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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1992
OIL DEPOTS TO BE RESITED
THE GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTED то REMOVING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE THE THREE OIL DEPOTS AT EAST TSING YI NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE SURROUNDING DEVELOPMENTS, THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS, MR BOWEN LEUNG, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).
SPEAKING TO THE PRESS AFTER THE MEETING OF THE CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE ON LAND USE PLANNING AND CONTROL RELATING TO POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS INSTALLATIONS (CCPHI), MR LEUNG SAID NEGOTIATIONS WERE AT AN ADVANCED STAGE WITH HK OIL FOR THE SURRENDER OF ITS TSING YI SITE IN EXCHANGE FOR A COMMERCIAL/RESIDENTIAL LOT AT MA ON SHAN.
"THE PLAN IS TO DECOMMISSION THE DEPOT BY REMOVING ALL OIL AND GAS STORAGE FROM IT BY MID-1993 AND TO CLEAR THE SITE BY OCTOBER NEXT YEAR."
MR LEUNG SAID PLANNING WAS ALSO AT AN ADVANCED STAGE TO REMOVE THE ADJOINING MOBIL OIL TERMINAL TO A NEW SITE IN WEST TSING YI BY SEPTEMBER 1993.
"A PROPOSAL IS UNDER ACTIVE CONSIDERATION IN CONSULTATION WITH THE CHINA RESOURCES COMPANY (CRC) TO RESITE ITS DEPOT AT NGA YING CHAU TO SOUTH TSING YI NEXT TO ANOTHER CRC OIL TERMINAL THERE.
"HOWEVER, THE NGA YING CHAU DEPOT IS BEING MOVED FOR PRIMARILY ENVIRONMENTAL AND PLANNING, NOT HAZARD, REASONS.
"THE IMPENDING REMOVAL OF THESE DEPOTS ARE IN LINE WITH GOVERNMENT'S POLICY TO SITE ALL POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS INSTALLATIONS TO THE SOUTH AND WEST SIDE OF TSING YI WHICH IS SEPARATED BY AN INTERVENING MOUNTAIN RIDGE FROM RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS ON THE EAST SHORE OF THE ISLAND,' MR LEUNG SAID.
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COMMENTING ON THE TWO RECENT INCIDENTS AT THE WATER TREATMENT WORKS IN SHA TIN AND THE HK OIL DEPOT ON TSING YI, HE SAID INVESTIGATIONS WERE UNDER WAY BY RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS TO ESTABLISH THE CAUSES OF THESE INCIDENTS.
PENDING THE COMPLETION OF THE INVESTIGATIONS, HIS COMMITTEE WOULD MEET TO DISCUSS THE FINDINGS AND CONSIDER WHATEVER ACTION IS NECESSARY TO FURTHER IMPROVE THE SAFETY IN THESE INSTALLATIONS.
A
MR LEUNG SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD THE POWER TO REDUCE THE STORAGE OF HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES IN
POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS INSTALLATION AS A LICENSING CONDITION OR A NOTICE FOR SAFETY IMPROVEMENT.
EXAMPLES INCLUDE THE REDUCTION OF THE LPG STORAGE LEVEL AT THE HONG KONG OIL TERMINAL AT TSING YI FROM 2,000 TO 630 TONNES AND THE CHLORINE LEVEL AT THE SHATIN WATER TREATMENT WORKS FROM 415 TO 115 TONNES.
/ON STORAGE