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the company propose to build two more units to embrace the
remaining 4 cupolas. The size of this task can be gauged by the
fact that a sum of £600,000 has been allocated by the firm for
this work.
11 notifications were received during the year, as required
by Section 3 of the Clean Air Act, 1956, regarding the installation
of new furnaces and/or boilers, and for the determination—where
applicable—of chimney heights under Section 10 of the Act.
In eight cases alterations to the chimney heights were
requested and three were found to be adequate.
In seven cases advice was given regarding plans which
were submitted voluntarily to the Department and were of the
categories exempted from the provisions of this Act, such as
school buildings, office blocks and departmental stores.
This latter practice is to be welcomed, for in addition to
providing the applicant with an assurance that the plant can be
operated without contravening the Clean Air Act, it enables the
Department to consider the chimney heights and other relevant
factors necessary for the installation to operate with the minimum
of nuisance.
During the year the Ministry of Housing and Local Government
issued a revised edition of their Memorandum on Chimney Heights,
which was published in 1963. The most important difference lies
in the treatment of furnaces emitting only small amounts of
sulphur dioxide.
Experience has shown that the levels in the original memorandum
were unduly onerous, having regard to the smallness
of the emission of certain furnaces, and the new memorandum
accordingly allows for uncorrected chimney heights starting at
16 feet.
Where school buildings are concerned the Department of
Education and Science are commending the new Memorandum to
local Education Authorities as a source of guidance which it is
normally desirable to follow. This will go a long way to resolve
the difficulties which have arisen from time to time in the case
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