FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1978
WHILE THE OBJECT OF SUCH A MEASURE WAS TO PREVENT WATER POLLUTION FROM BECOMING ANY WORSE THAN IT WAS AT PRESENT IN HONG KONG - AND, IN +BLACK SPOT AREAS+, TO IMPROVE IT THE MEANS OF ACHIEVING THIS WERE EXPECTED TO AFFECT ONLY A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF INDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS.
MR. BENNETT SAID THE NEW ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION UNIT WOULD HAVE AN IMPORTANT PART TO PLAY IN ENSURING THAT ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION MEASURES PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT PART IN THE PLANNING OF NEW DEVELOPMENT.
THIS WAS THE MEANS BY WHICH INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES COULD BE EXPANDED AND NEW FACTORIES, HOMES AND COMMUNICATIONS COULD BE PROVIDED WHILE AT THE SAME TIME PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT AGAINST DETERIORATION BY BUILDING IN THE NECESSARY SAFETY FACTORS AT THE OUTSET.
THIS IS, IN THE LONG RUN, THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF
ENR IRONMENTAL PROTECTION.+
WHILE ENGAGED AT PRESENT IN DISCUSSIONS FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF MORE EFFECTIVE POLLUTION CONTROL MEASURES, THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION UNIT WAS ALSO BECOMING MORE AND MORE INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF POLICY FORMULATING PROCESSES.
THIS WAS A TREND WHICH WOULD ALSO BE REFLECTED, HOPEFULLY, IN THE COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL SECTORS IN THE COMING YEARS.
IN HELPING TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT, CAREFUL PLANNING AND A FRESH LOOK AT OPERATIONAL PROCESSES COULD SOMETIMES EVEN SAVE MONEY.
NEW PROCESSES COULD INTRODUCE SAVINGS, AND SUBSTANCES PREVIOUSLY DISCHARGED AS WASTE COULD BE FOUND TO HAVE COMMERCIAL VALUE, MR. BENNETT SAID.
+ I AM NOT SAYING THAT ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IS GOOD FOR YOU BECAUSE IT WILL MAKE MONEY, MR. BENNETT DECLARED, BUT IT IS CERTAINLY LESS EXPENSIVE, AND MORE BENEFICIAL IN THE LONG RUN, TO INTRODUCE IT CAREFULLY NOW THAN TO HAVE TO APPLY RESTRICTIVE MEASURES QUICKLY LATER IN RESPONSE TO SERIOUS DETERIORATION IN OUR ENVIRONMENT. +
MR. BENNETT SAID THAT WHERE ACTIVITIES WHICH CAUSED POLLUTION WERE DESIRABLE AND BENEFICIAL ACTIVITIES IN THEMSELVES, THE AIM SHOULD, AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, BE TO ALLOW THESE ACTIVITIES TO CONTINUE TO FLOURISH BUT IN A WAY THAT DID NOT UNACCEPTABLY POLLUTE THE ENVIRONMENT.
+THIS IS NOT BY ANY MEANS AN EASY TASK, AND IN EXTREME CASES IT MAY HARDLY BE POSSIBLE AT ALL -- HOWEVER, WITH CAREFUL PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT, THE SEEMINGLY OPPOSING FACTORS CAN IN MOST CASES BE RECONCILED, MR. BENNETT SAID.
+RATHER THAN TALKING SIMPLY OF POLLUTION CONTROL, WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED WITH MANAGING OUR ENVIRONMENT, HE ADDED. RATHER THAN ATTEMPTING TO DEAL IN A PIECEMEAL FASHION WITH INDIVIDUAL FORMS OF POLLUTION, HONG KONG NEEDED TO MANAGE THE USE OF THE ENVIRONMENT AS A WHOLE.
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