WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1983
22
AIR POLLUTION IS EVOLVING PROBLEM
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THERE COULD BE NO COMPLETE AND SIMPLE SOLUTION TO AN EVOLVING AIR POLLUTION PROBLEM, THE HON WONG PO YAN SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
SPEAKING AT THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL BILL 1982. MR WONG NOTED THAT THERE WAS NO INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED STANDARD FOR THE MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE LEVEL OF A GIVEN AIR POLLUTANT.
NEW MATERIAL, MACHINERY AND PROCESSES HAD CREATED NEW POLLUTANTS WHILE, ON THE OTHER HAND, NEW PROCESSES TO ABATE AIR POLLUTION HAD BEEN DEVELOPED THROUGH SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, HE SAID.
THE AIR POLLUTION ISSUE WAS THUS +CONSTANTLY EVOLVING+ AND THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD THEREFORE TAKE EVERY PRECAUTION TO SET OBJECTIVES AT REALISTIC LEVELS AND MAKE PROVISION FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE SPECIAL NATURE OF AIR EMISSION, DISPERSIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT AND LOCAL ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS,+ HE SAID.
MR WONG MENTIONED PART IV AND PART VII OF THE BILL WHICH PROVIDE GUIDELINES TO MINIMISE AIR POLLUTION BY REQUIRING LARGE SCALE PLANTS WITH HIGH POLLUTION POTENTIAL TO HOLD LICENCES, AND BY ENCOURAGING SMALL OPERATORS TO COMPLY WITH CODES OF PRACTICE COVERING STANDARD CONTROL MEASURES.
HE POINTED OUT THAT DURING MANY HOURS OF DELIBERATION ON THE BILL, UNOFFICIALS OF THE COUNCIL'S GENERAL SERVICES WORKING GROUP WERE CONCERNED THAT THE STRINGENT CONTROL PROVISIONS STIPULATED WOULD BE INEXPEDIENT AND IMPRACTICABLE IF APPLIED INDISCRIMINATELY,+
+UNOFFICIALS, THEREFORE, URGED THAT A SCHEDULE OF SPECIFIED PROCESSES BE ADDED TO DEFINE IN DETAIL PROCESSES THAT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO LICENSING.
+AT MEMBERS' REQUEST, THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS IDENTIFIED 23 SPECIFIED PROCESSES WHICH WILL FORM A NEW SCHEDULE 1A,+ MR WONG POINTED OUT.
THIS NEW SCHEDULE WOULD BE A MAJOR IMPROVEMENT TO THE BILL AND WOULD OFFER AN IMPORTANT GUIDELINE FOR THE SMALL INDUSTRIES WHICH OTHERWISE MIGHT NOT BE SURE WHETHER THEY WOULD COME UNDER THE CATEGORY OF SPECIFIED PROCESSES, HE SAID.
+FOR MY PART I SHALL BE PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO CLAUSE 11 TO THE EFFECT THAT ANY PROCESS NOT INCLUDED IN THE LIST WILL NOT BE A SPECIFIED PROCESS AND WILL NOT BE SUBJECT TO CONTROL PROCEDURES UNDER PART IV OF THE BILL.
/+THE AMENDED