WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8, 1984
18
TEXTILE TALKS WITH U.S.
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A TRADE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN TODAY (WEDNESDAY) CONFIRMED THAT HONG KONG'S DELEGATION TO TEXTILE CONSULTATIONS IN WASHINGTON WILL BE LED BY THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE, MR HAMISH MACLEOD, WHO IS SCHEDULED TO RETURN ON AUGUST 15.
THE DELEGATION WILL LEAVE HONG KONG ON AUGUST 18 FOR THE TWO-DAY CONSULTATIONS BEGINNING ON AUGUST 20.
THE TALKS WILL BE ON OUTSTANDING MATTERS ON EXPORT AUTHORISATION CALLS AND THE NEW ORIGIN RULES PUBLISHED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THIS DID NOT RULE OUT CONSULTATIONS ON THE NEW RULES AT AN EARLIER DATE.
EPCOM BACKS POLLUTION CONTROL PLANS *****
MEMBERS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE (EPCOM) INDICATED THE IR SUPPORT FOR A BUSY PROGRAMME OF ACTIVITIES IN THE COMING YEAR TO CONTROL POLLUTION.
AT THE IR FIRST MEETING IN THE CURRENT SESSION TODAY, EPCOM MEMBERS ENDORSED A PROGRAMME OF WORK TO TACKLE THE FOUR MAJOR AREAS OF AIR, NOISE, WATER, AND SOLID WASTE POLLUTION. DETAILED PROPOSALS WILL BE REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE FOR ITS FURTHER ADVICE IN THE COMING MONTHS.
IN THE AREA OF LEGISLATIVE CONTROL, THE COMMITTEE'S ADVICE WILL BE SOUGHT ON REGULATIONS PREPARED UNDER THE WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ORDINANCE FOR THE CONTROL OF POLLUTION IN THE TOLO HARBOUR WATER CONTROL ZONE. LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS ON THE STORAGE AND DISPOSAL OF TOXIC, HAZARDOUS AND DIFFICULT WASTES, AND REGULATIONS TO CONTROL INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES WHICH CONSTITUTE POTENTIAL MAJOR SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION AS WELL AS SPECIFIC AIR QUALITY OBJECTIVES, WILL ALSO BE CONSIDERED BY THE COMMITTEE.
THE NOISE CONTROL BILL, WHICH WILL REPLACE EXISTING CONTROLS AND EXPAND THEIR SCOPE, IS ALSO EXPECTED TO BE SUBMITTED TO EPCOM FOR ADVICE IN THE MIDDLE OF NEXT YEAR.
EPCOM WILL BE CONSULTED ON ACTION PLANS TO REDUCE POLLUTION IN STREAMS WHICH FEED INTO COASTAL WATERS, ON A REVIEW OF SEWAGE TREATMENT STANDARDS, AND ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE, TERRITORY-WIDE POLICY FOR DETERMINING THE LEVELS OF SEWAGE TREATMENT. THE GOVERNMENT WILL ALSO SEEK THE COMMITTEE'S ADVICE ON ANIMAL WASTE DISPOSAL PROPOSALS AND ON AN ACTION PLAN TO ATTACK THE PROBLEM OF FLOATING REFUSE.
IN THEIR