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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 1987
A DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN EMPHASISED THAT, ALTHOUGH THE ASBESTOS LEVELS POSED A POTENTIAL HEALTH RISK, SUCH A RISK WAS STATISTICALLY VERY SMALL, AND THAT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SHOULD NOT BE UNDULY CONCERNED.
+ALL PEOPLE LIVING IN HONG KONG ARE EXPOSED DAILY TO ASBESTOS FIBRES WHICH ARE INEVITABLY PRESENT EVEN IN THE OUTSIDE ATMOSPHERE,+ HE ADDED.
A BRIEF VISIT TO THE OCEAN TERMINAL BUILDING WOULD NOT, IN HIS VIEW, RESULT IN ANY DETECTABLE INCREASE OF ASBESTOS RELATED DISEASES.
COMMENTING ON AN ARTICLE IN AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER YESTERDAY WHICH REPORTED THAT THERE WERE NO CONTROLS TO MAKE SURE THAT CONTRACTORS USED THE CORRECT PROCEDURES TO DISPOSE OF ASBESTOS MATERIAL AFTER THEIR REMOVAL FROM BUILDINGS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT SUCH CONTROLS DO EXIST.
OSAL
+T HE EPD HAS ISSUED A CODE OF PRACTICE ON THE HANDLING, TRANSPORT AND DISPOSAL OF ASBESTOS WASTES UNDER THE WASTE DISPOSAL ORDINANCE, + HE SAID.
FOLLOWING RECENT DISCUSSIONS WITHIN GOVERNMENT AND BEFORE THE OCEAN TERMINAL INCIDENT CAME TO LIGHT, EPD HAS BEEN GIVEN THE TASK OF DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY FOR DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM OF ASBESTOS IN PRIVATE SECTOR BUILDINGS, HE STRESSED.
DEADLINE REMINDER FOR TAXI VOUCHER APPLICANTS
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APPLICANTS FOR SUBSIDIES UNDER THE PILOT TAXI VOUCHER SCHEME ARE REMINDED TO SUBMIT THEIR APPLICATIONS TO THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT BY NEXT TUESDAY (APRIL 14).
UNDER THE SCHEME, WHEELCHAIR-BOUND DISABLED WILL BE ISSUED WITH VOUCHERS OF $55 A MONTH TO PAY FOR TAXI FARES.
APPLICANTS SHOULD RETURN COMPLETED APPLICATIONS BEFORE THE DEADLINE TO ENSURE THAT THEY CAN BENEFIT FROM THE SCHEME WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN IMPLEMENTED SINCE APRIL 1.
COMPLETED APPLICATION FORMS SHOULD BE RETURNED BY POST OR BY AGENT TO THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT, SECOND FLOOR, LOW BLOCK, QUEENSWAY GOVERNMENT OFFICES, HONG KONG.
/FORMS CAN