20
THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1993
FOR
AND
THAT WE MADE IT DEALING IS THAT
TO
GOVERNOR: I'M NOT UNAWARE OF THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF INCINERATION INDEED AS I'M SURE THE HONOURABLE LADY WOULD CONCEDE, SAID WOULD NEED INCINERATION IN HONG KONG. FOR EXAMPLE, I PERFECTLY CLEAR THAT WE WOULD NEED TO USE INCINERATORS WITH MEDICAL AND SOME OTHER WASTES. THE POINT THAT I MADE EVEN THE MOST MODERN INCINERATOR, FIRST OF ALL REQUIRES YOU STILL HAVE SOME LANDFILL BECAUSE YOU'RE STILL LEFT WITH RESIDUE AT THE END OF INCINERATION AND I ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THERE WERE PARTICULAR PROBLEMS IN HONG KONG THAT I DO THINK THAT THE CLOSENESS OF OUR URBAN COMMUNITY MAKES SITING DIFFICULT, EVEN FOR A VERY MODERN PIECE OF EQUIPMENT. AND I ALSO THINK ONE HAS TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS IN A COMMUNITY LIKE THIS FOR ALL SORTS OF REASONS, NOT LEAST OUR SITING OF A NEW AIRPORT, SO THAT WHEN WE'VE LOOKED IN THE PAST AT SITES FOR INCINERATORS, WE'VE LOOKED, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT FAIRLY REMOTE AREAS WHERE YOU RUN INTO PROBLEMS OF TRANSPORTATION WHICH THEMSELVES PRODUCE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS. SO I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IT'S RIGHT, AS I SAID EARLIER, TO THINK THAT THE CHOICE IS ENTIRELY ONE BETWEEN LANDFILL AND INCINERATION. I THINK WHAT ONE HAS TO DO IS TO STRIKE A PROPER BALANCE AND I HOPE WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF REFUSE TRANSFER STATIONS AND WITH THE USE OF NEW LANDFILL SITES WE'LL HAVE MANAGED TO DO THAT.
IF I CAN ADD TWO OTHER POINTS IN REPLYING TO THE HONOURABLE LADY'S IMPORTANT QUESTION. FIRST OF ALL, WE DO, THE HONOURABLE LADY 19 ENTIRELY RIGHT, HAVE TO LOOK AT OUR OLD AND EXISTING LANDFILL SITES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T RUN INTO THE PROBLEMS OF METHANE BUILD-UP AND LEACHATE TO WHICH SHE REFERRED AND WE ARE AT PRESENT LOOKING AT OUR OLD AND EXISTING SITES TO ENSURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE THOSE SORT OF PROBLEMS, BECAUSE THE HONOURABLE LADY WILL KNOW FROM HER EXPERIENCE OF SOME OF THE DISASTERS THAT HAVE OCCURRED, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE OF THE BUILD-UP OF METHANE. SECONDLY, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT HOW THE LANDFILL SITES ARE USED. I'M SURE THE WHOLE OF THIS COUNCIL WOULD ONLY WANT US TO USE LANDFILL SITES WHERE IT WAS ESSENTIAL. WHERE YOU CAN DEAL WITH INERT MATERIAL IN OTHER WAYS, ONE SHOULD DO SO AND THERE ARR PARTICULAR PROBLEMS CAUSED BY THE AMOUNT THAT'S DUMPRD IN LANDFILL SITES BY THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. IT POSES US SOME PROBLEMS WHICH WILL IN DUE COURSE REQUIRE, AND REALLY REQUIRE THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY NOW TO SEPARATE INERT FROM OTHER SORTS OF WASTE ON SITE SO THEY CAN DEAL WITH INERT MATERIAL ON PUBLIC DUMPS WHICH CAN BE THEN USED FOR EXAMPLE FOR RECLAMATION AND WON'T REQUIRE AS MUCH SAND OR MUD TO BE TAKEN FROM OUR SEA-BEDS.
MRS ELSIE TU: IF I MAY JUST FOLLOW-UP MR PRESIDENT. I AM QUITE AWARE SIR THAT LANDFILLS ARE A NECESSARY IN ANY CASE BUT WE ARE RUNNING SHORT OF LANDFILLS AND I DON'T AGREE THAT THE NEW TYPE OF INCINERATOR NEEDS TO BE IN A REMOTE AREA. I THINK IF YOU WERE TO VISIT THE ONE IN SINGAPORE AND THE ONE IN JAPAN YOU WOULD FIND THAT THERE IS NO ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM AND A REMOTE AREA IS NOT NECESSARY.
/GOVERNOR