XN000022-1986-01-29 — Page 8

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1936

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OIL DEPOT NOT POSING UNACCEPTABLE RISK

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THE GOVERNMENT WAS SATISFIED THAT THE EXISTENCE OF THE SHELL OIL DEPOT AT CHA KWO LING DID NOT POSE AN UNACCEPTABLE RISK, THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, THE HON NICKY CHAN, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

ANSWERING A QUESTION FROM THE HON POON CHI-FAI, MR CHAN SAID IT WAS ONE OF A NUMBER OF SIMILAR FACILITIES WHICH, BY VIRTUE OF THE FACT THAT THEY STORED LARGE QUANTITIES OF FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS AND LIQUEFIED GASES, CONSTITUTED A POTENTIAL HAZARD TO NEIGHBOURING DEVELOPMENT IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT OF A FIRE OR OTHER ACCIDENT.

IN IDEAL CIRCUMSTANCES, ALL INSTALLATIONS WHICH POSED EVEN THE SLIGHTEST RISK WOULD BE LOCATED AWAY FROM POPULATION CENTRES, BUT HONG KONG'S VERY LIMITED LAND RESOURCES MADE THIS UNREALISTIC.

+THE GOVERNMENT IS SATISFIED THAT THE EXISTENCE OF THIS DEPOT DOES NOT, UNDER PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES, POSE AN UNACCEPTABLE RISK TO THE NEIGHBOURING AREAS OF KWUN TONG, WHICH ARE LARGELY INDUSTRIAL IN CHARACTER, HE SAID.

NO DECISION HAD BEEN TAKEN TO RELOCATE THE DEPOT, ALTHOUGH THE SHELL COMPANY HAD RECENTLY PROPOSED TO THE GOVERNMENT A NUMBER OF OPTIONS WHICH WOULD REDUCE, STILL FURTHER, ANY POSSIBLE RISK TO PUBLIC SAFETY FROM THEIR STORAGE INSTALLATIONS.

+THESE INITIATIVES ARE WELCOMED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND ARE

BEING CAREFULLY CONSIDERED.

HE STRESSED THAT STORAGE DEPOTS SUCH AS THE ONE AT KWUN TONG WERE OPERATED TO THE HIGHEST INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS OF SAFETY AND FIRE PROTECTION.

+ALL CATEGORIES OF DANGEROUS GOODS WITHIN THE DEPOT ARE SEPARATELY LICENSED,

+EVERY LICENCE IS SUBJECT TO ANNUAL RENEWAL WHICH REQUIRES AN INSPECTION BY STAFF OF THE FIRE PROTECTION BUREAU OF THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO ENSURE THAT ALL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN COMPLIED WITH, MR CHAN SAID.

IN ADDITION TO THESE REGULAR VISITS A MAJOR EXERCISE WAS HELD ON AVERAGE ONCE A YEAR INVOLVING FIRE SERVICES PERSONNEL AND STAFF OF THE DEPOT TO ENSURE THAT, IN THE EVENT OF ANY INCIDENT, FIRE- FIGHTING RESOURCES WOULD BE SWIFTLY MOBILISED AND CO-ORDINATED TO MAXIMUM EFFECT.

IN ADDITION TO ANNUAL INSPECTION, THE STORAGE OF LIQUID PETROLEUM GAS AT THE DEPOT WAS ALSO MONITORED, AT QUARTERLY INTERVALS, BY EXPERIENCED ENGINEERS OF THE GAS ADVISER'S OFFICE OF THE ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND A NUMBER OF REFINEMENTS AND IMPROVEMENTS TO FACILITIES HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTED, MR CHAN SAID.

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