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# HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
## ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Ladies and Gentlemen, may I call the meeting to order.
## MINUTES
The minutes of meeting held on 14 September 1993 were confirmed.
## PAPERS
The following paper was laid on the table:
(1) Report to the Urban Council by the Secretary, Urban Council, for the month of September 1993.
## QUESTIONS
1. MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT asked the following question (in Cantonese):-Dumped medical waste such as syringes has recently been found at the Shek O Beach. Why are these things found there? Are they also found at the other beaches in Southern District? What measures can be adopted to prevent such phenomenon from appearing there? Will these wastes be a danger to the people using the beach?
MR. RONNIE WONG MAN-CHIU, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-This question concerns dumped medical waste at the beaches in Southern District.
Medical supplies and waste were found in two incidents at Council's gazetted beaches this summer. The first incident occurred on the 22 August at three beaches (Stanley Main, Hair Pin and Turtle Cove). About 300 items still in cellophane wrappers of unused medical supplies such as surgical gloves, masks, knives but no syringes were found drifting in the waters or washed ashore.
The second incident occurred on 19 September at Rocky Beach in Shek O. This beach has been declared unsuitable for swimming since 1988 due to unsatisfactory water quality. About 200 items of old and weathered medical waste (broken plastic phials and syringes) were found washed ashore as part of the large quantity of seaborne refuse brought in by typhoon.
The origin of these medical supplies or waste is unknown to us. There is no indication that the waste was dumped at the beach and it may well be that the waste was simply seaborne refuse. It is difficult to understand why any local hospital, clinic or medical supplies company or their contractors would dump in this manner when alternatives are available. Nevertheless, our staff have been instructed to exercise vigilance on any dumping activities at the beaches. Thorough clean up operations will immediately be carried out once medical supplies/wastes are spotted. So far, no accident has been reported arising from medical supplies/waste. In order to minimise the danger of this to persons using the beach, staff have been asked to remove any items of medical waste as soon as they are found. We have also called for assistance from the Marine Department, Department of Health, Marine Police and Environmental Protection Department to trace the source of such waste. The Hospital Authority has also been asked to take measures to control this type of waste.
MR. JOSEPH CHAN YEUK-SUT (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, we have got surgical knives and clinical wastes in Stanley Main, Hair Pin and Turtle Cove Beaches which are gazetted beaches. Since knives are quite heavy, probably they are not really washed ashore, could I be informed of the source of such clinical wastes?
Secondly, at Rocky Beach in Shek O, syringes were found. According to unconfirmed information supplied to me, sometimes there are young people camping there. They used such syringes for injection and then afterwards they just dumped the syringes there. Is this true or not? Have we liaised and co-operated with the Police to patrol there? Does frequent patrol take place at the beach? If we could co-operate with the Police, perhaps such things may not happen again. Even though this beach is closed, is 'Keep Hong Kong Clean' still our responsibility, particularly in relation to clinical wastes such as syringes?
MR. RONNIE WONG MAN-CHIU (in Cantonese):-Let me answer Mr. CHAN's first question. In relation to surgical knives, they are still in cellophane wrappers. I do admit that they are heavy, but they are still floating and are washed ashore because of the air inside. As for the source of such wastes, we are still investigating and have not yet identified the source. As to whether there is a possibility of some young people performing injections at the beach and then dumping the syringes afterwards, that will have to be confirmed with the Police. I will reflect Mr. CHAN's worry to the Police.
THE HON. MAN SAI-CHEONG (in Cantonese):—In relation to medical wastes, it is now of a major concern to our community. But people fail to understand that this is not something that the Urban Council can solely resolve on its own. It might involve EPD, Department of Health and also the PEL Branch. It is essential that we have a long term plan of co-operation. I wonder if the UC will work together with the RC and ask the Government to come up with strategy particularly in relation to incineration of medical wastes. Is it possible that the medical waste can be handled by some high-tech incinerators to be built later on? In this regard, what role should the UC play? Could we ask the relevant Select Committee to follow up on the issue in more detail?
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