XN000022-1989-07-19 — Page 14

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 1989

SHE SAID IT WAS RELATING TO ENFORCEMENT DUTIES OF THE VARIOUS

ALSO TIME TO REVIEW THREE OTHER ISSUES "FIRSTLY, WHETHER THE SCOPE OF ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENTS IS SUFFICIENTLY WELL DEFINED; SECONDLY, WHETHER THESE DEPARTMENTS ARE ADEQUATELY STAFFED TO CARRY OUT THOSE DUTIES; AND THIRDLY, HOW THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS CARRYING OUT LAW ENFORCEMENT MAY BE BETTER CO-ORDINATED TO ACHIEVE MORE EFFICIENT RESULTS".

MRS LAU ADDED THAT ALTHOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT ENFORCING THE LAW SHOULD BE ABLE ΤΟ RESPOND QUICKLY COMPLAINTS, IT WAS INSUFFICIENT TO MERELY RESPOND TO WITHOUT TAKING ENFORCEMENT INITIATIVES, FOR TO DO SO WOULD TO REACT AND NOT TO ACT.

THAT

THOSE ΤΟ PUBLIC COMPLAINTS BE MERELY

PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO NOISE NOT ADDRESSED

*

THE

ISSUE

THE WHITE PAPER ON POLLUTION HAS FAILED TO ADDRESS OF PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO AN UNACCEPTANCE NOISE LEVEL IN CERTAIN WORKING ENVIRONMENTS.

OF

SUCH EXPOSURE AT ITS WORST MIGHT LEAD TO A PROGRESSIVE LOSS HEARING OR AT LEAST MIGHT RESULT IN AN INDIRECT IMPACT ON HEALTH. DR THE HON LEONG CHE-HUNG SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING IN THE DEBATE ON THE WHITE PAPER ON POLLUTION, DR LEONG SAID INDEED HONG KONG HAD BECOME BY

STANDARD THE "NOISIEST" CITY IN THE WORLD.

ACADEMIC

AN AVERAGE HONG KONG CITIZEN WAS EXPOSED FOR SOME 17 HOURS A DAY, MAINLY FROM AIRCRAFT WORK AND ROAD TRAFFIC.

то

EXCESSIVE NOISE

NOISE, CONSTRUCTION

"THE LATTER ACCOUNTS

FOR PROBABLY THE LONGEST DURATION OF SUSTAINED HIGH NOISE LEVEL OF 70 ΤΟ 90 DECIBELS, WELL ABOVE AND EXCEEDING THE ACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF 60 DECIBELS, HE SAID.

"

HE NOTED THAT THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NOISE CONTROL ORDINANCE BY STAGES THIS YEAR WOULD HOPEFULLY SEE A PROGRESSIVE CONTROL OF THE NOISE PROBLEM FROM CONSTRUCTION WORK.

ON AIR POLLUTION, DR LEONG SAID THE WHITE PAPER HAD ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE HIGH LEVEL OF AIR POLLUTION TO WHICH THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WERE CONSTANTLY EXPOSED WAS THE RESULT OF INDUSTRIAL SMOKE AND MOTOR VEHICLE EMISSION, AND HAD OUTLINED PLANS TO IMPROVE THESE CONDITION.

/YET THERE