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THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 1988
CS VISITS KWAI TSING POLLUTION SITES
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THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID FORD, TODAY (THURSDAY) SEVERAL POLLUTION BLACK SPOTS IN KWAI TSING DISTRICT FIRST HAND LOOK AT PROBLEMS THERE.
VISITED
ΤΟ TAKE A
SIR DAVID WAS ACCOMPANIED BY THE DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, DR STUART REED, AND TWO ASSISTANT DIRECTORS, MR ROBERT LAW AND MR PAUL HOLMES.
THE POLLUTION PROBLEMS HIGHLIGHTED DURING THE VISIT WERE MAINLY AIR AND WATER POLLUTION CAUSED BY EMISSIONS FROM INDUSTRIAL PREMISES.
AFTER ARRIVING BY HELICOPTER ON TSING YI, SIR DAVID FIRST WENT TO THE SEAFRONT FACING RAMBLER CHANNEL WHERE HE SAW UNTREATED TRADE EFFLUENTS FROM FACTORIES IN TSING YI INDUSTRIAL CENTRE BEING DISCHARGED INTO THE CHANNEL.
ABOUT
HE LEARNT THAT AS A RESULT OF EFFORTS BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT (EPD) AND BUILDINGS AND LANDS DEPARTMENT, 90 PER CENT OF THE FACTORIES OF THE INDUSTRIAL CENTRE WHICH REQUIRED EFFLUENT PRE-TREATMENT HAVE COMMISSIONED
APPROVED ARCHITECTS AND CONSULTANTS TO DESIGN A CENTRALISED WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM FOR THE CENTRE.
GOVERNMENT
THE PARTY THEN PROCEEDED TO A VANTAGE POINT AT CHEUNG CHING ESTATE WHERE THEY SAW THE PROLIFERATION OF CHIMNEYS IN TSING YI INDUSTRIAL CENTRE CAUSING AIR POLLUTION PROBLEMS TO THE AREA.
LASSES
SIR DAVID NOTED THAT EPD HAS SET UP TWO MONITORING STATIONS то ASSESS THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEMS. IT IS EXPECTED THAT ABATEMENT NOTICES WOULD BE SERVED UNDER THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL ORDINANCE ON THE CONCERNED FACTORIES AS SOON AS THE EXTENT OF THE NECESSARY REDUCTION OF EMISSIONS IS ASCERTAINED FROM THIS MONITORING EXERCISE.
LATER THE PARTY WENT TO YIP SHING STREET IN KWAT CHUNG AND WAS
MBT BY KWAI TSING DISTRICT OFFICER, MR BRIAN COAK.
A TOTAL OF 11 FACTORIES, MOSTLY DYEING FACTORIES, HAVE REEN DISCHARGING TRADE EFFLUENTS VIA UNAUTHORISED DRAINAGE CONNECTIONS TO STORMWATER DRAINS ON YIP SHING STREET OR DIRECTLY TO THE SLOPE BEH END THE INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS.
REMEDIAL ACTION IS BEING PURSUED ACTIVELY BY A NUMBER OF GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS. IN MOST CASES, THE FACTORY OWNERS HAVE BEEN ASKED TO PRE-TREAT THEIR EFFLUENTS BEFORE RECONNECTING TO THE FOUL SEWERAGE SYSTEM.
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