XN000022-1992-06-19 — Page 9

FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 1992

COMPANY FINED $200,000 FOR MARINE DUMPING

A COMPANY WAS FINED A TOTAL OF $200,000 IN WAN CHAI DISTRICT COURT TODAY (FRIDAY) ON FOUR CHARGES IN RELATION TO ILLEGAL DUMPING OF DREDGED MARINE MUD AND EXCAVATED MATERIAL INTO THE SEA.

IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT SUCH CHARGES WERE DISTRICT COURT TO SEEK FOR A MORE EFFECTIVE DETERENT.

BROUGHT ΤΟ THE

USUALLY, OFFENDERS UNDER THE DUMPING AT SEA ACT ARE BROUGHT MAGISTRACIES ON SUMMARY CONVICTION. THE MAXIMUM FINE IS $5,000 IMPRISONMENT OF SIX MONTHS.

ΤΟ

AND/OR

ANY OFFENDER OF THE DUMPING AT SEA ACT WHO IS FOUND GUILTY IS LIABLE EITHER ON SUMMARY CONVICTION OR ON CONVICTION ON INDICTMENT, WHICH WILL LEAD TO A FINE AND/OR IMPRISONMENT FOR NOT MORE THAN FIVE YEARS.

{UDL), WHICH HAS SEA ACT, PLEADED

EIGHT PREVIOUS GUILTY IN THE

UNIVERSAL DOCKYARD LIMITED CONVICTIONS UNDER THE DUMPING AT DISTRICT COURT AND WAS FINED $50,000 ON EACH CHARGE. IT HAS TO PAY $12,000 AS PROSECUTION CHARGE.

DESPITE THE EXTRA EFFORT NEEDED ON THE PROSECUTION SIDE, THE EPD SPOKESMAN NOTED THAT SUCH EXTRA EFFORT WAS WORTHWHILE. SIMILAR PROCEEDING WILL BE TAKEN AGAINST OTHER REGULAR OFFENDERS.

THE EPD STAFF SPOTTED THE COMPANY OF COMMITTING THE FOUR ILLEGAL DUMPING OFFENCES IN LAST SUMMER NEAR LAI CHI CHONG IN TOLO CHANNEL, IN MIRS BAY, EAST OF TUNG LUNG CHAU, AND NINEPIN ISLAND.

THE EPD PROVIDED EXPERT WITNESS ON THE DETRIMENTAL EFFECT ILLEGALLY DUMPED SUBSTANCE ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC HEALTH.

OF.

THE WITNESS STATED THAT THE ILLEGALLY DUMPED MATERIAL WOULD RETARD THE GROWTH OF LIGHT-SENSITIVE MARINE ORGANISMS AND MICRO-ORGANISMS.

THE OVERALL EFFECT TO ECOLOGY WAS IRREVERSIBLE BECAUSE RE-DREDGING OF THE ILLEGALLY DUMPED MATERIAL WOULD BE EQUALLY DAMAGING TO THE ENVIRONMENT. MORE, THERE WOULD BE SOME IMPACTS ON THE FISHING INDUSTRY.

LAND RESUMPTION FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT INTERCHANGE

SIN

WONG TAI INTERCHANGE AND

A

THE GOVERNMENT IS TO RESUME LAND IN TAI HOM VILLAGE,

A

FOR

PUBLIC

LAND ΤΟ PROVIDE COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL CENTRE.

TRANSPORT

THE CLEARANCE WILL INVOLVE BOTH GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE LAND.

/A TOTAL