INDUSTRIAL GAS NUISANCE

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27705, 8 July 1955, Page 7

INDUSTRIAL GAS NUISANCE

EVIDENCE TO INQUIRY AT AUCKLAND (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, July 7, If persons in the south-east area of Auckland had not closed their windows against the smell of sulphuretted hydrogen from the nearby Manukau mud flats, loss of life might have been caused by attacks as bad as those on February 25 and Februry 27 last, said Mr Kenneth M. Griffin, Government analyst, to the commission of inquiry into noxious fumes today. The Medical Officer of Health (Dr. A. W. S. Thompson) said that he had not received any evidence of injury to health from the atmosphere in this area. He reported, however, the death of stock from poisoned grass. “It is true that if an individual believes that the conditions in which he is living are likely to damage his health, this belief in itself is damaging,” he said, “especially with certain types of personalities or in the presence of some kind of health defect. for example, asthma.” Dr. Thompson said he had looked very closely into f he question whether the fumes produced by the phosphate works would be held to constitute a nuisance under the Health Act. “I have come to the definite conclusion that this is not so.” On one occasion, he said, he had to condemn as unfit for human consumption a large quantity of cauliflowers and celery in a market garden adjoining a recentlv-estab]ished leadsmelting works. They had become heavily contaminated with lead products from a defective smoke stack. “Some animals grazing in a nearby field had died from lead poisoning caused by eating lead-contaminated grass,” he said. “Corrective action was taken by the firm.” “Putrefying Matter” Mr Griffin told the commission that when he visited the Favona road bridge and adjacent areas in March this yeai’ he found that pollution and pulrefaction from meat works’ effluent were very much worse than he thought’ possible. The depth of putrefying matter, less than Ift in most places, was quite enough to produce foul odours and sulphuretted hydrogen to blacken paint. At the mudflats just south of the Westfield railway station, he found spongy, putrefying organic matter to a depth of 3ft 6in. He felt that the blackening trouble was complicated and obscured by the nitrous and sulphuric fumes from the : fertiliser and phosphate works. Gordon Robert Oliver, an inspector in the Health Department, disagreed with Mr Griffin’s opinion that deposits could be removed from the ‘ mud flats to prevent the generation • of ggses. “The deposits are so great that removal is imposible, and will ; need to wait until wastes from the offensive trades are dealt with by ! the Drainage Board and time and tide can cause the destruction of the deposits,” said the witness. Mr Massey, counsel for the Metro- ; politan Drainage Board, opening the board’s case, said:—“There can be little doubt that when the board’s new scheme is functioning, there will be no further—that is no additional—pollution of the Mangere inlet from the discharge of trade wastes and sewage. The board at that stage will have the means and power to control the situation.”

Cross-examination of technical witnesses will be taken tomorrow.