TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1979
DR. REED POINTED OUT THAT THE NEW ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION BILLS WERE AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF PREPARATION- THE WASTE DISPOSAL BILL IS CURRENTLY BEFORE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, THE WATER AND AIR BILLS ARE AT AN ADVANCED STAGE OF DRAFTING AND THE NOISE ABATEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT BILLS ARE AT ONLY AN EARLY STAGE.
HE SAID THE VARIOUS BILLS WERE EXPECTED TO INCLUDE A NUMBER OF COMMON FEATURES SUCH AS THE STATUTORY REFERENCE TO EPCOM OF ALL REGULATIONS MADE UNDER THE BILLS AND THAT ALL THE PROVISIONS IN THE LEGISLATION WOULD APPLY TO GOVERNMENT JUST AS MUCH AS TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR. AN +OUTWARD SIGN OF INWARD GRACE+ HE COMMENTED.
+ANOTHER COMMON THEME RUNNING THROUGH THE BILLS IS THAT EXISTING INDUSTRY WILL IN GENERAL BE SUBJECT ONLY TO SOME FORM OF REGISTRATION OF EXISTING EMISSIONS AND ANY NEW EMISSION LIMITS WILL APPLY ONLY TO NEW INDUSTRY OR WHERE A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE TAKES PLACE IN THE PROCESSES USED BY EXISTING INDUSTRY OR WHERE, AT THE TIME OF REGISTRATION, IT BECOMES APPARENT THAT THE EMISSIONS CONCERNED ARE CAUSING A CLEARLY IDENTIFIABLE HEALTH HAZARD.*
DR. REED WENT ON TO STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING ADEQUATE RESOURCES IN TERMS OF STAFF AND EQUIPMENT TO ENFORCE THE NEW LEGISLATION AND TO DEVELOP POLICIES SUITABLE FOR THE SPECIAL CONDITIONS IN HONG KONG,
A DETAILED PROGRAMME OF THE RESOURCES REQUIRED HAD BEEN PREPARED, HE SAID, AND THIS SHOULD LEAD TO A PHASED BUILD-UP OVER A THREE-YEAR PERIOD TO A RECURRENT EXPENDITURE OF $15 MILLION A YEAR AND $6 MILLION ON EQUIPMENT OVER THE SAME PERIOD. $2 MILLION HAVE ALREADY BEEN AGREED FOR THE PURCHASE, DURING FISCAL 1980/81, OF EQUIPMENT TO MONITOR LEVELS OF AIR, WATER AND NOISE POLLUTION IN HONG KONG.
DR. REED SAID HE WAS HOPEFUL THAT AGREEMENT WILL BE REACHED IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE ON THE STAFFING LEVELS FOR 1980/81.
HE POINTED OUT THAT THIS LEVEL OF EXPENDITURE IS AROUND 50 PER CENT OF THAT COMMONLY DEVOTED TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN MANY WESTERN CITIES OF COMPARABLE SIZE TO HONG KONG YET WHICH HAVE A MUCH SLOWER PACE OF DEVELOPMENT.
THE RESOURCES WOULD BE USED ON THE ONE HAND TO STRENGTHEN THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION UNIT, WHICH WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING AND THE FORMULATION OF POLICY, AND ON THE OTHER HAND TO SET UP A NUMBER OF POLLUTION CONTROL UNITS IN EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS TO CARRY OUT THE IMPLEMENTATIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION LEGISLATION.
DR. REED SAID, THE APPROACH THAT WE ARE ADOPTING IS AIMED AT BRINGING THE SITUATION UNDER CONTROL AND ACHIEVING IMPROVEMENTS IN THOSE AREAS WHERE URGENT ACTION IS NEEDED WHILST AT THE SAME TIME CAUSING THE ABSOLUTE MINIMUM OF DISRUPTION TO EXISTING
INDUSTRY.⭑*
+THIS BALANCING OF COMPETING NEEDS WILL REQUIRE BOTH A SOUND TECHNICAL APPROACH AS WELL AS FULL CO-OPERATION FROM ALL THOSE CONCERNED, DR. REED ADDED.
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