XN000022-1988-05-04 — Page 21

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 1988

A COMPREHENSIVE

THE

MAIN

"ONCE THIS BILL BECOMES LAW WE SHALL HAVE SET

OF ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION COVERING ALL ASPECTS OF POLLUTION CONTROL AIR, WATER, NOISE AND WASTE DISPOSAL," HE SAID.

MR CHAMBERS AGREED THAT THE DETERIORATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT REQUIRED URGENT AND SERIOUS INTERVENTION.

IT WAS FOR THIS REASON THAT THE GOVERNMENT INTENDED ΤΟ SPEND OVER $10 BILLION ON ENVIRONMENTAL INFRASTRUCTURE OVER THE NEXT DECADE.

HOWEVER, HE DID NOT AGREE THAT THE ENFORCEMENT OF POLLUTION CONTROLS WAS A NEGATIVE APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM.

"OUR EXPERIENCE IS THAT INDUSTRY TAKES LITTLE NOTICE OF ADVICE ON POLLUTION REDUCTION METHODS BEFORE THE INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATIVE CONTROLS, HE SAID.

THE

C

EXPERIENCE

"I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS HAS BEEN THE

ELSEWHERE IN WORLD AND I SEE NO REASON WHY HONG KONG SHOULD BE DIFFERENT IN THIS RESPECT.

"INDEED, IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR INDUSTRY, ESPECIALLY THE MORE RESPONSIBLE LARGER COMPANIES, TO WELCOME CONTROLS, PROVIDING THEY ARE PROPERLY ENFORCED, BECAUSE IT PLACES ALL THOSE INVOLVED IN THE SAME SECTOR ON AN EQUAL FOOTING.

**

REFERRING TO THE LIVESTOCK WASTE CONTROL SCHEME HE NOTED A COMMENT THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN CHEAPER AND MORE EFFECTIVE TO IMPOSE A TOTAL BAN ON LIVESTOCK KEEPING.

"WHILE SUCH A POLICY IS SUPERFICIALLY ATTRACTIVE, IT WOULD NOT BE ACCEPTABLE IN HONG KONG ΤΟ CLOSE DOWN A WHOLE SECTOR OF THE ECONOMY IN THIS WAY, WITHOUT GIVING THOSE CONCERNED THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPLY WITH THE STANDARDS REQUIRED,' HE SAID.

+

"I MUST REPEAT THAT WE ARE NOT AGAINST LIVESTOCK KEEPING AS SUCH, BUT ONLY AGAINST THE SERIOUS POLLUTION CAUSED BY THE PRESENT UNCONTROLLED, AND INDEED ILLEGAL DISPOSAL OF LIVESTOCK WASTE."

ON WATER QUALITY AT BEACHES, MR CHAMBERS NOTED THAT HE HAD DEALT WITH THIS ISSUE AT SOME LENGTH IN THE COUNCIL LAST WEEK AND DID NOT PROPOSE TO REPEAT WHAT HE SAID THEN.

"THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM, FOR WHICH WE HAVE SHORT-TERM, MEDIUM-TERM AND LONG-TERM REMEDIES.

SATISFACTORILY

"BUT IT WILL NOT BE INSTALLATION OF A MAINS SEWERAGE SYSTEM IN THE KONG ISLAND IS COMPLETE, HE SAID.

"

SOLVED UNTIL SOUTHERN PART OF HONG

THE

/MR CHAMBERS