AIR POLLUTION MEASUREMENT

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28819, 13 February 1959, Page 10

AIR POLLUTION MEASUREMENT

Planning Authority’s Proposals

Investigations of air pollution in the Christchurch region would take probably five years before any expert conclusions were reached. Mr E. Somers, the City Engineer, told Christchurch Regional Planning Authority yesterday. . The need to begin preliminary measurements of air pollution before the onset of the 1959 winter was urged by the technical committee. Christchurch had a very marked seasonal fluctuation in the incidence of soot and sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere, the committee reported. It was suggested that for the present the equipment and work should be kept to a minimum. It was decided to ask the National Air Pollution Council to accept financial responsibility for the preliminary investigations, the cost of 18 lead peroxide instruments, together with a five years’ supply of cylinders, to measure atmospheric sulphur dioxide being estimated at £2OO. A technical advisory committee, of which Mr Somers will be chairman. was formed. The members are:—Miss N Northcroft (regional planning officer). Dr. A. Douglas, the Medical Officer of Health, Mr N . Alcorn, the Government analyst, Mr A. P Millthorpe. the Chief City Inspector, the officer of the Meteorological in_ Christ--church, Mr L. Wilkinson (Dominion Laboratory) and Professor S. R Siemon. ' ’After a letter from residents of Dam protesting against a pro--posa] to build a boiler house at the new university, the Authority decided to ask- the air pollution advisory committee to discuss the question with the university and the Ministry of Works in an endeavour to find a satisfactory solution and to report back to the Authority, which had no official information as to the location or design of the boiler house or of the fuel or processes to be used.