"The Control of Alkali Pollution in St. Helens, 1862–1890"

Hawes, Richard. “The Control of Alkali Pollution in St. Helens, 1862–1890.” Environment and History 1, no. 2 (June, 1995): 159–171. doi:10.3197/096734095779522663. The attempts of Angus Smith and his colleagues to control alkali pollution after 1863 are usually seen as being a success. This study of St. Helens, Lancashire, once an important center of soda production, shows that although the alkali inspectors were eventually able to limit the release of hydrochloric acid gas, they found great difficulty in curbing the generation of other noxious fumes, particularly hydrogen sulfide. Despite the intervention of the town council, prohibitive legislation, and many critical reports, the manufacturers were reluctant to adopt a technique of sulfur recovery or to change the way they dumped their waste acid. Local economic importance proved to be sufficiently powerful to deflect regulation from any source. All rights reserved. © 1995 The White Horse Press