XN000022-1978-05-30 — Page 7

TUESDAY, MAY 30, 1978

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+1 AM PLEASED TO SAY THAT, IN THE DISCUSSIONS WE HAVE HAD SO FAR WITH INDUSTRY, THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN MOST ENCOURAGING. | AM NOT SAYING WE HAVE BEEN WELCOMED WITH OPEN ARMS. BUT THERE HAS BEEN GENERAL ACCEPTANCE OF THE NEED FOR SOME SORT OF CONTROLS AND THE CRITICISMS OF OUR PROPOSALS HAVE BEEN THOUGHTFUL AND CONSTRUCTIVE.+

DR. REED SAID THERE WERE TWO IMPORTANT FEATURES WHICH SHOULD BE MENTIONED: THE FIRST IS +THAT WE PLAN TO ARRANGE MATTERS SO THAT THE EFFECT ON EXISTING INDUSTRY AND THE PUBLIC SECTOR IN HONG KONG IS MINIMAL. WE DO NOT PLAN TO INTRODUCE RETROACTIVE CONTROL REQUIREMENTS, EXCEPT IN THE RARE CASES WHERE WE FIND THERE IS QUITE CLEAR EVIDENCE OF A SERIOUS HEALTH HAZARD.

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+WHAT WE AIM TO DO IS TO CONTAIN THE PRESENT POLLUTION SITUATION IN THE SHORT-TERM BY LIMITING EXISTING EMISSIONS TO PRESENT VALUES, WITH SOME ALLOWANCE FOR NORMAL PRODUCTION VARIATIONS- WE AIM TO PREVENT SIGNIFICANT DETERIORATION IN THE MEDIUM-TERM BY PLACING APPROPRIATE EMISSION CONTROLS ON NEW

INDUSTRIES, NEW SEWAGE WORKS AND OTHER NEW INSTALLATIONS WHERE SUCH CONTROLS CAN BE APPLIED MOST CONVENIENTLY AND ECONOMICALLY- AND WE ARE LOOKING FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE LONGER-TERM THROUGH THE NATURAL PROCESS OF URBAN AND INDUSTRIAL RENEWAL WHICH WOULD, OF COURSE, HAVE TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW INSTALLATIONS.+

THE SECOND IMPORTANT FEATURE OF THE PROPOSED CONTROLS, DR. REED SAID. WAS THE INTENTION TO USE AN +ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT+ APPROACH RATHER THAN THE BLUNT INSTRUMENT OF BLANKET EMISSION LIMITS.

THROUGHOUT THE DISCUSSIONS ON THE WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ORDINANCE, THERE HAD BEEN TWO MAIN ANXIETIES ON THE PART OF REPRESENTATIVES WITH INDUSTRIAL INTERESTS.

+ONE IS THAT, ALTHOUGH THERE IS GENERAL ACCEPTANCE OF THE ENABLING LEGISLATION THAT WE ARE PROPOSING AS A QUALITATIVE FRAMEWORK, IT IS FELT THAT THERE MUST BE MORE THAN JUST ASSURANCES FROM THE GOVERNMENT SIDE THAT INDUSTRY WILL BE CONSULTED WHEN THE QUANTITATIVE REGULATIONS, WHICH FLOW FROM THE ENABLING LEGISLATION, ARE BEING FORMULATED.

+ THE SECOND MAIN ANXIETY IS THAT THE IMPLICATIONS OF AN EXISTING DISCHARGER MODIFYING HIS INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENT BY INCREASING THE EMISSION OF EXISTING COMPONENTS OR INTRODUCING NEW COMPONENTS INTO THE DISCHARGE SHOULD BE SPELT OUT MUCH MORE CLEARLY THAN IT IS AT PRESENT.

+WE VERY MUCH UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN ON THIS POINT AND WE ARE REVISING THE DEFINITIONS INVOLVED IN A WAY THAT WE HOPE WILL MEET THE CONCERNS EXPRESSED WHILST AT THE SAME TIME WE HOPE TO AVOID PLACING THE POLLUTER AND THE CONTROL AUTHORITY IN TOO RIGID A POSITION,+

DR. REED SAID IT WAS PLANNED TO HAVE A CENTRAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION UNIT IN THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT AND TO ESTABLISH CONTROL UNITS IN INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS.

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