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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 1993
ATTENTION NEWS EDITORS:
THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR KY YEUNG, WILL GIVE A CONFERENCE ON THE WESTERN HARBOUR CROSSING FRANCHISE IN PRESS CONFERENCE ROOM AT 11.30 AM ON FRIDAY.
PRESS
THE GIS
THIS WILL FOLLOW A JOINT MEETING OF THE LEGCO TRANSPORT PANEL AND SUB-COMMITTEE ON FINANCING OF THE ACP.
THE AIRPORT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT SUB- COMMITTEE WILL BE BRIEFED IN THE AFTERNOON.
WENT LANDFILL CONTRACT SIGNED
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THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT (EPD) TODAY (WEDNESDAY) SIGNED A CONTRACT FOR THE WEST NEW TERRITORIES LANDFILL (WENT), THE FIRST OF THE THREE STRATEGIC LARGE-CAPACITY LANDFILLS TO BE DEVELOPED UNDER THE LONG-TERM WASTE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY IN HONG KONG.
THE CONTRACT WAS AWARDED TO SWIRE BFI WASTE SERVICES LTD,
A 50/50 PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN SWIRE PACIFIC LTD AND BROWNING FERRIS INDUSTRIES INC.
SWIRE PACIFIC LTD IS A HONG KONG CORPORATION WHILST BROWNING FERRIS INDUSTRIES INC IS AN INTERNATIONAL WASTE MANAGEMENT COMPANY BASED IN THE USA.
THE $3.2 BILLION CONTRACT COVERS THE CAPITAL COST OF THE PROJECT, THE LANDFILL'S OPERATION COST FOR 25 YEARS AS WELL AS THE AFTERCARE OF THE SITE FOR A FURTHER 30 YEARS.
THE LANDFILL WILL BE ABLE TO RECEIVE A TOTAL OF OVER 61 MILLION TONNES OF WASTE AND IS EXPECTED ΤΟ START OPERATION IN NOVEMBER THIS YEAR.
SIGNING THE CONTRACT AT THE CEREMONY, EPD'S ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, MR MIKE STOKOE, SAID THE WENT LANDFILL PROJECT WAS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN ASIA.
IT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED UNDER A DESIGN, BUILD AND OPERATE CONTRACT ARRANGEMENT UNDER WHICH THE CONTRACTOR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL ASPECTS OF THE FACILITY.
HE ADDED THAT THE THREE PREVIOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT PROJECTS HAD BEEN DEVELOPED IN A SIMILAR FASHION.
THIS TYPE OF CONTRACT ARRANGEMENT REQUIRES THE CONTRACTOR TO SATISFY VERY STRINGENT ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS FOR BOTH CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF THE LANDFILL, INCLUDING LINING THE SITE WITH AN IMPERMEABLE MEMBRANE AS WELL AS COLLECTING AND TREATING THE POLLUTED LIQUIDS AND LANDFILL GAS PRIOR TO ANY DISCHARGE FROM THE SITE.
/NOTING THAT