XN000022-1987-07-20 — Page 2

MONDAY, JULY 20, 1987

URGENT NEED TO INTRODUCE LIVESTOCK WASTE CONTROLS

THERE IS AN URGENT NEED TO INTRODUCE CONTROLS ON LIVESTOCK WASTE TO PREVENT IRREVERSIBLE POLLUTION DAMAGES TO TOLO HARBOUR AND OTHER WATERWAYS, ACTING DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, MR ROBERT LAW, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

AND THE NEW WASTE DISPOSAL (AMENDMENT) BILL WAS A "CORNERSTONE"

IN THE PROGRAMME FOR TOLO HARBOUR, HE ADDED.

SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF VICTORIA, MR LAW SAID LIVESTOCK WASTE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR SOMETHING LIKE 70 PER CENT OF ALL STREAM POLLUTION IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND 50 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL ORGANIC POLLUTION ENTERING THE SEA.

A GREATER CONCERN WAS THAT THE POLLUTANTS FOUND THEIR WAYS INTO THE LARGE ENCLOSED BODIES OF WATER, SUCH AS THE TOLO HARBOUR. THE PROBLEM WITH TOLO HARBOUR WAS THAT IT WAS ALMOST LANDLOCKED, WITH VERY POOR DISPERSION CAPABILITIES, WHICH MEANT THAT POLLUTION LOADS THAT MIGHT BE JUST ACCEPTABLE FOR THE OPEN OCEAN WERE CATASTROPHIC IN TOLO.

"ON THE BASIS OF PRESENT KNOWLEDGE CONCERNING THE NUTRIENT AND ORGANIC POLLUTION LOADS ENTERING TOLO HARBOUR, WE BELIEVE THAT IF NO DRASTIC ACTION IS TAKEN IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE TO REDUCK THESE LOADS, WE MAY WELL PASS THE POINT OF NO RETURN IN TOLO, WHERE THE POLLUTION EFFECTS BECOME IRREVERSIBLE.

"WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT RED TIDES COULD BECOME 90 PREVALENT AS TO OVERLAP IN A SINGLE BLOOM, AND CONSEQUENT EXTREME SWINGS IN OXYGEN CONCENTRATION WOULD DESTROY MUCH OF THE REMAINING ANIMAL LIFE.

"EVENTUALLY, POLLUTED SEDIMENTS WOULD BUILD UP AND WE WOULD IN EFFECT HAVE A GIANT KAI TAK NULLAH.

"

MR LAW SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD AN EIGHT-POINT ACTION PLAN TO DEAL WITH THE TOLO HARBOUR PROBLEM, WHICH INCLUDED MODIFICATION ΤΟ THE PROCESSES IN THE SHA TIN AND TAI PO SEWAGE TREATMENT WORKS, THE POSSIBLE EXPORT OF THE TREATMENT WORKS EFFLUENT TO BETTER RECEIVING WATERS AND THE CONSCIENTIOUS IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ORDINANCE IN RELATION TO FACTORY DISCHARGE.

"BUT THE CORNERSTONE OF OUR PROGRAMME FOR TOLO, AND INDEED FOR CLEANING UP MOST OF OUR WATERWAYS, IS THE ENACTMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW WASTE DISPOSAL (AMENDMENT) BILL WHICH INTRODUCED INTO LEGCO IN JUNE.

"THIS BILL PROVIDES THE LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK TO ALLOW US GET OUR HOUSE IN ORDER CONCERNING THE LIVESTOCK WASTE PROBLEM. DOING SO, THE GOVERNMENT IS INTENDING TO SPEND $509 MILLION OVER NEXT 10 YEARS."

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ON FEARS THAT THE PROPOSED EFFLUENT TREATMENT STANDARDS UNDER THE WASTE DISPOSAL (AMENDMENT) BILL MIGHT BE IMPRACTICAL, MR LAW SAID THE GOVERNMENT INTENDED TO CONSTRUCT AND OPERATE, ON A WORKING FARM, SIMPLE TREATMENT FACILITIES AIMED AT ACHIEVING THE STANDARDS. PLANS TO CONSTRUCT THESE FACILITIES WOULD ALSO BE MADE AVAILABLE TO FARMERS,

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