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111
NUISANCE AT SOUTH SUBURBAN GAS WORKS.
On the evening of April the 18th, between the hours of
11.30 p.m. and 12, a nuisance existed in the district more particularly
noticeable between the Exbury Road and High Street,
Lewisham, and appeared to be due to emanations from the
sewer openings. The distinctive character of these emanations
showed the presence of gas refuse in the sewers.
On Friday the 19th a visit was made to the Gas
Company's works, where the engineer admitted to me in the
presence of two inspectors that the company had been discharging
into the County Council's sewer (which runs through
their works), certain offensive material, the residue of one of
the gasholders then under repair, and stated that he had no
other means of disposing of the material which had been in the
gasholder for many years. The engineer explained that they
were enlarging the gasholder, and that the material was not
formed in the manufacture of gas, but that it was merely an
accidental accumulation which they were bound to get rid of
before they could carry out their works.
The covering of one of the large gasholders had been
removed to a considerable extent in the process of inserting an
extra lift. As a result emanations from the foul residue which
had been accumulating for many years escaped freely into the
atmosphere, creating a serious nuisance in the neighbourhood.
When there was a little movement in the atmosphere the
nuisance was greatly increased and extended considerable
distances from the works, as is shown by the addresses of the
persons who signed a petition to your Council.
The London County Council were informed on the 19th
of the fact that the Gas Company had been discharging offensive
material into their sewer.