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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1986
ITS PURPOSE IS TO OBTAIN A RELIABLE QUANTITATIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BEACH WATER QUALITY AND THE HEALTH OF SWIMMERS, BY CORRELATING BACTERIA COUNTS WHICH INDICATE SEWAGE POLLUTION WITH THE EXTRA CASES OF DISEASE WHICH MAY OCCUR IN SWIMMERS.
WHILE THE RESULTS SO FAR DO NOT SUGGEST THAT POLLUTION AT HONG KONG'S BEACHES IS CAUSING SIGNIFICANT LEVELS OF GASTRO- INTESTINAL SICKNESS, THE PRESENT CONTROL OF SEWAGE DISPOSAL NEAR TO BEACHES WAS CONSIDERED UNACCCEPTABLE RY MEMBERS OF EPCOM.
IT WAS POINTED OUT TO MEMBERS THAT THERE HAD BEEN SOME IMPROVEMENTS AT REPULSE BAY, SHEK 0, STANLEY AND BUTTERFLY BEACHES IN THE PAST TWO YEARS.
MEMBERS EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR FURTHER VIGOROUS ACTION AND A MORE FUNDAMENTAL APPROACH TO THE MATTER.
THE MEETING ALSO EXAMINED IN DETAIL THE OUTCOME OF THE CONSULTATIONS WITH INDUSTRY ON THE DRAFT AIR POLLUTION CONTROL (AMENDMENT) BILL 1986 AND THE DRAFT AIR POLLUTION CONTROL (SPECIFIED PROCESSES) REGULATIONS 1986.
SUBJECT TO A MINOR AMENDMENT, MEMBERS RECOMMENDED THAT THE DRAFT BILL AND THE DRAFT REGULATIONS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION.
THE DRAFT REGULATIONS WILL CONTROL +SPECIFIED PROCESSES+ WHICH CAUSE OFFENSIVE AND OBNOXIOUS EMISSIONS. EXISTING INDUSTRIES WILL BE OBLIGED TO REGISTER WITH THE EPD AND ANY NEW +SPECIFIED PROCESS+ WILL REQUIRE A LICENCE.
ON THE ADVICE OF THE MEMBERS EARLIER THIS YEAR, AN EXTENSIVE CONSULTATION EXERCISE WAS CARRIED OUT IN COLLABORATION WITH THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT IN WHICH 33 REPRESENTATIVE INDUSTRIAL ORGANISATIONS WERE INVITED TO COMMENT ON THE DRAFT BILL AND REGULATIONS. SIX WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS WERE RECEIVED.
MEMBERS LEARNED THAT THE HONG KONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE HONG KONG PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURERS' ASSOCIATION LTD HAVE INDICATED THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION.
THE OTHER FOUR MAJOR ASSOCIATIONS (THE FEDERATION OF HONG KONG INDUSTRIES, THE CHINESE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION, THE CHINESE GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION OF TEXTILE BLEACHERS, DYERS, PRINTERS AND FINISHERS LTD),, DID RAISE SOME POINTS AND THESE HAVE BEEN TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION IN FINALISING THE PROPOSALS TO BE PUT TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
THE FIRST TWO AIR CONTROL ZONES (HARBOUR AND TSUEN WAN/KWA! CHUNG) WILL BE GAZETTED LATER THIS YEAR AND SHOULD EFFECTIVELY FOCUS EFFORTS AIMED AT REDUCING AIR POLLUTION LEVELS IN THESE AREAS.
THE ARRANGEMENTS