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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1981
GOVT STRONGLY COMMITTED TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
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THE GOVERNMENT IS STRONGLY COMMITTED TO AN EFFECTIVE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PROGRAMME AND IS WORKING VIGOROUSLY TO TRANSLATE THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK INTO A WELL-PLANNED, INTEGRATED AND WORKABLE SYSTEM OF CONTROLS AND SERVICES.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS, THE HON IAN MACPHERSON AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEETING TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
MR MACPHERSON SAID RECOMMENDATIONS WERE BEING MADE TO DECLARE TOLO HARBOUR AND CHANNEL AS THE FIRST WATER CONTROL ZONE.
UNDER THE WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ORDINANCE, THE DECLARATION OF AN AREA AS A WATER CONTROL ZONE PROVIDES FOR WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES TO BE ESTABLISHED FOR SUCH AN AREA AND FOR REGULATIONS TO BE MADE TO CONTROL DISCHARGES INTO IT.
NEW SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION WILL THEN BE SUBJECT TO LICENSING WHILE EXISTING EMITTERS WILL BE PERMITTED TO CONTINUE WITHOUT LICENSING, BUT SUBJECT TO CONSTRAINTS,
MR MACPHERSON SAID IT HAD BEEN RECOGNISED THAT THE WATER AT THE TOLO HARBOUR AND CHANNEL, WITH ITS NARROW OPENING TO THE SEA, WAS AT CONSIDERABLE RISK BECAUSE OF THE RAPID BUILD UP OF POPULATION AND INDUSTRY IN THE AREA.
+THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL WILL VERY SHORTLY BE ASKED TO CONSIDER THIS PROPOSAL AND IF IT AGREES THE WAY WILL BE OPEN FOR THIS LARGE PART OF THE NEW TERRITORIES WATERS TO BENEFIT FROM THE CLOSE MONITORING AND CONTROLS I HAVE DESCRIBED, + HE SAID.
MR MACPHERSON POINTED OUT THAT VERY CAREFUL MONITORING ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN SET UP TO KEEP AN EYE ON WATER QUALITY IN A NUMBER OF COASTAL AREAS, AND FURTHER PROPOSALS WOULD BE MADE AS NECESSARY.
IN REPLY TO REMARKS MADE BY AN UNOFFICIAL MEMBER, DR THE HON HO KAM-FAI, MR MACPHERSON SAID THAT VILLAGE WELLS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES WERE CONSTANTLY SURVEYED BY STAFF OF THE NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
+OBVIOUSLY IT IS WRONG THAT VILLAGERS SHOULD HAVE TO DEPEND ON CONTAMINATED WATER.
*THE ANSWER IS TO PROVIDE PIPED WATER SUPPLIES AND THERE IS AN ON-GOING PROGRAMME TO DO JUST THIS,+ HE SAID.
THE MAIN SOURCES OF POLLUTION IN THE NEW TERRITORIES WATERS WERE DOMESTIC SEWAGE, INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENTS AND AGRICULTURAL WASTE.
+VERY SUBSTANTIAL EFFORTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF A MAJOR SEWAGE TREATMENT WORK AT SHA TIN AND ANOTHER AT TAI PO BUT GREATER EFFORTS WILL BE NEEDED TO EXTEND THE SEWERAGE SYSTEM FURTHER. +
MR MACPHERSON SAID CONTROLS ON INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENTS SHOULD NOT IMPOSE UNACCEPTABLE BURDENS ON INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT.
HE SAID A PILOT SCHEME WAS IN FORCE FOR THE COLLECTION OF AGRICULTURAL WASTE.