Road Wars

Counting The Costs Of The Freedom To Drive

Squall 10, Summer 1995, pg. 18.

In July 1994, under questioning from a House of Commons Select Committee, officials from the Department of Health admitted that on one day in 1991 160 people died as a result of air pollution in Britain.

On Friday 13th December 1991 record levels of nitrogen dioxide sent the measuring equipment at the Government’s official air monitoring stations off the recordable scale. The report that substantiated the death toll remains, to this day, unpublished.

Since that day the nitrogen dioxide smog has returned in December 1992 and December 1994; it is not known how many people died on these occasions.

In early May this year Britain experienced its first taste of summer. Temperatures soared to 27°c. Along with the sun came Nitrogen Dioxide and low-level ozone. Hot, sunny weather is usually a result of atmospheric high pressure bringing still air. Pollutants that would normally be carried away are left to collect at ground level. Hot weather keeps pollutants closer to the ground.

On the 3rd of May low-level ozone levels exceeded World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines from South East England to North West Scotland. Only in London did the Dept. of Environment issue a health warning telling people with respiratory problems to stay inside. A press release from the DoE on the same day warned motorists to “use cars responsibly”.

On the 4th of May Sir Paul Beresford, environment minister, told BBC Radio: “The biggest triggering factor is that there has been a drift of pollution from mainland Europe.... really what we’ve got to do is explain to the rest of Europe to behave as well as we do.” Sir Paul should know that Britain has the worst record in Europe for nitrogen dioxide pollution and, compared to Germany’s 200 official pollution monitoring stations, Britain has just seven.

Levels of Britain’s serious air-bourne pollutants are rising and many now regularly break WHO guidelines. Officials recognise that one single category of pollutants, particulates, routinely contribute to the deaths of 10,000 Britons every year while other pollutants such as low-level ozone are implicated in the asthma epidemic, now affecting one in seven children.

The Government is not only failing to inform the public of the dangers it is also failing in its responsibility to collate and maintain accurate information. This can be confirmed by looking at the two official pollution measuring stations in London. One is situated in Russell Square in the middle of a park, surrounded by grass and shielded from the road by trees. The second is on the top of an office block in Bridge Place, Victoria. It is difficult to find a quieter street in Victoria. The siting of a monitoring station so far above the ground also raises a few questions. Pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, benzene, particulates and sulphur dioxide are heavier than air and will generally concentrate at ground level, particularly in warm, anticyclonic weather.

Following directives from central Government (see below), Westminster Council have been quick to implement their own pollution monitoring programme. Whilst they have vastly improved on the Government’s policy by siting their stations next to roads, it is the roads being monitored that obscure the facts.

A prime example is Oxford Street, shopping mecca of the West End. Unfortunately, in the section where the monitoring station is sited, Oxford Street is open only to buses, cabs and cyclists. Meanwhile, 600 yards away, is Park Lane, a mile-long, eight-laned monster carrying traffic around the City’s inner ring road.

A public helpline has been set up by the Government to pass on information on air quality, as recorded at official monitoring stations. Air quality is described as “good” until low-level ozone pollution reaches nearly double the limit set by the WHO. Consequently, Friends of the Earth discovered that there were more than 300 occasions last year when ozone pollution exceeded WHO limits, yet the helpline still announced that air quality was “good”.

The May 3rd DoE press release states: “Air quality is described as ‘very good’.

‘good’, ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ .... Classifications are designed to give a broad indication of pollutant levels but they also take account of European Community standards and World Health Organisation guidelines.”

After a series of asthma scares last Summer the DoE promised it would be bringing in initiatives aimed at decreasing the amount of pollutants and improving awareness of the dangers of pollutants. Following The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution report and Sactra’s findings in December 1994 (see Policy Shift Of Shifty Policy? in SQUALL 9) much was hoped for from the Department.

Finally in January Environment Secretary, John Gummer, launched ‘Air Quality: Meeting the Challenge’ a series of pollution policies “intended to bring cleaner air to every one of Britain’s towns and cities”. However, Councils will only be obliged to draw up plans for “air quality management areas”, they are to “consult”, “appraise” and “review”. Councils have been given responsibility for tackling air pollution but no power to implement legislation and very little money either.

In 1952 Harold Macmillan was faced with serious smog in London. He rejected bringing in legislation and said: “I suggest we form a committee. We cannot do very much, but we can be seen to be very busy and that is half the battle nowadays.”

In 1995 John Gummer, talking of his air quality initiative, said: “(it) will offer reassurance to all those concerned about the link between air pollution and respiratory illness”