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33
Atmospheric Pollution:
Section3(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 12 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. One such
application was received and approved.
The number of complaints received by the department during
1959 in respect of smoke nuisances was 38. All these were
investigated. The Public Health Inspectors made a total of 546
timed observations on industrial chimneys, in addition to keeping
a general watch on smoke emission from boilers.
Written notices were sent to 3 firms whose chimneys were
emitting dark smoke contrary to the Dark Smoke(Permitted Periods)
Regulations, 1958.
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.
Measurement of Pollution:
The Council continued to co-operate with the Department of
Scientific & Industrial Research in the daily measurements 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.
Smoke Control Area:
During the year provisional approval was given by the Ministry
of Housing and Local Government in respect of the Finsbury(No 1)
Smoke Control Area. This 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. The official survey was commenced towards
the end of the year.