MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1988
IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH THE LONDON DUMPING CONVENTION, EPD HAS DRAWN UP A COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PROGRAMME SINCE 1983 AT THE PROPOSED DISPOSAL SITE TO ENSURE THAT THE ECOSYSTEMS OF THE AREA ARE PROTECTED.
EPD WILL REVIEW AND ASSESS ALL THE DATA OBTAINED FROM THE PRESENT COMPREHENSIVE MONITORING PROGRAMME WITH REGARD ΤΟ THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS OF MARINE DISPOSAL OF SLUDGES.
IT IS PLANNED THAT FUTURE SURVEYS WILL BE CARRIED OUT AT INTERVALS IN 1990, THE YEAR FOLLOWING THE PROPOSED COMMISSIONING OF THE MARINE DISPOSAL SYSTEM; IN 1991, 1994; AND ALSO IN 1999, 10 YEARS AFTER THE START OF THE OPERATION.
AT TODAY'S MEETING, MEMBERS WERE ALSO BRIEFED ON THE EPD'S RECENT PUBLICATION, "MARINE WATER QUALITY IN HONG KONG", AND ON THE DEPARTMENT'S MARINE WATER QUALITY MONITORING PROGRAMME.
THE EXISTING MONITORING PROGRAMME COVERS 77 WATER QUALITY MONITORING STATIONS AND 19 BOTTOM SEDIMENT SAMPLING STATIONS AS WELL AS 13 TYPHOON SHELTERS AT STRATEGIC LOCATIONS IN THE TERRITORIAL WATERS OF HONG KONG.
MEMBERS NOTED THAT THE WATER QUALITY IN MOST NEARSHORE WATERS OF HONG KONG IS UNSATISFACTORY AND DECLINING.
TO PROTECT THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT, EPD IS WORKING ON PLANS ΤΟ IMPROVE THE TERRITORY'S SEWAGE INFRASTRUCTURE, CONTROL THE DISPOSAL OF LIVESTOCK WASTE, DECLARE FURTHER WATER CONTROL ZONES AND REQUIRE FACTORIES TO DISCHARGE EFFLUENT TO FOUL BEWERS.
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