XN000022-1982-03-07 — Page 5

SUNDAY, MARCH 7, 1982.

THE MOST APPARENT WORK OF KEEPING THE ENVIRONMENT CLEAN IS THE DAILY COLLECTION OF SOME 6 500 TONS OF SOLID HOUSEHOLD AND

INDUSTRIAL WASTE, MUCH OF WHICH IS REMOVED BY THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT. MUCH MORE WOULD HAVE TO BE DEALT WITH IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE SMALL ARMY OF PEOPLE WHO IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER RECOVER WASTE-PAPER, CANS, BOTTLES AND OTHER MATERIAL WHICH IS EVENTUALLY EXPORTED FOR RECYCLING.

STATISTICS SHOW THAT IN 1980, THE AMOUNT OF WASTES EXPORTED FOR RECYCLING CAME TO A STAGGERING $157 MILLION.

IT IS EXPECTED THAT IN TEN YEARS' TIME, HONG KONG'S HOUSEHOLD AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE WILL REACH A FIGURE OF MORE THAN 10 000 TONS A DAY. HEAPED-UP, THIS WOULD MAKE A PILE THE SIZE OF THE HOPEWELL CENTRE.

TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS HUGE AMOUNT OF WASTE AND ANY TOXIC OR DANGEROUS WASTES ARE DEALT WITH HYGIENICALLY AND SAFELY AND AT LEAST COST TO THE TAXPAYER, THE GOVERNMENT IS REQUIRED, UNDER THE RECENTLY-INTRODUCED WASTE DISPOSAL ORDINANCE, TO PREPARE A STATUTORY WASTE DISPOSAL PLAN, WORK ON THIS PLAN IS UNDERWAY WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MANY DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED AND FROM THE CONSULTANTS RECENTLY COMMISSIONED TO DEVELOP A COMPUTER-BASED WASTE DISPOSAL MODEL, BEING GUIDED BY THE EPA.

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AGRICULTURAL WASTES, ESPECIALLY PIG WASTE, ARE ANOTHER BIG PROBLEM, AND HAVE FOR MANY YEARS CAUSED WIDESPREAD POLLUTION OF THE NEW TERRITORIES.

+MUCH OF THE PROBLEM LIES WITH THE PRACTICE OF HOSING OUT WASTES INTO WATER COURSES IN WHICH THERE IS LITTLE RUNNING WATER FOR MOST OF THE YEAR, EXPLAINED DR STUART REED, COMMISSIONER FOR THE EPA.

TO CHECK THIS PROBLEM, THE NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAS ALREADY INTRODUCED PILOT COLLECTION SCHEMES IN COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL FARMERS IN THE LAM TSUEN AND KAU LUNG HANG VALLEYS. THESE EFFORTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE BACKED-UP SOON BY NEW REGULATIONS INTRODUCED UNDER THE WASTE DISPOSAL ORDINANCE WHICH WILL REQUIRE LIVESTOCK FARMERS TO ADOPT CERTAIN PRACTICES AIMED AT FACILITATING COLLECTION OF THE WASTES.

TO DEAL WITH ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION, AN AIR POLLUTION CONTROL BILL SHOULD SOON BE SUBMITTED TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, REPLACING THE 1959 CLEAN AIR ORDINANCE.

DR REED POINTS OUT THAT WHILE INITIAL PUBLIC CONCERN USUALLY CENTRES ON THE IMMEDIATELY NOTICEABLE EFFECTS OF POLLUTION, SUCH AS THE VISIBLE EMISSIONS OF SMOKE, DUST AND GRIT COVERED IN THE PRESENT ORDINANCE, EXPERIENCE ELSEWHERE HAS SHOWN THAT WIDESPREAD PROBLEMS CAN DEVELOP QUICKLY AS A RESULT OF LARGELY INVISIBLE EMISSIONS FROM THE INCREASING NUMBER OF VEHICLES ON THE ROADS AND FROM CERTAIN TYPES OF INDUSTRIALISATION. SO THERE IS NEED FOR STRICTER CONTROLS THAN THOSE PROVIDED BY THE CLEAN AIR ORDINANCE IN ORDER TO COVER ALL AIR POLLUTION, AND NOT JUST SMOKE, DUST AND GRIT.

/+CEMENT AND