XN000022-1978-12-08 — Page 2

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1978

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HONG KONG SETTING OUT TO ACHIEVE

COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

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HONG KONG IS NOW AT THE STARTING POINT IN SETTING OUT TO ACHIEVE COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, A PRINCIPAL ASSISTANT SECRETARY IN THE ENVIRONMENT BRANCH OF THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT SAID THIS (FRIDAY) EVENING.

MR. TONY BENNETT WAS ADDRESSING A MEETING OF THE PENINSULA LIONS CLUB IN KOWLOON.

+ IN SETTING ABOUT THIS TASK, WE CAN TO SOME EXTENT BENEFIT BY THE EXPERIENCE OF OTHER COUNTRIES WHICH HAVE INTRODUCED ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS, HE SAID.

+BUT I SHOULD LIKE TO EMPHASISE THAT OUR AIM WILL BE TO PRODUCE MEASURES TO SUIT THE PARTICULAR NEEDS OF HONG KONG, AND NOT SIMPLY TO FOLLOW METHODS WHICH HAVE BEEN PRODUCED. ELSEWHERE IN RESPONSE TO DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES THAN WE HAVE HERE.

+WE DO NOT PROPOSE, FOR EXAMPLE, TO FOLLOW THE APPROACH ADOPTED IN SOME EUROPEAN COUNTRIES WHERE 'BLANKET' CONTROLS ARE LAID DOWN, SETTING PERMITTED EMISSION LEVELS WHICH APPLY TO ALL MUNICIPAL INSTALLATIONS, FACTORIES, ETC., REGARDLESS OF THE LOCATION.

+THE 'ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT' APPROACH NOW BEING FORMULATED FOR HONG KONG AIMS TO MATCH THE AMOUNT OF POLLUTANTS EMITTED IN THE VARIOUS GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS OF THE TERRITORY WITH THE CAPACITY OF EACH OF THESE AREAS TO ABSORB AND DISPERSE THESE POLLUTANTS.+

MR. BENNETT SAID HONG KONG COULD NOT AFFORD TO RUSH IN WITH DRASTIC ANTI-POLLUTION CONTROLS WHICH WOULD PUT LARGE NUMBERS OF UNDERTAKINGS OUT OF BUSINESS.

+ON THE OTHER HAND, IF WE DO NOT INTRODUCE SOME FORM OF CONTROL OVER POLLUTION WHERE THIS IS NEEDED, THIS CAN DETERIORATE TO THE POINT WHERE IT PUT PEOPLE OUT OF BUSINESS BY ITSELF.

+SO, IN INTRODUCING ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, WE ARE TREADING +50, CAREFULLY RATHER THAN RUSHING IN,+ MR. BENNETT POINTED OUT.

HE SAID HE THOUGHT INDUSTRIAL REPRESENTATIVES HAD RECOGNISED THE NEED FOR MEASURES TO PREVENT THE POLLUTION SITUATION FROM DETERIORATING AND, WHERE POSSIBLE, TO BRING ABOUT IMPROVEMENTS WITHOUT CAUSING ANY SIGNIFICANT DISRUPTION OR EXPENSE TO EXISTING INDUSTRIES.

+ I THINK THAT IT HAS ALSO BEEN RECOGNISED THAT IT IS MORE SENSIBLE, AND CONSIDERABLY LESS EXPENSIVE TO INDUSTRY, TO PLAN ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS INTO AN OPERATION THAN TO WAIT UNTIL THE POLLUTION SITUATION BECOMES CRITICAL AND THEN HAVE TO SUDDENLY INSTALL POLLUTION CONTROLS ONTO AN EXISTING OPERATION,+ MR. BENNETT SAID.

HE SAID SUCH CONTROLS WERE EXPECTED TO BE REQUIRED IN ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF AREAS, AND THEN IN RESPECT OF ONLY VERY LIMITED CATEGORIES OF LIQUID EFFLUENTS.

WHILE THE.....