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HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
435
The dealing capability of the various departments involved in the chicken slaughter exercise and the government as a whole should call for a review.
The chicken slaughter exercise aimed at eradicating the virus at its source. "Theoretically speaking, H5N1 avian flu virus will be terminated provided that the virus is prevented from breeding further and is segregated from outside contacts. In other words, killing all chickens and disposing of their carcasses by burying them in landfill sites or through incineration will serve the purpose. The action taken by the authorities concerned is, therefore, not to destroy the virus directly. Judging from the objective conditions, burying in landfill sites is supposed to be the only available means to dispose of the chicken carcasses in Hong Kong. However, there has never been any experiment to prove that such disposal at landfill sites can eliminate all spreading chances of H5N1 virus. As a matter of fact, how much H5N1 virus can be destroyed by the so-called 'killing with no fire' way of burying in landfill sites? Can all virus be eradicated? These are all questions in doubt. I can recall that the dumping of cattle blood in Pillar Point Landfill years ago had brought about flies nuisance, which aroused great dissatisfaction among residents of Tuen Mun. If similar blunder repeats itself in the burial of such massive chicken carcasses, it will definitely trigger more serious and widespread panic.
According to some experts, international practices follow that the best way to dispose of virus carriers (chickens in this case) is by high-temperature incineration which is most thorough and hygienic. I believe that the government authorities concerned are well aware of this and government officials also agree that high-temperature incineration is the best way to dispose of chicken carcasses. But unfortunately, Hong Kong still lacks incinerator facility that can meet environmental standards. As a result, the exercise could only resort to the undesirable option of burying the carcasses in landfill sites. From this, we can see that the government has brought trouble to itself by giving up the use of incinerators and disposing of refuse at landfill sites instead. As far as my memory recalls, Mr. Chairman, you and some of our colleagues in the Council have, for years, repeatedly urged the departments to use modern high-temperature incinerators. However, no consent could be obtained from these departments and in particular, the Environmental Protection Department which still considers refuse disposal at landfill sites as the best means. Mr. Chairman, I earnestly hope that you can introduce the most advanced and correct way of refuse disposal by environmental incinerators to the people of Hong Kong through efforts at future meetings of the Council. It is in fact my wish that animal carcasses and medical or special wastes can be disposed of by way of high-temperature incineration. With the continuation of the landfill disposal method, I wonder when will some kind of unimaginable panic pop up in future. I earnestly hope that the Chairman can lead us to make another effort to press the government to expedite the construction of modern incinerators in order to upgrade the waste and refuse disposal capability and standard of Hong Kong.
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Page 439 of 654