TNAG-1980-FCO40-2813-Pollution-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 4

Major Initiatives for Improving Air Quality (Chapter 4)

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(a)

(b)

(c)

Our major initiatives are

to provide a comprehensive legislative framework for territory-wide control by declaring additional air control zones to cover the remaining parts of the territory (paragraph 4.14);

amend the Air Pollution Control Ordinance

(APCO), and new regulations which extend the existing regulations to prohibit the use of industrial fuel oil with a sulphur cont ent greater than 0.5% by weight (paragraph 4.15 to

.18);

involving

requiring

t he all

to develop a strategy int roduction of regulations imported vehicles to comply with the most stringent international emission standards, which will require new petrol-engined vehicles to be fitted with catalytic convertors which require lead-free petrol; t he supply of lead-free petrol; the examination of measures aimed at reducing reliance on diesel-engined vehicles; and the int roduction of new regulations to enable more effective control to be exercised over vehicle smoke emissions (paragraph 4.21);

(d) to play our part in the international effort to protect the ozone layer by limiting the production and emission of certain chemicals known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) and halons (paragraphs 4.25 to 4.27).

Other Initiatives (Chapters 5 to 8)

12

and

The initiatives for noise, planning, enforcement environmental education, whilst important, are not expected to attract substantial comment.

Financial and Staffing Implications

13

The total cost of the measures described above cannot readily be estimated, but if all the initiatives in the White Paper were completed within ten years, it is estimated that the cost would be over $20 billion at March 1988 prices. Of this sum, sewerage and drainage works are expected to cost some $12 billion and landfills and refuse transfer stations a further $5 billion. Members should however note that most of the proposed measures are still in the formulative stage and have received financial approval.

yet