THE ENVIRONMENT
The government plans to develop incineration facilities for the disposal of clinical waste and animal carcases, and to provide a proper storage facility for low-level radioactive waste.
Monitoring and Investigations
The assessment of progress towards policy goals is one of the Environmental Protection Department's key activities. Its routine monitoring and special investigations form the basis for all the strategic planning, provision of facilities and statutory controls aimed at improving the environment. The department has more than 100 sampling stations in the open sea, enclosed bays and typhoon shelters plus another 80 stations for inland waters. It also keeps 41 gazetted bathing beaches under surveillance.
This monitoring began in 1972 and provides a comprehensive record of the chemical, physical and microbiological quality of Hong Kong's waters. All the data are published regularly and can be made available to scientists and engineers on computer disks or printed copies. Members of the public are usually more interested in the summary reports of bathing water quality, which are issued to the media and published in newspapers every two weeks during the summer.
Mathematical models are frequently used to assess the water quality impact of major development activities in Hong Kong. With increasing collaboration between Hong Kong and local authorities in mainland China, mathematical modelling is also becoming a useful tool for evaluation of cross-border development projects. During 1997, a water quality model was developed for Deep Bay, a semi-enclosed bay whose catchment lies partly in Hong Kong and partly in Shenzhen. The model will help to determine how much waste the bay can naturally recycle. Once this is known the two sides will work together to develop a management plan to ensure this limit is not exceeded.
In similar context, a study was commissioned this year to extend and upgrade the government's territorial water quality models so that they can be applied effectively also in the outer Pearl River estuary. This will provide a sound basis for assessment of the various Hong Kong-Guangdong infrastructure projects likely to be proposed as economic integration accelerates.
The EPD operates 10 air quality monitoring stations, of which the Causeway Bay roadside station was established in 1997. They are equipped with continuous monitoring instruments for measuring sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, photochemical oxidants and carbon monoxide. Respirable and total suspended particulates (dust) and lead concentrations are also measured. There are plans to establish four more air quality monitoring stations including one more at the roadside. Monitoring of toxic air pollutants at Tsuen Wan and Western District commenced in 1997.
The department reports and publishes the results of its air quality measurements each month and an air pollution index and forecast system provides daily information to the public. It also conducts a survey on disposal of solid waste every year to collect up to date information for planning disposal facilities. The community disposed of about 15 700 tonnes of solid wastes each day in 1997 at landfills and, up to its decommissioning in May, at the Kwai Chung incinerator. Of this, 6 800 tonnes were domestic waste, 1 900 tonnes were commercial and industrial waste and 6 400
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