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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 1978
ROBSON ■ STRONG LAWS NEEDED TO PROTECT ENVIRONMENT ******
THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, MR. JAMES ROBSON, TODAY (WEDNESDAY) CALLED FOR STRONG LEGISLATION TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT OF HONG KONG,
ADDRESSING A TWO-DAY POLICE SEMINAR, HE SAID THAT EXISTING LEGISLATION TO CONTROL POLLUTION WAS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR MODERN CONDITIONS AS IT HAS GROWN UP PIECENEAL OVER THE YEARS AND IS GENERALLY OUTDATED+.
MR. ROBSON SAID THAT CONSULTANTS HAD BEEN ENGAGED TO ADVISE ON THE PRINCIPLES TO BE INCORPORATED IN A GENERAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ORDINANCE COVERING ALL ASPECTS OF POLLUTION ON LAND AND WATER AND IN THE AIR AND ARISING FROM EXCESSIVE NOISE.
+THE CONSULTANTS, HE ADDED, +WILL ALSO BE REQUIRED TO ADVISE ON THE PROPER ORGANISATION REQUIRED FOR THE ENFORCEMENT OF SUCH LEGISLATION, INCLUDING THE ORGANS IATION FOR HON I TOR 1 NG AND CONTROLLING ALL THE MANY FORMS OF POLLUTION AND THE RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING OF THE NECESSARY STAFF.
MR. ROBSON STRESSED THAT IT WAS THE FIRM AIM OF THE GOVERNMENT TO KEEP THE ENYIRONMENT IN THE RELATIVELY UNPOLLUTED STATE THAT EXISTED AT PRESENT AND TO IMPROVE UPON THIS AS FAR AS AVAILABLE RESOURCES WOULD PERMIT.
TO THIS END, HE ADDED, STEPS HAD BEEN TAKEN TO MONITOR EXISTING AND POTENTIAL SOURCES OF POLLUTION, AND TO DEVISE WAYS OF DEALING WITH ANY POLLUTION THAT MIGHT ARISE.
IN THE URBAN AREA, HE SAID, THE BIGGEST POLLUTION PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY EVERYDAY DOMESTIC" REFUSE AND LITTER, ALBEIT AGGRAVATED BY THE WASTES FROM THE OPERATION OF FACTORIES IN RESIDENTIAL BLOCKS WITH NO PROPERLY ORGANISED SYSTEM OF WASTE DISPOSAL.
HOWEVER, IN THIS RESPECT THE +KEEP HONG KONG CLEAN CAMPAIGN+ ACHIEVED +REMARKABLE SUCCESS+ WITH THE HELP OF LEGISLATION ENABLING VIGOROUS ENFORCEMENT OF PENALTIES UPON LITTERBUGS.
REFERRING TO REFUSE DISPOSAL IN REMOTE VILLAGES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. ROBSON SAID THE PROBLEM WAS NOW BEING SOLVED.
HE SAID THAT A THREE-YEAR CLEANSING PROGRAMME OF THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, WHICH CALLED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF 304 REFUSE COLLECTION POINTS AND 305 INCINERATORS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, WAS MAKING GOOD PROGRESS.
ON FARM WASTES, MR. ROBSON SAID THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT HAD RECENTLY SET UP AN AGRICULTURAL WASTE TREATMENT UNIT TO ADVISE FARMERS ON WASTE TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL PROBLEMS.
/+THE UNIT