XN000022-1987-05-07 — Page 6

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THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1987

CASTLE PEAK BEACH, ONE OF THE THREE +UNACCEPTABLE+ BEACHES IS AFFECTED BY LIVESTOCK WASTES AND SEWAGE, AND THE REPORT SHOWS THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME IMPROVEMENT, ALTHOUGH NOT ENOUGH TO ALLOW THE +NO SWIMMING+ SIGNS TO BE TAKEN AWAY.

THE OTHER +UNACCEPTABLE+ BEACHES ARE ANGLERS', IN TSUEN WAN DISTRICT, AND SILVERMINE BAY ON LANTAU ISLAND.

ANGLERS' BEACH HAS BEEN CLOSED TO SWIMMERS FOR SEVERAL YEARS, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SIVERMINE BAY BEACH HAS FAILED THE GOVERNMENT TEST.

MR HOLMES EXPLAINED THAT THIS BEACH HAS BEEN GETTING WORSE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. HE SAID THAT A NEW SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT HAS BEEN BUILT AT A COST OF $11 MILLION AND WILL START OPERATION THIS MONTH. THIS SHOULD BRING ABOUT PROGRESSIVE IMPROVEMENT AS MORE OF MUT WO IS CONNECTED DURING 1987 AND 1988. BUT POLLUTION DUE TO LIVESTOCK WASTE ON LANTAU IS LIKELY TO REMAIN UNCONTROLLED FOR SOME TIME.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE REGIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT SAID THAT A DECISION ON WHETHER TO DISCOURAGE SWIMMING AT SILVERMINE BAY WOULD BE TAKEN SOON BY THE REGIONAL COUNCIL.

THE GOVERNMENT IS ALSO KEEPING A CLOSE WATCH ON SIX OTHER GAZETTED BEACHES WHICH ARE POLLUTED TO A LESSER EXTENT. A NEW TRUNK SEWER BEING BUILT ALONG THE CASTLE PEAK ROAD FROM TUEN MUN TO SO KWUN WAT WILL ALLOW SOURCES OF POLLUTION TO BE REMOVED FROM BEACHES IN THAT AREA FROM 1988 ONWARDS.

POLLUTED DRAINS HAVE RECENTLY BEEN REMOVED FROM REPULSE BAY AND SHEK O BEACHES. THIS YEAR, A $2.9 MILLION SCHEME WILL REMOVE POLLUTION FROM REMAINING STORMWATER DRAINS AT REPULSE BAY AND STANLEY MAIN BEACH.

THE EPD SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT A SYSTEM OF CATEGORISATION OF BEACHES ACCORDING TO WATER QUALITY COULD BE INTRODUCED THIS SUMMER. HOWEVER, SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN BEACH WATER QUALITY WOULD NOT BE ACHIEVED UNTIL CURRENT PLANS FOR IMPROVED SEWERAGE AND THE CONTROL OF LIVESTOCK WASTE WERE IMPLEMENTED.

ANSWERING CRITICISM ABOUT THE STANDARDS THE GOVERNMENT USED FOR ASSESSING THE SUITABILITY OF BEACHES FOR SWIMMING, THE EPD SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION RECOMMENDATIONS, ON WHICH THE HONG KONG STANDARDS ARE BASED, WERE NOT NECESSARILY RELEVANT TO LOCAL CONDITIONS AND WERE NOT DERIVED FROM QUANTITATIVE DATA ON THE RISK OF CATCHING A DISEASE. IN FACT, INFORMATION ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SICKNESS AND BEACH WATER QUALITY HAS ONLY RECENTLY BECOME AVAILABLE.

/MR HOLMES