Clean Air Society Asks Ombudsman

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31164, 14 September 1966, Page 1

Clean Air Society Asks Ombudsman

The Christchurch Clean Air Society has appealed to the Ombudsman (Sir Guy Powles) to prevent the sale of Buller coal briquettes by the Mines Department.

The appeal has been made, by the president (Mr I. R.l Densem) on behalf of the society against two specific decisions of the Mines Department. They are:— The decision to purchase, install and operate the Ngakawau briquetting plant which produces a domestic fuel totally unsuited to Christchurch conditions. The decision to encourage the sale and use of this fuel by an extensive advertising campaign over the last few months. “These two decisions are| against the interests of all I residents in Christchurch from a health and economic , aspect and we request your

.office to make a full and ithorough investigation into the situation," Mr Densem said. Mr Densem told the Ombudsman that the society had expressed strong feeling at the manner in which the Mines Department was encouraging the sale of briquettes in Christchurch. “The briquettes at present made by the West Coast plant contain a bitumen or pitch binder and a mixture of two high sulphur content coals which when burnt in a domestic fireplace produce a high smoke and sulphur dioxide content chimney effluent,” he | said. •The use of these briquettes lin Christchurch can only I cause increased air pollution” he said.