XN000022-1995-11-15 — Page 63

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If the piling contractor continues to work at his present pace, piling will be completed in January 1998. The target completion date for Phase 5 of the project is June 2000.

End/Wednesday, November 15, 1995

Petrol filling stations safety

Following is a question by Dr the Hon John Tse Wing-ling and a written reply by the Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands, Mr Bowen Leung, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

Will the Government inform this Council what measures the Government has to:

(a) protect those workers at petrol filling stations and residents nearby against health risk and even chronic illness which may be cause by the inhaling of gases such as benzene over a long period of time; and

(b) safeguard the occupational safety of the workers and the health of the residents?

Reply:

Mr President,

(a) The adverse impacts of petrol filling stations are minimised through land use planning and statutory control over emissions. Under the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines, all new petrol filling stations have to be located on open ground with specified distance from neighbouring buildings. Oil companies are also required to keep the benzene level in petrol within the European Community standard of 5%. So far, the average benzene content in Hong Kong has been maintained at about 3.2% to 3.4%, and recent surveys have confirmed that workers in petrol filling stations are not exposed to air-borne concentrations of the chemicals in excess of the relevant occupational hygiene standards. Under the Air Pollution Control Ordinance, the Environmental Protection Department also ensures that petrol filling stations comply with specified emission levels for toxic chemicals.