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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1993.
EMPHASIS ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMMES
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THE SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS, MR TONY EASON, SAID 1993/94 WOULD BE ANOTHER PRODUCTIVE YEAR FOR THE GOVERNMENT IN MEETING ITS COMMITMENTS TO PROVIDE A BETTER ENVIRONMENT IN HONG KONG,
IT WOULD ALSO SEE A NEW EFFORT LAUNCHED TO HELP PEOPLE IN THE SANDWICH CLASS OBTAIN FLATS AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE.
ON THE SEWAGE STRATEGY, MR RASON SAID DETAILED DESIGN WOULD START ON STAGE I AND CONSTRUCTION WORKS WILL PROCEED IN MANY OF THE SEWERAGE MASTER PLAN AREAS THAT ARE PART OF THE HIGH PRIORITY PROGRAMME AIMED AT IMPROVING WATER QUALITY IN VICTORIA HARBOUR.
"THIS IS ON TOP OF OTHER ON-GOING SEWERAGE WORKS WHICH CURRENTLY INCLUDE SCHEMES FOR TOLO HARBOUR, PORT SHELTER, AND SOUTH OF HONG KONG ISLAND.
AS PART OF THE PROGRAMME TO STRENGTHEN CONTROL ON WATER POLLUTION, TWO MORE WATER CONTROL ZONES WILL BE DECLARED THIS YEAR, AT THE EASTERN AND WESTERN ENDS OF THE HARBOUR AND TWO SUPPLEMENTARY ZONES IN THE SOUTHERN AND TOLO HARBOUR CONTROL ZONES.
MR BASON POINTED OUT THAT MUCH OF THE INCREASE IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET WOULD BE DEVOTED TO IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE OF WASTE MANAGEMENT SERVICES IN THE TERRITORY AND EXTENDING THESE SERVICES TO COPE WITH THE INCREASING AMOUNT OF WASTE THAT THE COMMUNITY WAS GENERATING AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF WASTE.
THIS PROGRAMME WILL INCLUDE THE COMMISSIONING OF THE CHEMICAL WASTE TREATMENT CENTRE IN APRIL WHICH WILL ENABLE THE CRADLE TO GRAVE SCHEME TO BE INTRODUCED.
"WE PLAN TO START CONSTRUCTING ALSO THE FIRST TWO OF THE THREE STRATEGIC LANDFILLS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.
"THIS WILL MATCH A NETWORK OF REFUSE TRANSFER STATIONS, TWO OF WHICH ARE ALREADY OPERATING, TO TAKE CARE OF HONG KONG'S LONG-TERM NEED FOR SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITIES," HE SAID.
WHILE ENVIRONMENTAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS WILL ACCOUNT FOR A LARGE SLICE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL BUDGET, OTHER ASPECTS OF POLLUTION ARE EXPECTED TO RECEIVE INCREASED ATTENTION IN THE COMING YEAR.
FOR EXAMPLE, CONTROLS ON ASBESTOS JN BUILDINGS WILL BE INTRODUCED AND THE EXEMPTION CURRENTLY ENJOYED BY CERTAIN INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES UNDER THE AIR POLLUT FON CONTROL AMENDMENT ORDINANCE WILL BE REMOVED.
THIS WILL MEAN THAT A NUMBER OF EXISTING CEMENT PLANTS, ROCK CRUSHING MILLS AND THE TSING YI POWER STATION WILL COME UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL AMENDMENT ORDINANCE.
ALSO, NOISE CONTROLS WILL BE STEPPED UP WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF ADDITIONAL LEGISLAT LON TO CONTROL CONSTRUCTION NOISE AND ROAD VEHICLE NOISE.
/MR BASON