MONDAY, JUNE 20, 1988
UP TO MAY 20, 1,953 VEHICLES HAD BEEN TESTED AND ABOUT SIX CENT OF THESE VEHICLES FAILED THE EXAMINATION.
PER
THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF VEHICLES EMITTING SMOKE WAS DUE POOR MAINTENANCE, AND
MOST VEHICLES TESTED HAD BEEN REPAIRED THE FEW DAYS PRIOR TO THE TEST, EPCOM MEMBERS NOTED.
TO IN
THE STAFFING FOR THE EPD'S VEHICLE TESTING PROGRAMME WOULD BE BROUGHT UP TO FULL STRENGTH WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. AT FULL CAPACITY, THE CENTRE WILL BE ABLE TO TEST 17,000 VEHICLES PER ANNUM.
A REVISED CODE OF PRACTICE ON THE HANDLING, TRANSPORT AND DISPOSAL OF ASBESTOS WASTES WAS ENDORSED BY THE MEMBERS.
THE CODE OF PRACTICE JIAD BEEN UPDATED TO CATER FOR LARGE SCALE ASBESTOS DISPOSAL OPERATIONS, WHICH HAD BECOME COMMON SINCE THE CODE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN AUGUST 1985.
AT THE MEETING, MEMBERS FELT THAT HONG KONG SHOULD BECOME A PARTY TO THE UNITED KINGDOM'S RATIFICATION OF THE MONTREAL PROTOCOL ON SUBSTANCES THAT DEPLETE THE OZONE LAYER, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
THIS PROTOCOL, ISSUED UNDER THE VIENNA CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE OZONE LAYER, SPECIFIES CONTROLS ON THE CONSUMPTION AND USE OF CHLOROFLUOROCARBONS (CFCS) AND HALONS, WHICH OZONE LAYER.
DAMAGE THE
COMMONLY
THE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION OF THESE CHEMICALS, USED AS REFRIGERANTS AND AEROSOL PROPELLANTS,' AND FOR FOAM BLOWING, WILL PROGRESSIVELY REDUCE OVER 10 YEARS FROM 1989.
MEMBERS ALSO ENDORSED A PROPOSAL TO MAKE REGULATIONS UNDER THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL ORDINANCE TO RESTRICT THE SULPHUR CONTENT OF FUELS USED IN VARIOUS AREAS IN HONG KONG, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
THE EPD HAD, UNTIL NOW, CONTROLLED THE SULPHUR CONTENT OF AND JUNK FUELS IN FANLING/SIJA TAU KOK, TAI PO, SHA TIN, PORT SHELTER BAY THROUGH ADMINISTRATIVE MEANS.
THESE AREAS WERE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO AIR POLLUTION.
THE NEW REGULATIONS WILL REGULARISE THE EXISTING POLICY OF PERMITTING ONLY NON-SULPHUR-BEARING INDUSTRIAL FUELS IN SHA TIN, AND FUELS WITH LESS THAN ONE PER CENT SULPHUR CONTENT IN THE OTHER AREAS.
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