XN000022-1980-06-07 — Page 3

·

IN

SATURDAY, JUNE 7, 1980

•

THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT ETHYL MERCAPTAN IS KNOWN TO POSSESS A POWERFUL AND OFFENSIVE ODOUR EVEN AT VERY LOW CONCENTRATIONS. BECAUSE OF THIS QUALITY, A SMALL AMOUNT OF THIS CHEMICAL IS DELIBERATELY MIXED WITH LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS (LPG) TO GIVE THE GAS A SMELL SO THAT SMALL LEAKS CAN EASILY BE DETECTED, THEREBY IMPROVING OVERALL SAFETY.

+HOWEVER, EARLY SUSPICION THAT THE SOURCE OF ODOUR AFFECTING THE SCHOOLS COULD HAVE COME FROM A NEARBY LPG HANDLING PLANT WERE SOON DISPELLED BECAUSE THE SENSITIVE ALARM SYSTEM INSTALLED "AT THE PLANT HAD NOT BEEN TRIGGERED AND THERE HAD BEEN NO DELIVERIES OF LPG OVER THE PERIOD IN QUESTION.

+SIMILARLY, EARLY FEARS THAT NOXIOUS GASES HAD BEEN GENERATED IN THE CONTROLLED REFUSE TIP AT MA YAU TONG WERE UNFOUNDED BECAUSE TESTS BY THE GOVERNMENT CHEMIST SHOWED THAT VENTS FROM THE TIP DID NOT GIVE OFF HARMFUL CONCENTRATIONS OF GASES.

+THE CONTROLLED TIP IS SUPERVISED AND THE AUTHORITIES' WILL CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN THEIR VIGILANCE OVER ITS OPERATION,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE COMBINED EFFORTS OF GOVERNMENT OFFICERS INVOLVED IN THE GROUND SEARCH FOR POSSIBLE SOURCES OF OFFENSIVE ODOURS DID NOT REVEAL UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES, AND DID NOT IDENTIFY A SINGLE SOURCE OF POLLUTANT WHICH COULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRESENT INCIDENTS.

IT HAS BEEN CONCLUDED THAT A HIGHLY LOCALISED DISCHARGE OF GAS, PROBABLY LPG, HAD AFFECTED SIU KEUNG SCHOOL.

+SUBSEQUENTLY, AS INFORMATION BECAME AVAILABLE, OTHER SCHOOLS WERE ALERTED TO A POTENTIAL GAS LEAK BUT NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND OF HARMFUL GASES BEING PRESENT AT ANY OF THEM, HE SAID.

HE ADDED FROM MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS OF THE CHILDREN WHO ATTENDED HOSPITAL IT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED THAT THE SYMPTOMS SOON DISAPPEARED AND THE CHILDREN RECOVERED COMPLETELY WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD.+

VOLUNTEERS WANTED TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH OFFENDERS ON PROBATION

******

THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT IS INVITING PUBLIC-SPIRITED CITIZENS TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH OFFENDERS PUT ON PROBATION AND TO HELP REFORM THEM.

UNDER A VOLUNTEER SCHEME INTRODUCED IN 1976 AS A COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PROJECT, VOLUNTEERS SPEND THEIR FREE TIME WITH PROBATIONERS ON A ONE-TO-ONE BASIS UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF PROBATION OFFICERS.

MR PETER LIN, CHAIRMAN OF THE SCHEME'S EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY) PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE ARE WELCOME TO JOIN.

/HR SAID