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99
Environmental Health
The new provisions for arresting dust and grit could broadly be described as the provisions that
never were. The conditions in the 1956 Act were amended and then, by Regulation, exemption to
the amendments were given to virtually all furnaces other than incinerators.
The provisions of the 1956 Act referring to Dark Smoke, Grit and Dust and Smoke Nuisances
also applied to factories registered under the Alkali etc. Works Regulations Act, 1906, but proceedings
could only be instituted with the consent of the Minister. The 1968 Act excludes Alkali
Works from these provisions. There are a number of registered Alkali Works in the Borough, and
the original legislation was preferred.
The Act makes it an offence to acquire, or to sell by retail for delivery, any solid fuel, other
than authorised fuel for use in a building in a smoke control area. The attention of all solid fuel
merchants was drawn to these provisions; no enforcement action has been necessary.
Middlesex County Council Act, 1961—Section 47
Clean Air Act, 1969—Section 1
Action was taken in the local magistrates court for Nuisance Orders in respect of dark smoke
from two industrial bonfires. One in respect of a building site at Harmondsworth, and the other a
car-breaker's at Harlington; both were granted.
Height of Chimneys
Fourteen applications for approval of chimney heights were received. In almost every instance
prior discussion as to the height had taken place, and it was necessary to ask for amendment in respect
of one application. In some cases the desired height was achieved by use of basically sulphur free
fuels such as gas, liquid pressure gas (butane) and kerosene.
Grit, Dust and Effluvia
Deposits of grit and dust continued to be monitored in the vicinity of the Coal Depot, West
Drayton, but will not be continued beyond 1969. Despite improvements carried out to the suppression
methods, the coal dust continued to be almost 50% of the total dust collected, and conditions are
still far from satisfactory. In discussion with the N.C.B. representatives, the fact that the dust was
a nuisance was not denied, and a number of suggestions made for reducing degradation of the coal
due to the multi-handling of the fuel are still being investigated.
Plans for dry cleaning establishments have continued to be examined with a view to minimising
any nuisance or danger from fumes.
NOISE
Noise, sound which causes annoyance, is a modern cause of environmental pollution. Tolerance
to noise varies between individuals, and in individuals according to the time of day and their state
of health. During the year 101 complaints were received of nuisance from noise. This is a 40% increase
on the number of complaints received in 1967, and indicates a refusal to accept noise as part of
modern living.
It has not been necessary to take legal action in respect of any noise nuisance. Noise from a dust
extraction plant at a factory by the erection of a suitable sound barrier, was abated after the service
of an Abatement Notice.
Although the use of mufflers on road drills is by no means automatic there has been no difficulty
in persuading users to fit mufflers once their attention was drawn to the nuisance being caused.