THE ENVIRONMENT
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marine dumping operations by recording the position and draught of the vessel, so that the authorities can trace any illegal dumping in a cost-effective manner. Moreover, the department's inspectors operate frequent patrols. There were eight convictions for illegal dumping offences in 1999.
Monitoring and Investigations
The assessment of progress towards policy goals is one of the EPD's key activities. Its routine monitoring and special investigations form the basis for much of the strategic planning, provision of facilities and statutory controls aimed at improving the environment. The department has 91 sampling stations in the marine waters including enclosed bays and typhoon shelters plus another 81 stations for inland waters. It also keeps 41 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 data are published regularly in the form of annual reports and can be made available to academics and professionals in digital files or printed copies. Information on marine and river water quality is available on the EPD's home page. Members of the public are usually more interested in the summary reports of bathing water quality, which are issued to the mass media and published in the department's home page every week during the bathing season.
Mathematical models are frequently used to assess the water quality impact of major development activities. A water quality model has been developed for Deep Bay, which is a semi-enclosed bay with ecological importance and shared by Hong Kong and Shenzhen. The model has helped to determine how much waste the bay can naturally absorb and still achieve the water quality objectives. With this capacity known, both Hong Kong and Shenzhen authorities are drawing up plans to control pollution for the protection of the bay.
In a wider context, the Government is also refining a new model for assessing the cumulative impacts of all development in Hong Kong. The extensive coverage of the model will help impact assessment within Hong Kong and in cross-boundary waters such as the Pearl River estuary and Mirs Bay.
The EPD operates 11 general and three roadside air-quality monitoring stations. These stations have continuous monitoring instruments that measure sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, photochemical oxidants and carbon monoxide. Airborne dust and lead concentrations are also measured. Monitoring of toxic air pollutants at Tsuen Wan, Central and Western districts began in mid-1997.
The department operates an air pollution index (API) report and forecast system to provide the community with the most updated air quality information to the public. The system was enhanced in July to report the latest API every hour using mass media, the Internet and a 24-hour hotline. In addition, the department publishes a monthly summary of APIs. The EPD conducts a survey on solid waste disposal every year to collect current information for planning disposal facilities.
Government Laboratory
Being environmentally conscious, the laboratory follows closely its laid down environmental policy and provides technical support services to government departments in respect of environmental protection. In 1999, a total of 279 599 tests