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28
Smoke Nuisances
Railway tunnel vent shafts, a large (3 Lancashire
boiler) automatic installation at a hospital, an automatic
underfeed furnace of a Cinema and another automatic installation
at a Nurses' Hostel have produced the major visible smoke
emanations over the year.
So far as the railway tunnel vents are concerned it
is difficult to get details which would allow the railway
authorities to identify the particular train. It is not possible
to be certain in which direction the train is travelling, whether
it is a goods or passenger train and even the time is unreliable,
for the train may have passed some little while before the smoke
appears. Correspondence and telephone calls have resulted in
assurances that firing is kept to an absolute minimum while
trains are within the numerous tunnels which pass under parts of
the Borough" but more hope is entrusted to the assurance from the
Railway authorities that the effect of diesel replacements on
these lines will really be noticed by 1961.
The engineering staff at the hospital have been most
helpful and seem to be genuinely concerned at the emissions
from their plant. Substantial alterations to the plant have
improved matters in that persistent smoking has been eliminated
but periodic bursts of nearly black smoke, in large quantities
and of (usually) 20 seconds duration are still seen regularly.
As the hospital in question is due for complete rebuilding in
the foreseeable future it is understandable that it is desired
to avoid any great expenditure on the existing plant.
At the Nurses' Hostel the Smoke Inspector was pleased
to note that an adjustment recommended by him immediately abated
the nuisance.
Smut emissions from oil fired plant, waste-wood burning
at a wood machining factory and disposal of oil and oily wastes
at another premises have been dealt with by advice and/or
cautions. Garden bonfires, particularly in Smoke Control Areas
have caused some comment because they are not affected by the
Order. Gardening enthusiasts must, however, meet the requirements
of Section 16 of the Clean Air Act that they must not cause a
nuisance to the inhabitants of the neighbourhood. The advice
given Is that the quantity of rubbish to be burned should be
kept to a minimum and that on a suitable day and when the rubbish
is dry it should be burned as quickly as possible. Several
complaints concerning garden bonfires have been settled amicably.