ENG-1974 — Page 263

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THE ENVIRONMENT

The pollution control unit also operates a scavenging service in the main harbour and the typhoon shelters at Aberdeen, Causeway Bay and Yau Ma Tei. To cover these operations, 28 craft and three lighters are currently under contract to the Marine Department and during the year an average of 16 tons of refuse was removed daily. Of this, 55 per cent was fragmented timber, the remaining 45 per cent comprised domestic and sundry refuse.

The refuse collection service comprising three craft, provided for ocean-going vessels has proved popular and is being well utilised. Each morning a list is compiled of ships which have remained in port for 48 hours or more. These ships are then visited by the pollution control unit and accumulated domestic refuse is removed. Any vessel wishing to make use of this service before they have been in port 48 hours may do so by direct contact with the unit. This service effectively precludes clandestine dumping during the hours of darkness.

The Royal Observatory is responsible for providing basic information to enable warnings to be issued of any possible health hazards due to radioactive fallout from nuclear explosions. Regular measurements of beta and gamma activity in the at- mosphere and in rainfall have been made since 1961 at the King's Park Meteorological Station of the Royal Observatory. The radioactivity of filtered water samples from several of Hong Kong's reservoirs is also regularly determined for the Water Authority. The general level of atmospheric radioactivity during the year was low.

The Radiation Board exercises control over the issue of licences for irradiating apparatus and radioactive substances. The board operates under the Radiation Ordin- ance and two sets of regulations, the Radiation (Control of Radioactive Substances) Regulations and the Radiation (Control of Irradiating Apparatus) Regulations.

Conservation

Steep hill lands account for about three quarters of the total area of Hong Kong. The vegetative cover on these hills plays an important role in the management of the water catchments, in the provision of scenic and recreational amenities, the provision of scientific and educational opportunities, and in wildlife conservation.

The public is now making increasingly heavy use of the woodlands for recreational activities. Unfortunately, this brings with it the problems of fire and litter, which in turn pose a threat to these amenities.

Fire is by far the greatest hazard and there is need for rigorous protection measures throughout the hill lands. However, this is not possible with the restricted resources available at present. Consequently these resources are strategically deployed within the fire protection areas which include most of the non-urban parts of Hong Kong Island, parts of Lantau Island, the southern part of central New Territories, and Bride's Pool area-about 60 square miles in total. Fires within or threatening these areas are dealt with by forestry fire-crews working on a 24-hour standby system during the dry bush-fire season from October to April. Other fire precautions taken include the reduction of fire hazard, the construction of fire barriers, law enforcement and