WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1983
17
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL BILL QUERIED
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THE HON T.S. LO TODAY (WEDNESDAY) QUERIED WHETHER THE
PASSAGE OF THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL BILL 1982 WOULD GIVE HONG KONG CLEAN AIR.
+VERY LIKELY IT WILL MERELY INTERFERE WITH MANY PEOPLE MAKING A LIVING, SAID MR LO, WHO IS THE CONVENER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL UNOFFICIALS' GENERAL SERVICES WORKING GROUP ON THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL BILL.
EIGHT OTHER UNOFFICIALS SPOKE ON THE BILL TODAY.
MR LO SAID IT WAS NOW POSSIBLE TO IMAGINE, THEORETICALLY AT ANY RATE, MEN OF THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL DIVISION DEALING WISELY AND IMPARTIALLY WITH ALL COMPLAINTS OF POLLUTION THEY RECEIVED, RANGING FROM CLOUDS OF SMOKE ERUPTING FROM A GOVERNMENT INCINERATOR TO FAINTLY VISIBLE FUMES FROM THE STOVE OF AN ANCIENT INTINERANT HAWKER ROASTING CHESTNUTS.
+THESE WISE MEN WILL ADVISE THE ANCIENT HAWKER EXPERTLY AND PATIENTLY HOW TO EXTRACT HIS CHESTNUTS FROM THE FIRE AND, IN THE CASE OF THE GOVERNMENT INCINERATOR, TAKE ON THE CHIEF SECRETARY AND ADVISE HIM ON THE TYPE OF $120M PRECIPITATOR TO BE INSTALLED WITH EQUAL EXPERTISE AND, I HOPE, WITH EQUAL PATIENCE.
→I AM ASTONISHED THAT SUCH WISE AND PATIENT MEN MAY BE ATTRACTED INTO GOVERNMENT EMPLOYMENT ON POINT 21 OF THE MASTER PAY SCALE,+ HE SAID.
THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL BILL WAS INTRODUCED LAST JUNE AND WAS ONLY BROUGHT BACK BEFORE COUNCIL TODAY DUE IN PART TO AN UNDERDEVELOPED SENSE OF URGENCY.
MR LO SAID A MORE IMPORTANT REASON FOR THE DELAY WAS THAT THE ADMINISTRATION FOR A CONSIDERABLE TIME CONSIDERED IT INAPPROPRIATE TO LOOK AT THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES RAISED BY THE
BILL.
+ IT WAS ARGUED WITH GREAT CONVICTION IF NOT LOGIC THAT WHATEVER THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES MAY HAVE BEEN THEY NEED NOT BE LOOKED AT AFRESH BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE ON THE STATUTE BOOKS THE CLEAN AIR ORDINANCE.
I CAN UNDERSTAND THIS ATTITUDE FOR I AM AWARE HOW VERY EFFECTIVELY LED IS THE PRESSURE GROUP OF ENVIRONMENTALISTS KNOWN AS EPCOM,+ HE SAID.
IN THE END THE UNOFFICIALS INDICATED TO THE ADMINISTRATION THAT IF THESE ISSUES WERE NOT DEALT WITH AND THE BILL IN ITS ORIGINAL FORM WERE TO BE BROUGHT BACK TO COUNCIL THEY WOULD VOTE AGAINST IT. SUBSEQUENTLY,
SUBSEQUENTLY, THE BILL WAS REMOVED FROM THE ORDER PAPER.
+MORE MEETINGS FOLLOWED IN ONE OF WHICH WE WERE MUCH BENEFITED BY THE PRESENCE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HIMSELF WHOSE CONTRIBUTION ALLOWED SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES TO THE BILL, HE SAID.
/AS ORIGINALLY