Solid fuel opposed

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33766, 12 February 1975, Page 16

Solid fuel opposed

A plea by Mr C. G. Martin, r a pollution expert, that the City Council should encour■<age the development of solid .! fuel clean-burning devices, • was criticised yesterday by < Mr P. V. Neary, chairman of ’ the Christchurch branch of, [the Clean Air Society. Mr Martin, a chemical engineer and a consultant to 1 i the United Nations on pol- ' Jution, was critical of the ■' City Council’s clean air plan when it was announced two weeks ago. “The solid fuel, clean-] burning devices have existed jfor more than 100 years.” said Mr Neary. “Compared with electric or gas heating they are difficult to control) . and maintain, are sometimes dirty. and often waste heat. . The Clean Air Society is not persuaded that the en-masse . ' use of solid fuel stoves, using /coal, will solve air pollution . j problems.” , Mr Neary said a growing body of technical opinion held that the electric power j station would be the basis of domestic heating in the ; South Island in the future. “There must be open dei bate now as follows: “Is central heating desirable or necessarv in most of | the South Island? “If centra) heating is not required, does not electricity or gas fit the bill very well ) indeed? “Are there not many sites! jon our rivers which will gen;erate small amounts of elec-' I tricity from virtually un--1 attended hydro-power sta-i tions?"