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CLEAN AIR ACT, 1956.
With the passing of the Clean Air Act in 1956 the Council gave consideration to
the formation of a Smoke Control Area in the North-Western part of the Borough.
Instructions were given to proceed with the preliminary work of inspection in the
Area comprising some 658 properties including 471 municipally owned houses and flats.
The area is approximately one square mile in extent and is defined by the shaded
portion on the accompanying map (p. 56) which also shows the siting of the Smoke Measuring
and Deposit Gauge Stations. In order to obtain approximate estimates of the numbers,
type and cost of adaptations required and the amount of bituminous and smokeless
fuels being used in the area, a 15% representative survey was carried out by the
Public Health Inspectors. A report on the result of the preliminary survey was
considered by the Public Health Committee in June 1957 and instructions given for
the proposal to be submitted to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government for
preliminary approval.
The Minister gave provisional clearance in November and indicated that the
Council could proceed with a detailed survey of the area preparatory to making a
Smoke Control Order at a later date.
MEASUREMENT OF ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION.
In October two Smoke Measuring Stations and a Deposit Gauge were brought into
operation.
The Smoke Measuring Stations were installed in Edgware and Golders Green Public
Libraries, and a daily estimation of sulphur dioxide in the air is carried out. The
term "sulphur dioxide" includes all acid=producing gases in the air, with the
exception of carbondioxide, and is the "net acidity" of the air calculated as sulphur
dioxide.
At each Smoke Station a measured volume of air is drawn through a filter paper
and the degree of staining of the filter paper compared with a standard scale. The
findings obtained are shown on the graphs.
The Deposit Gauge is sited on the roof of a building behind the Town Hall, and
a monthly measurement is carried out to show the rainfall in millimetres, the amount
of water-insoluble matter expressed in tons per square mile per month and the amount
of water-soluble deposit expressed in tons per square mile.
The various graphs and tables demonstrate clearly how pollution increased in
winter thereby suggesting that the pollution is due to the domestic consumer rather
than to the industrial user.
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