XN000022-1993-01-12 — Page 24

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1993

"WE HOPE TO EXTEND THESE EFFORTS TO REDUCE WATER POLLUTION IN 1993 BY DECLARING TWO MORE WCZS IN JUNE, WHICH WILL COVER THE FRINGES OF VICTORIA HARBOUR,

"WE WILL START PREPARING IN LATE 1993 FOR DECLARING THE FIRST PHASE OF THE VICTORIA HARBOUR WCZ," DR REED SAID.

SINCE THE BEGINNING OF 1992 ALL NEW LIGHT DUTY VEHICLES AND PASSENGER CARS HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO MEET STRINGENT EXHAUST EMISSION STANDARDS WHICH ARE COMPARABLE WITH THOSE IN THE U.S. AND JAPAN.

"TOGETHER WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF UNLEADED PETROL IN APRIL 1991, THIS PUTS IN PLACE ONE IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF OUR STRATEGY TO REDUCE MOTOR VEHICLE EMISSIONS," DR REED SAID.

"WE MUST NOW MOVE ON TO TACKLE VIGOROUSLY THE KNOTTY PROBLEM OF DIESEL ENGINE EMISSIONS,' HE ADDED.

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NEW NOISE LIMITS FOR ALL COMPRESSORS AND PNEUMATIC DRILLS WERE INTRODUCED IN 1992.

"NO ONE CAN DISPUTE THAT HONG KONG IS STILL A NOISY PLACE, BUT THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT EITHER THAT IT IS A GREAT DEAL LESS NOISY THAN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN WITHOUT THE CONTROLS WE ARE NOW ENFORCING ON PILING NOISE, CONSTRUCTION NOISE IN GENERAL, AND COMPRESSORS AND DRILLS IN PARTICULAR, AS WELL AS CONTROLS ON VENTILATION SYSTEM NOISE," DR REED SAID.

ON

HE STRESSED THAT DESPITE THE EMPHASIS ENFORCEMENT, WORK MUST CONTINUE UNABATED ON PROGRAMMES AND THE LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK.

IMPLEMENTATION AND DEVELOPING PLANS,

"IN 1992, WE HAVE SEEN THE INTRODUCTION OF REGULATIONS TO CONTROL CHEMICAL WASTE, AMENDMENT BILLS FOR THE WATER POLLUTION AND THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL ORDINANCE, A REVAMPING OF THE LIVESTOCK WASTE CONTROL SCHEME, DEVELOPMENT OF DRAFTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR A DUMPING AT SEA BILL, FORMULATION OF REGULATIONS то FURTHER CONTROL SUBSTANCES THAT CHANGE THE OZONE LAYER AND DRAFTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT BILL," HE ADDED.

"ANOTHER WELCOME DEVELOPMENT IS THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS HAS FINALLY BECOME GENERALLY ACCEPTED DURING 1992 AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS," OR REED SAID.

THE GOVERNOR, IN HIS POLICY ADDRESS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL LAST OCTOBER, INTRODUCED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ALSO INTO THE POLICY MAKING PROCESS, WITH THE REQUIREMENT THAT ALL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL PAPERS MUST CONTAIN A "GREEN PARAGRAPH" ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE ISSUE UNDER DISCUSSION.

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"THIS WAS COMPLEMENTED IN NOVEMBER WITH A REQUIREMENT THAT ALL PUBLIC WORKS SUB-COMMITTEE PAPERS SHOULD CONTAIN A GREEN PARAGRAPH, DR REED ADDED.

/"THE GREATER