XN000022-1984-12-12 — Page 14

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1984

THE EPA HAS NOW LAUNCHED MORE INTENSIVE INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE PARTICULATE PROBLEM IN HONG KONG. IN PARTICULAR, THIS WORK WILL ASSESS POSSIBLE HEALTH RISKS RESULTING FROM THE FORM OF POLLUTION, AS WELL EXAMINING THE IMPLICATIONS FOR VISIBILITY- REDUCING HAZÉS IN THE URBAN AREAS.

MEASUREMENTS OF POLLUTANTS SUCH AS OZONE AND NITROGEN OXIDES SHOW THAT PHOTOCHEMICAL SMOG DOES NOT AT PRESENT POSE A PROBLEM IN THE MAIN URBAN AREAS, HOWEVER, THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT OZONE LEVELS MAY BE HIGHER IS RURAL REGIONS SOME DISTANCE DOWNWIND OF THE MAIN CITY AREAS. PLANS CALL FOR THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM TO BE STUDIED IN THE COMING YEAR, USING EPA'S MOBILE AIR QUALITY MONITORING LABORATORY WHICH IS TO BE COMMISSIONED IN MARCH.

+ THE MONITORING WORK CARRIED OUT BY EPA WILL CONTINUE AND FURTHER REPORTS ON AIR QUALITY WILL BE RELEASED IN THE FUTURE.

+FURTHER INFORMATION WILL ALSO BE FORTHCOMING FROM EPA'S ONGOING MONITORING EFFORT IN INVESTIGATING AIR POLLUTION FROM MOTOR VEHICLES, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

'90 PER CENT OF DEPOSITORS REPAID'

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DEPOSITORS OF DEAK-PERERA FINANCE LIMITED WERE QUITE SAFE, AND IN FACT, UP TO MID-DAY YESTERDAY (TUESDAY), ABOUT 90 PER CENT OF THEM HAD BEEN REPAID, THE COMMISSIONER OF DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANIES, MR ROBERT FELL, SAID THIS MORNING.

IN REPLY TO CALLS MADE TO THE RTHK OPEN LINE PROGRAMME SINCE THE DTC'S SUSPENSION LAST FRIDAY, MR FELL CLARIFIED THE CONFUSION AMONG INVESTORS OVER THE OPERATIONS OF THE DTC AND THE PARENT COMPANY.

*WHAT IS BEING CONFUSED HERE IS THE OPERATION OF THE DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANY, WHICH IS REGISTERED WITH US AND IS SUPERVISED BY US, AND DEAK-PERERA FAR EAST LIMITED, WHICH IS QUITE A SEPARATE ENTITY.

+THE DEPOSIT-TAKING COMPANY WHICH WAS THE ONE THAT I SUSPENDED HASN'T GOT THE DEPOSITS PLACED OVERSEAS IN THE SAME WAY. IT'S RUN ON QUITE DIFFERENT LINES AND THAT PART IS QUITE SAFE, HE SAID.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE TROUBLE WAS IN THE OPERATIONS OF DE AK-PERERA FAR EAST, WHICH DID PUT DEPOSITS OVERSEAS ON THE INSTRUCTIONS OF ITS CLIENTS.

+THAT'S WHERE THE TROUBLE AREA IS, BUT THAT'S QUITE OUTSIDE THE REGISTERED DTC, THE HONG KONG ENTITY, HE STRESSED.

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