In addition to the contract drilling, further explorations were conducted by Corps of Engineers forces at many sites. These operations included the excavation of numerous test pits at locations where detailed information was desired, particularly near the surface. The pits generally were excavated to a depth of approximately 6 feet and extended by auger borings, with samples being taken at each stratum of material encountered. Many auger holes were drilled, and these in turn were extended by means of probings. Two types of probings were used to determine the condition of overburden along the alinement of the canals and at the dike sites. Hand probings, using 4-inch rods and a 14-pound sledge hammer, were used to extend auger holes and to supplement the test pits, particularly along the alinement of the Long Sault Canal. A probing machine was used to determine the depth to firm material and to obtain samples of material at numerous other locations. A field log was kept of each machine probing; this recorded the rates of penetration as well as a description of samples obtained. A program of investigations by the seismic method also was conducted by Corps of Engineers specialists to supplement the explorations by other means. This program involved the utilization of conventional seismic methods for work on land, and also included some underwater work, which necessitated the development of special apparatus and techniques. The operations by Corps of Engineers forces included the following accomplishments: In general, the geologic formation within the International Rapids section was found to consist of glacial till ranging in thickness from a few feet up to 200 feet or more, including thick beds of marine clay in many locations. These formations overlie the bedrock, which is generally uniform in contour but broken by gentle valleys and ridges, with a general north-south strike, which are in turn intersected by depressions from preglacial drainage channels. The glacial till consists principally of clay, sand, gravel, and boulders intermixed in an irregular manner. The bed and banks of the stream are, in general, paved with large boulders and are not subject to erosion. More specific subsurface data pertaining to the major individual features of the navigation phase of the project, with navigation works on the American side of the river, are presented in the following paragraphs: (a) Grass River lock.-The overburden at the site is composed of glacial till and clay, varying in thickness from 65 to 85 feet. The surface material is brown, sandy clay varying in depth from 10 to 20 feet. Underlying this material is a stratum of soft, wet, gray marine clay ranging in thickness from about 20 feet at the upper end of the lock chamber to about 45 feet at the lower end. Underlying the marine clay and extending down to ledge rock is a layer of glacial till varying in thickness from about 30 feet at the upper end of the lock to about 10 feet at the lower end. Ledgerock below the overburden consists of hard dolomite and dolomitic limestone, with some interbedded strata of hard shale, considered to afford an excellent foundation for the heavy structures contemplated at the location. (b) Robinson Bay lock.-The overburden in a high ridge, in which the upstream end of the lock would be located, and underlying the clay flat at the downstream portion of the lock site, is mainly a very hard and compact glacial till composed of silty to clayey gravelly sand. Overlying the glacial till in the flat area downstream from the ridge is clay varying in thickness from 0 to 50 feet. The upper strata of clay is a brown sandy clay which overlies soft, wet, gray marine clay. Ledge rock is found at levels varying from elevations 133 to 146, or at depths of from 24 to 37 feet below the required grade for the bottom of the lock chamber. The ledgerock is of the same general character as that at the Grass River lock site. (c) Long Sault guard gate.-The overburden at the site of the guard gate is glacial till consisting of compact silty, gravelly sand with scattered cobbles and boulders. Ledge rock is found at depths ranging from 42 to 50 feet below the required navigation clearance grade. Consequently, the guard gate was designed to be constructed on the glacial till, with the heavier concrete sections being founded on steel piling driven into the till. (d) Long Sault Canal.-The overburden along the route of the canal is variable and consists of marine clay, glacial till, and water-laid or partially waterlaid sand. Upstream from Robinson Bay lock the overburden is chiefly compact glacial till, although an area of clay occurs along the canal alinement on Long Sault Island, where canal excavation will vary in depth up to approximately 25 feet. In this area much of the surface material is uniform silty fine to medium sand ranging in depths to 8 feet. Variable sandy clay, which is either exposed or underlies the sand, overlies directly soft gray clay or glacial till at depths up to 20 feet. On the mainland above Robinson Bay lock a few areas of clay also occur, but grade for the canal in these areas generally will be in the overlying variable sandy clay, so that practically no excavation of the soft gray clay will be required. Limited surface deposits of variable sand and gravel and a small deposit of stratified sand between layers of clay also occur above the lock. Below Robinson Bay lock marine clay deposits overlie glacial till between ridges of till. In some areas water-laid or partially water-laid sand deposits exist between the clay and till, but these deposits are limited in extent and thickness. The maximum depth of excavation in clay in the canal proper, exclusive of work at the locks, will be about 30 feet, and the maximum in glacial till will be about 50 feet. Bedrock lies at sufficient depth throughout the length of the canal so that it would not be a factor except in connection with lock construction. (e) Point Rockway lock.-The overburden at the lock site is composed of clay, sand, and gravel varying in thickness from about 20 to 35 feet. The upper portion is generally a brown silty clay ranging in thickness from about 4 to 14 feet. Underlying this material is a gray marine clay ranging in thickness from about 4 to 25 feet. Underlying the clay and extending to ledge rock is a thin stratum of water-bearing sand or sand and gravel, ranging in depth from 0 to about 16 feet. Ledge rock is found at levels ranging from elevation 196 to elevation 206, the latter being the depth required to provide navigation clearance through the lock. The rock is the hard dolomite which is characteristic of the region and which is considered generally excellent as a foundation for the heavy structures of the type contemplated at the site. (f) Point Rockway Canal.-The overburden along the canal alinement is variable and consists of marine clay, glacial till, and water-laid or partially water-laid sands. In general, the canal site is located in a clay valley between hills composed of glacial till. In some areas water-laid or partially water-laid sands have been deposited between the clay and glacial till. The marine clay deposits consist of soft, gray silty clay underlying at depths of from 0 to about 10 feet a brown sandy clay, the latter being generally deposited on the valley slopes and in the vicinity of the Point Rockway lock. The deposits of glacial till consist of fairly compact to compact clayey or silty gravelly sand with scattered cobbles and boulders. Overburden other than clay and glacial till consists of water-laid or partially water-laid sands and gravels, muck, and marl. The underlying bedrock is, in general, approximately horizontally bedded dolomite with a very few minor beds of shale and sandstone. Two separate bodies of ledge rock occur along the canal alinement at depths shallow enough to necessitate rock excavation to provide the required navigation clearance. CONTRACT PROCEDURE It is the policy of the Corps of Engineers to accomplish civil works construction by the contract procedure. This method has been in force for many years and is founded on a provision of law (33 U. S. C. 622) that these construction operations should be accomplished in the most economical and advantageous manner from the standpoint of the United States. As a result, about 95 percent of civil works construction during recent years has been accomplished by private contractors working under the supervision of the Corps of Engineers. Bids are publicly advertised, and awards are made on a lump-sum basis to the lowest responsible bidder when all the necessary prerequisites have been fulfilled. Since this contract procedure has met with little criticism from the construction industry, it appears to have been executed in a fair and equitable manner from the standpoint of both the construction industry and the Government. As a matter of policy, negotiated contracts are not utilized in our civil works construction. Likewise, in the case of military construction within the continental United States it is the policy of the Corps of Engineers to perform all military construction, under normal circumstances, by fixed-price contracts awarded after receipt of competitive bidding resulting from public advertising. In exceptional cases involving national security or for other special reasons, where public advertising is not feasible, negotiation is used, but only under those circumstances permitted under the provisions of the Armed Services Procurement Act, Public Law 413, 80th Congress. APRIL 16, 1951. Hon. CHARLES A. BUCKLEY, Chairman, House Public Works Committee, House Office Building, Washington, D. C. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: I have been advised that during the hearing on April 14, 1951, a representative of this office was informally requested to make available to the committee the plans and specifications prepared by the Corps of Engineers for the construction of the main dam, powerhouse, and locks for the International Rapids section development, St. Lawrence River. I am also advised that you desire a statement be presented covering the authorization for and the costs involved in the preparation of the designs for the International Rapids section development and whether or not the Corps of Engineers has been working upon the plans and specifications during the last 30 days. As Chief of Engineers, I could, upon your request, bring these entire plans and specifications before the committee. They include some 40 volumes, weighing over 55 pounds. However, I would prefer that they be reviewed by members of your committee in my office. This preference on my part is supported by these reasons. For purposes of military security these plans and specifications have been kept in this office in a restricted category, no public release having been made; I believe this safeguard should be continued for this important project in these times. The plans and specifications are end products of engineering studies and should not in my judgment be made publicly available to either the proponents or opponents of project authorization for use in the present controversy. Should the project be advertised for construction in the near future, the making available of the plans and specifications outside of this office to some parties prior to advertisement would be unfair to others in the contracting business who did not have equal time to review the plans and specifications before submitting their bids. The detailed survey of the International Rapids section together with the preparation of the plans and specifications on hand was executed during 1940-42 in response to Executive Order No. 8568 issued by the President October 16, 1940, copy enclosed. The cost of this planning is $1,407,264.13. The Corps of Engineers has done no work on these plans and specifications during the last 30 days. I shall await your further instructions in this matter. Sincerely yours, LEWIS A. PICK, Major General, Chief of Engineers. Mr. DONDERO. The committee will stand adjourned until 10 o'clock tomorrow morning. (Whereupon, at 4:15 p. m. the committee adjourned until 10 a. m. the following day, Friday, June 12, 1953.) ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 1953 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, The committee met, pursuant to adjournment, at 10:10 a. m., in room 1302, New House Office Building, Hon. George A. Dondero (chairman) presiding. Mr. DONDERO. The committee will come to order. I would like to offer for the record a telegram from the Michigan Farm Bureau in favor of this project; and also from Norman S. Patton of the Pennsylvania Anthracite Institute in opposition to this project; as well as a wire from Robert N. Donovan, president of the Northeastern Association of Electric Cooperatives, in favor of it. Also a telegram from Mr. John E. Burton, who is the director of the New York Power Authority, in favor of the project. Also a letter from the Governor of Ohio in favor of it. Without objection, the telegrams and letter will be inserted in the record. (The telegrams and letter are as follows:) Representative GEORGE A. DONDERO, Chairman, House Public Works Committee, House Office Building, Washington, D. C.: DELHI, N. Y., June 11, 1953. Northeastern Association of Electric Cooperatives favors St. Lawrence seaway and power project. Recommend House Joint Resolution 104 be amended to include provisions for allocation of power by New York State to cooperatives and municipalities as Congress has specified in approving other public power projects. Federal Power Commission refuses to require New York acceptance of congressional policy regarding prority in allocation of power to public power systems. Congress has authority to require New York's compliance with its policy. Federal Power Commission as a governmental subdivision should not change this policy. Any such change should be voted on by Congress itself without a stipulation in House Joint Resolution 104. The cooperatives might not receive any St. Lawrence power as New York Power Authority Act omits reference to farmers' electric cooperatives. ROBERT N. DONOVAN, President, Northeastern Association of Electric Cooperatives. Hon. GEORGE A. DONDERO,. WILKES-BARRE, PA., June 11, 1953. Chairman, Public Works Committee, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.: Respectfully request the privilege of filing for the record a statement setting forth the opposition of the Pennsylvania anthracite-producing industry to the current St. Lawrence project proposals, hearings on which commence tomorrow before your committee. NORMAN S. PATTON, |