WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1983
18
AS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED THE BILL IN EFFECT ALLOWED THE ADMINISTRATION TO CAUSE A PERSON TO BE PUNISHED BY THE COURTS FOR NOT COMPLYING WITH AN ABATEMENT NOTICE WITHOUT THE COURTS BEING ABLE TO CONSIDER WHETHER HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY POLLUTION AT ALL.
THE BILL ALSO LICENSED LARGE POLLUTORS AND SO LONG AS THEY COMPLIED WITH THE TERMS OF THEIR LICENCES THEY WERE NOT LIABLE TO ABATEMENT NOTICES EVEN THOUGH MANY JUSTIFIABLE COMPLAINTS MIGHT BE MADE AGAINST THEM.
+THESE ARE PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL POINTS AND 1 AM GLAD THAT THEY ARE NO LONGER THERE TO OFFEND THE EYE,+ MR LO SAID.
0
-
POLLUTION BILL - ASSURANCE SOUGHT
****
THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD ASSURE THAT INDUSTRY WOULD NOT BE DISALLOWED OR UNDULY PENALISED ON THE GROUNDS OF AIR QUALITY OBJECTIVES AND MODIFY THE POWER PROVIDED BY CLAUSE 28 OF THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL BILL, THE HON S.L. CHEN SAID AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
HE SAID THAT +UNLESS MY TWO POINTS ARE DEALT WITH SATISFACTORILY, I AM AFRAID THAT I SHALL ABSTAIN FROM VOTING ON THE BILL. +
PART I OF THE BILL, HE SAID, PROVIDED FOR THE DECLARATION OF AIR CONTROL ZONES AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AIR QUALITY OBJECTIVES (AQO).
MR CHEN SAID THESE WERE THE GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE AUTHORITY TO OBSERVE AND TRANSLATE INTO CONTROL REQUIREMENTS FOR INDIVIDUAL PLANTS OR INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES SO THAT COLLECTIVELY, THE AIR QUALITY OF A PARTICULAR ZONE WOULD BE MAINTAINED WITHIN A CERTAIN ESTABLISHED STANDARD.
+THIS BEING THE CASE THE BILL WOULD THEREFORE OPERATE ON A 'FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS IN THE SENSE THAT IF THE EMISSION OF A NEW PLANT, WHEN TAKEN TOGETHER WITH THE EXISTING EMISSIONS FROM OTHER ADJACENT PLANTS, WERE WITHIN THE ESTABLISHED AQO IN AN AIR CONTROL ZONE, THE PLANT COULD BE ALLOWED.
+ON THE OTHER HAND, ANOTHER IDENTICAL PLANT WITH SIMILAR OR LESS EMISSION MIGHT BE DISALLOWED BECAUSE THE TOTAL EMISSION FROM ALL OTHER PLANTS IN THE ZONE HAD ALREADY SATURATED THE AQO, HE SAID.
MR CHEN SAID THIS APPEARED TO BE UNFAIR AND NEW INDUSTRY WOULD AS A CONSEQUENCE BE PENALISED.
ME EXPECTED
Page 20Page 21