XN000022-1979-05-09 — Page 24

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 1979

GAS LEAKAGE

FULL INVESTIGATION CARRIED OUT

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A FULL INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN MADE INTO THE LEAKAGE OF GAS WHICH AFFECTED THREE SCHOOLS IN TSUEN WAN, THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. DEREK JONES TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. ANDREW SO, MR. JONES SAID THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS CAUSED WHEN SOME DRUMS CONTAINING RESIDUAL AMOUNTS OF CHEMICAL, ETHYL ACRYLATE, WERE CRUSHED DURING PROCESSING AT A SCRAP METAL YARD NEAR ONE OF THE SCHOOLS.

+THE GOVERNMENT CHEMIST ESTABLISHED THAT NO MORE THAN ABOUT 14 LITRES OF THE LIQUID WERE RELEASED, SOME OF WHICH THEN EVAPORATED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE AND WAS EVENTUALLY DISPERSED- BUT NOT BEFORE IT HAD GIVEN RISE TO THE ILL-EFFECTS AT THE SCHOOL, MR. JONES SAID.

FOLLOWING IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM, MR. JONES SAID THE DRUMS WERE CLEANED THOROUGHLY WITH DETERGENT AND SAND BEFORE BEING BURIED.

THE SECOND INCIDENT WAS INVESTIGATED BY THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND IT WAS SO SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS ONE THAT IT MAY ALSO HAVE BEEN DUE TO ETHYL ACRYLATE, WHICH IS QUITE WIDELY USED IN THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY.

THE THIRD INCIDENT WAS, IN FACT, A SECOND COMPLAINT FROM THE FIRST SCHOOL AFFECTED AND NOTHING FURTHER WAS FOUND AFTER A FULL INVESTIGATION,+ MR. JONES ADDED.

MR. JONES TOLD THE COUNCIL THAT TO AVOID INCIDENTS OF THIS OR A MORE SERIOUS NATURE IN FUTURE, IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO TIGHTEN-UP ON THE PROVISIONS FOR THE DISPOSAL OF CHEMICALS LIKE ETHYL ACRYLATE AND TOXIC WASTES OF ALL KIND.

+ IT IS WITH THIS NEED IN MIND THAT I AM PREPARING A NEW BILL, THE WASTE DISPOSAL BILL, WHICH I HOPE TO INTRODUCE TO THIS COUNCIL BEFORE LONG, MR. JONES SAID.

THIS NEW BILL, HE STRESSED, WILL PROVIDE, AMONG OTHER THINGS, FOR REGULATIONS TO BE MADE CONCERNING THE NOTIFICATION AND SAFE DISPOSAL OF TOXIC AND DIFFICULT WASTES, AND IT WILL BRING HONG KONG'S SAFETY MEASURES IN THIS AREA INTO LINE WITH THOSE IN ADVANCED INDUSTRIALISED COUNTRIES.

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