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THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 1990
THE REGULATIONS ALSO LIMIT THE USE OF SOLID FUEL то NO MORE THAN ONE PER CENT SULPHUR BY WEIGHT. IN SHA TIN, THE PRESENT BAN ON LIQUID AND SOLID FUEL REMAINS. THIS MEANS THAT ONLY GASEOUS FUEL, WHICH CONTAINS PRACTICALLY NO SULPHUR, IS ALLOWED.
THE DEPUTY SECRETARY { ENVIRONMENT} OF THE PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS BRANCH, MR MARTIN LEWIS, SAID THESE REGULATIONS REPRESENTED A SIGNIFICANT STEP IN REDUCING AIR POLLUTION IN HONG KONG.
"WE ARE ABSOLUTELY DETERMINED TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THE AIR WE BREATHE, MR LEWIS SAID.
"
"AND THE NEW CONTROLS REPRESENT A COMPLETELY EFFECTIVE AND RELIABLE METHOD OF REDUCING SULPHUR DIOXIDE IN THE AIR, HE ADDED.
UNDER THE REGULATIONS, NON-COMPLIANCE WILL RESULT IN A MAXIMUM PENALTY OF SIX MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT AND A PINE OF $20,000, PLUS DAILY FINE OF $5,000 FOR A CONTINUING OFFENCE.
HE ALSO SAID THERE WERE ALSO OTHER INCIDENTAL BENEFITS TO BE GAINED FROM SWITCHING TO LOW-SULPHUR INDUSTRIAL DIESEL: EMISSIONS OF OXIDES OF NITROGEN AND EMISSIONS OF RESPIRABLE SUSPENDED PARTICULATES WOULD ALSO BE VERY SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED.
"BOTH OF THESE ARE ALSO HARMFUL POLLUTANTS WHICH EXIST IN TOO HIGH A CONCENTRATION IN OUR AIR," MR LEWIS SAID,
HONG KONG SUFFERS FROM SERIOUS AIR POLLUTION CAUSED BY SULPHUR DIOXIDE. AT HIGH CONCENTRATIONS, IT CAUSES RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES SUCH AS ASTHMA AND BRONCHITIS, REDUCED LUNG FUNCTION, AND A GENERAL INCREASE IN MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY RATES.
OVER 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE IN HONG KONG ARE PRESENTLY EXPOSED TO UNACCEPTABLY HIGH SULPHUR DIOXIDE LEVELS.
THE SERIOUS PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY A NUMBER OF FACTORS, MR LEWIS SAID.
"WE HAVE A VERY HIGH DENSITY OF RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS IN HONG KONG,
BOTH
INDUSTRIAL AND
"IT IS COMMON THAT RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS ARR PROXIMITY TO INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS, IN SOME CASES, LOCAL ALSO INHIBITS THE DISPERSION OF POLLUTANTS.
IN CLOSE TOPOGRAPHY
FACTORIES
"ADDING TO THIS, THE MOST COMMON FUEL USED BY CONTAINS 2.5 PER CENT SULPHUR BY WEIGHT. BURNING JUST ONE TONNE OF THIS FUEL CAUSES 50 KILOGRAM OF SULPHUR DIOXIDE ΤΟ BE EMITTED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE,
HE SAID.
MR LEWIS SAID IN ORDER TO BRING THE SULPHUR DIOXIDE IN THE AIR DOWN TO A SAFE LEVEL, IT WAS NECESSARY ΤΟ ACHIEVE A 75 PER CENT REDUCTION IN SULPHUR DIOXIDE.
/IN PREPARING