XN000022-1993-06-04 — Page 17

FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 1993

16.

APPLICATIONS INVITED FOR FREE QUOTA ON CFOS AND HALONS

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NOTICES HAVE BEEN GAZETTED TODAY (FRIDAY) APPLICATIONS FOR

INVITING

FREE QUOTA ON RETAINED IMPORTS OF CHLOROFLUOROCARBONS (COMMONLY KNOWN AS CFCS) AND HALONS FOR THE CONTROL YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31 THIS YEAR.

THE SUBSTANCES UNDER CONTROL INCLUDE CP011. CFC12, CFC113, CFC114, CFC115 AND HALONS 1211, 1301 AND 2402.

CFCS AND HALONS ARE OZONE-DEPLETING IN HONG KONG.

SUBSTANCES

COMMONLY USED

BOTH OF THESE CLASSES OF SUBSTANCES ARE ALREADY SUBJECT ΤΟ IMPORT QUOTA CONTROLS UNDER THE OZONE LAYER PROTECTION ORDINANCE ADMINISTERED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT (EPD).

CFCS HAVE WIDE APPLICATIONS AS REFRIGERANTS IN THE AIR CONDITIONING INDUSTRY AND AS SOLVENTS IN THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY WHEREAS HALONS ARE COMMONLY USED IN FIRE-FIGHTING EQUIPMENT.

I AN EPD SPOKESMAN SAID THE QUOTA SYSTEM HAD BEEN INTRODUCED ΤΟ CONTROL THE LOCAL CONSUMPTION OF THESE SUBSTANCES IN ORDER ΤΟ FULFIL HONG KONG'S OBLIGAT LON UNDER THE MONTREAL PROTOCOL ON SUBSTANCES THAT DEPLETE THE OZONE LAYER.

SUBSEQUENT TO THE MEETING OF THE PARTIES ΤΟ THE MONTREAL PROTOCOL IN COPENHAGEN LAST NOVEMBER, THE TIMETABLE FOR PHASING OUT OZONE-DEPLETING SUBSTANCES HAS BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY ACCELERATED SUCH THAT HALONS AND CFCS ARE SCHEDULED TO BE PHASED OUT BY JANUARY 1994 AND 1996 RESPECTIVELY.

1 OF

"AT PRESENT, OUR RETAINED IMPORT OF CFCS AND HALONS ARE FROZEN AT THE 1986 CONSUMPTION LEVEL. FROM JANUARY 1, 1994. THERE WILL NOT BE ANY QUOTA FOR HALONS AND THE AMOUNT OF CFCS WILL BE CUT TO ONLY 25 PER CENT OF THE CURRENT LEVEL, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

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HE ADDED THAT THE FREE QUOTA FOR CFCS AND HALONS WOULD ONLY BE ALLOCATED TO APPLICANTS WHO HAD BEEN REGISTERED UNDER SECTION 5 OF THE OZONE LAYER PROTECTION ORDINANCE AND WHO HAD NO RECORD OF OFFENCE UNDER THE ORDINANCE.

APPLICATION FORMS AND FURTHER PARTICULARS MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE EPD ON 33RD FLOOR, REVENUE TOWER, 5 GLOUCESTER ROAD, WAN CHAI, HONG KONG. APPLICATIONS NOT USING THE OFFICIAL FORM SPECIFIED BY THE DEPARTMENT WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED,

ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE EPD IN PERSON ON OR BEFORE 5 PM ON JULY 2, 1993. LATE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

ENQUIRIES CAN BE MADE OF THE AIR CONTROL GROUP OF THE EPD ON TELEPHONE 594 6242 OR 594 6243 DURING NORMAL OFFICE HOURS.

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