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Health risks in our parks
• WHY are Camden’s parks overrun with large vehicles and violently loud machinery? Surely the point of parks is to give respite from noise and cars? In one park, nine vehicles have been seen at one time. Vans, trailer-trucks, 4x4s and cars block paths, sit with engines running, make pointless circuits or are left abandoned for hours.
They belong to the council, to contractor Glendale Estates or are unmarked. There were never any until a year ago. People and animals are at needless risk. Please can bollards be installed or gates kept half closed?
Meanwhile, new machinery in Camden’s parks is aggressive and exceptionally noisy. The users always wear ear-protectors for themselves. The worst offender is the leaf-blower, which can exceed 100 decibels. These machines are dangerous. They blow up fine dust against which the body has no defences, and will aggravate any respiratory conditions. If that dust is infected with hantavirus, caused by rodent urine, serious illness can result. A gardener in New York died in this way in 1995.
The machines also emit inordinate amounts of carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide. They are illegal in 300 US cities, the dust cited as a potential cause of sudden infant death syndrome.
As more than half the users of Camden’s parks are parents with pre-school age children and babies, are these risks to their health worth it? If you are affected by noise or dust while in a park or council-run public space, ringing the parks department on 0207 974 1693 within earshot of the machinery can prove effective.
S MC AUSLANE
Hornsey Lane, N6
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