1881 – The Alkali Act

The Alkali Act was passed in Great Britain to regulate pollution connected with the production of superphosphates. The Alkali Act regime was overhauled and expanded in the Alkali & c. Works Regulation Act 1881, which, significantly, placed responsibility for the system into the hands of the local Government Board. This made the context in which this facet of pollution control operated more explicitly public health based in its orientation. The overlap between pollution control and public health was unambiguously recognized by the new provision allowing sanitary authorities to raise nuisances occasioned by infringement of the Alkali Act regime with the Alkali inspectorate. Other significant features of the 1881 Act included the adoption of new standards for sulphur and nitrogen emissions, the extension of regulatory coverage to controlling the waste stream and the adoption of a standardized mechanism for calculating emissions. In addition, the registration system applicable to regulated works was amplified, both by the introduction of a new requirement that such works be registered annually, and in more elaborate provisions relating to notices served under the regime.

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