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<br /> Councilman Stout report on Air Pollution and Dump Operations Committee. Letter from
<br /> Mr. Eugene Howell, Public Health Engineer,, was read and. made a part of the minutes
<br /> on motion of Councilman Stout, seconded by Councilman Britschgi and carried.
<br /> "The San Mateo County Department of. Public Health and Welfare has been inter-
<br /> ested in air pollution and dump operations in this county for a number of
<br /> years.
<br /> This department sent out letters, in March 1950, to 38 industrial establish-
<br /> ments in the County and to each City Council, asking their cooperation in con -
<br /> trolling air pollution. Also, in October 1950, we recommended to the San
<br /> Mateo County Board of Supervisors that it appoint a County Air Pollution
<br /> Advisory Committee. A committee was appointed by the Board of Supervisors on
<br /> October 23, 1950, composed of the following men:
<br /> (1) Member representing an industry that is a potential contributor
<br /> to air pollution:
<br /> Mr. A. G. Lang, Vice President
<br /> Pacific Portland Cement Company
<br /> (2) Member from the general public::
<br /> Mr. C. D. Allen, Consulting Engineer
<br /> (3) Member from a city council:
<br /> Mr. Adolph Sani, Councilman South San Francisco
<br /> (4) Member from a Planning Commission:
<br /> Mr. M. E. Grant, County Engineer
<br /> (5) Member from the Health Department:
<br /> Mr. Eugene M. Howel, Public Health Engineer
<br /> This committee met to discuss the air pollution problem in this county and what
<br /> steps could be taken to minimize it. As a result of one of the meetings,
<br /> letters were mailed to the Truck Owners Association of California, the San
<br /> Francisco Draymen's Association, Western Highway Institute, and the Private
<br /> Truck Owners' Bureau of California, asking their cooperation in keeping trucks
<br /> in good working condition, so as to minimize this contribution to air pollution.
<br /> Observation of the air pollution problem indicated that it was continuing to
<br /> become worse. Therefore, the Air Pollution Advisory Committee, at a meeting
<br /> Held on October 27, 1953, developed certain specific recommendations which
<br /> were submitted to Dr. Chope, who, in turn, wrote to the Board of Supervisors,
<br /> under date of November 4, 1953, recommending, in summary:
<br /> (1) Formation of a garbage and r efuse disposal district.
<br /> (2) Employment of a qualified engineering firm to conduct an
<br /> air pollution study of San Mateo County and submit a com-
<br /> prehensive report on the problem and what approach would be
<br /> to the best interests of this county.
<br /> (3) By procedure as outlined in the Health and Safety Code,
<br /> Section 24198 through Section 24212, formation of an air
<br /> pollution control district.
<br /> (4) Taking the initiative and inviting the Honorable Board of
<br /> Supervisors of the San Francisco Bay Area jurisdictions to
<br /> meeting in San Francisco and start action on the formation
<br /> of a Bay Area District.
<br /> Under date of November 19, 1953, the Board of Supervisors acknowledged the
<br /> November 4 report, stating that action was being deferred pending receipt
<br /> of report of a meeting of the Bay Area Council, which was to be held shortly.
<br /> The Bay Area Council held a meeting at the Palace Hotel, San Francisco, on
<br /> November 20, 1953, to discuss air pollution in the Bay Area. At this meet-
<br /> ing it was the unanimous opinion of the Health Officers of the City and
<br /> County of San Francisco, Santa Clara County, Alameda.County and Contra Costa
<br /> County that the best approach to the control of air pollution in the Bay Area
<br /> would be the formation of county air pollution control districts. The indus-
<br /> trial group in a ttendance at the meeting were all in agreement that some
<br /> definite controls should be instituted, but were not necessarily in agree-
<br /> ment that control districts should be formed. A report of this meeting was
<br /> sent to the.Board of Supervisors by Dr. Chope under date of November 24, 1953.
<br /> The Health Department had been receiving telephone notice from the Weather
<br /> Bureau that an inversion would be present in. this County during some speci
<br /> fied period of time, and it was our practice to then notify each of the dump
<br /> operators to refrain from buring until further notice. Different degrees of
<br /> cooperation were received from dump operators, depending mainly upon the equip-
<br /> ment they had available for putting out their burning conditions, but I
<br /> believe in each case the operators did refrain, from the time of notice to stop
<br /> burning, from adding any additional combustible material.
<br /> Sometime in 1954 a letter was sent from the County Manager's Office to each of
<br /> the Cities having a dump, and to the County Engineer and private dump operators
<br />
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