XN000022-1986-05-16 — Page 10

FRIDAY, MAY 16, 1986

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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION TALKS ON DEEP BAY END

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A SEVEN-MEMBER DELEGATION LED BY THE DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT, DR STUART REED, RETURNED TO HONG KONG TODAY (FRIDAY) AFTER A SUCCESSFUL VISIT TO GUANGDONG FOR TALKS ON THE COLLABORATION ON ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN DEEP BAY.

THE TALKS WERE HELD IN TWO STAGES WITH THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, MR FRANKLIN CHUNG, HEADING FIRST STAGE DISCUSSIONS IN HONG KONG BETWEEN MAY 12 AND 14.

THE TALKS WERE AIMED AT FINALISING THE REPORTS PREPARED BY THE HONG KONG ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT AND THE GUANGDONG ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION BUREAU.

DURING THE SECOND STAGE, THE DIRECTOR OF THE GUANGDONG ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION BUREAU, MR QIANG BING-HUAN, AND DR REED FORMALLY AGREED ON THE RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS OF THE TWO-YEAR-LONG COLLABORATIVE STUDY AND DISCUSSED THE NEED FOR FURTHER COLLABORATION IN THIS AREA.

+THE STUDIES WE HAVE CARRIED OUT HAVE CONFIRMED OUR WORST FEARS+, DR REED SAID ON HIS ARRIVAL. +ANY POLLUTANTS EMITTED INTO THE DEEP BAY WATERS OR THE AIR IN THAT REGION ARE LIKELY TO HANG AROUND FOR A LONG TIME BEFORE THEY ARE DISPERSED.+

HE WARNED THAT WITH PLANS FOR DEVELOPMENT AND THE POPULATION EXPECTED TO DOUBLE BEFORE 1996 AROUND THE DEEP BAY AREA, THERE WAS A NEED TO PREVENT ADDITIONAL POLLUTION.

THE FINDINGS SHOWED THAT LIQUID EFFLUENT DISCHARGED INTO DEEP BAY COULD HANG AROUND FOR 15 DAYS OR MORE BEFORE THEY WERE DISPERSED INTO THE MORE TURBULENT WATERS OUTSIDE DEEP BAY.

THE STEEP TERRAIN IN THE VICINITY OF TAI MO SHAN ALSO CAUSED LOW WIND-SPEEDS AND RECIRCULATION IN DEEP BAY. COMBINED WITH A 40 PER CENT INCIDENCE OF GROUND BASED INVERSIONS, THIS WOULD MEAN THAT AIR POLLUTANTS WERE LIKELY TO BE TRAPPED IN THE AREA FOR LONG PERIODS.

+THIS IS NOT A VERY PROMISING SITUATION FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL POINT OF VIEW, BUT THE OPTIMISTIC SIDE TO IT IS THAT WE HAVE ESTABLISHED A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR COUNTERPARTS IN GUANGDONG AND THERE IS PROSPECT OF ARRIVING AT A COORDINATED ENVIRONMENTAL PLAN FOR THE AREA RATHER THAN EACH AUTHORITY ACTING ALONE,+ DR REED SAID.

THE STUDY WAS CARRIED OUT BETWEEN JULY 1984 AND DECEMBER 1985 BY A JOINT TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP COMPRISING OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS AND MEMBERS OF THE GUANGDONG ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION BUREAU.

BESIDE DR REED, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION WERE THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF AIR AND NOISE CONTROL DIVISION, MR CHUNG MOON-KUN. PRINCIPAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OFFICERS, MR FRED TROMP AND MR PAUL HOLMES, SENIOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OFFICERS, DR MICHAEL CHIU AND MR TSUI WING-SING, AND SENIOR SCIENTIFIC OFFICER DR W.L. CHANG FROM THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY.

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