Massachusetts Universities Join to Fight Air Pollution

Seven Massachusetts universities have joined together as the New England Air Pollution Consortium and with an initial grant of $19,000 from the National Air Pollution Commission (NAPCC), plan to set up programs for education and study in the field of air pollution.

"The day for putting up with air pollution has passed," Dr. John T. Middleton, chairman of NAPCC, said yesterday.

"We must use the tools we have to deal with this problem. One is the university system where we not only have brilliance, but also youthful energy," he said.

Harvard University, Boston University, Lowell Technological Institute, M. I. T., Northeastern University, Tufts University, and the University of Massachusetts are the initial members of the consortium, and will each send a representative to sit on its Board of Directors.

The consortium plans to offer coursesin air pollution control at the graduate and undergraduate levels, joint seminars, public forums, summer workshops and symposia, and faculty training programs.

"Our ideas are nebulous, but we are working at them, and we are a very excited group," Dade W. Moeller, professor of Engineering in Environmental Health and temporary chairman of the consortium's board of directors, said yesterday.