THE ENVIRONMENT
duty diesel vehicles such as taxis and light buses will have to switch to cleaner liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) fuel. By the end of 2000, all newly registered taxis will have to run on LPG.
Apart from requiring cleaner vehicles and cleaner fuels, it is essential to promote other mass transit systems that are pollution-free at street level. The Government has adopted a policy that gives priority to rail over road, and to encourage innovations such as trolley buses wherever practical.
Hong Kong has strict controls on the use and handling of asbestos. The Air Pollution Control Ordinance bans the import and sale of the more dangerous types of asbestos, namely amosite and crocidolite, from May 1996. It also provides for the control of activities that might lead to asbestos dust emissions. From June 1997, anyone intending to remove asbestos must engage registered asbestos consultants, contractors, supervisors and laboratories, and must submit investigation reports and asbestos abatement plans to the EPD, before starting work. The department also carries out regular inspections to ensure material containing asbestos is handled and disposed of properly. Special provision is made for the disposal of asbestos waste at strategic landfills.
Ozone Layer Protection — A Global Responsibility
Joining a global effort, Hong Kong has taken up its obligations under the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer. The Ozone Layer Protection Ordinance was introduced in 1989. Hong Kong has prohibited both local manufacture and import of substances such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons for local consumption. CFCs are commonly used as refrigerants in air conditioners and freezers, and halons in fire extinguishers. The EPD also sets a quota to control the import of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), which do less damage to the ozone layer. In 1999, there were six prosecutions for the illegal import of ozone-depleting substances, with fines totalling $91,000.
Noise
Noise from industrial or commercial activities is controlled by means of Noise Abatement Notices. The EPD may serve notice to require the owners of premises emitting excessive noise to reduce it within a given period. In 1999, the department investigated about 2 900 complaints and served some 230 abatement notices, which led to about 70 convictions.
Road traffic noise is one of the most pervasive forms of pollution in Hong Kong. Close to a million people at home suffer road traffic noise higher than the minimum acceptable standard (70 dB(A)) in the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines.
Pre-emptive planning based on environmental impact assessments remains the most effective way to tackle road traffic noise problems. As a last resort, building insulation may be undertaken to redress the impact on the affected premises. To assess the practicability of installing counter-measures such as roadside barriers and enclosures on existing roads to reduce noise, a Hong Kong-wide study is under way. Legislation to control noise from vehicles, a quiet road surface programme and a programme for noise abatement in schools are the major supporting measures that will help alleviate traffic noise problems. Up to 1999, about 11 kilometres of noisy
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