XN000022-1985-11-14 — Page 2

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14,

1985

SOLUTIONS TO POLLUTION PROBLEM IN JUNK BAY

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THE GOVERNMENT WILL NOT ALLOW THE HOUSING ESTATES BEING BUILT IN JUNK BAY TO BE OCCUPIED UNTIL IT IS ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT THE LEVEL OF POLLUTION GENERATED BY TWO NEARBY METAL FACTORIES HAS BEEN BROUGHT DOWN TO AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL,

THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

REPLYING TO QUESTIONS FROM REPORTERS AFTER VISITING JUNK BAY, SIR DAVID SAID THE SHORT-TERM SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM WAS TO INSTITUTE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION CONTROLS TO REDUCE THE LEVEL OF POLLUTION TO ACCEPTABLE STANDARDS DURING THE OVERLAPPING PERIOD BETWEEN THE OCCUPATION OF THE HOUSES AND THE REMOVAL OF THE FACTORIES TO ANOTHER SITE.

THIS OVERLAPPING PERIOD SHOULD LAST FOR ABOUT ONE YEAR, HE SAID.

SIR DAVID SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE TO IMPLEMENT

-- AT THE END OF THIS YEAR AND ANTI-POLLUTION MEASURES PROMPTLY IN 1986 - SO THAT THE OCCUPATION OF THE HOUSING ESTATE FLATS WOULD NOT BE DELAYED.

+1 HOPE WE WILL BE ABLE TO BRING THE POLLUTION LEVELS DOWN SO THAT THE FLATS CAN BE OCCUPIED WHEN THEY ARE READY, HE SAID.

AS TO WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE TO REIMBURSE THE FACTOR IES FOR IMPLEMENTING ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTING MEASURES. SIR DAVID SAID GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE TO PAY IF THE LEVEL OF PRODUCTION OF THE FACTORIES WAS REDUCED BECAUSE OF THE POLLUTION MEASURES INSISTED UPON THEM.

+

+ IT MAY MEAN THAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL HAVE TO PAY,+ HE SAID. +BUT WE HAVEN'T FINISHED THE NEGOTIATION YET, SO WE DON'T KNOW QUITE WHAT THE BILL FOR THAT MIGHT BE, IF AT ALL.+

ASKED WHY SUCH ANTI-POLLUTION MEASURES WERE NOT INSTALLED IN THE FIRST PLACE, SIR DAVID POINTED OUT THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY WHICH WILL BE SETTING THE ACCEPTABLE

DID NOT EXIST WHEN THE FACTORIES MOVED POLLUTION STANDARDS

INTO JUNK BAY MANY YEARS AGO.

AND THE RELEVANT LEGISLATION HAD NOT YET BEEN PASSED, HE ADDED.

IN THE LONGER TERM, SIR DAVID SAID, THE TWO FACTORIES WOULD BE MOVED TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HILL NEXT TO THE NEW SEWAGE TREATMENT WORKS.

+THIS SITE HAS BEEN SPECIALLY SELECTED BECAUSE IT IS +IT HAS BEEN CAREFULLY FAR AWAY FROM THE TOWN, HE SAID. EXAMINED AND SELECTED AS ENVIRONMENTALLY ACCEPTABLE AS A RESITE AREA.+

/ASKED ABOUT