XN000022-1974-07-01 — Page 3

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MONDAY, JULY 1, 1974

P.W.D. CHIEF'S ANTI-POLLUTION MISSION

ENGINEERING DIRECTOR TO HAVE TALKS IN U.S.

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P.W.D.'S DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT, MR. DAVID STEAD. IS OFF TO THE UNITED STATES NEXT WEEKEND ON A MISSION WHICH WILL CONSOLIDATE THE ANTI-POLLUTION MEASURES BEING WORKED OUT FOR THE POLYSTYRENE PLANT TO BE SET UP ON TSING YI ISLAND. HIS VISIT WILL ALSO REINFORCE THE GOVERNMENT'S LONG-TERM PLANS FOR COMBATTING ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION.

THE LEASE AGREEMENT FOR THE PLANT WAS RECENTLY SIGNED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND THE MANUFACTURERS, DOW CHEMICAL, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

MR. STEAD'S FIRST STOP WILL BE LOS ANGELES. HE WILL HAVE A FULL DAY OF TECHNICAL DISCUSSIONS AT THE NEARBY INDUSTRIAL TOWN OF TORRANCE, WHERE THE MANUFACTURERS HAVE A POLYSTYRENE PLANT SIMILAR IN CONCEPT TO THE ONE PLANNED FOR TSING YI.

FROM THERE HE WILL FLY ON TO HOUSTON FOR THREE FURTHER DAYS' OF TALKS AT DOV CHEMICAL'S HEAD OFFICES. ALSO TAKING PART IN BOTH SETS OF DISCUSSIONS WILL BE THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT'S CONSULTANTS, MESSRS. CREMER AND WARNER.

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COMMENTING ON HIS ASSIGNMENT, MR. STEAD SAID TODAY: +THE IMMEDIATE PURPOSE OF MY TRIP IS TO ENSURE THAT THE ANTI-POLLUTION MEASURES PLANNED FOR THE TSING YI PLANT ARE DEVISED AND IMPLEMENTED IN THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY POSSIBLE TO MEET THE STANDARDS THE GOVERNMENT HAS LAID DOWN.

+THE WAY TO DO THIS IS THROUGH CLOSE TECHNICAL LIAISON WITH THE MANUFACTURERS, AND KNOWING MORE ABOUT THE IR METHODS AND PROCESSES, MY VISIT WILL EXTEND THE AREA OF TECHNICAL COLLABORATION BETWEEN OURSELVES AND THE COMPANY.

*

+THERE IS ALSO A SECOND LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE

AND THIS IS TO

ADD TO THE GOVERNMENT'S STOCKPILE OF EXPERTISE ON INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION. WE HAVE ALREADY AMASSED A SIZEABLE TALLY OF TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE, BUT THE MORE WE KNOW ABOUT PROBLEMS THAT COULD ARISE IN THE COURSE OF INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT, AND ABOUT THE ANSWERS TO THEM, THE BETTER.+

MR. STEAD, WHO IS P.W.D.'S REPRESENTATIVE ON THE GOVERNMENT'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION, POINTED OUT THAT EVER SINCE THE PROPOSAL FOR THE TSING YI PLANT WAS FIRST MADE, P.W.D. AND ITS CONSULTANTS HAD GIVEN CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS.

+ IN JANUARY THIS YEAR MY COLLEAGUE MR. WONG MANG-KI, NOW ACTING PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT CIVIL ENGINEER, WENT TO MIDLAND IN MICHIGAN FOR TECHNICAL TALKS WITH DOW CHEMICAL THERE.

+I MYSELF SHALL BE GOING BACK TO HOUSTON FOR ANOTHER VISIT IN SEPTEMBER, BY WHICH TIME THE PLANS FOR THE TSING YI PLANT WILL BE JUST ABOUT IN THEIR FINAL FORM.+

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