11
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1981
PASSAGE OF AIR POLLUTION CONTROL BILL IS RESULT OF
LENGTHY CONSULTATIVE PROCESS
*****
THE LENGTHY CONSULTATIVE PROCESS BEGINNING IN 1978 AND CULMINATING TODAY (WEDNESDAY) IN THE PASSING OF THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL BILL 1982 WAS DESCRIBED BY THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, THE HON DENIS BRAY,
SPEAKING AT THE THIRD READING OF THE BILL, MR BRAY SAID:
+ IF ANYBODY STILL THINKS THAT IN THE ABSENCE OF AN ELECTED LEGISLATURE THE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG CAN CASUALLY DASH OFF AND ENACT LEGISLATURE WITHOUT EXAMINATION I SHOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO SEE HIM AFTERWARDS AND TELL HIM ABOUT THE FOUR-YEAR GESTATION PERIOD OF THIS BILL AND THE NEARLY ONE YEAR OF ITS PASSAGE THROUGH THIS COUNCIL.+
WORK ON THE BILL, HE SAID, STARTED IN 1978 AND LONG BEFORE IT CAME TO THE COUNCIL IT HAD BEEN FIRST THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE WHOSE SOLE REPRESENTATIVE IN THE COUNCIL, THE HON ANDREW SO, HAD DEVOTED MUCH TIME ON THE SUBJECT AND WHOSE SUPPORT HAD BEEN SO REASSURING,
THEN, MR BRAY SAID, THERE WERE LONG SESSIONS WITH INDUSTRIAL ISTS, LAWYERS, ADMINISTRATORS, CONSERVATIONISTS, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTISTS AND ANYONE ELSE WHO THOUGHT HE KNEW ABOUT IT.
+EVEN SO, WE FOUND THAT MUCH GROUND HAD TO BE GONE OVER FROM FIRST PRINCIPLES IN THIS COUNCIL. I DO NOT RESENT THIS AND I THINK THE BILL IS BETTER NOW. BUT I AM GLAD I DO NOT HAVE MANY SUCH BILLS,* HE ADDED.
MR BRAY THEN SUMMED UP THE BILL'S AIMS AND WHAT ALL THE DISCUSSION HAD BEEN ABOUT.
HE SAID THAT THEY WERE CONSIDERING, IN THE BILL, AIR POLLUTION ARISING FROM STATIC SOURCES -- FURNACES, FACTORIES, CHIMNEYS AND THE LIKE AND THAT THESE OPERATIONS WERE DIVIDED INTO TWO SORTS THOSE OBVIOUSLY LIKELY TO GIVE RISE TO SERIOUS POLLUTION ON THE ONE HAND AND THE REST ON THE OTHER.
+THE FIRST SORT OF OPERATION WE HAVE CALLED 'SPECIFIED PROCESSES'. THERE ARE PROVISIONS FOR LICENSING THESE PROCESSES PLANT BY PLANT. THE PLANNING, DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE PLACE UNDER CONTROLLED CONDITIONS SO THAT THE BEST PRACTICAL METHODS CAN BE INCORPORATED FROM THE BEGINNING, + HE SAID.
PLANTS ALREADY IN OPERATION WHEN THE LAW IS ENFORCED WOULD BE EXEMPTED FROM LICENSING UNTIL THE PLANT IS REPLACED OR EXPANDED AND, HE SAID, THERE ARE 81 SUCH PLANTS OPERATING NOW,
HE SAID THAT FOR THE REST, THE BILL PROPOSED GENERALLY TO FOLLOW THE PRACTICES THAT HAD BEEN IN USE FOR OVER 20 YEARS UNDER THE CLEAN AIR ORDINANCE.
/+HERE OPERATORS