The Pollution of Proctor Creek

January 9, 1967: Letter from a Mrs. Hazel H. Brown to Mayor Ivan Allen about polluted condition of Proctor Creek near Bankhead Avenue (now Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway NW) in Grove Park.

Highlight: "It is now constantly visibily polluted and reported illnesses have been attributed to the foul odor."

January 17, 1967: Letter from Mayor Ivan Allen to Mrs. Hazel H. Brown addressing her concerns about the pollution in Proctor Creek.

Highlight: "This office is aware of continuing problems in this area and we regret the inconvenience that the matter is causing."

February 16, 1967: Minutes from City of Atlanta Community Relations Committee Public Hearing. On page 7 of the minutes, a Mrs. Nannie McCormick speaks about issues with Proctor Creek including flooding, property damage, and public health threats.

Highlight: "Mr. Dobbs stated that seven children have died in this creek."

March 1967: Summary of responses to issues brought up at first Community Relations Commission on February 16. See section D, numbers 2 and 4, which reference "sewage and drainage problems" and "Proctor Creek," respectively. The "Mr. Nixon" referenced in section D, number 4 is likely Ray A. Nixon, Chief of Construction for the City of Atlanta Department of Construction.

Highlight: "It is responsibility of property owners to fence property and parents to keep children away from creek if it is dangerous."

May 4, 1967: Minutes from meeting of Community Relations Commission for Perry Homes and Scotts Crossing area. Comments from residents labeled as numbers 3, 6, 10, 11, 13, and 21 directly reference Proctor Creek and related sewer and drainage issues.

Highlight: "Proctor Creek smells so bad at times people can't stay in their house."

May 26, 1967: Letter from Assistant Chief of Construction at City of Atlanta Department of Construction to Administrative Assistant to Mayor Ivan Allen regarding ongoing issues with water and sewer management infrastucture and options for federal funding.

Highlight: "Many of these areas have presented their problems to the Public Works Committee, to the Mayor, and to this office, and only the most serious have received any attention due to the total lack of funds and personnel."

Memorandum to Public Works Committee regarding "Local Storm Water Facilities" referenced in letter of May 26 by Assistant Chief of Construction to office of Mayor Ivan Allen. This memo identifies the nature and scope of the issues facing the city's management of its storm sewers and drainage systems, presents a timeline for addressing these issues, identifies a list of current problem areas, and suggests a staff roster that should be created to manage these issues.

Highlight: "There is presently available no comphrensive map of the existing drainage system."

Outline of federal funding via Federal Water Pollution Control Administration, Department of the Interior, referenced in letter of May 26 by Assistant Chief of Construction to office of Mayor Ivan Allen. Dated May 1967, the document describes the national scope of storm and combined sewer pollution issues and outlines relevant projects and improvements that would be supported by the grants.

Highlight: "The problem of pollution from storm and combined sewers is one which has only recently begun to receive proper emphasis as a signficant pollution source."

August 28, 1967: Letter from Assistant to the Executive Secretary of the State Water Quality Control Board to Mayor Ivan Allen notifying the city about the lack of availability of federal funding via the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.

Highlight: "To this date, the Georgia General Assembly has not appropriated any funds under this Act."

September 12, 1967: Letter from Mayor Ivan Allen to Assistant to Executive Secretary of State Water Quality Control Board acknowledging lack of federal funding via the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.

Highlight: "While we regret that funds are not available for this purpose, we would appreciate your continued review of this matter in the hope that funds may become available to some early date."

November 10, 1967: "A Water Quality Study of Proctor Creek" on the state of pollution in Proctor Creek prepared by the State Water Quality Control Board in September 1967. The 24-page document includes an abstract, detailed textual report prepared by two biologists that outlines procedures and observations, and an appendix that outlines biological data gathered from the five collection areas in the creek (referred to as stations), charts showing levels of bacterial and chemical density, a lab report, map, and identification of known waste sources. See Box 12 Folder 6 Document 8 for photographs of Proctor Creek at Stations 2, 3, 4, and 5 that show the water quality conditions described in the report.

Highlight: "Despite the negative aesthetic qualities of many animals tolerant to pollution, banks of sludge worms would be preferable and more desirable than a biological void."

November 17, 1967: Letter from Executive Secretary of the State Water Quality Control Board to Mayor Ivan Allen notifying office of complaints about Proctor Creek and enclosing copy of "A Water Quality Study of Proctor Creek."

Highlight: "We have received a number of complaints in this office pertaining to pollution in Proctor Creek."

November 22, 1967: Letter from the Director of Water Pollution Control at the City of Atlanta Department of Construction to Mayor Ivan Allen concerning "A Water Quality Study of Proctor Creek" and the issues the city faces in addressing the findings of the study.

Highlight: "One of the problems concerns itself with the high level of pollution and the flooding problems associated with the Proctor Creek area which have been long standing and some of which will remain for a long time in the future, I fear."

December 19, 1967: Letter from Mayor Ivan Allen to Executive Secretary of the State Water Quality Control Board acknowledging receipt of "A Water Quality Report of Proctor Creek" and outlining his administration's response to these issues.

Highlight: "I am sure that our Water Pollution Control Division will find this information most helpful in working toward relief of the pollution problems in this area."