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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1976
METHODS OF CLEARING MARINE REFUSE UNDER REVIEW
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THERE IS NO EVIDENCE TO SHOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN INCREASE IN THE INCIDENCE OF SKIN DISEASE AS A RESULT OF PEOPLE SWIMMING IN THE SEAS AROUND HONG KONG, THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. ALAN ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
REPLYING TO QUESTIONS BY THE HON. OSWALD CHEUNG, HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS NEVERTHELESS CONSCIOUS OF THE NEED TO PREVENT THE INDISCRIMINATE DUMPING OF REFUSE INTO THE SEA AND WAS TACKLING THE PROBLEM IN SEVERAL WAYS.
FIRSTLY, HE SAID, EVERY EFFORT WAS BEING MADE TO DEAL WITH POSSIBLE SOURCES OF MARINE REFUSE.
MR. ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT POINTED OUT THAT MOST MARINE REFUSE ORIGINATED ON LAND, AND THE NORMAL AND VERY EXTENSIVE REFUSE COLLECTION SERVICE AND THE CLEANSING OF NULLAHS AND STREAMS CONSIDERABLY REDUCED THE AMOUNT OF THIS REFUSE GETTING INTO THE SEA.
+ONCE REFUSE FINDS ITS WAY INTO THE SEA, ITS COLLECTION BECOMES THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MARINE DEPARTMENT'S HARBOUR SCAVENGING FLEET, WHICH REMOVES APPROXIMATELY TEN TONS A DAY.
+REFUSE FROM OCEAN-GOING SHIPS MOORED IN THE HARBOUR IS COLLECTED BY THE MARINE DEPARTMENT AND BINS ARE PROVIDED ALONG THE SEAWALLS OF TYPHOON SHELTERS FOR REFUSE FROM SMALL CRAFT.
+ IN THE SUMMER MONTHS THE URBAN COUNCIL PROVIDES AN ADDITIONAL SCAVENGING SERVICE OFF CERTAIN GAZETTED BEACHES,+ HE SAID.
SECONDLY, MR. ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT SAID, THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE GOVERNMENT WERE CONTINUALLY SEEKING PUBLIC SUPPORT IN REDUCING THE GENERAL PROBLEM BY MEANS OF VARIOUS PUBLICITY CAMPAIGNS SUCH AS THE CLEAN HONG KONG CAMPAIGN.
+ IN PARTICULAR A RECENT SPECIAL CAMPAIGN WAS MOUNTED BY GOVERNMENT, ASSISTED BY THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (EPCOM), ON THE THEME KEEP OUT WATERS CLEAN'+, HE ADDED.
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THIRDLY, HE SAID, HEAVY PENALTIES HAD BEEN INTRODUCED FOR DUMPING REFUSE IN HONG KONG WATERS. +HOWEVER, IT IS NOT EASY TO ENFORCE THIS LEGISLATION, BECAUSE OF THE VERY LARGE NUMBERS OF SMALL VESSELS SCATTERED THROUGHOUT HONG KONG WATERS, AND BECAUSE IT IS NOT EASY TO PIN-POINT OFFENDERS.+
DESPITE THESE ARRANGEMENTS, MR. ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT POINTED OUT THAT A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF REFUSE COULD BE SEEN IN THE SEA AND ON THE ADVICE OF EPCOM, THE METHODS OF PREVENTION AND CLEARANCE OF THIS REFUSE WERE BEING REVIEWED,
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