XN000022-1985-10-15 — Page 16

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1985

THEY WERE ORGANISATIONS WITH AN INTEREST IN USING HONG KONG WATERS FOR RECREATIONAL PURPOSES AND INDIVIDUALS WHO SIMPLY DID NOT WISH TO FIND THEMSELVES LIVING NEXT TO A STRETCH OF WATER +STINKING LIKE AN OPEN SEWER+.

DR REED SAID THAT THE MAIN THRUST OF COMMENTS FROM THESE REPRESENTATIONS WAS THAT THE REGULATIONS WERE TOO LITTLE TOO LATE AND THAT THE CONCESSION TO INDUSTRY WHICH ALLOWED EXISTING PRODUCES OF LIQUID EFFLUENTS TO CONTINUE POLLUTING AND EVEN INCREASE EMISSIONS BY UP TO 30 PER CENT WAS SEEN AS BEING FAR TOO GREAT A CONCESSION TO INDUSTRY.

+ON THE OTHER HAND, HE SAID, THERE HAVE BEEN VIGOROUS OBJECTIONS FROM INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATIONS WHO DO NOT WISH THE IR MEMBERS TO BE TROUBLED BY ADDITIONAL CONSTRAINTS ON THE IR OPERATIONS.+

DR REED SAID THAT THE REACTION OF THESE INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATIONS WAS QUITE UNDERSTANDABLE AND THE IR CONCERNS HAD BEEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.

FROM HIS CONTACTS WITH INDIVIDUAL INDUSTRIAL ISTS OVER MANY YEARS, HE SAID THERE WAS A GENUINE ACCEPTANCE THAT ACTION TO CONTROL WATER POLLUTION WAS NEEDED FOR THE GOOD OF HONG KONG BUT THAT EVERY CARE SHOULD BE MADE NOT TO PLACE ADDITIONAL BURDENS ON INDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS.

+GIVEN THESE TWO COMPETING INTERESTS FOR THE USE OF THE WATERS AROUND HONG KONG, SOME SORT OF BALANCE HAS TO BE STRUCK, DR REED SAID.

+ IN MY VIEW, HE SAID, +WE CAN LIVE WITH THE MAJOR CONCESSIONS THAT EXISTING INDUSTRY CAN CONTINUE POLLUTING PROVIDING WE ACT SOON. IF THERE ARE DELAYS THEN MUCH MORE SEVERE CONTROLS COULD BE NEEDED TO RECOVER FROM A QUITE UNSATISFACTORY SITUATION. +

DR REED EXPECTED THAT, HAVING CONTAINED THE SITUATION BY APPLICATION OF THE PROPOSED REGULATIONS, THERE WOULD THEN BE A SLOW BUT STEADY IMPROVEMENT AS EXISTING INDUSTRIES INSTALLED MODERN PLANT OR EXPANDED INTO NEW PREMISES.

+ IT HAS BEEN NECESSARY TO COMPROMISE. I PERSONALLY WOULD HAVE PREFERRED MORE THOROUGH-GOING CONTROLS BUT I AM PERSUADED THAT TO APPLY RETROACTIVE CONTROLS TO EXISTING EMITTERS COULD HAVE CAUSED PROBLEMS FOR OUR INDUSTRY. THE PRESENT PROPOSALS ON THE OTHER HAND SHOULD HAVE LITTLE EFFECT ON EXISTING INDUSTRY. +

THE DRAFT WATER POLLUTION CONTROL REGULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE STUDIED BY THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL BEFORE THE END OF NEXT MONTH.

IF PASSED INTO LAW, THE REGULATIONS WOULD GIVE MUSCLE TO THE WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ORDINANCE ENACTED IN 1980.

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