Pollution ‘worse this winter’

Press, 19 April 1982, Page 7

Pollution ‘worse this winter’

People will need a compass to find their Way around Christchurch this winter because the pollution will be so bad. says a city coal and coke merchant. Mr K. Sorrell, the proprietor of Pearsons Coal and Coke Merchants’," m Redwood, said that the air pollution would be worse this year because coke was hard to get. - With the- closing of theChristchurch Gas Works, no coke was being produced in Christchurch, supplies now coming from Dunedin or In--vercargill. Only three merchants had stocks of coke. Coke was the only smokeless solid fuel, he said. People who could not get coke for their space heater would use coal instead. “Coal is going to issue clouds of smoke, whether it is low sulphur or not,” he said.

The closing of the gas works was a “crime,” because it left most people with the option of using electricity or coal for heating. The demand for coke was “terrific.” but there would not be enough available to supply “a quarter” of the demand in Christchurch, he said. Other merchants disagreed with Mr Sorrell’s comments. Mr W. M. Warren, of the State Coal Depot, said that there were few approved space heaters which were supposed to run only on coke and not coal. Most of the approved space heaters on the market were about three times as efficient as open fires and burnt up their own smoke. He doubted whether there would be many problems with coke supplies this winter. It would be scarce and

people would have to “shop around”' but it would’ be available. City merchants reported that the demand for coal was steady for the time of year. Several said that they had been busy in recent weeks as people tried to beat the $1 a bag rise in coal prices, which came into effect on April 1. Demand had risen since Easter because of the colder weather. Prices for coal in most city yards range from $6.20 for 50kg bags of Strongman coal to $7.40 for bags of Ohai nuts. Thirty-kilogram bags of coke sell for about $4.20. The merchants said that they expected there would be adequate supplies of coal and wood over the winter. Several reported that prices for firewood would be high this year because of transport costs. Wood collectors had to go further afield

to find supplies. The manager of Christchurch Coal Supplies, Ltd, Mr L. Barr, warned that people thinking of installing wood burners should check the supply situation carefully. “They could get caught because there is no price control on wood, as there is on coal," he said. “The price for wood is quite a lot higher than last year.” City chimney sweeps are also being kept busy as people prepare for winter. Some sweeps reported that they already had a two-week waiting list. Prices for cleaning open fires ranged from $8.50 to $lO, while cleaning space heaters cost between $lO and $l4.