THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 1989
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LPG STORAGE AT HK OIL'S TSING YI DEPOT TO BE LIMITED
*
LIMIT
IN THE INTEREST OF PUBLIC SAFETY, THE GOVERNMENT WILL THE STORAGE QUANTITY OF LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS AT THE TSING YI DEPOT OF HONG KONG OIL. WHILE IN THE LONG TERM PLANS ARE TO RELOCATE IT TO THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF THE ISLAND.
THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, MR GRAHAM BARNES, SAID THIS AT A PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY (THURSDAY) WHEN HE RELEASED THE REPORTS ON THE 1982 TSING YI POTENTIAL HAZARD STUDY AND THE 1989 TSING YI RISK REASSESSMENT STUDY.
THE CONSULTANTS IN THEIR 1989 REPORT WERE OF THE VIEW THAT EXCEPT FOR HONG KONG OIL AND MOBIL, THE RISK OF ALL THE OTHER EXISTING AND PROPOSED INSTALLATIONS CAN BE REDUCED TO AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL AND MEET WITH THE GOVERNMENT INTERIM RISK GUIDELINES LAID DOWN IN 1988 FOR NEW INSTALLATIONS, WITH IMPROVEMENTS TO THEIN MANAGEMENT AND SAFETY SYSTEMS.
THE RISKS OF HONG KONG OIL AND MOBIL ARE HIGH BECAUSE OF THE LARGE QUANTITY OF LPG STORED AT THEIR DEPOTS AND THEIR PROXIMITY ΤΟ RESIDENTIAL AREAS, AND IN THE CASE OF HONG KONG OIL, ALSO BECAUSE OF ITS POOR SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, THE CONSULTANTS SAID.
IN THE CASE OF MOBIL. THE CONSULTANTS HAVE ADVISED THAT BECAUSE OF ITS GOOD MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND GOOD TECHNICAL DESIGN, INVENTORY CONTROL IS NOT JUSTIFIED PENDING RELOCATION.
DISCUSSIONS WITH MOBIL ON RELOCATION ARE ALREADY WELL UNDER WAY AND DISCUSSIONS WITH HONG KONG OIL ON ITS FUTURE PLANS HAVE ALSO STARTED.
THE SECRETARY RECALLED THAT THE 1982 STUDY WAS THE RESULT OF INCIDENTS ELSEWHERE INVOLVING POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS INSTALLATIONS WHICH GAVE RISE TO LOCAL CONCERN, THAT EXISTING PHI PHI'S ON TSING YI AND OTHER DEVELOPMENTS MIGHT NOT MEET ACCEPTABLE RISK LEVELS AND THAT EXISTING LAND-USE PLANNING AND CONTROL PROCEDURES MIGHT NOT BE ADEQUATE TO PREVENT DEVELOPMENTS ADJACENT TO THESE INSTALLATIONS.
RESULTING FROM THE 1982 STUDY, A NUMBER OF MEASURES WERE TAKEN BY GOVERNMENT TO REDUCE RISK LEVELS ON TSING TI:
PHASE THREE OF MAYFAIP GARDENS DID NOT PROCEED;
IMPROVEMENTS WERE MADE TO THE OVERALL INFRASTRUCTURE OF TSING VI AND THE DESIGN AND OPERATING STANDARDS AT THE SITES ORIGINALLY REVIEWED; AND
MEASURES WERE ADOPTED TO IMPROVE LAND-USE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT CONTROL PROCEDURES RELATING GENERALLY TO PHI'S.
/IN 1988
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