WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1987
29
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF FUEL ASH BEING ASSESSED
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A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF POSSIBLE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF THE PULVERISED FUEL ASH (PFA) ON LAGOONS AT TSANG TSUI HAS BEEN UNDERTAKEN, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE THE HON JOHN CHAMBERS, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON TAI CHIN-WAH, MR CHAMBERS SAID THE GOVERNMENT AND THE CHINA LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY LIMITED HAD MADE CLEAR STATEMENTS ON THIS IN VARIOUS PRESENTATIONS, PARTICULARLY AT TUEN MUN DISTRICT BOARD MEETINGS IN MAY, AND NOVEMBER LAST YEAR.
JUNE
+ OF PARTICULAR CONCERN HAS BEEN THE NEED TO PROTECT THE HEALTH OF LOCAL RESIDENTS FROM THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF AERIAL EMISSIONS OF PFA DUST AND LIQUID EMISSIONS (OR LEACHATE) TOGETHER WITH THE SAFEGUARDING OF LOCAL MARICULTURE AND WILDLIFE, HE SAID.
ON THE CONTROL OF AERIAL EMISSIONS OF PFA DUST, MR CHAMBERS SAID THE FOLLOWING MEASURES WOULD BE ADOPTED:
* THE DELIVERY OF PFA IN SLURRY FORM MIXED WITH SEAWATER
* MINIMISING THE AREA OF PFA EXPOSED TO THE WINDI
* THE PROVISION OF PERMANENT FIXED WATER SPRAYING EQUIPMENT
WITH A MOBILE BACK-UP SYSTEM §
* THE CONTINUOUS SKIMMING OF THE LAGOON ; AND
* THE COVERING OF DRY PFA BY INERT MATERIAL AND
SUBSEQUENT HYDROSEEDING.
HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT AIR QUALITY IN THE VICINITY WOULD BE CONTINUOUSLY MONITORED BY THREE SEPARATE MONITORING STATIONS TO ENSURE THAT WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION STANDARDS WERE NOT EXCEEDED.
ON THE CONTROL OF LIQUID EMISSIONS, MR CHAMBERS SAID THE LAGOONS WOULD BE LINED WITH AN IMPERMEABLE MEMBRANE AND THE LEACHATE WOULD BE PUMPED FROM THE LAGOONS BACK TO THE CASTLE PEAK POWER STATION TO PREVENT ANY OF THEM FROM ENTERING DEEP BAY.
+AS A CHECK ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESE MEASURES, SEVEN MONITORING STATIONS ARE ALREADY OPERATING AND WILL CONTINUE IN OPERATION THROUGHOUT THE LIFE OF THE LAGOONS.+
/MR CHAMBERS