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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

I replied to a question, similar to the one now raised, at a recent meeting of the Legislative Council. On that occa- sion I said that the Director of Marine had anticipated the problem of oil pollution before the grounding of the "Columbia Trade" in August, and that his recommenda- tions, which were made after consulting the Dangerous Goods Standing Committee and the Port Executive Com- mittee, rested with Government.

These proposals envisaged the delineation of routes for oil tankers, the provision of booms and emulsifiers to contain and disperse oil spillage, the demarcation of the Colony's waters into zones for storage purposes, and the introduc- tion of the VHF plan for ship to shore, shore to ship, and inter-ship radio communication at short ranges.

I am happy to say that on the same day on which I replied to the question in the Legislative Council, Finance Com- mittee approved the release of funds for the provision of the booms, the emulsifiers and other equipment which the Director of Marine had advised were necessary as a precautionary measure. I understand that tenders have already been invited for the supply of most of these items. Marine Department staff are at present undergoing training at the Technical College in readiness to operate the VHF I am also system which will be introduced next year. assured that notices are being prepared to delineate the routes along which oil tankers will, in future, be requested to proceed. With regard to the recommendation relating to the formation of zones for storage purposes this, I believe, is being revised because of difficulties encountered in finding suitable storage sites.

Serious problems could, of course, arise if Hong Kong were faced with massive oil pollution, but Members will be reassured to learn of the measures already adopted and to know that Government is confident of its ability to contain a spillage of up to 1,500 tons of fuel oil.

The second part of this question asks whether a report was made on the "Columbia Trader" incident, and on the efficacy of the measures adopted to clear the oil which leaked from the ship. The position there is that the Director of Marine held an immediate investigation into the incident and reported his findings to the Secretariat before the end of August. Since then he has held the first of what may be expected to extend into a series of inter-departmental meetings designed to formulate the

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most effective organization and method of co-ordination to combat any future oil spillage. I cannot, of course, anticipate the findings of this informal committee, but I am told that the Director of Marine is likely to accept overall responsibility, and that his present intention is to establish a central command post.

MR. FORSGATE:-Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for a very full reply which has injected a rather clean and nautical smell into the ozone. (Laughter). I was prompted to ask this question because I recently read two papers, one on "Bahamas beaches saved from oil pollution" and the other a post mortem on the "Torrey Canyon". I think those papers are very important indeed for this Council to consider and, of course, for your Department to read, because they do indicate a different approach to the same problem, mainly cleaning the beaches, and I wanted to be assured that Government's committee was alive to all the problems met with elsewhere. Your reply reassures me in part, except that towards the end of the final paragraph it says that "a series of inter-departmental meetings designed to formulate the most effective organization, the first of which has just been held", and I would like to think that there is a more sense of urgency than is apparent in this part of your reply. Does it mean in the final part of that paragraph that the Director of Marine is likely to accept overall responsibility? Does that mean that he will be in command of measures which are

required on the beaches? In other words, he will be telling your Department what detergents to use, when to use them and more partic- ularly when to stop using them?

CHAIRMAN: -I think, Mr. FORSGATE, the Director of Marine will be in overall command, and will hold the various stocks of whatever is required to dispel oil spillage. It is from his stocks that we will draw anything that we require for the purpose of cleaning up any beaches that get polluted.

MR. BERNACCHI:-On a point of clarification, Mr. Chairman, what is the meaning of the expression "rested with Government"? Are not the Legislative and Urban Councils part of Government?

CHAIRMAN:-This is true, Mr. BERNACCHI. In other words, I think it rested in the Secretariat.

(5) DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG asked the following question:-

I note that persons wishing to use an Urban Council Library are required to deposit any bag or brief case which they might be carrying at the counter before entering. I

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