Coal report partly ‘garbage'

Press, 10 March 1982, Page 6

Coal report partly ‘garbage'

A Coal Research Association report last month that purported to explode myths about coal use and pollution was partly "a load of garbage,” said Dr N. J. Peet, a lecturer in chemical engineering at Canterbury University, yesterday. He told the Canterbury United Council’s air pollution committee that the report of Mr P. A. Toynbee, the association’s director, was 90 per cent “quite unexceptionable” in its backgrounding of coal research. The paper, presented to the Institution of Engineers’

annual conference, became unscientific, biased, and historically incorrect in a list of assertions under a heading entitled “the Christchurch syndrome,” said Dr Peet. Mr Toynbee said he believed that there was no need to limit coal use in Christchurch on the ground of the air pollution it produced. “It appears that Mr Toynbee has learnt nothing in the last 15 years,” said Dr Peet. Mr P. V. Neary, an air pollution committee member, said the paper should be

seen as “a sort of an advertisement for selling coal.” Mr Neary is president of the Clean Air Society. Zones advertised Paparua, Waimairi, and Heathcote counties and Riccarton Borough are seeking clean air zones over parts of their districts, and those zones will be advertised soon for public comment. The Health Department will also be advised of the move, and any objections received within three weeks of the advertisement could

be heard by a person appointed by the Government. A suggested alternative clean air zone order, prepared by a Riccarton councillor who said the draft was not as clearly worded as it could be, will be submitted to the Health Department for comment. Rangiora and Kaiapoi boroughs are also considering bringing their districts under clean air zones. At present, the Christchurch City Council has the only local clean air zone. ■ : “