XN000022-1982-06-10 — Page 6

THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1982

5.

THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE WAS CONCERNED HOWEVER THAT THE MTR APPEARED TO PROPOSE TO MONITOR NOISE ONLY BY COMPLAINT+.

+WE THEREFORE URGED THE CORPORATION TO INTRODUCE OBJECTIVE, SCIENTIFIC NOISE MONITORING TECHNIQUES AND A SYSTEM OF SELF- INSPECTION, THROUGH WHICH THEY THEMSELVES WOULD TAKE ACTION TO CUT DOWN EXCESSIVE NOISE, SHOULD IT OCCUR, EVEN IN ADVANCE OF COMPLAINTS FROM THE PUBLIC.

+THIS THEY HAVE AGREED TO DO AND WE SHALL BE MONITOR ING EVENTS AS THE LINE WORKS GET UNDERWAY, HE SAID.

MR LITTON ALSO REPORTED THAT THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE HAD GIVEN THE IR SUPPORT TO A PILOT STUDY BEING RUN BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ON NOISE IN SCHOOLS AND HAD OBTAINED A NEW INITIATIVE FROM THE BUILDING CONTRACTORS' ASSOCIATION IN THE FORM OF A DECLARED INTENTION TO ADOPT AN APPROACH OF SELF-REGULATION+ IN THE CONTROL OF CONSTRUCTION NOISE.

THE COMMITTEE HAD GIVEN ITS FULL SUPPORT TO THE ENDEAVOURS, WHICH WERE THE APPOINTMENT OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER TO RESPOND TO COMPLAINTS AND TO ADVISE THE ASSOCIATION'S MEMBERS ON NOISE REDUCTION TECHNIQUES, THE SETTING UP OF A MONITORING AND COMPLAINTS COMMITTEE TO OVERSEE THIS WHOLE AREA, AND THE ISSUING OF A CODE OF PRACTICE EXPLAINING HOW NOISE FROM COMPRESSORS SHOULD BEST BE HANDLED IN ORDER TO CUT DOWN ITS IMPACT.

MR LITTON FURTHER SAID HE KNEW A GREAT DEAL OF PREPARATORY WORK WAS NOW GOING ON WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT ON A COMPREHENSIVE NO ISE CONTROL BILL AND ON A NEW APPROACH TO THE CONTROL OF DAYTIME PILING THROUGH AN AMENDMENT TO THE SUMMARY OFFENCES ORDINANCE.

REFERRING TO THE WORK OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATION, OF WHICH HE IS ALSO CHAIRMAN, MR LITTON NOTED THAT IT HAD A VALUABLE ROLE IN CONDUCTING A FINAL SCRUTINY OF MAJOR LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS AS THEY CAME UP. AFTER POLICY HAD BEEN DETERMINED THROUGH THE OTHER EPCOM COMMITTEES.

MR STEPHEN LAU, CHAIRMAN OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON LAND AND WATER POLLUTION, REPORTED THAT IN ADDITION TO THE DECLARATION OF TOLO HARBOUR AS A WATER CONTROL ZONE AND THE WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES FOR THE ZONE, THE COMMITTEE HAD DISCUSSED THE LONG TERM PROVISION OF CONTROLLED TIP AND INCINERATOR SITES AND THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH PFA DISPOSAL FROM THE POWER STATION ON LAMMA ISLAND.

+S INCE THE PROBLEMS INVOLVED IN THE WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ORDINANCE ARE BEING RESOLVED, I EXPECT WE SHALL NOW BE DEVOTING MORE ATTENTION TO SOLID WASTE AND LAND BASED POLLUTION, HE SAID.

HE SAID HE WAS PLEASED THAT THE GOVERNMENT +DOES NOW SEEM COMMITTED TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, WHERE THIS IS PRACTICAL+ AND HE EXPECTED THAT THE NEXT SESSION WOULD BE A PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING ONE, WITH MANY PROPOSALS NOW CLOSE TO BE ING AT THE STAGE WHERE THEY WILL COME TO EPCOM AND ITS SPECIAL COMMITTEES.

16