THE ENVIRONMENT
the provision of suitable sites for environmental facilities including sewage treatment plants, refuse transfer stations and refuse collection points. Of course, not all problems can be solved immediately. For this reason, it will be important to continually review the Metroplan as it is implemented to identify areas of residual environmental problems. Hopefully these problems can be dealt with at a local level through the application of appropriate mitigation and control measures.
One offshoot of Metroplan was the Study of the Use of Underground Space (SPUN) which was completed in 1990. It is very difficult to locate suitable sites for large essential facilities such as sewage treatment plants and refuse transfer stations in the densely- populated and congested metropolitan area of Hong Kong. The SPUN study has there- fore identified a number of sites where rock caverns offer a potential for developing underground facilities which are amenable to safety and pollution control measures. During 1990, several of the most promising SPUN projects were taken forward to detailed feasibility studies, including the provision of an underground Refuse Transfer Station at Mount Davis.
The EIA process was also applied in 1990 to a number of other government studies of strategic/territorial importance, aimed at identifying environmental problems, resources, constraints and opportunities. The most significant study completed in 1990 is the Port and Airport Development Strategy (PADS). PADS examined in considerable depth the environmental implications of various development options being considered for future expansion of Hong Kong's port and airport facilities. The final choice of the recommended strategy, which was announced by the Governor during his opening speech to the 1989-90 session of the Legislative Council, was heavily influenced by environmental considerations. The choice of Chek Lap Kok as the site for the replacement for Kai Tak Airport was the best choice from an environmental viewpoint. In 1990, the study concluded with further refinement of the Chek Lap Kok option and a site search for the first multi-purpose terminal, a combined marine bulk cargo and container handling facility which the PADS study identified as being required for continued optimum economic growth.
As well, the EIA process was applied to the initial implementation stages of the PADS projects. The government has broken down the overall PADS strategy into a series of discrete, but obviously interrelated, development areas. The vehicle by which each of these developments will be taken forward will be the Development Statement for each area, which are being prepared by the Planning Department. These Development Statements are intended to provide overall development guidelines as an appropriate context for the co-ordination of detailed planning, transport and engineering feasibility studies and the proper level of environmental studies. The first stage in the EIA process is to carry out an Environmental Review (ER) of the proposed development. The ER advice recommends the appropriate level of environmental assessment which is required to be incorporated into the studies associated with the next stage of the development process.
In 1990, measures were taken by the government to implement a package of measures recommended by the Rural Planning and Improvement Strategy aimed at rectifying the widespread environmental and planning problems in the New Territories. One of the major tasks will be to review all existing short-term land uses with a view to discontinuing those considered to be environmentally unacceptable.
Many of the existing environmental problems in the New Territories result from a lack of statutory planning controls outside the urban area. These problems will be addressed
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