TNAG-1726-FCO40-2439-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 336

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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL - 3 February 1988

MR. NG (in Cantonese): Sir, I would like to thank the Secretary for Health and Welfare for giving a very clear and concise answer. However, I would like to have one more point clarified. According to the Secretary for Health and Welfare's answer, does it mean that no matter whether the landfill site in Nim Wan, New Territories, is commissioned on schedule or not, residents in Lai Chi Kok and Lai Wan districts can expect that when the refuse transfer station in Kowloon Bay is commissioned in late 1990, plant 'B' of Lai Chi Kok incinerator will be closed down because we can still rely on the landfills in the Shuen Wan and Pillar Point, as well as Junk Bay?

SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE: Sir, I have good hopes that this will be the case. There has been a certain amount of delay in the commissioning of the landfill site in the New Territories but his should not result in a delay in the closing down of Lai Chi Kok.

PROF. POON: Sir, since the Kennedy Town and Lai Chi Kok plants will still be in use for a few more years, the electrostatic precipitators can only reduce the amount of dust emitted, would the Secretary inform this Council of the present level of gaseous pollution caused by these incinerators and has the Government considered any interim measure to reduce this level?

SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE: Sir, the other discharges other than the particulates include such toxic contaminants as dioxins which are emitted at rates of around 3 mg per hour at Kennedy Town and 27 mg per hour at Lai Chi Kok. While these discharges are certainly not helpful and to some extent harmful, they are not thought to be at a level which causes a serious health hazard and in view of the very limited life expectancy of the two plants, it is not thought appropriate to try to eliminate these particular discharges. This would be a very expensive business which would not really be worthwhile.

DR. Ho: Sir, I had the experience of visiting the controlled tip at Shuen Wan in the New Territories. The smell emitted from this site was most offensive to the residents nearby especially in rainy or humid weather. I wonder what measures Government will propose to take to reduce the intensity of the smell in the new sites named in the answer?

SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE: Sir the landfill sites to which I referred will be of a new generation of controlled tips. In fact, the word, 'controlled tip' is no longer used as an indication of this. Last week, I visited in Essex a controlled site or rather landfill site operated in the sort of way that we hope to apply in Hong Kong. These, of course, are much further away from built-up areas but in any case the measures that will be taken should ensure that smells and other environmental nuisances are reduced to an absolute minimum. Extensive environmental studies are being undertaken at present to ensure that this happens.

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