XN000022-1988-10-17 — Page 17

MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1988

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EPD PROSECUTES SIX FARMERS FOR BREACHING ORDINANCE

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT HAS, FOR THE FIRST TIME,

PROSECUTED LIVESTOCK FARM OPERATORS FOR ALLEGEDLY BREACHING THE WASTE DISPOSAL ORDINANCE WHICH CAME INTO EFFECT IN JUNE.

SIX LIVESTOCK FARM OPERATORS HAVE BEEN SUMMONED FOR CONTINUING LIVESTOCK BREEDING IN THE PROHIBITION AREAS ESTABLISHED UNDER THE LIVESTOCK WASTE CONTROL SCHEME, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

"THE SIX FARM OPERATORS WHO WERE PROSECUTED TODAY, HAD REPEATEDLY IGNORED ADVICE AND WARNINGS GIVEN BY EPD STAFF,

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HE SAID.

"WITH EFFECT FROM JUNE 24 THIS YEAR, LIVESTOCK KEEPING IN THE PROHIBITION AREAS WAS, BY LAW, BANNED AND FARMERS WERE GIVEN PRIOR NOTICE SIX MONTHS IN ADVANCE TO THAT EFFECT, HE ADDED.

"OF THE MORE THAN 800 FARMS IN THE PROHIBITION AREAS, ALL BUT 15 HAVE ALREADY CEASED BUSINESS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

SO FAR, EPD STAFF HAVE CONDUCTED 611 FARM VISITS IN THE PROHIBITION AREAS, AND HAVE GIVEN A TOTAL OF 134 VERBAL WARNINGS, 63 WRITTEN WARNINGS, 44 FINAL WARNINGS TO FARM OPERATORS WHO WERE STILL KEEPING LIVESTOCK IN THE AREAS.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID ANY PERSON KEEPING LIVESTOCK IN THE LIVESTOCK WASTE PROHIBITION AREAS AFTER JUNE 24 WAS IN CONTRAVENTION OF THE WASTE DISPOSAL ORDINANCE AND LIABLE TO A FINE OF $10,000 FOR A FIRST OFFENCE, OR A FINE OF $50,000 FOR A SECOND OR A SUBSEQUENT OFFENCE, AND AN ADDITIONAL FINE OF $500 FOR EACH DAY IF THE OFFENCE 15 A CONTINUING ONE.

THE PROHIBITION AREAS COVER HONG KONG ISLAND, KOWLOON, AND THE NEW TOWNS IN SHA TIN, TAI PO, FANLING, SHEUNG SHUI, TSUEN WAN, KWAI TSING, TUEN MUN, YUEN LONG, TIN SHUI WAI AND JUNK BAY.

IN ADDITION, ALSO FROM JUNE 24, LIVESTOCK KEEPING IN THE FIRST THREE CONTROL AREAS COVERING TOLO HARBOUR AND TOLO CHANNEL, MUI WO AND ANGLER'S BEACH AREAS WAS SUBJECT TO CONTROL IN RELATION TO THE COLLECTION, STORAGE, TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL OF LIVESTOCK WASTE FROM THE FARMS,

AS UNDERTAKEN, THE GOVERNMENT HAS SO FAR ADOPTED A FLEXIBLE APPROACH IN THE INITIAL STAGE OF IMPLEMENTATION OF CONTROL IN THESE THREE AREAS,

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DURING THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, EMPHASIS HAS BEEN PLACED ON PROVEDING ADVICE TO FARMERS IN THE CONTROL AREAS ΤΟ HELP THEM TO COMPLY WITH THE NEW MEASURES.

THESE INCLUDED