THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 1983
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HE ALSO EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THE LATEST ANNUAL REVIEW BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY ON DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION FIELD WOULD BE WIDELY DISSEMINATED TO PROMOTE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF THE SUBJECT.
IN HIGHLIGHTING SOME OF THE MAIN ACTIVITIES OF EPCOM OVER THE PAST YEAR, MR FORSGATE NOTED THAT VARIOUS NEW ITEMS OF LEGISLATION WERE BEING BROUGHT FORWARD, INCLUDING PLANS FOR A COMPREHENSIVE NOISE CONTROL BILL.
+BUT THE POINT WHICH I WOULD STILL EMPHASISE IS THAT EVEN AFTER IT BECOMES LAW THERE WILL BE EVEN GREATER NEED FOR FIRMS AND INDIVIDUALS TO BE ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS' IN PLANNING THEIR ACTIVITIES. NO LAW COULD, OR SHOULD, ATTEMPT TO REGULATE ALL ACTIVITY IN THE RELEVANT FIELD, HE SAID.
HE ADDED THAT A NUMBER OF GRANTS HAD BEEN MADE UNDER THE +EPCOM SPECIAL PROJECTS GRANTS SCHEME TO NON-GOVERNMENT GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS IN THE PAST YEAR.
THESE COVERED SUCH DIVERSE SUBJECTS AS STUDIES ON BEACH WATER QUALITY, THE AGRICULTURAL USE OF REFUSE COMPOST AND AIRBORNE DUST POLLUTION, AN ENVIRONMENTAL SURVEY OF KENNEDY TOWN BY SCHOOL PUPILS IN THE AREA AND AN AUDIO-VISUAL PRODUCTION ON INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION.
WHETHER MORE GRANTS WOULD BE AWARDED WOULD DEPEND ON THE OUTCOME OF THESE PROJECTS. IF THEY TURNED OUT TO BE USEFUL, MORE FUNDS WOULD BE ELICITED TO CONTINUE THE SCHEME, MR FORSGATE SAID.
THE CHAIRMEN OF THE THREE SPECIAL COMMITTEES OF EPCOM ALSO REPORTED ON THEIR ACTIVITIES AT THE ANNUAL MEETING.
MR HENRY LITTON, CHAIRMAN OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON NOISE, POINTED OUT THAT THE COMMITTEE HAD BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT NOISE PROBLEMS ON MTR ISLAND LINE SITES AND ON THE HONG KONG CLUB SITE.
ONE OF THE NOISE ATTENUATION MEASURES ON MTR SITES WAS THE INTRODUCTION OF SEVERAL NEW HYDRAULIC CRAWLER DRILLS WHICH WERE THE ONLY ONES IN USE IN HONG KONG.
MEASURES TAKEN ON THE HONG KONG CLUB SITE INCLUDED CANVAS SHROUDS FOR PILING.
HE ALSO CONFIRMED THAT A PROGRAMME HAD BEEN SET UP BY THE BUILDING CONTRACTORS' ASSOCIATION TO PROMOTE SELF-DISCIPLINE IN THE REDUCTION OF CONSTRUCTION NOISE.
VARIOUS STEPS WERE BEING TAKEN TO ACCOMPLISH THE AIM, INCLUDING THE ISSUING OF A NOISE CONTROL CODE OF CONDUCT, BRIEFINGS TO SENIOR EXECUTIVES IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AND A SEMINAR ON CONSTRUCTION NOISE CONTROL, MR LITTON SAID.
MR STEPHEN LAU, CHAIRMAN OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON LAND AND WATER POLLUTION, NOTED THAT 1982 HAD BEEN A MILESTONE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WATER POLLUTION CONTROL IN HONG KONG.
/ HONG KONG'S FIRST