XN000022-1984-10-15 — Page 27

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1984

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AT THE SAME MEETING A CODE OF PRACTICE ON THE SAFE HANDLING AND DISPOSAL OF ASBESTOS WASTES WAS SUBMITTED TO MEMBERS FOR THE IR VIEWS.

THE CODE WILL BE ISSUED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE WASTE DISPOSAL ORDINANCE AND ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT LEGALLY BINDING IN ITSELF, FAILURE TO FOLLOW ITS RECOMMENDATIONS MAY PUT A DEFENDANT AT DISADVANTAGE IN LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.

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THE CODE WILL IDENTIFY THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ASBESTOS WASTES, ACCORDING TO THE DEGREE OF HAZARD, AND LAYS DOWN DIFFERENT PROCEDURES FOR THEIR SAFE HANDLING. THESE PROCEDURES WILL ENSURE THAT ASBESTOS WASTES AND ANY OTHER WASTE MATERIAL CONTAINING ASBESTOS ARE PROPERLY IDENTIFIED, SECURED AND TRANSPORTED TO DISPOSAL SITES.

A SEPARATE CODE, ENTITLED CONTROL OF ASBESTOS AT WORKS PUBLISHED BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT, GIVES GUIDANCE ON HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTECTION MEASURES FOR WORKERS WHO HANDLE ASBESTOS OR PRODUCE ASBESTOS WASTES.

MEMBERS HAVE BEEN BRIEFED ON THE PROGRESS OF A COLLABORATIVE PROGRAMME SET UP BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AUTHORITIES IN HONG KONG AND GUANGDONG, TO MONITOR THE AIR AND WATER QUALITIES IN THE DEEP BAY AREA.

THEY ALSO RECEIVED A PROGRESS REPORT ON THE PREPARATIONS FOR A REGIONAL CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN DECEMBER NEXT YEAR IN HONG

THE KONG ON THE SUBJECT OF POLLUTION IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT. CONFERENCE IS JOINTLY SPONSORED BY EPCOM AND THE HK INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS.

PROFESSOR BRIAN MORTON OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG CRITICISED THE GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO DISPOSE OF THE FISHERIES RESEARCH VESSEL +TAI SHUN+. MEMBERS NOTED PROFESSOR MORTON'S VIEWS AND SUGGESTED THAT THEY BE PASSED ON TO THE APPROPRIATE AUTHOR ITIES.

ANOTHER MEMBER, MR S.L. WAN, RAISED THE QUESTION OF EXTREME LEVELS OF NOISE NUISANCE BEING EXPERIENCED AT LUK YEUNG SUN CHUEN IN TSUEN WAN IN ORDER TO ILLUSTRATE A GENERAL PROBLEM OF NOISE POLLUTION AND DIFFICULTIES OF CONTROL AS WELL AS THE PROBLEMS FACED BY THE PUBLIC IN OBTAINING SATISFACTION WHEN MAKING COMPLAINTS.

MEMBERS AGREED THAT THE REMEDY IN THE CASE IN QUESTION WAS NOT A MATTER WHICH CALLED FOR THE IR ADVICE BUT THEY URGED MOST STRONGLY THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD EXAMINE PLANNING PROCEDURES TO ENSURE THAT GUIDELINES EXISTED TO PREVENT RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT. WHICH WHOULD BE SUBJECT TO HIGH NOISE LEVELS.

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