Rubbish fires

Press, 18 March 1987, Page 20

Rubbish fires

Sir,—Years ago, I was working in a place where there were area maps, showing where all houses are situated. My late wife and I were plagued with rubbish fires at the time, and upon referring to these area maps, I found that there were fourteen houses to the east of our house. This meant that only one householder needed to have a rubbish fire per fortnight and my wife’s washing could be contaminated by smoke, while I would be deprived of the fresh air I needed when at home. We were subjecte'd to the scented and suffocating smoke from hedge clippings, mainly. I formulated a saying, “If it smokes, it is not ready to burn,” or in other words whatever is to be burnt, should be dried out first. This situation still remains, so I add my plea to your other protesting correspondents. — Yours, etc., LEICESTER EMMETT. March 14, 1987.

Sir, —Since the passage of the Clean Air Act in 1972 the occupiers of any premises — and since 1982 this includes the motorist as well — have had a duty to adopt the “best practicable means” to collect, contain, and minimise their air pollution and to render it harmless and inoffensive. Section 4 of the Clean Air Amendment Act 1986 now prohibits the emission of dense smoke from any premises on which open burning, without fuel-burning equipment, is carried out. However, section 9 of the same act allows bemused local authorities to make by-laws “permitting, regulating or prohibiting open burning” providing, presumably, that the would-be incendiary uses the “best practicablerwieans” and does not prodense smoke. “Dense smoke” means, in the opinion of

a qualified local-body officer, at least 40 per cent light reduction by the smoke at its source. But neighbours, not officers, must be the watchdogs in these matters; there’s the rub. — Yours, etc., JANET R. HOLM, President, N.Z. Clean Air Society. March 14, 1987.

Sir,— Congratulations to D. J. Lattimore on his letter (March 13). Much of the rubbish written about this topic I have burned, but I shall keep his sensible balanced letter. Most people pollute the environment in some way or other: all smokers, all car owners, most dog owners, and all open-fireplace users to mention but four. As a keen gardener and jogger I am convinced that dog and motor-vehicle pollution is much more of a health hazard than is the rubbish fire. Rubbish fire smoke has a nuisance value but is not seriously injurious to health. I gave up smoking years ago, I don’t use my open fireplace, I don’t have a dog and whenever possible I use my bicycle rather than the car. By burning diseased plants I don’t pollute the soil with harmful fungicides and pesticides and I don’t pollute the roadside with rubbish from a trailer.— Yours etc.,

K. MOIR. March 15, 1987.