WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 1980
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WHILE AGREEING THAT ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IS A PERFECTLY LAUDABLE OBJECTIVE, HE WARNED ONE SHOULD BE MINDFUL OF ANY ADVERSE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCE THE LEGISLATION MAY BRING ABOUT.
HE FELT THAT HONG KONG SHOULD TAKE A WELL-BALANCED ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE BILL TO ASCERTAIN ITS WATERS ARE PREVENTED FROM FURTHER CONTAMINATION ON THE ONE HAND AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WILL NOT BE ANY UNNECESSARY ADVERSE IMPACT ON ITS ECONOMY ON THE OTHER.
HOWEVER, HE NOTICED THE BILL CONTAINS SOME VERY STRINGENT PROVISIONS GOVERNING INDUSTRIAL DEPOSITS AND DISCHARGES.
FOR EXAMPLE, HE SAID, AN EXEMPTION OR LICENCE WILL CEASE TO BE OPERATIVE IF THERE IS A CHANGE IN THE PLACE, PERIOD OR COMPOSITION OF A CERTAIN DEPOSIT OR DISCHARGE, OR IF 30 PER CENT OF ITS QUANTITY AND TEMPERATURE IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT IS ORIGINALLY PERMITTED.
+ IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, MR WONG NOTED, +APPROVAL FOR CHANGES WILL BE REQUIRED. BUT A DECISION ON AN APPLICATION WILL NOT BE KNOWN UNTIL AT LEAST 30 DAYS AFTER THE DAY OF PUBLIC NOTICE OF SUCH APPLICATION,
THIS COULD EASILY CAUSE DELAYS AND UPSET THE PRODUCTION SCHEDULED OF INDUSTRIES WHICH DISCHARGE CONSIDERABLE QUANTITIES OF EFFLUENTS, HE NOTED.
I WISH TO POINT OUT THAT IF THE LAW IS NOT SENSIBLY ENFORCED, INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION WOULD BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED AND OUR MANUFACTURERS' OVERSEAS IMAGE WOULD BE SEVERELY DAMAGED, NOT TO MENTION THE TREMENDOUS MATERIAL LOSSES,+ HE SAID.
MR WONG CITED TWO IMPORTANT INDUSTRIES WHICH ARE MOST LIABLE TO BE AFFECTED BY THE NEW LEGISLATION THE TEXTILE DYEING, PRINTING AND FINISHING INDUSTRY AND THE ELECTRO-PLATING INDUSTRY.
ON THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY, HE REMARKED THAT AS DIVERSIFICATION WITHIN THE INDUSTRY PROCEEDS BY MOVING UP MARKETS, NEW TECHNOLOGIES WILL BE INTRODUCED AND NEW PRODUCTS WILL BE MADE WHICH WILL ASSIST POSITIVELY IN THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG'S GARMENT INDUSTRY.
IN THIS RESPECT, STRINGENT WATER POLLUTION CONTROL MEASURES MIGHT IMPEDE THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
AS FOR THE ELECTRO-PLATING INDUSTRY, MR WONG SAID IT RENDERS AN INDISPENSABLE SUPPORTING SERVICE TO THE METAL INDUSTRY.
OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, OUTPUT IN FABRICATED METAL PRODUCTS EXPERIENCED ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWTH RATES AMONG HONG KONG'S NUMEROUS MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES, ONLY RANKING AFTER THE ELECTRONICS AND PLASTICS INDUSTRIÉS.
ANY STRINGENT REGULATIONS IN THIS REGARD WOULD BE IN A DANGER OF +KILLING THE BUD BEFORE IT FLOWERS, HE ADDED.
HE REFERRED TO THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT'S SPEECH DURING THE INTRODUCTION OF THE BILL IN WHICH HE STATED +THE
IMPOSITION OF BLANKET CONTROLS WHICH COULD SERIOUSLY INCONVENIENCE EXISTING INDUSTRIES WILL BE AVOIDED.+
THE SECRETARK