WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 1982
CONSULTANTS APPOINTED TO STUDY AGRICULTURAL WASTE PROBLEM
****
CONSULTANTS HAVE BEEN APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO ADVISE ON THE DISPOSAL OF AGRICULTURAL WASTES.
A CONTRACT WAS SIGNED TODAY (WEDNESDAY) BY MR TERRY WILLSON, ACTING COMMISSIONER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND DR ROBIN BIDWELL OF ERL ASIA LIMITED, THE FIRM OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS THAT WILL UNDERTAKE THE WORK WITH WATSON HAWKSLEY ASIA AND HALCROW FOX ASSOCIATES.
MR WILLSON SAID THAT THE UNCONTROLLED DISPOSAL OF PIG AND POULTRY WASTES WAS A MAJOR CAUSE OF POLLUTION OF STREAMS AND OF SOME COASTAL WATERS AND GAVE RISE TO SERIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.
A NUMBER OF PILOT SCHEMES ON POSSIBLE METHODS FOR HANDLING AND DISPOSING OF THE WASTES WAS BEING UNDERTAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT.
+THE CONSULTANTS ARE BEING ASKED TO CARRY OUT A TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF THE POSSIBLE CONTROL METHODS AND TO PREPARE A FULLY-COSTED WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT WOULD IDENTIFY THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM, MR WILLSON SAID.
+ONE OF THE ASPECTS THAT THE CONSULTANTS WILL BE
EXAMINING IS POSSIBLE USES TO WHICH THE WASTES MAY BE PUT ONCE THEY HAVE BEEN TREATED.+
THERE HAS BEEN CONSIDERABLE INTEREST IN THE USE OF AGRICULTURAL WASTES AS A SOURCE OF ENERGY, SOIL COMPOST OR FISH FOOD, DR BIDWELL SAID.
+BUT IT IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO ENSURE THERE IS A LARGE ENOUGH MARKET FOR THE RECOVERED PRODUCT BEFORE EMBARKING ON A COSTLY INVESTMENT IN A PARTICULAR TYPE OF TREATMENT PLANT, HE ADDED.
THE STUDY TEAM WILL START WORK SHORTLY, AND IS EXPECTED TO HAVE THE REPORT READY BY THE END OF NOVEMBER.