XN000022-1978-07-11 — Page 3

TUESDAY, JULY 11, 1978'

BAN ON NOISY CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT AT NIGHT

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THE SUMMARY OFFENCES (NIGHT WORK) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 1978, PUBLISHED IN THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE RECENTLY, WILL EXTEND THE EXISTING 8 P.M. - 6 A.M. BAN ON PILE DRIVING TO COVER ALL NOISY CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT.

THE NEW LAW WILL COME INTO EFFECT ON JULY 1 NEXT YEAR TO ALLOW THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY ADEQUATE TIME TO COMPLETE MOST EXISTING CONTRACTS, AND THE BAN WILL BE IN FORCE EVERY DAY BETWEEN 7 P.M. AND 7 A.M. AND ALL DAY ON PUBLIC HOLIDAYS.

THE BAN, WHICH EXCEPTS HAND HELD TOOLS OF UP TO ONE HORSEPOWER, WAS FIRST ANNOUNCED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN JUNE LAST YEAR.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID, WHILE THE BAN ON PILE DRIVING AT NIGHT HAD REMOVED A MAJOR SOURCE. OF NOISE NUISANCE FROM CONSTRUCTION SITES DURING THE SPECIFIED TIMES, OTHER CONSTRUCTION WORK NOISE CREATED BY EQUIPMENT SUCH AS AIR COMPRESSORS AND PNEUMATIC DRILLS, ALTHOUGH LESS OFFENSIVE THAN PILING, REMAINED AN IRRITANT AT NIGHT AND ON PUBLIC HOLIDAYS, PARTICULARLY IN CONGESTED URBAN AREAS,

HE SAID THE BAN ON USING NOISY CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT AT NIGHT HAD BEEN RECOMMENDED BY THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (EPCOM). THE COMMITTEE HAD FELT THAT, AT THE PRESENT PACE OF DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG, THE NOISE PROBLEM WAS BECOMING MORE CRITICAL AND WAS OF GROWING PUBLIC CONCERN. THE EPCOM RECOMMENDATION HAD BEEN ACCEPTED AS AN INTER IM MEASURE PENDING DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE CONTROL OF CONSTRUCTION NOISE BY THE GOVERNMENT'S CONSULTANTS ON ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION CONTROL.

HE SAID THE DECISION THAT THE RESTRICTIONS SHOULD COME INTO EFFECT TWO YEARS AFTER THEIR INTRODUCTION INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WAS TAKEN BECAUSE IT WAS FELT THAT THEIR IMMEDIATE APPLICATION COULD CAUSE DIFFICULTIES IN CONNECTION WITH BUILDING CONTRACTS ALREADY ENTERED INTO.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID FURTHER MEASURES PROPOSED BY EPCOM TO COUNTER PROBLEMS CREATED BY CONSTRUCTION NOISE INCLUDE THE INTRODUCTION OF A CODE OF PRACTICE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY WHICH WOULD LAY DOWN REQUIRED STANDARDS STIPULATING THE USE OF NOISE-REDUCED CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT OR THE ATTACHMENT OF MUFFLING DEVICES.

+THIS PROPOSAL IS NOW BEING STUDIED IN THE ENVIRONMENT BRANCH AND PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS HAVE BEEN HELD WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY, HE ADDED,

THE SPOKESMAN SAID AN EXPERT IN TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF NOISE ABATEMENT IS EXPECTED TO JOIN THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION UNIT OF THE ENVIRONMENT BRANCH IN ABOUT TWO MONTHS AND ONE OF HIS PRIORITY AIMS WOULD BE TO PRODUCE A CODE OF PRACTICE WHICH WOULD BE WORKABLE IN HONG KONG.

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