THE ENVIRONMENT
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but, more importantly, the quality of life in the city. Environmentally desirable land- use changes recommended by Metroplan include the relocation of Kai Tak airport, the decentralisation of manufacturing industries to areas away from upwind eastern Kowloon, the maximum use of underground electric railways, the relocation or closure of potentially hazardous installations and major air pollution point sources, the reduction or buffering of industrial/residential interfaces, and the provision of suitable sites for sewage treatment plants, refuse transfer stations and refuse collection points.
Metroplan has also generated some ancillary studies including the study of the use of underground space (SPUN). In the high-density, congested metropolitan area it is very difficult to find suitable sites for essential facilities such as sewage treatment plants and refuse transfer stations. Further reclamation or construction of hillside platforms for more space are inherently problematic from an environmental point of view. The SPUN study has therefore identified a number of potential rock caverns as a way of developing sites which are amenable to safety and pollution control measures.
Another study at the strategic level is the Port and Airport Development Strategy (PADS). In 1989, PADS examined in considerable depth the environmental implications of the various development options being considered. The principal investigations, involving field studies and extensive use of mathematical models, examined water quality, air quality, aircraft noise, marine mud disposal and sources of fill material. The final choice of the recommended strategies was heavily influenced by environmental considerations.
The year also saw the completion of the strategic level of the Rural Planning and Improvement Strategy which recommended a package of measures aimed at rectifying the widespread environmental and planning problems in the New Territories. These problems result from a complete lack of statutory planning controls outside the urban areas. Another major problem identified is the proliferation of temporary uses and open storage on land which was previously agricultural in nature.
The completion in 1988 of an Environmental Review on the cumulative environmental effects of developments in and around Deep Bay provided the government with valuable guidance on ways to protect this sensitive and valuable part of the territory. A Deep Bay Environmental Management Committee was formed and an action programme drawn up. Many of the action items were put into effect during 1989. For example, a Joint Committee on transboundary pollution was established with the mainland authorities, detailed engineering guidelines were drawn up to minimise the environmental impact of dredging and associated works in the Deep Bay area, and a buffer zone was established to restrict and control developments around sites of special scientific interest at Mai Po and inner Deep Bay. It is hoped and expected that these initiatives will do much to preserve and protect the important and unique environment of Deep Bay.
One of the major thrusts of planning work is in the area of waste disposal. In August 1989, EPD produced a statutory consultative document, the Draft Waste Disposal Plan for Hong Kong, which outlined existing and proposed waste disposal strategies and facilities. A series of sewerage master plans have been formulated for all the sewage catchments of Hong Kong and details are described in the subsequent section on Waste: Provision of Facilities and Services.
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process continued to be applied during 1989 to feasibility studies and individual projects or developments. These included a number of extensive reclamation proposals for areas such as the Tuen Mun and Junk Bay new towns, including the third industrial estate, the north-west New Territories sewerage scheme, the Tolo Harbour effluent export scheme and the eighth container terminal. Other