Clean Air Soc. motion considered premature

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32612, 21 May 1971, Page 6

Clean Air Soc. motion considered premature

The air pollution advlssory committee to the Regional Planning Authority on Wednesday evening defeated a motion put forward by the' Clean Air Society recommending that urgent action be taken by councils to stop the use of high sulphur content fuels In Christchurch.

The advisory committee felt that since legislation did not at present permit councils to prohibit the use of a particular fuel, it would be premature to agree to the motion.

The Clean Air Society’s representative (Mr I. R. Densem) had moved “that in view of the known effects on chest health caused by sulphur dioxide in the city and urban air, this committee suggest to constituent councils that urgent action be taken to stop the use of high sulphur content fuels and that each council consider the advisability of prohibiting the burning of any fuel with more than 4 per cent sulphur content by an appropriate by-law.” The committee’s chairman (Mr H. J. Lynch) said after the meeting that the Smoke Restriction Act, 1964, did not become full applicable to industry and commerce until the end of this year. “Despite this, great pro-

gress has been made, and a recent fuel analysis shows that the greater part of industry now uses coal of below one per cent, with none over 4 per cent,” he said. “Legislation is now being considered which may give councils the authority to take direct control of smoke nuisance from house chimneys. “The present Smoke Restriction Act does not apply to domestic dwellings, neither do the smoke nuisance clauses of the Health Act,” Mr Lynch said. “As a result it is not at present legally possible for a city, borough, or county council to bring down a by-law controlling the smoke—which includes sulphur dioxide gases emitted from domestic chimneys.”