XN000022-1989-07-19 — Page 13

11

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 1989

SHE ATTRIBUTED THIS TO

THAT FACT THAT ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISTRATION WAS COMPLEX AND NOT EASILY UNDERSTOOD BY THOSE WHO HAD TO COMPLY WITH IT; THAT SOME OF THE LEGISTRATION WAS NOT STRINGENT ENOUGH; AND THAT ENFORCEMENT MEASURES HAD BEEN SLACK, PIECEMEAL, HALF- HEARTED AND LACKING IN OBJECTIVE.

MRS LAU SUGGESTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT SIMPLIFY MAKE IT MORE COMPREHENSIBLE TO THE ORDINARY PERSON.

LEGISTATION TO

MADE TO REACH

SHE SAID: "AT THE SAME TIME, EFFORTS SHOULD BE OUT TO POTENTIAL POLLUTERS TO EXPLAIN THE LEGISLATION TO THEM AND ΤΟ PROVIDE THEM WITH GUIDANCE AS TO HOW TO COMPLY WITH THE LAW.

"WHILST GOVERNMENT'S PLAN IS TO REGIONALISE CONTROL ACTIVITIES, I FEEL THAT STEPS SHOULD BE TAKEN AT DISTRICT LEVEL TO PROMOTE BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE RELEVANT LAWS TO SECURE DUE COMPLIANCE."

IN REGARD TO ENFORCEMENT MEASURES, MRS LAU SAID THAT VARIOUS ANTI-POLLUTION LAWS HAD BEEN ENFORCED BY A NUMBER OF DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT, THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE FORCE AND THE BUILDINGS AND LANDS DEPARTMENT.

HOW

NOTING THAT THE POLICE AND THE BUILDINGS AND LANDS DEPARTMENT WERE HEAVILY COMMITTED IN THEIR OWN PRIORITY TASKS, MRS LAU ASKED MUCH OF THEIR STAFF RESOURCES COULD BE ALLOCATED TO POLLUTION ENFORCEMENT DUTIES.

THE

SHE NOTED THAT IN THE PAST ENFORCEMENT ACTION HAD ESSENTIALLY BEEN TAKEN IN RESPONSE TO COMPLAINTS, AND

RESULT WAS THAT FEW PROSECUTIONS HAD BEEN BROUGHT.

OVER THE

PAST

THREE YEARS, SHE SAID, FEWER THAN 200

PROSECUTIONS PER YEAR HAD BEEN BROUGHT CONTROL ORDINANCE.

UNDER THE AIR POLLUTION

CONTROL

ZONE ONLY FOUR

SHE ADDED: "AFTER DECLARATION OF THE FIRST WATER UNDER THE WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ORDINANCE IN APRIL 1988, PROSECUTIONS UNDER THAT ORDINANCE HAVE BEEN LAID.

"SINCE IMPLEMENTATION OF LIVESTOCK WASTE CONTROLS

AS FROM WASTE DISPOSAL ORDINANCE

JUNE 1988, 11 CASES PROSECUTED.

UNDER THE

HAVE BREN

"THESE PROSECUTION FIGURES SERVE TO INDICATE ONE THING: MAJORITY OF POLLUTERS HAVE NOT BEEN BROUGHT TO JUSTICE.

1+

POLICY NOW THAT MAJOR

INITIATIVES HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED TARGETTED AND THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS PROCEEDING TO INVEST HEAVILY DOWN TIME TO LAY ENVIRONMENT IMPROVEMENTS, MRS LAU SAID IT WAS CLEAR TERMS PROPER ENFORCEMENT GUIDELINES AND OBJECTIVES SO THAT MIGHT BE FOLLOWED BY THE VARIOUS LAW ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENTS.

THE

AND

IN

IN

THEY

SHE SAID