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102
Environmental Health
Dark Smoke (Permitted Period) Regulations, 1958
These Regulations lay down the maximum length of time that dark and black smoke may be
emitted from a chimney, other than a domestic chimney, in any given time. Eighty-four observations
were made of industrial chimneys and no contraventions of the Act were noted.
Height of Chimneys
Section 10 of the Clean Air Act, 1956, requires that plans of new industrial buildings deposited
for approval under Building Regulations be rejected if the height of any chimney shown on the plan
is insufficient to prevent smoke, grit, dust or gases from being prejudicial to health or a nuisance.
This section is important in that its proper application has a considerable effect on ground level
pollution, i.e. pollution at a level where it would be inhaled. By requiring chimneys of adequate
height gaseous pollutants can be widely dispersed so that at ground level they are innocuous.
It is interesting to note that following the widespread change from coal to heavy oil for firing
industrial plant the national emission of sulphur oxides increased. At the same time, however, ground
level concentrations decreased due to the effective use of this Section of the Clean Air Act.
Thirty-one plans were submitted for approval. In all cases the proposals submitted showed a
chimney height that had been previously agreed with the architects or heating engineers concerned
or was acceptable.
Grit, Dust and Effluvia
Deposits of grit and dust in the vicinity of the Coal Depot, West Drayton have continued to be
monitored. Unfortunately the monitoring proves that the steps taken to reduce the coat dust are
either not effective or not properly operated and the nuisance, particularly under adverse weather
conditions, continues. New water sprays and automatic time controls have been installed and it is
hoped that these will reduce the dust effectively.
Plans of proposed dry cleaning establishments are examined and the discharge point of the
perchloroethylene fumes from the dry cleaning plant recommended to be so sited as to minimise
danger to health from these fumes.
New Furnaces
Section 3 (3) of the Clean Air Act, 1956, requires notification to the Local Authority of the
intention to install any new industrial furnace or any domestic furnace with a capacity of 55,000 or
more Btu/hr. Notifications of 89 installations were received; 37 were gas fired, 44 fired by light fuel oil,
4 by heavy fuel oil and 4 related to incinerators.
The predominance of gas and light fuel oil is most welcome. Pollution from gas is negligible;
light fuel oil can be burned smokelessly and also has a low sulphur content, thus giving rise to little
pollution from oxides of sulphur.
Industrial Bonfires
Section 47 of the Middlesex County Council Act, 1961, prohibits dark smoke from industrial
bonfires. It was necessary to draw the attention of a number of persons, mainly connected with building
site clearance, to these provisions. One incident, in connection with car breaking, was reported for
legal proceedings.
RODENT CONTROL
For the past three years rodent control in domestic premises in all parts of the Borough except
Yiewsley and West Drayton has been contracted to a commercial operator. The contractor maintains
close contact with the department and works to standards laid down by the Council.
Rodent control in domestic premises is a free service but a charge is made for any work done
on business, commercial or industrial premises.