View report page

of fumes emitted by the furnace. Approval was given to 23 chimneys. The heights of these chimneys
were agreed before formal applications were submitted and it was not necessary to reject any
application. In one case considerable discussion was necessary with the Department of Trade
and Industry because of the proximity of London Airport. Eventually agreement was reached on
the original height proposed. Approval to the height of a chimney is not necessary for temporary
installations. One such furnace was installed.
SMOKE NUISANCES
Smoke nuisances are increasingly less acceptable to the public and regular complaints are
received in the Department. During 1970 complaints of 166 smoke nuisances were received and
499 visits were made in dealing with them. The complaints concerned smoke from industrial
bonfires, garden bonfires and incinerators. In all except two of the complaints, the nuisances
were abated by informal action. Court proceedings were necessary to secure abatement in only
two instances:
(1) The incinerator at a bakery—defendant pleaded guilty and was fined £5.
(2) Fires on a refuse disposal site—defendant was fined £20 and the Council was awarded
£10 costs.
The garden bonfire is a difficult problem particularly in the areas being developed at a
relatively high density as the only means of disposal of some garden waste is by burning or by
taking this refuse to the nearest Greater London Council refuse disposal site, i.e. Harefield or
West Drayton. An obvious solution to this problem would be the collection by the refuse collection
service of garden waste not capable of being composted, but there are a number of serious
difficulties not least the heavy financial cost involved. As far as industrial bonfires are concerned
workers on demolition sites are the greatest offenders. The nuisance normally arises from the
burning of wood and other combustible materials which ought to be taken to proper refuse
disposal sites. Burning such waste is cheap and it is only by rigid enforcement of the provisions
of the Clean Air Act, 1968 that such nuisances can be controlled, notwithstanding that the Council
include a provision in their demolition contracts prohibiting burning on the site.
DUST AND GRIT
From furnaces: It is necessary to provide grit arrestment plant to particular types of furnaces.
Notifications to install four such furnaces were received and in each case suitable grit arrestment
plant was provided. The Local Authority may request the occupiers of a building in which a furnace
is installed to take measurements and keep records of the dust and grit emitted. It was not necessary
to recommend the service of such a notice.
Other than from furnaces: Two standard deposit gauges are maintained. These are used for
the measurement of slightly larger particles which settle out of the atmosphere rather than remain
in suspension and therefore are not collected by the daily volumetric apparatus.
From the deposits in these gauges it is possible to estimate the weight of dust and grit
deposited over an area and to identify the type of dust. This assists in identifying the source of
the dust.
During 1970 both deposit gauges were sited in the vicinity of the Uxbridge Industrial Estate
for the specific purpose of determining whether asbestos dust was present. The investigations
are still continuing.
The deposit gauge recordings in the vicinity of the West Drayton Coal Depot have proved
the reduction in the deposit of coal/coke dust from 70% to 80% of the total deposit in 1965 to
50% of the total deposit in 1968/69. This reduction was achieved by the application of various
dust suppression measures. However, measures introduced in 1969/70 have produced little or
no improvement and the deposit gauge has been removed pending the installation of further
methods of control. It is my opinion that much of the dust is caused during the recovery of the
fuel from the stock pile, and loading by mechanical shovel into the delivery vehicle although
much work has already been done to combat dust from the stock piles. I have made a suggestion
to the depot management that loading should take place under cover and an arrangement has
71