XN000022-1994-03-10 — Page 18

THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 1994

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CANADA AND HONG KONG SHARE ENVIRONMENT EXPERIENCE

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EXPERTS AND PROFESSIONALS IN THE FIELD OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (EIA) FROM BOTH CANADA AND HONG KONG TODAY (THURSDAY} PART IN A SEMINAR ON CANADIAN EIA EXPERIENCE.

IMPACT TOOK

THE SEMINAR WAS PRECEDED BY A THREE-DAY WORKSHOP WHERE BOTH SIDES EXCHANGED VIEWS AND EXPERIENCES ON SOME IMPORTANT EIA ISSUES.

"BOTH THE SEMINAR AND THE WORKSHOP ARE EVENTS ORGANISED UNDER THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON ENVIRONMENTAL COLLABORATION SIGNED BETWEEN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND ITS

IN 1992, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, MR RAYMOND CHAN, SAID.

CANADIAN COUNTERPARTS

" THE CANADIAN EXPERIENCE OF HAVING ΤΟ MOVE FROM AN ADMINISTRATIVE CABINET DIRECTIVE TO A STATUTORY EIA ACT IS EXTREMELY RELEVANT TO OUR CURRENT POSITION OF PROPOSING AN EIA ORDINANCE IN HONG KONG.

"THE EXCHANGE OF VIEWS IN THE WORKSHOP AND THE SEMINAR IS VERY USEFUL TO US," HE SAID.

TODAY'S SEMINAR FOCUSED ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW CANADIAN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ACT, PRIVATE SECTOR EXPERIENCES WITH ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND PROJECT PLANNING AS WELL AS PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.

AMONG THE SPEAKERS WERE EXPERTS FROM CANADA'S FEDERAL OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT REVIEW OFFICE, THE ONTARIO MINISTRY ENVIRONMENT AND PRIVATE CONSULTANCY FIRMS.

"CANADA HAS OVER 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN APPLYING BIA AND WE LESSONS ARE VERY PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH HONG KONG THE MANY LEARNED," THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT REVIEW OFFICE OF CANADA, MR PATRICE LEBLANC, SAID.

ΤΟ

OPPORTUNITY

AND OF

"THE SEMINAR AND WORKSHOP ALSO PROVIDE US WITH THE

INPUTS VALUABLE FROM THE HONG KONG EXPERIENCE IN EIA, GAIN INSIGHTS FOR OUR INTERNATIONAL STUDY OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT, HE SAID.

THE EFFECTIVENESS

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