. We do not stand alone in this business. There is a conservative position about
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WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY 37
it, and a lot to learn before we are in a position to state sound con- clusions. That is the opinion of meteorologists, a number of them. (The documents referred to are as follows:)
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, WEATHER BUREAU, Washington, D. C., July 7, 1947. CrreuLar Lerrer No. 55-47 (To all first-order stations) Subject: Artificial inducement of precipitation.
Although artificial inducement of precipitation has often been attempted, it is only recently that experiments have been performed which offer some hope for success under certain special atmospheric conditions. Dr. Irving Langmuir and Mr. V. J. Schaefer of the General Electric Co., Mr. E. 8. Ellison of the Weather Bureau Station in Portland, Oreg., and Australian meteorologists, have conducted experiments wherein supercooled water clouds were ‘‘seeded’’ by the dispersal of dry ice (solid CO,) particles from aircraft. It is the purpose of this circular letter to describe briefly what is known of the scientific background of the phenom- enon and to outline the policy of the Weather Bureau with regard to the partici- pation in such experiments by Weather Bureau personnel.
SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUND
From evidence accumulated, both in the laboratory and in the field, there is no doubt that supercooled water clouds can be transformed into ice erystal clouds, and that the ice erystals can grow to such size that they fall from the cloud as
precipitation, There is, however, quite a gap between this simple but important
fact and the production of appreciable or even measttrable amoun‘s of precipita- tion. For example, a supercooled cloud 3,000 mete>. thick, with (he rather high water content of 1 gm/m*, will, if it is seeded and remains stationary, deposit 0.12 inch of melted snow if all its water is transformed into ice crystals which fall to
the ground without evaporation, Actually of course the mo
deposit its precipitation Over an area much greater tha
precipitation at one location will be even less. According to Dr. Langmuir’s researches, seeding creates myriads of sublimation
nuclei or “ice germs’’; and each ice germ may grow to an ice crystal and fall as
ving eloud will its own, and the measured
precipitation if there is sufficient moisture available. Ordinarily there is not sufficient moisture in the treated cloud to gather around each and every ice germ and cause it to grow to sufficient size to fall. The moisture content, however, may be increased by convection and/or advection. But when additional moisture
(either liquid or vapor) replaces the seeded portion of the cloud, there will be
little or no seeds available in the new cloud formations to transform it into an
ice cloud. Hence it is very important for spread of the precipitation area that the ice germs diffuse to unseeded portions of the cloud by mixing or convective proce
esses. The rapidity of this diffusion is a subject of current investigation. The transformation of a supercooled water cloud to an ice crystal is accompanied by the liberation of the heat of fusion. A simple ealculation will show that when a cloud or liquid water content 1 gm/m* is changed to ice at 10,000 feet, enough heat is released to warm it up 1/3° C., which seems too small to have any appre- ciable buoyancy effect in causing the cloud to ‘‘boil’’ upward to produce heavier precipitation, Silver iodide also has ice nucleation properties and has the advan- tage thet the nuclei thus formed do not evaporate or meit and so can remain for long periods regardless of the temperature until they come into the presence of supercooled water droplets and produce their effect. On the other hand, the nuclei produced by dry ice are minute ice erystals which evaporate and melt when the air is dry or the temperature rises above freezing. According to Lang- muir, such ice nuclei are produced not only by frozen CQO, but by a
ny material at temperatures below 35° C
OPERATIONAL DETAILS
The cloud to be treated should be a water cloud at subfreezing temperatures, the thicker the better, and with optimum temperatures probably between — 10° ¢ and 15°C. The dry ice should be in the form of pellets about one-fourth inch in diameter. If it is desired that the CO, seeds drop to a lower supercooled
38 WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY
cloud located several thousand feet below the level of the aircraft, about half of the pellets should be somewhat larger, one-half inch to three-quarters inch in diameter. Dr. Langmuir’s computations show that a spherical pellet of four- tenths cm. diameter will fall in air at —20° C., 1,100 meters before complete evaporation. The CO, should be discharged from the aircraft at the rate of about 1 pound per mile. No information is available regarding the field appli- cation of the silver iodide. POLICY
As news of the experiments on artificial inducement of precipitation has spread, there have naturally arisen requests for similar experiments to be carried out, particularly in those regions where the water supply is of critical importance to human activity. When local groups desire to conduct such experiments, they look to the Weather Bureau for guidance and leadership. Since considerable publicity often accompanies these attempts to induce precipitation artificially, we need to stress in our relations with the public and interested local groups that, although some very promising experiments have been made, we do not yet know enough about the processes involved to predict whether significant or even measurable amounts of precipitation can be produced; very specialized atmos- pheric conditions are apparently required to produce even a trace of precipitation.
Extensive experiments are under way under Government sponsorship. The elaborate equipment and scientific controls being employed by the Government- sponsored project to evaluate results of the seeding experiments will be very difficult to duplicate elsewhere. The Weather Bureau does not wish to control or restrict constructive scientific experiments, particularly on such an important question as increasing the water supply in critical areas. If Weather Bureau officials are asked to participate in experiments to produce precipitation artifi- cially, the scientific facts presented in this circular letter should be made known to the people concerned. If after this is done they still wish to go ahead, the central office should be informed of all details, including the proposed site of seeding, in order that official authorization may be issued and the best possible arrangements be made for cooperation.
F, W. REIcHELDERFER, Chief of Bureau.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, WEATHER BuREAU, Washington, August 26, 1947.
CrrcutaR Letrer No, 75-47
(To all stations)
Subject: Artificial inducement of precipitation.
Effective immediately and until further notice all official Weather Bureau statements for publication on the results of articial inducement of rain or snow will be cleared with the central office before release. This applies in particular to observations or conclusions with reference to the results of tests of artificial nucleation by means of dry ice or other reagent. In cases of urgency where clearance for immediate publication is necessary, field officials are authorized to obtain clearance by telegram or telephone call to the central office but these cases should be kept to the minimum.
Prior clearance is not necessary for statements containing the substance of Circular Letter 55-47 in reply to specific inquiries for information for publication but in every case Weather Bureau officials should be noncommittal as regards the immediate practical results or possible commercial value of artificial pro- duction of rain or snow. As stated in previous correspondence, it is the policy to discourage sporadic experiments which are without systematic planning and scientific supervision. In many cases unrelated experiments would lead to pre- mature and erroneous conclusions. Local enthusiasts who desire to make im- mediate experiments should be informed that the Federal Government is carrying on very extensive research in this field and will obtain conclusive evidence as soon as possible; also, that uncoordinated local tests may delay rather than hasten the development. There are legal questions and other problems involving conflicting views and interests which may cause serious trouble.
The reason for requiring clearance before publication of opinions or conclusions as to rain-making experiments is that the implications and probable legal conse-
quences the se state assist press | that t before that I portul
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WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY 39
quences of recent public statements on this subject have caused concern among the several departments of Government interested in this research. Editing of statements for publication and coordination with general plans in this field will assist in avoiding the difficulties referred to. When newspaper representatives press for an immediate statement on the results of tests, they should be informed that the results will have to be studied in relation to radiosonde observations before definite statement can be made since meteorological conditions may be such that rainfall would have occurred without artificial aid. This will give an op- portunity to obtain clearance as requested herein.
It is not desired to place unnecessary restrictions on the relationships between local officials and the press but it is necessary to have some degree of national coordination and to avoid unilateral conclusions which may be misleading and result in serious local and even national consequences. It continues to be the policy to discourage local tests which are not part of the official research program. Weather Bureau officials should act as observers in local tests onlv after clearance with the central office and as a last resort when it is obvious that the test would otherwise be conducted without Weather Bureau observers.
F. W. ReicHeELpDERFER, Chief of Bureau.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, WEATHER BUREAU, Washington, October 31, 1947.
CrrcuLtaR Letrer No. 98-47
e
(To all stations)
Subject: Legal aspects of rainfall allegedly produced by artificial means.
Because of the intense popular interest in artificially induced precipitation and the susceptibility of the subject to sensational headlines, the press and radio are inclined to headline comments on this subject in a manner open to misinterpre- tation. Several instances have occurred during recent weeks where careful statements by Weather Bureau officials in reply to questions have been inaccu- rately reported and in some cases implied a meaning opposite to that intended. Some of the reports might carry serious legal implications. To safeguard the Federal Government, the Bureau and its employees against legal involvenfent, the following directive is hereby adopted.
Weather Bureau officials and employees in general should not express opinions for publication, either directly or in letters and conversations, with persons who might make the statements public, if such statements might form the basis for legal action of any kind. ‘This applies particularly to statements implying that artificial nucleation was the casue of precipitation or other modification of the weather in forms that might cause damage to private property or private interests.
The directive does not apply to statements of meteorological observations and other factual data in connettion with artificial nucleation experiments when the statements do not express opinion as to whether precipitation or other weather changes have been the result of artificial techniques or natural processes. Moreover, the directive does not apply to intramural discussions of these subjects with other officials in the conduct of official business in connection with artificial nucleation and other experimental projects.
These instructions are not intended to limit or restrict except with reference to legal implications. In order that the policy of the Bureau may be understood and not be misinterpreted as indifferent or negative with respect to this important subject, the following brief restatement of policy is given.
The practical possibilities of articial inducement of precipitation are still unknown. It is highly desirable to determine the possibilities without delay. The Bureau therefore has inaugurated a research program and is cooperating closely with other research agencies in experiments to determine the possibilities. The Bureau’s policy therefore is one of maintaining an open mind and assisting in a constructive research program in this field. It is also desirable to avoid a negative attitude on this subject when questions are received from the public or representatives of the press. It is appropriate to state that the Weather Bureau is vitally interested in the subject and is actively participating in the research program. It is also appropriate to release factual data and authenti-
40 WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY
cated observations of such information as amount of precipitation, unless release has been specifically prohibited. The important point is to avoid statements that might be used to fix responsibility for storm damage. When such questions are asked, it may be stated that the causes have not been accurately determined and we do not have enough information to say whether the results were due entirely to natural processes or not.
The provisions of Circular Letters No. 55-47 dated July 7, 1947, and No. 75-47 dated August 26, 1947, remain in effect.
F, W. ReicHELpDERFER, Chief of Bureau.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, OrricE oF Pusiic INFORMATION, Washington, D. C., July 19, 1950.
(Press Branch fact sheet) Prosgect Cirrus WHY PROJECT CIRRUS?
Weather always has been an important factor in military operations, and by the same token, weather forecasts are important. Weather affects men; it affects ground, sea, and air transport; it affects communications and radar; it affects tactical plans; it affects artillery fire.
In large measure, ‘‘weather’”’ is associated with the action of clouds although clouds themselves may be what they are at a given moment because of many other meteorological factors. .
This is a ‘‘fact sheet’”’ on project Cirrus, a study that was begun in 1947 by the armed services to learn more about clouds and how to change them in ways that would have military application. With the advent of radar as a tool in weather forecasting, it also became important to know more about clouds, in order to interpret radar data more fully.
WHAT IS PROJECT CIRRUS?
Project Cirrus is a cooperative research investigation in cloud physics sponsored by the Signal Corps of the United States Army and the Office of Naval Research, in @onsultation with the General Electric Co. Airplanes used in experiments are provided by the United States Air Force. It is intended to obtain a more com plete understanding of the physical processes in the atmosphere associated with the formation, growth, and dissipation of clouds.
The work of project Cirrus is guided bv a technical steering committee consisting of the following: Chairman, Dr. Michael J. Ference, Jr., Signal Corps Engineering Laboratories, Fort Monmouth, N. J.; Dr. C. J. Brasefield, also of the Signal ( orps Engineering Laboratories: Lt. Max ] aton, Office of Naval Research. Washington, D. C.; Col. N. C. Spencer, United States Air Force Air Weather Office, Washington, D. C.; and Lt. Col. J. Tucker, Research Division, Head quarters. United States Air Force, Washington, D. ¢
WHAT ARE THE SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES OF PROJECT CIRRUS?
Project Cirrus, initiated by the Armed Forces, has utilized the services of Dr Irving Langmuir and Dr. Vincent J. Schaefer in research, including fundamental laboratory studies, development of special techniques, and instrumentation using the fact that supercooled water droplets could be converted into ice erystals readily and inexpensively. This discovery is considered fundamental, since the widely accepted theory of precipitation proposed by T. Pergeron and W. Findeisen, predicted that supercooled clouds are unstable and would be modified if the pres ence of ice crystals.
It is known that very small particles in the air act as the nuclei around which droplets and ice crystals form. The General Electric scientists discovered meth- ods for injecting such nuclei into clouds rapidly and efficiently. They thereby opened up an entirely new ares. for military research and possible exploitation. As a result of these early experiments of Drs. Langmuir and Schaefer, studies on the nature of clouds, their formation, their dissipation, their strueture, and pos- sible modification by artificial means were started. To supplement this broad study, specific research was undertaken to determine such important properties
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of clouds as the liquid water content, temperature, degree of turbulence, size of cloud droplets, number of ice crystals or freezing nuclei present, and finally the concentration of condensation nuclei. In addition to these field experiments, laboratory research was required to study the chemical and physical properties of artificial nuclei, and to increase our knowledge of the basie processes of precipitation.
WHAT ARE THE SCIENTIFIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF PROJECT CIRRUS TO DATE?
It is still too early to appraise the full scientific import of the research. How- ever, during the past 3 years that Project Cirrus has been in existence, a number of fundamental contributions have already been made to our understanding of the processes that go on within clouds. Some of the more important of these contributions which have been accepted as part of the meteorological literature are:
1. It is an experimental fact that a supercooled cloud, i. e., a cloud containing water droplets whose temperature is below freezing, can be converted into an ice crystal cloud by the use of either dry ice pellets or silver iodide nuclei. It has been possible on occasion to create holes in supercooled layer-t ype or stratus clouds so that the ground beneath could be observed. This would be obviously useful to both military and commercial aircraft, for making landings or parachute drops through an overcast. Inasmuch as this type of cloud contains very little liquid water, however, the amount of precipitation that would reach the ground as a result of seeding would, in general, be quite negligible. In spite of the marked success in modifying supercooled clouds, there are a number of questions which still remain unsolved—namely, the quantitative relationship between the amount of the nucleating agent necessary for efficient dissipation of a cloud and the thick- ness of the cloud, the amount of water within the cloud, the turbulence within the cloud, ete.
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2. It‘has been observed that the number of effective natural ice nuclei present
within the atmosphere varies over a tremendous range, from a few nuclei per cubic
foot to several million per eubic foot. This observation has focused attention o1 the possibility of accomplishing large-scale cloud modification by artifically in- creasing the effective nuclei in the atmosphere.
3. It has been learned that these natural nuclei, so essential for rainfall, are quite temperature-dependent. Certain nuclei are effective in converting water droplets to ice crystals at temperatures slightly below the freezing temperature, while other nuclei do not become effective until the temperature drops to very low values. Since both silver iodide nuciei and those formed by dry ice are effective near the freezing temperature, it should be possible to modify a cloud at a much earlier stage of its development.
+. It has been verified that water droplets within a cloud will convert spon- taneously into ice erystals when the temperature of the cloud reaches 40° below zero C. (which is normal freezing temperature
5. Some engineering data’ useful for the design « equipment have been obtained from these studies.
6. Development of a useful theoretical model for precipitation processes based on the growth and fragmentation of water drops and ice crystals has come out of the work.
Paralleling this research, there have been numerous equipment and technique developments that have value beyond the applications of this project. For example, there have been developed:
1. A special aircraft thermometer to measure true air temperatures in the presence of water droplets.
2. An apparatus for measuring size of cloud droplets.
3. An apparatus for determining the liquid water content in a cloud.
t. A technique for detecting ice crystals in the presence of water droplets within a cloud.
5. Techniques for evaluating automatically the concentration of nuclei in the atmosphere.
3. Methods for measuring the upward drafts within clouds
7. Techniques for collecting ice erystal replicas in the clouds
8. Techniques for photographing clouds and analyzing changes due to artificial nucieation. s Methods for generating artificial nuclei.
10. Laboratory techniques for studying the growth and fragmentation of large water drops.
f military radar weather
‘ }
$3116—51———4
42 WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY
Not enough is known of the natural processes in the atmosphere to be able to draw positive conclusions as to the effects of artificial nucleation except as noted previously. This is not an unreasonable scientific statement when one considers that atmospheric processes are in a continual state of flux and it is difficult, if not impossible, to obtain two identical weather situations for a control experi- ment. Therefore, many meteorologists feel that it is necessary to employ sta- tistical experimentation over an extended period of time in order to draw defini- tive conclusions on the effectiveness and usefulness of artificial nucleation.
The question ‘‘Can you make it rain?” has received an answer in the affirma- tive in many experimental instances where atmospheric conditions were suitable, but the question of how much precipitation can be artificially induced or if the amount would be of any economic significance is yet to be determined.
It is the opinion of many meteorologists that a complete answer will come only after several years of careful experimentation because (1) it is not known what minimum number of nuclei are necessary to cause a cloud to precipitate its moisture, and (2) how frequently nature provides this minimum number.
Only through a more complete understanding of the complex natural phenomena associated with cloud and storm formation, growth and dissipation can the fina! answers as to potential military and economic usefulness be obtained. Results to date amply justify the necessity for continued efforts in this field.
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, WEATHER BUREAU, Washington, July 27, 1950.
CrrcutarR Letrer No. 54-50 (To all first-order and CAA stations)
Subject: Furnishing of weather data obtained from official thermometers and rain gages to private individuals or agencies.
It has come to the attention of the central office that various private agencies engaged in rain-making experiments or the evaluation of cloud seeding programs have recently requested weather observing stations to report daily precipitation on a weekly basis directly to them.
Inasmuch as daily precipitation data are available, to these private agencies in the form of synoptic reports on teletype circuits, it will be unnecessary for CAA and the Weather Bureau first-order stations to comply with requests of this nature.
Since cooperative weather stations also have been requested to make daily reports of precipitation on a weekly basis to these agencies, the policy regarding compliance of cooperative observers with such requests is given below for infor- mation of all stations and for relay to the cooperative observers by the Section Center.
Cooperative observers who desire to make reply to private inquiries for weather data may furnish the information if they wish but they are not under obligation to do so insofar as the Weather Bureau is concerned. The official duties of the cooperative observer consist only of the observations and reports requested directly by an official of the Bureau. Other services including replies to inquiries from persons or organizations outside the Weather Bureau are left entirely to the discretion of the cooperative observer and are not official services unless explicitly authorized by the Bureau.
We wish to cooperate in every way practicable in worth while research and development by other public institutions or by private agencies but we do not desire our cooperative observers to engage in outside meteorological services or reply to outside inquiries if the additional work is a burden to them or if it inter- feres in any way with their official observations and reports to the Bureau.
The Weather Bureau is deeply indebted to its regular cooperative observers for their regular voluntary observations and reports which comprise the material for the climatological records of the United States. We do not wish to have their official connection with the Bureau become the source of annoying inquiries from private agencies or the means of adding excessively to their work. Any work they perform in response to unofficial inquiries is wholly a matter of their personal choice,
F. W. Reicnetperrer, Chief of Bureau.
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{From Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, vol. 31, No. 9, November 1950, pp. 346, 347]
On THE ReEsvuLtTs oF Recent EXPERIMENTS IN THE ARTIFICIAL PRODUCTION OF PRECIPITATION
The potentialities of artificial weather control and modification have excited the imagination of all of us. Rain making, as a result of artificial nucleation, has been particularly publicized during the past many months. As a result, Federal, State, and municipal authorities have been besieged with requests to make rain, to stop rain, to put out fires, to destroy hurricanes, to eliminate icing, hail, and fog, and even to create major climatic changes. The lack of authoritative and quantitative information on this subject is most apparent. Recently the Council discussed this matter and strongiy urged that a statement on the present status of rain making be obtained from a group of prominent scientists, who have followed rather closely the technical documentation of development in this field. This letter is in answer to my request for such a statement from Professors Haurwitz, Emmons, Wadsworth, and Willett.—D. N. Yates, president, American Meteoro- logical Society.
Avucust 16, 1950. Brig. Gen. D. N. YATEs, President, American Meteorological Society, Room 4E 336, The Pentagon, Washington, D. C.
DEAR GENERAL YATES: In answer to your request for a discussion on the evalua- tion of claims of artificial rain-making we are submitting herewith a brief description of two possible approaches to the problem, together with our opinion of claims of success made thus far.
The formation of atmospheric ice and water particles and their coagulation are still only imperfectly understood despite the great advance in recent years which is to a large measure due to the work of Langmuir, Schaefer, and their coworkers. For this reason and because of the impossibility of controlling the atmosphere or of forecasting accurately what would have happened if artificial disturbances had not been introduced, it is extremely difficult to evaluate claims of success in rain making.
One approach to this problem is to estimate the probable precipitation that might have been expected from the prevailing weather pattern in the normal course of events at the time of the experiment. From this point of view it may be said that at the time of certain experiments in New Mexico the weather condi- tions were quite favorable and adequately explain the moderately but by no means exceptionally heavy amounts of precipitation that occurred. It cannot be proved to what extent, if at all the future weather development was altered by the occurrence of precipitation once it was initiated, nor is it possible to decide how much of the precipitation which occurred at the stations individually should be attributed to seeding. In the case of the heavy rainfall during the past winter in the Mississippi Valley it is even more difficult to judge the likelihood of any effect of seeding on the weather pattern. Certainly it can be said that the weather pattern and rainfall of this period were quite similar to a number of corresponding periods in the past, and fit very naturally and normally into the rather unusual Northern Hemisphere weather pattern of the past winter.
A second approach to the problem is essentially statistical and involves an esti- mation of the probability of the occurrence of the phenomena by chance alone. To this end a complete analysis of the entire situation must be made, starting with a statistical analysis of the original data on moisture distribution, winds, and rain- fall in relation to topography. Topography alone can be expected to produce a certain similarity in precipitation patterns on different days. It would be neces- sary also, because of the connection (serial correlation) that exists within and between weather patterns, to go back over the records and evaluate from past data the probabilities of various degrees of agreement between weather patterns. To be sure odds have been quoted by various investigators, but in no case have these necessary precautions been observed, and therefore the odds cited cannot be accorded scientific credence.
44 WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY
It is the considered opinion of this committee that the possibility of artificial, producing any useful amounts of rain has not been demonstrated so far if th: available evidence is interpreted by any acceptable scientific standards.
B. HauRwItTz, Chairman, Department of Meteorology, New York Unwwersity. GARDNER EMMONS, Research Associate, Department of Meteorology, New York University. G. Wapsworth, Professor of Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. H. C. Wi..ett, Professor of Meteorology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Unrtrep States DePARTMENT OF COMMERCE, WEATHER BUREAU, Washington, D. C., December 22, 1950.
CrreuLtar Letrrer No. 95-50
(To all stations) ° Subject: Artificial rain making.
The Bureau wishes to be informed of any artificial rain-making tests or experi ments, or commercial rain-making ventures that might be conducted. Until further notice, field stations are accordingly requested to inform the central office (attention 8S. R. and F. Division) briefly by mail whenever activities of this kind are contemplated or are in operation in their areas. The report (in duplicate should include information on the site and dates of operations, the name of the operator, and any other pertinent facts in the case,
F. W. ReicHELDERFER, Chief of Bureau.
Unirep States DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, WEATHER BUREAU, Washington, March 6, 1951.
CrrcuLtaR Lerrer No. 10-51 (To all stations)
Subject: Statement on artificial rain making.
The following statement has been issued for official use in Washington and is transmitted to field stations for information as to the Weather Bureau’s position on this subject and as a guide to field officials in answering inquiries:
It has been demonstrated conclusively both in the laboratory and in the atmos- phere that cloud droplets at temperatures below freezing can be converted into ice crystals by “‘seeding’’ with dry ice, silver iodide and other nucleating agents. This is an initial step in “making rain’’ by artificial means; in fact, the natural conversion of supercooled cloud droplets into ice crystals or snow is one of the processes by which rain commonly occurs under natural conditions. Of course, it is quite erroneous to say categorically that rain making is impossible, but this statement is not enough. Among the important unanswered questions are: Under what particular atmospheric conditions can rain be induced by artificial means? How frequently do such conditions oceur, and what are the quantitative results; that is, how much rain can be produced artificially? These questions are vital to an evaluation of the practical possibilities of rain making as a means for materially augmenting the water supply.
There have been hundreds of reports of great success in seeding clouds and pro- ducing heavy showers. The evidence indicates that in most of the cases showers thought to have resulted from seeding were actually the result of natural causes. Much more research in cloud physies and mechanism of formation of precipitation
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WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY 45
is necessary before the foregoing questions can be answered conclusively. The Weather Bureau has made hundreds of field tests and has published the results of observations. Many experimenters have reported only the rain-making tests which they have considered successful, and a factual picture of the possibilities has therefore been difficult to obtain.
F. W. ReicHELDERFER, Chief of Bureau.
List oF PRINTED MATERIAL SUPPLIED BY THE WKATHER BUREAU AS EXHIBITS FOR THE COMMITTEE FILES
First Partial Report on the Artificial Production of Precipitation: Stratiform Clouds, Ohio, 1948. Research Paper No. 30, United States Department of Commerce, August 1948.
Second Partial Report on the Artificial Production of Precipitation: Cumuliform Clouds, Ohio, 1948. Research Paper No. 31, United States Department of Commerce, January 1949.
Artificial Production of Precipitation, Third Partial Report: Orographie Strati- form Clouds, California, 1949. Fourth Partial Report: Cumuliform Clouds, Gulf States, 1949. Research Paper No. 33, United States Department of Commerce, September 1949.
Evaluation of Results of Joint Air Force-Weather Bureau Cloud-Seeding Trials Conducted During Winter and Spring, 1949, Geophysical Research Papers No. 4, May 1950. Base Directorate fer Geophysical Research, Air Force Cambridge Research Laboracories, Cambridge, Mass.
Reprints from Builetin of the American Meteorological Society:
Volume 29%, No. 5, May 1948, pages 266-269. First Partial Report on the Artificial Production of Precipication: Stratiform Clouds, OGhio, 1948.
Volume 20, No. 10, December 1948, pages 544-546. Second Partial Report on the Artificial Production of Precipitation: Cumuliform Clouds, Ohio, L948.
Volume 30, No. 7, September 1949, pages 255-256. Third Partial Report on Artificial Production of Precipitation: Orographie Stratiform Clouds, California, 1949.
Volume 30, No. 8, October 1949, pages 289-292. Fourth Partial Report on Artificial Production of Precipitation: Cumulus Clouds, Gulf @tates, 1949
Reprinted from transactions of the New York Academy of. Sciences, series IT, volume 12, No. 8, June 1950: Section of Oceanography and Meteorology; Induced Precipitation and Experimental Meteorology; Importance of Artificial Nucleation for the Production of Precipitation; Large-Scale Control of Weather by Introduction of Sublimation Nuclei Into the Atmosphere.
Reprinted from Science, volume 113, No. 2929, February 16, 1951, pages 189- 192: Dr. Langmuir’s article on precipitation control.
Senator Corpon. How many of those seeding experiments such as were described by Senator Case has the Bureau engaged in?
\ir. McDowna.p. I repeat it here
Senator Corpon. Let us find it.
Mr. \icDona.p. We ourselves made some 200 tests.
Senator Corpon. 200 tests?
‘ ° .
Mr. McDonatvp. That is right.
Senator Corpon. Did you have or keep an account of the amount of silver iodide, if that was the chemical you used, that was seeded each time in given areas?
Mr. Hani. Sir, those were dry-ice experiments. The amounts were *
Senator Corpon. Let us stay with silver iodide. That was the one that was discussed here; was it not?
Senator Case. We used the other.
‘ ° > ice ] 2
Senator Corpon. All right, I want to remain with the one that was just mentioned. With dry ice, you had 2,000 experiments?
\Ir. MceDonatp. No; 200.
Mr. Harti. Something less than 200.
46 WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY
Senator Corvon. What, quantitatively, was the number of times that after the seeding there was precipitation, and in how many was there not?
Mr. Hau. I will take 170 of those experiments which are the ones that were documented fully, and they are described here. Briefly, this is what happened.
Taking them altogether, Ohio, California, and Alabama, in 125 cases out of the 170 no precipitation reached the ground from seeded clouds. In 50 cases, a trace, which means a few drops, or one-hundredth of an inch, reached the ground. In two cases, eleven one-hundredths, a tenth of an inch, reached the ground. In 12 cases, a small shower appeared to reach the ground, although in those cases we did not use ground measuring. It was estimated from the airplane.
Senator ANDERSON. May I ask Mr. McDonald if the Weather Bureau has ever asked these local weather stations to report on rain- making activities in their own communities?
Mr. McDonatp. Yes.
Senator ANDERSON. You have done that?
Mr. McDonaup. Yes; we have done that.
Senator ANDERSON. They have reported on these?
Mr. Hatt. Yes, sir.
Mr. McDona.p. The reports are coming in; yes.
Senator Hunt. Mr. Chairman, I think we might arrive at some measure of the enthusiasm of the Weather Bureau for this program by having the budget officer make to us a statement progressively of your requests for this particular feature of your work, starting with
1949, and for 1950, 1951, and 1952. Have you each succeeding year asked for more money for this work, or what have been your requests?
(Subsequently supplied at a previous point in the record. See D. ae.) ®
Mr. McDonatp. May I make, I think, a sound point?
In the business of asking for money, when you get thrown for a loss and an Appropriations Committee writes in a report a statement to the effect that they do not think the Government ought to be doing this kind of business, where does it leave us?
Senator Hunr. That is a well-taken point. What I am fishing for is to ascertain the measure——
Senator ANDERSON. Let me ask a question.
Mr. McDonavp. I can answer very simply. The measure of our enthusiasm is not represented by these figures.
Senator Anprerson. lf the Appropriations Committee suggested to the Army not to build any more airships, do you think the Army would drop it right there?
Mr. McDona.p. No; I do not think they would, but we have to pass a good many barriers on the way even to the Appropriations Committee, and such negative statements raise the hurdles; they do not lower them,
Senator Case. Where do they begin, within the Department?
Mr. McDona.p. Within the Department and at the Budget Bureau level.
Senator Corpvon. I will suggest, Mr. Chairman, that the witness is on pretty sound ground there.
Senator ANDERSON. Thank you very much, Mr. McDonald.
Senator Warkrns. It is a good thing it is. He might not get what he is asking for in other fiele Is.
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WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY 47
Mr. McDona.p. Will that be all, Mr. Chairman?
Senator ANDERSON. That will be all.
(The following letter was subsequently received from Mr. F. W. Reichelderfer, Chief of the Weather Bureau:
DELEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO THE WorRLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION, Par lp , 1951 Hon. CLINTON P. ANDERSON, United States Senate, Washington, D. C.
DeAR SENATOR ANDERSON: Reealling the interview in yo offic about March 1 on the problems of water supply, I would like to — additional informa- tion in a short résumé of the work and views of the Weather Bureau with respect to rain making. An account of the March 14 scalar on S. 5, ete ist reached
me here and the record would, I am sure, be incomplete if the following facts wer ove rlooked.
Langmuir and Schaefer published the results of their first cloud nucleation in 1946. Recognizing the significance of their es in the study of cloud P i:ysics and rain formation, and in the development of experimental meteorology,
» Weather Bureau, following their methods, sceeiiadl on tests in the laboratory er in full-scale field experiments designed to determine the possibilities of artificial increase in rain-fall. During the next 2 years we made some 200 cloud- seeding tests. The results have been published impartially. Further, the Bureau kept closely in touch with tests conducted by other experimenters and for more than a year assigned a meteorologist experienced in cloud physies work to col- laborate with Dr. Langmuir and keep the Bureau informed of progress. It is a matter of record that the Bureau not only eagerly welcomed the work of Langmuir and Schaefer but also repeatedly expressed its recognition of their discovery in official public statements. Our conclusions by 1949 were:
The economic possibilities of artificial rain making probably could be ascer- tained only by a more systematic and extensive research project. The Bureau immediately began work on plans for such a project and later proposed a suitable research program.
2. Although circumstantial evidence supported the reports of certain cases in which it was claimed that heavy rainfall had been produced, there was conclusive evidence that many of the claims were cases in which natural rainfall had been mistaken for artific ial. (How easy it is to make this mistake was shown in one of the Weather Bureau’s tests when our field staff initially were certain their cloud seeding had caused heavy rain but on careful analysis of radar-time records, the rain was discovered to have started before the seeding.)
3. The possibilities of drought relief, hurricane control, ete., b& artificial means are still undetermined and not within immediate practical reach as the publie had been led to believe.
If the Bureau’s views have seemed negative or “unenthusiastie”’ it is only because the facts we have published spoke for themselves in terms col aparison with the many exaggerated claims appeared conservative al we have known that farmers were in mat for rain which came naturally.
I can state with certainty that the Weather Bureau is enthusiastic about research to deterrmine the possibilities of weather control and that its approach to this subject is open-minded and its desire is only to get the facts because they bear directly on many of the unsolved problems of meteorology and weather
\vV cases paying commercial rainmakers
forecasting. The Bureau is experienced in this work, it has comprehensive plans for research and in cooperation with the best scientists in other interested agencies and research institutions, it is prepared to carry on the research promptly, effectively and economically. Examination of the Bureau’s record of results per
research dollar spent will show that its work in this field has been carried on at
minimum cost.
The sessions of the World Meteorological Organization in Paris prevented me from appearing before your committee. Because of the bearing of this s ibje ct on the grave problems of water resources in some parts of the country, the Bur 1 interested in doing everything possible at once to determine the possibilities for increasing rainfall. I am’therefore sending this letter direct to you in the hope that it will reach you in time to be considered in connection wit! lil legislation.
Sincerely yours,
F. W. ReICcHELDERFER, or ej of Bure Lu.
48 WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY
Senator ANpERsOoN. Dr. C. G. Suits, who is vice president and director of research for the General Electric Co., will be heard next.
I think Dr. Vincent Schaefer and Dr. Vonnegut might just as well come forward and take chairs at the same time.
Dr. Suits, to start off, will you identify yourself and your position with General Electric?
STATEMENT OF C. G. SUITS, VICE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH, GENERAL ELECTRIC CO., SCHENECTADY, N. Y.; ACCOMPANIED BY VINCENT J. SCHAEFER AND BERNARD
VONNEGUT, SCIENTISTS, GENERAL ELECTRIC RESEARCH LABORATORY
Mr. Surrs. I am vice president and director of research, General Electric Co.
Senator ANDERSON. And will you identify Dr. Vincent Schaefer?
Mr. Surrs. This is Dr. Vincent Schaefer, who is a scientist in cur research laboratory, and Dr. Bernard Vonnegut, who is also a scientist in our research laboratory.
Senator ANDERSON. Can we help these people at the press table by asking whether or not Dr. Schaefer individually developed the cold box that started making clouds?
Mr. Surrs. Dr. Schaefer and Dr. Vonnegut, working in Dr. Langmuir’s group, have pioneered the work in experimental meteor- ology, including the experiment you refer to.
Senator ANDERSON. And Dr. Vonnegut, did he do development. in connection with the silver iodide?
Mr. Surrs. Dr. Vonnegut originated the silver-iodide method and did a very brilliant research in arriving at this fundamentally new method of nucleating cloud phenomena.
Senator ANDERSON. Does he have in his statement how many products he had to check before he got down to finding one?
Mr. Surrs. I do not think he does.
Senator ANDERSON. How many did you check, Dr. Vonnegut?
Dr. Vonnecur. I personally have checked very few products. Schaefer has checked a great number and so have other investigators
Senator AnpEerRsON. Did you not go through about 1,300 before you came down to 1?
Dr. Vonnecur. What I did was to look in the handbook for a compound having a particular prope ak and there were 1,900 listed, and I just looked through the list until I found one that looked right. I did not try the 1,900. I just looked at them.
Senator AnpEerRsoN. That is pretty good evidence you did not waste time. Proceed, Dr. Suits, if vou will.
Mr. Surrs. I have a prepared statement, Senator Anderson, which I prefer to read, if you agree.
Kew people would have considered seriously 10 years ago the possibility that the Congress would some dav consider legislation for the control of weather, but that is one of the purposes for which this hearing is being held today. That advances in science may have a profound influence on man’s way of life has been amply demonstrated by the explosive birth of the atomic age. An important aspect of the atomic energy development lies in the fact that man may release, or
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WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY 49 in some cases control, a very large amount of energy. This is also an imporiant aspect of the work on weather modification which we are considering. It is a fact that has been repeatedly de unonstrated that under suitable circumstances one may with 1 pound of dry ice cause a
thundercloud to precipitate a heavy rainstorn Ina typic ‘al case the energy of condensation which has been release .d is equivalent in mag- nitude to the energy of several atomic bombs. There are so many
points of similarity between the release of atom energy and the release of weather energy that it is well to consider them in detail. The similarities are-—and I quote from a letter | wrote to vou, Senator Anderson, dated November 22, 1950:
1. Large amounts of energy are involved. The energy release (in the form of
heat or condensation) in a small thunderstorm equals the energy of several atomic bombs.
2. A chain reaction is an important basic mechanism in many meteorological phenomena and in atomie reactions. This permits a small initiating foree to generate large-scale effects.
3. The national defense and the economic possibilities are vital aspects of both problems.
1. Both problems transcend State and National boundaries in their influence and importance, and ultimately will involve international agreements
5. Extensive research is required to fully develop the economic and military
applications of both forms of energy.
The dissimilarities in these problems should also be pointed out. They include:
atomic energy in 1946 when the Atomie Energy Act created the Atomie Energy Commission.
2. Huge plant and production facilities are not contemplated for weather modification and control.
1. Weather modification is in an earlier stage of development now than was
3. There is no large body of secret process data in the present state of weather modification techniques. The fundamental methods are well known and do not
require the employment of highly trained personnel for their use.
That is the end to the similarities and dissimilarities that I see in these two problems.
It seems to me that these comparisons between the character of the problems of atomic energy and weather energy are well recognized in S. 222 which is, I feel, a very thoughtful and important proposal for dealing with this matter.
[t will certainly appear in the hearings on these bills that some of the scientific data are of a controversial nature. | think the hearings thus far have amply demonstrated that point. With natural phe- nomena which are variable as weather, this could hardly be otherwise. I would remind you, however, that there are many important scientific results of weather and especially cloud modification studies which are of very great potential importance, and which are not controversial at all.
I would like now to call upon Dr. Schaefer who will show some photographs of one particular experiment which it seems to me is completely proved by the photographs themselves
Senator ANpERSON. Dr. Schaefer, would you mind moving to the end of the table so that all members of the committee will have a chance to see them?
Mr. Surrs. The particular experiment to which I refer is the ape riment which has been accomplished repeatedly and consists in
cutting a trough or a hole in a stratus cloud layer by seeding from
50 WEATHER CONTROL AND AUGMENTED WATER SUPPLY
overhead with an airplane. The first photograph shows a seeding path which was produced by this method.
Dr. Schaefer, would you mention the dimensions there? What is the length of this track?
Mr. Scuarrer. This track of which you see a portion is 30 miles long, and the circle is about a mile and a half across, and at this time, which I believe is 21 minutes after seeding, the width of the opening is about 1.2 miles, or something of that kind.
Mr. Surrs. Now, during this particular experiment, at a later date we have an additional photograph which shows the extent to which this seeded area has opened up and dissipated the cloud formation so that the ground could be seen through the continuous cloud deck. The photograph illustrates the same experiment. How long after the initial seeding was this taken?
Mr. Scuarrer. This is about—I am guessing now—an hour and a half after. All of this data is in one of our reports, if anybody is interested in seeing it.
Mr. Surrs. Now, I mention this experiment because it seems to me there can be no serious controversy about it. The photographs demonstrate the result. It has been accomplished repeatedly. We think that the basic phenomena underlying the experiment are well understood.
Senator Corpon. What happened on the ground when the cloud was dissipated?
Mr. Surrs. What happened was that a small amount of snow fell.