XN000022-1983-06-29 — Page 8

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 1983

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AS REGARDS TOXIC AND HAZARDOUS WASTES, MR CHING SAID A REPORT HAD RECENTLY BEEN RECEIVED FROM CONSULTANTS.

+THIS RECOMMENDS POSSIBLE METHODS FOR THE SAFE DISPOSAL OF SUCH WASTES, INCLUDING THE CONSTRUCTION OF CERTAIN SPECIALISED FACILITIES. THESE COMPRISE A NEUTRAL ISATION PLANT FOR AQUEOUS WASTES, AN OILY WASTE TREATMENT PLANT, A CHEMICAL WASTE INCINERATOR AND A SOLVENTS RECOVERY PLANT, HE SAID.

+THE CONSULTANTS' RECOMMENDATIONS ARE NOW UNDER STUDY, HE SAID.

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON WONG PO-YAN ON THE USE OF NON-GAZETTED BEACHES, MR CHING POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY ON THE USE OF BEACHES FOR SWIMMING DID NOT DEPEND UPON WHETHER OR NOT THE BEACH WAS GAZETTED OR NON-GAZETTED.

+THE WATER QUALITY IS ANALYSED REGULARLY AT ALL BEACHES DESIGNATED AS PUBLIC PLEASURE GROUNDS, AND AT SOME NINE OTHER BEACHES WHICH ARE NOT SO DESIGNATED BUT WHICH ATTRACT SWIMMERS AND WHICH MAY AT SOME FUTURE DATE REQUIRE DESIGNATION,+ HE SAID.

+WHERE THE WATER QUALITY FALLS BELOW THE STANDARD RECOMMENDED BY THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION AS BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR SWIMMING, NOTICES ARE POSTED PROMINENTLY WARNING PEOPLE THAT IT IS UNSAFE FOR THEM TO SWIM THERE.

+SUCH NOTICES HAVE ALREADY BEEN POSTED AT CASTLE PEAK, ANGLERS' AND BUTTERFLY BEACHES, AND CONSIDERABLE PUBLICITY HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE FACT THAT THE WATERS ADJACENT TO THOSE BEACHES ARE NOW SO POLLUTED AS TO BE UNSAFE FOR SWIMMERS.

+ IN THE CONTEXT OF POLLUTION, CLEARLY SWIMMERS SHOULD AVOID SWIMMING AT THOSE BEACHES, WHETHER GAZETTED' OR NOT. WHERE THE WATER QUALITY IS SUCH AS TO POSE A SERIOUS HEALTH HAZARD,+ HE SAID.

REFERRING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON CHEUNG YAN-LUNG ABOUT FLOATING REFUSE ON GAZETTED PUBLIC BEACHES AND ABOUT VESSELS AND INDIVIDUALS CAUSING THIS NUISANCE, MR CHEUNG SAID ALL SO-CALLED GAZETTED BEACHES WERE PROVIDED WITH A LITTER COLLECTION SERVICE.

IN ADDITION TO COLLECTING REFUSE ON THE BEACH ITSELF, THE SERVICE ALSO INCLUDES THE COLLECTION OF FLOATING REFUSE ON THE WATERS ADJACENT TO THE BEACH, AND IN PARTICULAR ON THOSE WATERS SET ASIDE FOR THE SOLE USE OF SWIMMERS AND NORMALLY DELINEATED BY BOOM-LINES,

URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT STAFF ARE STATIONED AT ALL GAZETTED BEACHES AND ARE EMPOWERED TO SUMMON LITTER OFFENDERS.

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