Council officers want powers on dark smoke

摘要

Local environmental health officers want a revamped Clean Air Act to cover coarse participates (PM_(10)) and nitrogen oxides (NO_x) emissions, according to a paper sent to key stakeholders by the environment department (DEFRA) on 21 March.1 The officers also called for powers to serve enforcement notices against the emission of dark smoke. A review of the legislation was announced on 19 March (ENDS Report 446, p 8). The current version entered into force in 1993 and consolidates rules dating from the 1950s. It bans dark smoke emissions from domestic and industrial chimneys and from non-chimney sources on trade premises, such as bonfires. Certain exemptions are set out in regulations. It also introduced an approval regime to control smoke, dust and grit emissions from non-domestic furnaces, and regulates the height of chimneys.