+
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1974 3 +
LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S ROLE IN AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
ON A CLEAR DAY, A TOURIST ONCE REMARKED, YOU CAN STAND ON THE PEAK AND ALMOST SEE KOWLOON THANKS TO THE INDUSTRIAL SHOG.
NOWADAYS. ON A CLEAR DAY, YOU CAN ALMOST SEE FOREVER. AND THAT'S DUE IN LARGE MEASURE TO A SMALL BUT HIGHLY-TRAINED BAND OF POLLUTION FIGHTERS TUCKED AWAY ON THE FOURTH FLOOR OF THE CANTON ROAD GOVERNMENT OFFICES.
THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL UNIT OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT, (SET UP ONLY THREE-AND-A-HALF YEARS AGO,) IS A RELATIVE NEW COMER IN GOVERNMENT RANKS, BUT ITS IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT HAS BEEN PLAIN TO SEE.
.
FOR THE SCEPTICS WHO RAISE A DISBELIEVING EYEBROW, THE UNIT PRODUCES STATISTICS TO SHOW THAT THE PUBLIC IS BEING SHIELDED FRON THE WORST EFFECTS OF AIRBORNE POLLUTION CREATED BY INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL FUEL BURNING PLANTS AND DIRTY INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES.
THE UNIT IS HEADED BY DAVID NEWBURY, A HIGHLY-QUALIFIED ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER APPOINTED IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR.
HE TOOK OVER AT A TIME WHEN THE UNIT WAS IN A FLURRY OF ACTIVITY WITH THE DECLARATION OF THE CHEUNG SHA WAN-SHUM SHUI PO DISTRICT AS A SMOKE CONTROL AREA.
SINCE THEN, THE COMBINED AREA OF YUEN LONG AND TUEN MUN AND THE WHOLE OF HONG KONG ISLAND HAVE ALSO BEEN DECLARED SMOKE CONTROL AREAS, PROMPTING CONSERVATIONISTS TO PREDICT THAT IT WILL ONLY BE A MATTER OF TIME+ BEFORE ALL HONG KONG COKES UNDER THE OFFICIAL CONTROL OF THE CLEAN AIR ORDINANCE.
THIS WOULD MAKE THE UNIT'S JOB CONSIDERABLY EASIER. IN OFF IC JALLY-DECLARED SHOKE CONTROL AREAS, THE UNIT'S 11 SMOKE
INSPECTORS HAVE THE POWER TO ACT ALONE IN PROSECUTING PERSISTENT OFFENDERS.
OUTSIDE THESE AREAS, THE INSPECTORS MUST NOT ONLY HAVE THE NECESSARY SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE OF EXCESSIVE SMOKE EMISSION, BUT ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC HAKE A FORMAL COMPLAINT IN COURT.
THIS IS NOT ALWAYS AS EASY AS IT HAY SOUND.
+IN ANY CASE,+ SAYS MR. NEWBURY, +OUR POLICY SO FAR HAS BEEN
ONE OF PERSUASION RATHER THAN PROSECUTION.
+THIS MIGHT NOT WORK IN OTHER SOCIETIES - PEOPLE IN SONE OTHER PLACES WOULD WALK ALL OVER YOU BUT WE HAVE FOUND IT VERY EFFECTIVE IN HONG KONG.
+WE FIND THAT IF WE EXPLAIN WHAT IS REQUIRED AND PUT THE WHOLE PROBLEM IN PROPER PERSPECTIVE, THEN PEOPLE ARE PREPARED TO CO-OPERATE.
/+IN THE LAST
1