XN000022-1991-11-20 — Page 23

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1991 ·

MR BARNES SAID OF THE SIX WCZ'S DECLARED TERRITORY, FOUR OF THEM WERE DECLARED BEFORE THE CONTROL (AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE 1990 CAME INTO EFFECT LAST YEAR, AND THE OTHER TWO WERE DECLARED SINCE THAT

SO FAR IN THE WATER POLLUTION ON DECEMBER 1, DATE.

HE NOTED THAT UNDER THE AMENDMENT BILL, THE "EXEMPTION ARRANGEMENTS" WHICH PREVIOUSLY EXISTED UNDER THE WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ORDINANCE HAD BEEN REPEALED AND THAT IT ALSO PROVIDED THAT DISCHARGES OR DEPOSITS WHICH WERE PREVIOUSLY EXEMPT WOULD BE "DEEMED" TO BE LICENSED FOR A FURTHER TWO YEARS OR UNTIL A NEW LICENCE WAS GRANTED.

THEREFORE, NO PHYSICAL APPLICATION FOR A LICENCE BY DEEMED LICENSEES WAS NECESSARY IN MOST CASES, HE ADDED.

MR BARNES SAID THE FOUR WCZ'S DECLARED BEFORE DECEMBER 1, LAST YEAR WERE TOLO HARBOUR AND CHANNEL, SOUTHERN, TSEUNG KWAN O AND PORT SHELTER WCZ'S.

HE DISCLOSED THAT IN THESE ZONES, THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT (EPD) HAD RECEIVED 15,800 NOTICES (OR APPLICATIONS) OF EXEMPTION, SOME 8,000 EXEMPTIONS HAD BEEN APPROVED, 1,900 REJECTED AND THE REMAINDER WERE BEING PROCESSED.

WHICH

ON NEW DISCHARGES, THAT IS, THOSE DISCHARGES OR DEPOSITS CAME INTO EXISTENCE AFTER THE ZONES WERE DECLARED AND WHICH MUST THEREFORE BE THE SUBJECT OF A LICENCE APPLICATION, 922 APPLICATIONS HAD BEEN RECEIVED, 558 GRANTED, AND THE REST WERE BEING PROCESSED, HE ADDED.

AS FOR PROJECTIONS ON THE NUMBER OF LICENSEES IN THE FOUR WCZ'S DECLARED BEFORE THE AMENDMENT ORDINANCE CAME INTO EFFECT, MR BARNES SAID THE EPD EXPECTED 19,000 APPLICATIONS FOR "EXEMPTIONS" AND RECEIVED 15,800 WITH THE REMAINING 3,200 DISCHARGES TO BE REQUIRED ΤΟ APPLY FOR A LICENCE.

―

FOR THE TWO WCZ'S DECLARED SINCE THE AMENDMENT ORDINANCE CAME INTO EFFECT DEEP BAY AND MIRS BAY

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT SOME 45,000 DISCHARGES, INCLUDING INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIAL AND DOMESTIC DISCHARGES, WILL NEED то APPLY FOR A LICENCE. ABOUT 3,000 APPLICATIONS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED SO FAR AND ARE BEING PROCESSED BY THE

EPD.

TO ASSESS THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE LICENSING SYSTEM HAS BEEN ACCEPTED, BY LOOKING AT THE SITUATION "BEFORE AND AFTER" THE WATER POLLUTION CONTROL (AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE 1990, MR BARNES QUOTED THE STATISTICS FOR APPLICATIONS FOR EXEMPTION FOR THE FIRST FOUR WCZ'S FOLLOWS:

AS

WCZ

ESTIMATED NO.

OF DISCHARGES

TOLO

7,000

SOUTHERN

7,200

NO. OF APPLICATIONS FOR EXEMPTION FOR A LICENCE

5,169 (73.8 PER CENT)

6,496 (90.2 PER CENT)

/TSEUNG KWAN O