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32
Atmospheric Pollution
Section 3 (i) of the Clean Air Act requires a person proposing to
instal industrial and other large furnaces to give notice of intention
to the local authority and eleven such notices were received during
the year. The Section also provides for the optional submission of
plans and specifications of such furnaces whereby prior approval may
be given by the local authority.
The number of complaints received by the department during 1958
in respect of smoke nuisances was 34. All these were investigated.
The Public Health Inspectors made a total of 586 timed observations on
industrial chimneys, in addition to keeping a general watch on smoke
emission from boilers.
Written intimation notices were sent to 6 firms whose chimneys
were emitting smoke in such quantities as to be a nuisance which in
two instances were followed up with Nuisance Notices.
Air pollution from industrial chimneys appears to have lessened
during recent years, as a result of improvements to boiler plants
carried out by firms and other institutions in the main because of
pressure by officers of the department.
Smoke Control Area
Consideration of the proposal to establish a Smoke Control Area
under the Clean Air Act 1956 previously reported upon was resumed,
and towards the end of the year the Council agreed to seek provisional
approval from the Ministry of Housing and Local Government. The Area,
to be known as the Finsbury (No.1) Smoke Control Area, comprises 62.6
acres in extent and contains an estimated number of 820 dwellings of
which 570 will probably require conversion of their existing heating
appliances. Some 220 commercial and industrial premises are included
in the Area and 20 of these are known to require modification or change
of their boiler plants.
Measurement of Pollution
The Council continues to co operate with the Department of Scientific
& Industrial Research in the daily measurement of the amount of
smoke and free sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere and the monthly
measurement of deposits and sulphur dioxide content by the lead peroxide
method.