FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1985
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DR REED SA ID +PLANNING AGAINST POLLUTION+ HAD BEEN A CONSISTENT THEME OF THE FOUR PREVIOUS ANNUAL REVIEWS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN HONG KONG,
+AN APPRECIATION OF THE FACT THAT TODAY'S BAD PLANNING DECISION IS TOMORROW'S ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM, HAS INFORMED AND GUIDED MUCH OF THE EFFORT THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS DEVOTED IN RECENT YEARS TO PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT OF HONG KONG, HE SAID.
DR REED SAID THAT WHILE THE IMPORTANCE OF AVOIDING PROBLEMS LY GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING COULD NOT BE OVER-EMPHASISED, THERE WAS ALSO A NEED FOR COMPLEMENTARY STATUTORY CONTROLS, EITHER TO ENSURE THAT AGREEMENTS REACHED ON EMISSION LIMITS IN THE COURSE OF THE PLANNING PROCESS COULD BE ENFORCED, OR AS A SIMPLE MEANS OF ENSURING THAT A MULTIPLICITY OF SMALL SOURCES OF EMISSIONS WERE MAINTAINED WITHIN ACCEPTABLE LIMITS.
HE SAID THAT DRAFTING OF REGULATIONS TO GIVE EFFECT TO THE MAIN PROVISIONS OF THE WATER POLLUTIONS CONTROL ORDINANCE HAD BEEN COMPLETED AND HE EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT AFTER THE COMPREHENSIVE CONSULTATION THAT HAD TAKEN PLACE IN RECENT MONTHS, THE REGULATIONS WOULD BE SUBMITTED TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL SHORTLY.
SIMILARLY, DRAFTING OF REGULATIONS TO CONTROL MAJOR SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION UNDER THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL ORDINANCE, THE SO-CALLED +SPEC IF IED PROCESS+ REGULATIONS, WERE NEAR TO COMPLETION AT THE END OF THE REVIEW PERIOD,
ALSO, THE LONG-DELAYED NOISE CONTROL BILL WAS NOW MAK ING BETTER PROGRESS AND THE BILL PASSED THROUGH THREE MORE DRAFTS DURING THE YEAR.
WHILE THE BILL IS A RELATIVELY COMPLEX PIECE OF TECHNICAL LEGISLATION AND TIMING IS, THEREFORE, DIFFICULT TO FORECAST, IT IS HOPED TO SUBMIT THE BILL TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL EARLY NEXT YEAR.
DR REED CONCLUDED: +DESPITE THE MANY STEPS THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN AND ARE BEING TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT IN HONG KONG, OPINION SURVEYS INDICATE THAT THE PUBLIC ARE LESS THAN SATISFIED WITH WHAT IS BEING DONE.
+
+THERE ARE, NO DOUBT, MANY REASONS FOR THIS PUBLIC VIEW INCLUDING, OF COURSE, THAT EVEN MORE DOES IN FACT NEED TO BE DONE. +
THE REVIEW, ENTITLED +ENVIRONMENT HONG KONG 1985+, HAS BEEN COMP ILED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL. PROTECTION AGENCY IN COLLABORATIO.. WITH OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED IN POLLUTION CONTROL, AND COVERS ALL ASPECTS OF AIR AND WATER POLLUTION, NOISE, WASTE MANAGEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT.
COPIES OF THE REVIEW, PRICED AT $18 EACH, ARE NOW AVAILABLE AT THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS CENTRE ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF GENERAL POST OFFICE BUILDING, CENTRAL.
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