WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1983
26
IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT ABOUT 215 MILLION TONS OF POLLUTANTS WERE POURED INTO THE AIR EACH YEAR, OR ONE TON PER PERSON, FROM THE VARIOUS SOURCES AS FOLLOWS -
MILLION TONS
* VEHICLES (MOSTLY AUTOMOBILES)
90 MILLION TONS
* SMOKESTACKS (CHIEFLY ELECTRIC
POWER PLANTS)
46 MILLION TONS
30 MILLION TONS
☀ INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES
* SOLID-WASTE DISPOSAL (INCINERATION) 11 MILLION TONS
* MISCELLANEOUS SOURCES (INCLUDING
FOREST FIRES)
38 MILLION TONS
+IF WE DO NOT HAVE TO SPEND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO PRODUCE SIMILAR STATISTICS, IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO COMPARE HONG KONG'S FIGURES WITH THE ABOVE FIGURES.
+PERHAPS, BECAUSE WE HAVE FEWER HEAVY INDUSTRIES AND AUTOMOBILES AND OUR PUBLIC TRANSPORT MODES ARE GRADUALLY SHIFTING TO NON-POLLUTING ONES E.G. ELECTRIFIED TRAINS AND TRAMS, WE MAY HAVE MORE ENCOURAGING FIGURES.
IN THIS, I THINK GOVERNMENT HAS MADE A SIGNIFICANT STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO IMPROVE PUBLIC HEALTH AND OUR AIR QUALITY BY LEGISLATING AGAINST CIGARETTE SMOKING.
+IF WE ENCOURAGE MORE RESTAURANTS IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS TO COOK WITH GAS AND ELECTRICITY, AND TAXIS TO USE LP GAS INSTEAD OF DIESEL OIL LIKE JAPAN, IT MAY FURTHER HELP TO REDUCE AIR POLLUTION, HE SAID.
+SCIENTIFIC STANDARDS, TESTS LACKING+ *****
NO SCIENTIFIC STANDARDS HAVE BEEN LAID DOWN AND NO SCIENTIFIC TESTS PROVIDED FOR UNDER THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL BILL 1982, THE HON STEPHEN CHEONG TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL BUT WITH ONE RESERVATION, MR CHEONG SAID THAT THE ABATEMENT PROVISIONS REQUIRED ONLY THAT THE AUTHORITY, OR AN AUTHORISED OFFICER, BE OF THE OPINION THAT THE EMISSIONS WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO SOME UNDEFINED AND POSSIBLY MINIMAL EXTENT TO AN AIR POLLUTANT NUISANCE.
HE SAID THEIR OPINION WAS THAT ANY STATUTORY ACTION IN RESPECT OF EMISSIONS FROM SOURCES OTHER THAN +SPECIFIED PROCESSES+ SHOULD BE BASED ON FACTUAL EVIDENCE THAT THE EMISSIONS CONSTITUTED OR CONTRIBUTED SUBSTANTIALLY TO AN AIR POLLUTANT NUISANCE.
'THE UNOFFICIALS*