Task 5
Mr Grandidge
Helen Thomas
Legislations that aids to reduce air pollution in Britain
Legislation
One of the earliest records of air pollution control was in 1306 when a royal proclamation banned the burning of coal in London. But until the 1950s, pollution was generally accepted as the price of progress. The atmosphere of Britain's urban areas was characterised by large quantities of smoke and sulphur fumes from stacks and chimneys, which resulted in a lack of winter sunshine, pea-soup fogs, blackened buildings and black snow. No real action was taken until the infamous London smog of December 1952, which lasted for five days and was responsible for more than 4,000 premature deaths. This took the form of the Clean Air Act 1956, which was later amended and extended by the Clean Air Act 1968.
In 1961, the National Survey of Air Pollution was set up to monitor concentrations of smoke and sulphur dioxide. Measurements were made at about 1,200 urban and rural sites throughout the UK by local authorities and other bodies. In 1982, the UK Smoke and Sulphur Dioxide Monitoring Network comprising approximately 200 sites replaced the National Survey.
A combination of national and international legislation addresses the problem of air quality. The Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland provides a framework for air quality control with standards and objectives for certain pollutants and a timetable for their achievement (Follow link at right to Air quality standards). The European Commission's Directive on ambient air quality assessment and management, the 'Air Quality Daughter Directive', and its associated Air Quality Daughter Directives will also lead to improved air quality in the member states.
In Britain, the Clean Air Act of 1956, which, among other things, placed severe restrictions on the use of coal for home heating, resulted in a tenfold reduction in soot levels in London by the late 1960s. In the United States, the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the passing of successive Clean Air Acts by Congress led to the enforcement of air pollution standards that have laid down strict controls on levels of ozone and particulate matter in the atmosphere.
