Monitoring Air Quality.
- 17 December 2008 08:2211052DDC Information *****
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PARTNERSHIP WORKING HELPS MONITOR AIR QUALITY FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE
As part of our ongoing commitment to monitor and improve air quality for the future, Dover District Council is working in partnership with the Castle Community College to gather information on air quality in the Deal area.
Following the College's purchase and installation of a new meteorological station, Dover District Council's Environmental Health team has set up an air quality monitoring site within the school grounds. The air quality results will be recorded on the Kent and Medway Air Quality Monitoring Network web pages, and will give important Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) background data for Deal. The school will be able to compare air pollution levels with weather data from their own station.
Cllr Pat Heath, DDC Cabinet Member for Health, Well-Being and Public Protection, said: "We continue to work with community partners to monitor and improve air quality for the future and we are delighted to be gathering this data from the Castle Community College, and our thanks go to staff and pupils for working with us on this initiative."
Mrs Christine Chapman, Principal of Castle Community College, said: "Our students are extremely interested in environmental issues and this will allow them to access information on air quality in their local area. We are delighted to be working alongside Dover District Council in the attempt to monitor local environmental conditions."
For more information on air quality monitoring data, or to view the information from the Deal site, please see the DDC website at www.dover.gov.ukemail: dover7@msn.com - 17 December 2008 08:3311054If the guy from the Health Protection Agency can say that with all our ships throwing out their pollution and the lorries doing the same (different pollutants admittedly) we don't have a problem, nor ever could, I'm sure Deal will be O.K. - according to the HPA.
I'm not saying we don't need quality control checks on pollution - we do, just pointing out that officially, we don't have to worry - unless you're pushing a little 'un less that six feet from a lorry's exhaust, but then it will disperse very quickly.
Roger - 17 December 2008 08:3411055Although the press release above relates to Deal I thought it worth putting up. I havent had a chance to look on the DDC website but I am assuming they also monitor the air here in Dover. I remember having such a discussion with Nigel C some while back.
I often wonder what happens if they do indeed monitor it and the results are bad or very bad. I mean to say, what can they do about it after they gather a set of bad figures?? Would love to know.We had a Neighbourhood Forum meeting at the Town Council offices a year or so back and it was well attended and fairly animated because of this topic.It is something people are very worried about.
The visiting bod assured the gathered throng all was reasonably okay. But people did not believe him. Many tales were told to the contrary.
However Ive done my own PaulB immediate survey. Trees planted beside the main road either die or remain thin and spindly and live a 'near death' experience all their lives. Trees planted in Millers/Travel Lodge are healthier the further they get away from the road. Its almost weird. But you can see the problem in action, or could. Many of them have left the scene and have, one hopes, gone to that happy hunting ground where mighty oaks go.
The fumes are atrocious here. Trucks linger all night and day at times, and you can cut the thick putrid air with a knife. The ships pollute like mad anyway. When the wind comes from the East here the place fills with acrid kerosene vapours. Honest to gawd you cant light up yer fag for fear of lethal ramifications.Booosh!email: dover7@msn.com - 17 December 2008 20:0411079the chap that said all was ok was from kent county council, if i remember correctly.
despite the lovely sea front we have, the pollution for those who live there must be completely over the top.
i am sure that an independent monitoring of the area close to the eastern docks, taking in east cliff and atholl terrace contradicted the official data.
i realise thatl all the freight entering and leaving the docks can never change, but i remember the major ferry operators
stating that filters would be fitted to their vessels to lower the level of pollution to the minimum level.
has this happened? - Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
17 December 2008 20:4711084partly howard.