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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1977
MEASURES OF DUST CONTROL AT CONSTRUCTION SITES
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THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN TRYING FOR SOME TIME TO CONTROL THE PROBLEM OF DUST CAUSED BY CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES BY REQUIRING CONTRACTORS TO ADOPT A NUMBER OF MITIGATING MEASURES, THE HON. DEREK JONES, SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. WONG LAM, MR. JONES SAID, CONTRACTORS WERE REQUIRED TO SPRAY WATER ON ACCESS TO SITES TO PREVENT DUST FROM RISING AND TO SWEEP AWAY MUD AND DUST DROPPED BY CONTRACTORS' VEHICLES ON ROADS NEAR THE SITE SO AS TO MINIMISE THE CREATION OF DUST CLOUDS BY OTHER PASSING VEHICLES.
FURTHERMORE, THEY HAD TO COVER THE TOPS OF EARTH-CARRYING VEHICLES WITH CANVAS TO PREVENT SOIL FROM SPILLING ONTO THE ROAD AND DUST FROM BEING BLOWN INTO THE AIR WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, MR. JONES ADDED.
+ IN ADDITION, AT SOME LOCATIONS SUCH AS TUEN MUN, ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN TO RE-ROUTE EARTH-CARRYING VEHICLES AWAY FROM DENSELY POPULATED AREAS AND CONTRACTORS AT THESE PLACES ARE ALSO BEING REQUIRED TO SPRAY THE SURFACE OF SOIL STOCKPILES WITH BITUMEN TO PREVENT DUST FROM SPREADING.+
CONCEDING THAT IT WAS NOT EASY TO ENFORCE COMPLIANCE WITH ALL THESE MEASURES, PARTICULARLY IN THE CASE OF SUB-CONTRACTORS MR. JONES NOTED THAT PROSECUTIONS WERE BROUGHT AGAINST THOSE WHO CREATED A SERIOUS NUISANCE.
+FURTHERMORE, IN THE MOST FLAGRANT CASES OF ABUSE, THE CONTRACTOR'S LICENCE TO DISPOSE OF EARTH FILL CAN BE CANCELLED,+ HE SAID.
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