XN000022-1996-11-20 — Page 42

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Reply:

(a)

(b)

Mr President,

(a)

(b)

it will consider introducing statutory control on radon levels in public places; and

it is aware of any steps taken by the Mass Transit Railway Corporation to re-assess the quality of air in MTR stations in the light of the findings of the study; if so, what measures the Corporation will adopt to improve the air quality in MTR stations?

May I first of all say that it is the view of the MTRC that the findings of the City Polytechnic University study referred to by the Hon Member are open to dispute, for example, the measurements for health assessment were taken from only one station at day time and considerable extrapolation and assumptions were made to apply them to night workers. Indeed, the MTRC has sufficient misgivings about the report that it would publish a rebuttal shortly in the Journal of Radiological Protection. For the Administration's part, we do not consider it necessary to introduce statutory control on radon levels in public places at this point in time. Surveys on radon levels conducted by the Environmental Protection Department in 1993 and by the Labour Department in 1995 indicated that radon concentrations in public places including MTR stations are within well established international standards and will not have adverse health impacts on the public and MTRC maintenance workers. Nevertheless, we have distributed publicity pamphlets, and will continue to educate the public, on measures to prevent adon pollution.

The MTRC follows the Labour Department and the Environmental Protection Department's regulations and guidelines on the protection of the health and safety of its staff. A survey undertaken by the Labour Department in 1995 indicated that the radon exposure for MTRC maintenance workers was about 0.01 to 0.022 Working Level, which is very low against the recommended Working Level of 0.05 adopted by the International Commission of Radiological Protection. There is therefore no need to take action to reduce radon levels in the railway premises although MTRC will continue to regularly review the situation.

End