[EN] 1810: The environmental historians among you will probably already know. The Napoleonic decree of 15 October 1810 was one of the very first pieces of legislation to regulate the construction of establishments that spread "an unhealthy or offensive odour". The establishments were divided into three categories depending on the degree of pollution and different government agencies were responsible for authorising them. The project had to be publicised in advance and local residents were able to comment on it and raise objections. A major point of criticism among historians: It was impossible to close down businesses once they had been authorised! But should the law be assessed as negatively as some researchers have done?
A thread on the Napoleonic Decree of 15 October 1810: Part 1 - What's the stink? [1/7]
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[7/7] The Continental Blockade of 1809 made the situation even worse. Soda factories in particular caused immense damage to vegetation. The Minister of the Interior demanded a new report, but one that was more balanced. Ultimately, this formed the basis for the decree of 15 October 1810.
In addition to the debate about miasmas and their disinfection by factories, as well as the consequences of this, another argument tangential to the intrinsic values of the revolution played an important role: the protection of private property...