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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1974.
WHOLE OF HONG KONG BECOMES SMOKE-FREE ZONE
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THE GOVERNMENT TODAY TOOK THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP IN
ITS CAMPAIGN TO REDUCE INDUSTRIAL AIR POLLUTION BY DECLARING ALL OF HONG KONG A SMOKE CONTROL AREA.
THE DECLARATION, PUBLISHED IN TODAY'S GAZETTE, COMES INTO FORCE ON DECEMBER 17.
THE EARLY ANNOUNCEMENT HAS BEEN WELCOMED BY CONSERVATIONISTS. IT HAD BEEN EXPECTED THAT THE DECLARATION COULD NOT BE MADE UNTIL EARLY NEXT YEAR.
TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT CAPS A CONTINUOUS PROGRAMME BY THE GOVERNMENT TO GRADUALLY BRING ALL THE TERRITORY UNDER ITS CONTROL UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE CLEAN AIR ORDINANCE.
THE ORDINANCE STRICTLY LIMITS THE VOLUME OF POLLUTION- PRODUCING DARK SHOKE WHICH CAN BE EMITTED AND CARRIES A FINE OF UP TO $2,000.
PREVIOUSLY, THE GOVERNMENT HAD DECLARED SEVEN SMOKE CONTROL AREAS THE MOST RECENT BEING HONG KONG ISLAND WHICH CAME INTO EFFECT ON OCTOBER 2. TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BRING THE REMAINING AREAS OF KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE ORDINANCE.
THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S AIR POLLUTION CONTROL OFFICER, MR. DAVID NEWBURY, DESCRIBED THE ANNOUNCEMENT AS +VERY TIMELY+. HE SAID IT WAS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF OVERSEAS INDUSTRIALISTS THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD SET DOWN +GROUND RULES+ ON FUEL BURNING.
+ALREADY WE HAVE MAJOR OVERSEAS MANUFACTURERS PLUNGING INTO THE LOCAL INDUSTRIAL SCENE IN AREAS OF TSING YI AND TUEN HUN AND THERE ARE POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENTS ON LAMMA AND LANTO,+ HE SAID.
+ THE GOVERNMENT ITSELF HAS PLANS TO DEVELOP AREAS IN . THE NEW TERRITORIES AS INDUSTRIAL AND RESIDENTIAL ESTATES.+
MR. NEWBURY SAID THAT DESPITE SOME RESERVATIONS A FEW YEARS AGO, THINKING PEOPLE IN HONG KONG INDUSTRY NO LONGER REGARDED THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL UNIT AS +80CEY MEN+.
+WE HAVE SHOWN THAT WE CAN HELP INDUSTRY SAVE MONEY WHILE AT THE SAME TIME EFFECTIVELY REDUCING AIR POLLUTION,+ HE SAID.
/HE ADDED
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