XN000022-1995-06-28 — Page 13

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Mr Chan said the IPRA guidelines were used for the Black Point 400 kv transmission line.

He explained that researches and studies on the health implications of EMF had been conducted in various countries since the 70s.

"After 20 years of research, the results of numerous studies conducted so far, mainly epidemiological studies, are still providing conflicting views and findings, and the scientific community in general is still unable to reach any consensus on the possible health risk of EMF," he said.

Because of the inconclusive epidemiological results, Mr Chan continued, various countries had brought in research scientists to investigate EMF in the laboratories.

One of the biggest research programmes is the five-year (1992-97) US$65 million EMF RAPID programme in the United States of America. All laboratory results available to date found no adverse health effects from EMF exposures.

"As an independent body to provide advice on EMF, the Working Group has to look into this issue from a balanced viewpoint taking into account the views held by mainstream scientific community.

"The Working Group has reviewed not only various individual researches and studies, but also, more importantly, those authoritative and comprehensive studies conducted by well recognised international organisations, national authorities and independent panels and working parties appointed to review the issue.

"There have been more than 70 such major comprehensive studies by government bodies and scientific panels so far and none of them has concluded that power frequency EMF causes adverse human health effects," he noted.

Mr Chan stressed that the information and papers provided by BPROA had been carefully studied by the Working Group, and most of the studies and researches quoted by BPROA had already been considered and covered by the above mentioned authoritative and comprehensive studies reviewed by the Working Group.

He told the BPROA that the EMF exposure guidelines adopted in Hong Kong were based on those published by the IRPA in collaboration with the World Health organisation (WHO) in 1990. Both organisations confirmed recently that such guidelines are still valid and still reflect the position of the WHO.