XN000022-1980-05-28 — Page 8

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 1980

REGARDING INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION IN AREAS SUCH AS KWUN TONG AND TSUEN WAN, MR JONES SAID THAT THE LIMITED AMOUNT OF SCIENTIFIC MONITORING THAT WAS CARRIED OUT AT PRESENT SHOWED THAT POLLUTION BY SULPHATE COMPOUNDS THERE WAS NOT PARTICULARLY HIGH FOR INDUSTRIAL AREAS.

HOWEVER, HE ADMITTED THAT THE INFORMATION WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE A REALLY SOUND ASSESSMENT OF AIR POLLUTION IN THESE AREAS AND THE GOVERNMENT WAS THEREFORE RECRUITING STAFF AND ORDERING THE SCIENTIFIC MONITORING EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO CARRY OUT MORE COMPREHENSIVE MEASUREMENTS.

AS FOR KWUN TONG, IN PARTICULAR, MR JONES ADDED THAT FOLLOWING A RECENT REPORT BY THE CHRISTIAN INDUSTRIAL COMMITTEE ON THE AREAS'S ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS THE ENVIRONMENT SUB-COMMITTEE OF THE KWUN TONG DISTRICT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE HAD FORMULATED AN ACTION PLAN INVOLVING SELF-HELP MEASURES TO IMPROVE UNSATISFACTORY CONDITIONS IN THE DISTRICT.

NEW LAW ON AIR POLLUTANTS *****

A NEW AIR POLLUTION CONTROL BILL SEEKING TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SAFEGUARDS, INCLUDING DETAILED MONITORING OF AIR QUALITY AND THE STEPPING UP OF ENFORCEMENT ACTION AGAINST UNACCEPTABLE POLLUTION OF THE ATMOSPHERE WILL BE INTRODUCED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BEFORE LONG.

THIS WAS DISCLOSED BY THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON DEREK JONES, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY DR THE HON RAYSON HUANG ON THE GOVERNMENT'S CAPABILITY TO IDENTIFY AND COUNTER TOXIC GASES IN THE ATMOSPHERE.

MR JONES SAID THAT INCIDENTS IN WHICH PEOPLE ARE TAKEN ILL AFTER BEING EXPOSED TO CERTAIN GASES ARE INVESTIGATED BY THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL UNIT OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT. IT CAN CALL ON THE HELP OF THE GOVERNMENT LABORATORY, WHICH HAS THE EXPERTISE TO ANALYSE ANY AIR SAMPLES TAKEN, TO IDENTIFY THE NATURE OF THE GAS OR GASES IN QUESTION.

+THE PROBLEM IS THAT VERY OFTEN THE AIR POLLUTANTS INVOLVED HAVE DISPERSED BY THE TIME THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL OFFICER IS ABLE TO TAKE A SAMPLE FOR ANALYSIS, HE EXPLAINED,

REFERRING TO RECENT INCIDENTS IN WHICH SCHOOLCHILDREN IN KWAI CHUNG WERE TAKEN ILL AFTER APPARENTLY BEING EXPOSED TO A NOXIOUS GAS, MR JONES SAID HE HAD ALREADY ARRANGED A MEETING YESTERDAY WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL THE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED AND A PRESS RELEASE ON THEIR CONCLUSIONS WAS ISSUED YESTERDAY.

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