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New Furnaces.
Section 3 requires that new furnaces, not used mainly for domestic
purposes and exceeding a specified capacity, shall be so far as is
practicable, smokeless. Any person installing such a furnace must
give prior notice to the Council and may submit detailed plans and
specifications for approval before the work of installation takes place.
During the year, nineteen notifications were received. These
applications were approved.
Smoke Nuisances.
During the year, sixty-five complaints of smoke nuisance were
received and thirty formal smoke observations were carried out.
Remedial measures in all cases were secured without resorting to legal
proceedings.
Routine Measurement of Atmospheric Pollution.
Four smoke measuring stations are in operation at the following
premi ses:-
1. Chenil Galleries, King's Road, S.W.3.
2. The Red House. Hornton Street, W.8.
3. Public Library, Lancaster Road, W.10.
4. Child Welfare Centre. Redcliffe Street, S.W.10.
The equipment at the Red House, Hornton Street, and Chenil
Galleries, King's Road, consists of a smoke filter and a hydrogen
peroxide bubbling apparatus. The smoke filter measures the daily
concentration of smoke suspended in the atmosphere, and the hydrogen
peroxide bubbler extracts the sulphur dioxide content of the
atmosphere. Readings are taken each day. The equipment at the
Public Library and the Welfare Centre consists of smoke filters only.
Measurements are taken three times a week. With the use of a
Reflectoraeter, daily and monthly averages are calculated from the
results.
Weather records are also kept and observations are made at
Chenil Galleries. King's Road, S.W.3. This information is required
by Warren Spring Laboratory who carry out a national survey of air
pollution.
Reduction in Pollution.
The thirty-second report of the Warren Spring Laboratory, "The
Investigation of Atmospheric Pollution 1958-1966" shows that
between 1955 and 1962 the amount of smoke in London's air fell by
two-thirds, and more slowly since, and in the rest of Britain by
about a quarter in the seven years from 1958-59 to 1964-65. In
Britain as a whole. smoke emission is estimated to have fallen from
2.3 m tons in 1952 to 1.15 m tons in 1965» a steeper fall than in coal
consumption, which was 203 m tons and 181 m tons respectively in these
two years. Sulphur dioxide emission rose from 5.02 m tons in 1952
to 6.32 m tons in 1965; but pollution from this source declined by
about one-fifth - "a tribute to wise repLanning in so far as chimney
heights and the location of industry are concerned."
The report points out that year-to-year changes in measured
pollution are affected by the weather, but that trends over a period
of years, observed at enough sites, can be considered meaningful.