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MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1994
THE $10 COINS ARE BEING ISSUED TO MEET THE NEED OF THE PUBLIC, ESPECIALLY COMMUTERS, FOR HIGHER-VALUE COINS.
LAST 20 TO 30
ARE YEARS,
MORE WHICH HAVE AN AVERAGE LIFE SPAN OF ABOUT
ALSO, COINS, WHICH USUALLY DURABLE THAN $10 NOTES, 30 MONTHS.
THE $10 NOTES WILL BE GRADUALLY REPLACED BUT WILL REMAIN
LEGAL
TENDER.
VICTORIA HARBOUR WATER CONTROL ZONE FFERS TIAF TOMORROW
PHASE I OF THE VICTORIA HARBOUR WATER CONTROL ZONF (WCZ). WHICH COVERS KWUN TONG, KWAI CHUNG AND THE EASTERN PART OF TSUEN WAN WILL. BECOME EFFECTIVE TOMORROW (TUESDAY),
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ALL WASTEWATER DISCHARGES FROM INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL ACTIVITIES IN THE ZONE WILL NEED TO OBTAIN
LICENCE FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT (EPD).
**THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE WATERS OF VICTORIA HARBOUR HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN A WCZ AND IS A SIGNIFICANT STEP FORWARD IN THE GOVERNMENT'S PLAN TO CONTROL POLLUTING WASTEWATER DISCHARGES AND TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY IN HONG KONG'S COASTAL WATERS, AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, MR JOHN BOXALL, SAID.
THAT
"STARTING FROM TOMORROW, ANYONE WISHING TO START A BUSINESS DISCHARGES WASTEWATER IN TTHF WCZ MUST OBTAIN A LICENCE BEFOREHAND. THEY MUST ALSO BE ABLE ΤΟ TREAT THEIR WASTEWATER DISCHARGES TO STANDARDS LAID DOWN IN THE LICENCE.
"FOR EXISTING DISCHARGES, LICENCE APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO EPD BY
JUNE 30, 1995. PEOPLE ARE ENCOURAGED TO MAKE EARLY APPLICATIONS SO THAT THEY WILL HAVE SUFFICIENT TIME TO PROVIDE FOR OR IMPROVE TREATMENT OF THEIR DISCHARGES TO MEET THE REQUIRED STANDARDS, HE SAID.
ANY PERSON WHO DISCHARGES POLLUTING WATER INTO THE WCZ IS COMMITTING AN OFFENCE AND IS LIABLE TO A MAXIMUM FINE OF $200,000 FOR THE FIRST TIME AND $400,000 FOR ANY SUBSEQUENT OFFENCE. OFFENDERS MAY ALSO BE LIABLE TO SIX MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT.
DISCHARGERS CAN CONTACT THE EPD'S LOCAL CONTROL OFFICES TO OBTAIN MORE INFORMATION ON TEL 417 6150 (FOR TSUEN WAN AND KWAT HUNG AREA) AND TEL 755 3241 (POR KWUN TONG AREA).
EPD WILL ORGANISE A SEMINAR IN MID-NOVEMBER ON THE CONTROL REQUIREMENTS IN THE ZONE FOR WASTEWATER CONSULTANTS AND CONTRACTORS WHO PROVIDE WASTEWATER TREATMENT EQUIPMENT TO DISCHARGERS.
ENQUIRIES ON THE SEMINAR CAN BE MADE ON 117 6064
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