[Article] Smoky coal banned in another four urban areas

Victor

Honestly why don't they put on blanket ban on this? I think the jobs lost would be more than offset by jobs elsewhere and in lives saved.

Smoky coal banned in another four urban areas
From:The Irish Independent
Wednesday, 26th March, 2003
Treacy Hogan Environment Correspondent

THE Government yesterday ordered a total ban on burning smoky coal in four more major urban areas in an attempt to cut smoke-related deaths and illnesses.

The ban was extended to Sligo, Tralee, Kilkenny and Bray by Environment Minister Martin Cullen, who said lives could be saved.

He pointed out that independent medical research has shown that in Dublin alone the ban led to 116 fewer respiratory deaths and 243 fewer cardiovascular deaths each year.

Nearly 4,000 lives have been saved since it started in the capital in 1990.

Research by Dublin respiratory physician Dr Luke Clancy and a Harvard University team showed the respiratory and cardiovascular deaths decline.

Before the ban an average of 5,042 non-trauma deaths were recorded - and changes were seen immediately after its introduction.

However, the Government did a u-turn last year on its planned nationwide ban on smoky coal, despite its concerns over links with premature deaths.

It also decided against banning petcoke, used in smokeless coals, even though it has concerns that it is a fire hazard.

Both radical measures were contained in a Coalition consultation document which highlighted health and fire dangers but sparked fury among the solid fuel industry. The Government said it recognised the need to maintain a "viable future for solid fuel."

Yesterday Mr Cullen revealed that extra winter cash to help lower-income homes hit by higher bills for smokeless fuel will cost the Exchequer €860,000 in the four new areas, and €13.6m nationally.

azezil

I really can't understand why ppl buy smoky coal anyway, its more expesive, doesn't burn as well... mocks sense!

Great idea, it can get bad at times in kilkenny during the winter if there's only a light wind.

Typedef

Burning of coal Dublin City was what precipitated the poisonous Sulphur dioxide emissions in and around 1987.

http://www.enfo.ie/leaflets/bs13.htm

Basically smog was choking Dublin city and burning of smokeless fuels was banned outright. Rightly so too in my opinion.

http://www.enfo.ie/Library/fs/fs13.htm

SMOKE CONTROL MEASURES

As a first step to reducing smoke concentrations in the Dublin area, several special control Area Orders recently made by Dublin Corporation under the Air Pollution Act are designed to cut significantly the level of smoke emissions in the most seriously affected areas- in these areas, covering some 7,500 houses, smokeless fuels only could be burnt for heating purposes.


However, concerned at the limited progress being made in the establishment and confirmation of special control areas, the Government decided, in January 1990, to take new rigorous measures to ensure clean air in Dublin. The marketing, sale and distribution of bituminous coal in the built-up area of Dublin has therefore been prohibited with effect from 1 September 1990.