XN000022-1990-10-10 — Page 2

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1990

CONSULTANCY STUDY ON CONTAMINATED SPOIL MANAGEMENT

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT (EPD) HAS COMMISSIONED COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY FOR THE

A CONSULTANCY STUDY TO DEVELOP A

MANAGEMENT OF CONTAMINATED SPOIL.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID HONG KONG'S PROPOSED MASSIVE INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENTS IN NEXT TEN YEARS, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE LARGE-SCALE RECLAMATION AND SEAWALL CONSTRUCTION, WOULD GENERATE AN ESTIMATED 200 MILLION CUBIC METRES OF DREDGED MARINE SPOIL.

A PORTION OF THIS SPOIL WOULD BE HEAVILY CONTAMINATED WITH ORGANIC COMPOUNDS, HEAVY METALS AND OTHER TOXIC SUBSTANCES DUE TO THE UNCONTROLLED DISCHARGE OF INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATERS INTO COASTAL WATERS OVER THE PAST DECADES.

IMPROPER HANDLING AND DISPOSAL OF CONTAMINATED SPOIL WOULD RESULT IN FURTHER SEVERE ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION AND SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC HEALTH RISKS.

THE STUDY WOULD RECOMMEND A COMPREHENSIVE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY FOR CONTAMINATED SPOIL INCLUDING RECOMMENDATIONS ON ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PROGRAMMES FOR DREDGING, TRANSPORTATION AND DISPOSAL OF CONTAMINATED SPOIL.

IT WOULD ESTIMATE THE QUANTITY OF CONTAMINATED SPOIL FROM CURRENT, PROPOSED AND FUTURE DREDGING PROJECTS AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON DISPOSAL TO ENSURE THE PLANNED INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENTS WOULD NOT BE DELAYED.

THE STUDY, AT A COST OF $1.7 MILLION, WOULD TAKE TO COMPLETE.

EIGHT MONTHS

SIGNED TODAY (WASTE AND WATER OF MOTT MACDONALD

THE AGREEMENT FOR THE CONSULTANCY STUDY WAS (WEDNESDAY) BETWEEN ACTING ASSISTANT DIRECTOR POLICY) OF EPD, MR PAUL HOLMES, AND THE DIRECTOR HONG KONG LIMITED, MR G.W. LOVEGROVE.

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