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DR REED SAID ANOTHER EXAMPLE WHERE THERE HAD BEEN SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS WAS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HONG KONG WASTE DISPOSAL STRATEGY, WHICH IS NOW BEING IMPLEMENTED PROGRESSIVELY,

"THIS STRATEGY SAFEGUARDS OUR MEANS FOR SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL FOR THE NEXT 25-30 YEARS, AND MUCH LONGER IF WE ARE SUCCESSFUL WITH OUR PRESENT PLANS TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF WASTE THAT NEEDS TO BE DISPOSED OF, OR IF WE MANAGE TO RECYCLE A GREATER PROPORTION OF THE UNAVOIDABLE WASTE.

"THE FIRST STOP IN IMPLEMENTING THIS SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL STRATEGY WAS THE COMMISSIONING IN APRIL THIS YEAR OF THE KOWLOON BAY REFUSE TRANSFER STATION WHICH HAS ENABLED THE CLOSURE OF THE TROUBLESOME JORDAN VALLEY LANDFILL AND THE CLOSE-DOWN OF THE LAI CHI KOK INCINERATOR NEXT MONTH," HE SAID.

ON CHEMICAL WASTE, DR REED SAID HIS DEPARTMENT HAD ALREADY ACCEPTED A TENDER FROM A CONSORTIUM OF LOCAL AND AMERICAN FIRMS ΤΟ DESIGN, BUILD AND OPERATE AN INTEGRATD TREATMENT PLANT FOR THE DISPOSAL OF CHEMICAL WASTE.

THE PLANT WILL BE THE FIRST IN ASIA TO PROVIDE, ON A SINGLE SITE, ALL THE NECESSARY PROCESSES TO TREAT CHEMICAL WASTE то HIGH ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS.

ITS COMMISSIONING, TOGETHER WITH THE COMPLEMENTARY CHEMWASTE CONTROLS, WILL BRING TO AN END THE PRESENT PRACTICE OF DISCHARGING WASTE CHEMICALS TO SEWERS AND DRAINS, RESULTING IN THE ELIMINATION OF MANY TONS PER DAY OF TOXIC METALS AND OTHER HARMFUL POLLUTANTS THAT PRESENTLY FOUL THE COASTAL WATERS.

DR REED SAID THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WASTE DISPOSAL STRATEGY REPRESENTS A VERY SUBSTANTIAL AND LONG OVERDUE INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC SECTOR POLLUTION CONTROL FACILITIES.

"A SIMILAR SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT IS BEING MADE IN THE CONTROL AND DISPOSAL OF DOMESTIC SEWAGE AND WASTE WATERS SO THAT TOTAL ANNUAL PUBLIC SECTOR INVESTMENT

IN ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC WORKS HAS EXPANDED FROM ABOUT $370 MILLION A YEAR WHEN THE EPD RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE PROGRAMMES IN 1986, TO $720 MILLION AND AN EXPECTED $1,500 MILLION IN 1990.

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"THIS IS A LONG OVERDUE INCREASED EMPHASIS ON WORKS THAT ARE NEEDED NOT ONLY TO PROVIDE FOR THE SAFE AND HYGIENIC DISPOSAL OF WASTES GENERATED BY THE COMMUNITY BUT ΤΟ PROVIDE ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR EXISTING AND FUTURE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT"

DR REED ALSO OUTLINED THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAD BEEN ACHIEVED FOLLOWING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LIVESTOCK WASTE CONTROL SCHEME AND THE NOISE CONTROL ORDINANCE.

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