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MONDAY, MAY 4, 1987
EPCOM ENDORSES WASTE CONTROL MEASURES
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THE ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE ENDORSED A WASTE DISPOSAL AMENDMENT BILL AND ASSOCIATED REGULATIONS NEEDED TO PUT INTO EFFECT THE PREVIOUSLY AGREED TEN-YEAR PROGRAMME FOR LIVESTOCK WASTE CONTROL AT ITS MEETING TODAY (MONDAY).
MEMBERS WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE LENGTH OF THE PROGRAMME. EPCOM ALSO AGREED TO A SCHEME FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE CONTROL OF CHEMICAL WASTES AS WELL AS EXPRESSING THEIR CONCERN ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF AN APPEAL AGAINST A DECISION OF THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL AUTHORITY,
THE LIVESTOCK WASTE CONTROL PROGRAMME INCLUDED IN THE WASTE DISPOSAL (AMENDMENT) BILL 1987 PROPOSES TO CONTROL POLLUTION BY BANNING LIVESTOCK KEEPING IN URBAN AREAS AND IMPLEMENTING STRINGENT CONTROLS ON LIVESTOCK WASTE COLLECTION STORAGE, TREATMENT, TRANSPORT AND DISPOSAL IN ALL OTHER AREAS.
THE PROGRAMME WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN THREE PHASES:
(A) PHASE I (1988-1991)
LIVESTOCK KEEPING WILL BE BANNED IN HONG KONG ISLAND, KOWLOON, NEW KOWLOON, AND IN THE DEVELOPED NEW TOWNS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AS WELL AS TIN SHUI WAI AND JUNK BAY.
LIVESTOCK WASTE DISPOSAL WILL BE CONTROLLED IN THE TOLO HARBOUR AND TOLO CHANNEL WATER CATCHMENT, RIVER INDUS, UPPER SHENZHEN CATCHMENT, TSUEN WAN HINTERLAND, TUEN MUN HINTERLAND, AND TAI LAM CHUNG.
(B) PHASE || (1991–1994)
LIVESTOCK WASTE DISPOSAL WILL BE CONTROLLED IN YUEN LONG HINTERLAND, TUEN MUN-YUEN LONG CORRIDOR, KAM TIN, TIN SHUI HAI HÍNTERLAND, SAN TIN, LÂU FAU SHAN AND MẪU MU TSAI.
(C) PHASE IN (1994-1997) WILL COVER CONTROLS IN THE REMAINDER
OF THE TERRITORY.
LIVESTOCSTOCK KEEPERS IN BANNED AREAS AND THOSE IN CONTROLLED AREAS WHO CANNOT COMPLY WITH THE POLLUTION CONTROL REQUIREMENTS WILL RECEIVE EX-GRATIA COMPENSATION FOR LOSS OF LIVELIHOOD.
DRAFT REGULATIONS REQUIRED TO GIVE EFFECT TO THE GENERAL PROVISIONS OF THE BILL WERE ENDORSED BY THE COMMITTEE. THESE COVERED THE STEPS LIVESTOCK FARMERS WILL NEED TO TAKE FOR THE SATISFACTORY COLLECTION STORAGE, TREATMENT AND TRANSPORTATION OF THE IR WASTES.
/THE GOVERNMENT