XN000022-1983-05-27 — Page 4

FRIDAY, MAY 27, 1983

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+FAILURE TO OBTAIN A NEW ID CARD WITHIN THE SPECIFIED PERIOD MAY LEAD TO PROSECUTION, HE WARNED.

PEOPLE SHOULD, IN FACT, APPLY NOW IF THEY WANT TO AVOID THE LAST MINUTE RUSH, HE SAID.

THE SPOKESMAN REITERATED THAT THOSE WHO ARE AWAY FROM HONG KONG AND WILL NOT BE BACK BEFORE THE CLOSING DATE MUST MAKE THEIR APPLICATIONS WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THEIR RETURN.

ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE NEW ID CARD SCHEME COULD BE MADE BY TELEPHONING 5-7956066 (CHINESE LANGUAGE) OR 5-7909393 (ENGLISH LANGUAGE).

PETROL LEAD CONTENT TO BE FURTHER REDUCED

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FOLLOWING A RECOMMENDATION BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ADVISORY COMMITTEE (EPCOM), THE GOVERNMENT HAS SECURED THE AGREEMENT OF THE OIL COMPANIES IN HONG KONG TO REDUCE FURTHER THE LEAD CONTENT OF PETROL SOLD HERE, AS FROM JANUARY 1, 1985.

THE LEAD CONTENT WILL BE REDUCED FROM ITS PRESENT LEVEL OF 0.4 GRAMMES PER LITRE TO 0.25 GRAMMES.

THIS WILL BE A FURTHER STEP IN THE PHASED REDUCTIONS STARTED IN 1981 WITH THE COOPERATION OF THE OIL COMPANIES, A SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED.

HE SAID THAT IN JULY 1981, THE LEAD CONTENT OF PETROL WAS REDUCED FROM 0.8 GRAMMES TO 0.6 GRAMMES PER LITRE, AND IN JANUARY THIS YEAR, IT WAS FURTHER REDUCED TO THE EXISTING 0.4 GRAMMES PER LITRE, BRINGING HONG KONG IN LINE WITH MOST COUNTRIES WHICH HAVE SUCH CONTROLS, INCLUDING THE UNITED KINGDOM.

THE PLANNED REDUCTION TO 0.25 GRAMMES PER LITRE TAKES ACCOUNT OF THE NEED TO SAFEGUARD HONG KONG'S PETROL SUPPLIES, AS HONG KONG, HAVING NO REFINING CAPACITY OF ITS OWN, IS DEPENDENT ON EXTERNAL SOURCES FOR ITS FUEL, THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED.

HE SAID IT WAS NECESSARY TO NEGOTIATE WITH THOSE SUPPLIERS, PRINCIPALLY SINGAPORE AND CHINA, TO ENSURE THAT THE LEAD-LEVEL SET FOR FUEL IMPORTED INTO HONG KONG IS ONE WHICH THEY CAN MEET.

+THIS HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AND THE NEW TARGET IS THEREFORE A PRACTICAL ONE.

IN ADDITION, THE EXTRA REFINING COST OF SUCH A MOVE WILL BE MARGINAL, HE SAID.

MONITORING UNDERTAKEN BY THE EPA SHOWED THAT ATMOSPHERIC LEAD LEVELS WERE ALREADY WITHIN INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED STANDARDS. NEVERTHELESS THE GOVERNMENT ACCEPTED THE DESIRABILITY OF FURTHER IMPROVING THE SITUATION, SINCE IT WAS PRACTICAL AND ECONOMICAL TO DO SO. IT THEREFORE WELCOMED EPÇOM'S RECOMMENDATION AND DECIDED TO ACT UPON IT, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

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