XN000022-1984-11-07 — Page 16

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1984

MORE PUBLIC EFFORT AGAINST POLLUTION URGED

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GREATER PUBLIC EFFORT IN THE CONSTANT BATTLE AGAINST POLLUTION IN HONG KONG WAS URGED TODAY BY TWO OFFICERS FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY.

IN A PRESENTATION AT THE CHEMISTRY WEEK EXHIBITION, AT HONG KONG BAPTIST COLLEGE THIS AFTERNOON, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OFFICERS MISS MABEL MAK AND MR RAYMOND LEUNG SAID THAT

THE POLLUTION PROBLEMS COULD ONLY BE OVERCOME IF SUPPORTED BY +IMPROVED ATTITUDES AND COMMITMENT BY THE PUBLIC ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY,

THEY ALSO URGED STUDENTS +TO MAINTAIN AN AWARENESS IN THEIR FUTURE CAREER OF WHAT THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO IMPROVING THE ENVIRONMENT.+

SPEAKING OF WATER POLLUTION, MISS MAK SAID THAT THE LIQUID EFFLUENT FROM 5.5 MILLION PEOPLE,1.25 MILLION PIGS AND 15 MILLION POULTRY, AND MORE THAN 2 000 FACTORIES WAS DEPOSITED DIRECTLY INTO HONG KONG RIVERS AND SEAS.

+SOME OF THE HONG KONG WATERS, INCLUDING RIVERS AND COASTAL WATERS ARE INDEED VERY MUCH POLLUTED; THE CAUSE OF POLLUTION IS DUE LARGELY TO THE DISCHARGE OF DOMESTIC WASTES AND INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENTS WITH SOMETIMES LITTLE OR NO TREATMENT AND DISCHARGE OF ANIMAL AND LIVESTOCK WASTES INTO THE WATERCOURSES,+ SHE SAID.

SOME OF THE MOST HEAVILY POLLUTED RIVERS DISCHARGE INTO THE WATERS OF DEEP BAY AND TOLO HARBOUR, WHICH WERE ALREADY UNDER STRESS. THERE WERE HIGH NUTRIENT CONCENTRATIONS, WHICH COULD LEAD TO PUTRID WATER CONDITIONS AND THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF WIDESPREAD FAECAL CONTAMINATION, SHE SAID.

+ALSO, WATER QUALITY OBJECTIVES LAID DOWN FOR TOLO HARBOUR HAD BEEN BREACHED WITH INCREASING REGULARITY SINCE 1980, + SHE SAID.

ACTIVE GOVERNMENT PROGRAMMES TO MEET THESE PROBLEMS INCLUDED ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS, SUCH AS PRIMARY AND SECONDARY TREATMENT PLANT AND DRY WEATHER FLOW INTERCEPTION AT ANY DEVELOPMENT PLAN, AS WELL AS PLANS FOR WATERCOURSE MAINTENANCE AND MANAGEMENT THAT HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY BY A CENTRAL STEERING GROUP UNDER THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE.

IN ADDITION, POLLUTION LEVELS AT POPULAR SWIMMING BEACHES WERE MONITORED REGULARLY TO GUARD THE PUBLIC FROM ANY UNACCEPTABLE HEALTH HAZARDS, SHE SAID.

TALKING ABOUT AIR POLLUTION, MR LEUNG SAID THAT HONG KONG AIR POLLUTION SOURCES WERE ESTIMATED TO EMIT INTO THE AIR EACH YEAR OVER 230 000 TONNES OF SULPHUR DIOXIDE, 180 000 TONNES OF CARBON MONOXIDE, 51 000 TONNES OF OXIDES OF NITROGEN, 20 000 TONNES OF HYDROCARBON AND 27 000 TONNES OF PARTICULATE.

/+THESE POLLUTANTS