Clean Air Act 1956

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The Clean Air Act 1956 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which responded to London's Great Smog of 1952. It was in effect from 1955-1964 and sponsored by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government in England and the Department of Health for Scotland.

The Act aimed to control domestic sources of smoke pollution by introducing smokeless zones. In these areas, only smokeless fuels could be burnt. The Act focused on reducing smoke pollution, but the introduction of cleaner coals and the increased use of electricity and gas helped to reduce sulfur dioxide levels at the same time. In addition, power stations were relocated to more rural areas. The measure correlated with a decrease in pollution; however it merely formed part of a constant trend stretching back a couple of decades before.

1 Historical Background to The Clean Air Act of 1956
2 Introduction
3 Reference
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Historical Background to The Clean Air Act of 1956

London was noted for its fog but when the "Great Smog" fell over London in December of 1952 and lasted until March 1953 it encouraged the modern day environment movement. The fog caused great damage and disaster that killed 4,000 people, most of them young or elderly person or those who suffered pre-existing respiratory problems. Another 8,000 died in the following weeks and months that followed. The fog was so thick that it would sometimes make driving impossible and entered through the doors of homes and buildings. During this time various concerts and other forms of live entertainment were cancelled. The world stood back and watched as these shocking revelations would reveal to the world that pollution would be a real and deadly problem. For these reasons, new mechanisms had to be implemented and laws such as restricting the use of dirty fuels in industry and banning black smoke. Some of these regulations included but were not limited to the Clean Air Acts of 1956 and of 1968, and the City of London (Various Powers) Act of 1954. Although the history of air pollution goes back much further than 1952, due to these many deaths, people became more aware of pollution being a real problem.

[edit] Introduction

A study was implemented to test whether the Clean Air Act implemented in the UK in 1956 was in fact responsible for the improvement in air quality in the UK. The study was slow and ongoing due to the fact that they were trying to find the right instrument or module that would measure the air quality to test its effectiveness. After several studies , the number of premises covered by smoke control orders emerges as the only quantifiable variable that reflects the impact of the Act. Under the Clean Air Act the government was responsible for meeting certain standards. Most factories with tall smokestacks are required to have devices that measure pollutants coming out of them.

By 1956, the UK became known for its air pollution problems which came about from the rapid rise of industry and expansion in the UK, forcing the adoption of legislation to improve the air quality in the UK. The initial intention of the Clean Air Act was primarily to enhance economic policies such as closing down the coal industry. During this time, it was apparent that London seemed successful in effectively controlling air pollution since it was known in the top three least polluted cities at that time.

After careful studies and surveys to determine whether the Clean Air Act was working, some results presented detailed that coal consumption, the changing patterns of industrial production and local authorities smoke control zoning were the most important factors in derterming the reduction of smoke emissions in the UK. To prove the effectiveness of the Act, reflection on the significance of certain variables, came out of the results which suggested that its impact was more through industrial rather than domestic. Other determining factors were seen in the social and structural changes which were very important in determining the effectiveness of the Clean Air Act. It was only until the 1960s that many people in the United States became concerned about the quality of the air. It was not until 1970 that the US Congress passed the Clean Air Act. This law has been amended to reflect ongoing concerns and problems with air quality. As the Clean Air progressed in the UK and other countries out of growing concerns for air quality and elimination of air pollution, the US, the harder it became to argue that the United States was not complying with the Clean Air Act. ^[1]