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over there. However, I do not know whether the increase in function will still demand that the Hung Hom plant be operating at near capacity.
MR. HU: Mr. Chairman, besides China Light, there is one factory which is in the To Kwa Wan area, No. 42 Baker Street. It is a four-storey building, and it is now used as an aluminium factory and very highly poisonous fumes emit from that factory. I received a petition signed by over a hundred people against the poisonous smoke and fumes. I hope our Council can take action on it.
CHAIRMAN: Would you let us have a copy of the complaint? MR. HU: Yes, it was passed to the Council on the 30th of July this year.
MR. BLAKER: Mr. Chairman, I am overwhelmed by the proficiency of knowledge coming from my right.
(16) & (17) MR. H. M. G. FORSGATE asked the following questions:
(a) Now that the Kennedy Town and Lai Chi Kok incinerators are in full operation, can the Chairman inform me that their operational performance is up to their designed capacity?
(b) Is the Kennedy Town incinerator coping with the Hong Kong Island refuse?
(c) Where will the future incinerators on the Kowloon side be located, and how many more units is it estimated are required to deal with mainland refuse?
How much longer will the Gin Drinker's Bay refuse dump require to be utilized?
THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS replied as follows:
Mr. Chairman, the incinerators at Kennedy Town and Lai Chi Kok each have four incinerating units which were designed to burn 250 tons of refuse per unit per day. Each incinerator was therefore designed to dispose of 750 tons per day operating three units with one unit shut down for maintenance. The design capacity was based on samples of refuse collected in 1960-61 but there has been a significant change in the composition of refuse since then with an increase in the proportion of incombustible materials such as tins and bottles which were formerly picked out. As a result of this, the capacity of
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the Kennedy Town incinerator, which is now fully operational, is, on a continuous basis, probably nearer to 650 tons per day on three units. The incinerator at Lai Chi Kok which was commissioned on 1st March this year has yet to be brought up to full capacity but the indications are that improvements, incorporated as a result of experience on the Kennedy Town incinerator, will give improved performance.
The daily collection of refuse on Hong Kong Island is at present 640 tons and, except in emergencies, the Kennedy Town incinerator is just able to incinerate this quantity daily. It will, however, be necessary to expand the incinerator capacity on the Island to cope with the future increase. A site for a second incinerator was earmarked at Chai Wan but it now seems likely that the plant cannot be built there because of the effect of the chimney on the Kai Tak Airport flight funnel. Consideration is therefore being given to the provision of a fifth incinerator unit at the Kennedy Town site to deal with a future increase up to approximately 200 tons per day.
In Kowloon a second incinerator will be constructed on the site adjacent to the existing plant at Lai Chi Kok and the contract for the supply of this second plant has already been awarded. A third incinerator to serve Kowloon will be necessary but the search for a site for this has proved extremely difficult. Sites in Kwun Tong and north-east Kowloon have been ruled out because of the effect of smoke on Kai Tak Airport. A possible site at Sha Tin has been considered but this would require transport of the refuse through Lion Rock Tunnel while a third incinerator at Lai Chi Kok would produce an unwelcome concentration of incinerator smoke. It may be necessary to accept a much greater haulage distance for refuse in order to find a satisfactory disposal site.
It will not be possible to cease dumping refuse at Gin Drinker's Bay until additional incinerators are built in Kowloon or an alternative dumping site is found. With the difficulties being encountered in obtaining incinerator sites, there is a danger that the present dump will be filled before further facilities for incineration are available. Consequently, the search for an alternative site for dumping is being actively pursued but it is proving very difficult to find such a site.
(Mr. James M. H. WU left the meeting at this point).
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Page 109 of 237
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over there. However, I do not know whether the increase in func- tion will still demand that the Hung Hom plant be operating at near capacity.
MR. HU: Mr. Chairman, besides China Light, there is one factory which is in the To Kwa Wan area, No. 42 Baker Street. It is a four-storey building, and it is now used as an aluminium factory and very highly poisonous fumes emit from that factory. I received a petition signed by over a hundred people against the poisonous smoke and fumes. I hope our Council can take action on it.
CHAIRMAN: --Would you let us have a copy of the complaint? MR. HU:-Yes, it was passed to the Council on the 30th of July this year.
MR. BLAKER:—Mr. Chairman, I am overwhelmed by the profi- cience of knowledge coming from my right.
(16) & (17) MR. H. M. G. FORSGATE asked the following questions:
(a) Now that the Kennedy Town and Lai Chi Kok incinera- tors are in full operation, can the Chairman inform me that their operational performance is up to their designed capacity?
(b) Is the Kennedy Town incinerator coping with the Hong
Kong Island refuse?
(c) Where will the future incinerators on the Kowloon side be located, and how many more units is it estimated are required to deal with mainland refuse?
How much longer will the Gin Drinker's Bay refuse dump
require to be utilized?
THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS replied as follows:-
Mr. Chairman, the incinerators at Kennedy Town and Lai Chi Kok each have four incinerating units which were designed to burn 250 tons of refuse per unit per day. Each incinerator was therefore designed to dispose of 750 tons per day operating three units with one unit shut down for maintenance. The design capacity was based on samples of refuse collected in 1960-61 but there has been a significant change in the composition of refuse since then with an increase in the proportion of incom- bustible materials such as tins and bottles which were formerly picked out. As a result of this, the capacity of
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
197
the Kennedy Town incinerator, which is now fully opera- tional, is, on a continuous basis, probably nearer to 650 tons per day on three units. The incinerator at Lai Chi Kok which was commissioned on 1st March this year has yet to be brought up to full capacity but the indications are that improvements, incorporated as a result of ex- perience on the Kennedy Town incinerator, will give improved performance.
The daily collection of refuse on Hong Kong Island is at present 640 tons and, except in emergencies, the Kennedy Town incinerator is just able to incinerate this quantity daily. It will, however, be necessary to expand the in- cinerator capacity on the Island to cope with the future increase. A site for a second incinerator was earmarked at Chai Wan but it now seems likely that the plant cannot be built there because of the effect of the chimney on the Kai Tak Airport flight funnel. Consideration is therefore being given to the provision of a fifth incinerator unit at the Kennedy Town site to deal with a future increase up to approximately 200 tons per day.
In Kowloon a second incinerator will be constructed on the site adjacent to the existing plant at Lai Chi Kok and the contract for the supply of this second plant has already been awarded. A third incinerator to serve Kowloon will be necessary but the search for a site for this has proved extremely difficult. Sites in Kwun Tong and north-east Kowloon have been ruled out because of the effect of smoke on Kai Tak Airport. A possible site at Sha Tin has been considered but this would require transport of the refuse through Lion Rock Tunnel while a third incinerator at Lai Chi Kok would produce an unwelcome concentration of incinerator smoke. It may be necessary to accept a much greater haulage distance for refuse in order to find a satisfactory disposal site.
It will not be possible to cease dumping refuse at Gin Drinker's Bay until additional incinerators are built in Kowloon or an alternative dumping site is found. With the difficulties being encountered in obtaining incinerator sites, there is a danger that the present dump will be filled before further facilities for incineration are avail- able. Consequently, the search for an alternative site for dumping is being actively pursued but it is proving very difficult to find such a site.
(Mr. James M. H. WU left the meeting at this point).
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