ENG-1978 — Page 283

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THE ENVIRONMENT

Five new ordinances were proposed by the environmental consultants engaged by the government to provide comprehensive legislative controls to deal with pollution. They are the Water Pollution Control Ordinance, Air Pollution Control Ordinance, Noise Abatement Ordinance, Waste Disposal Ordinance, and the Environmental Impact Statement Ordinance. The draft Water Pollution Control Ordinance, amended after consultation with industry, is to be put to the Legislative Council. Drafting of the Air Pollution Control Ordinance is being undertaken. Consultations with industry over the Noise Abatement Ordinance and the proposed Waste Disposal Ordinance are proceeding.

The previous Advisory Committee on Environmental Pollution was reconstituted to form the new Environmental Protection Advisory Committee (EPCOM) in mid- 1978. Its terms of reference are to keep a constant watch on the environment and to advise the Secretary for the Environment on adequate measures to combat pollution. EPCOM functions through a 12-member central co-ordinating committee under the chairmanship of the Secretary for the Environment, with prominent citizens and senior government officials as members. Representatives of three major industrial organisations: the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Federation of Hong Kong Industries and the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce are included in the membership of the central co-ordinating committee. This is to ensure that industry is properly consulted on all major policy issues concerned with pollution control and, in particular, over the new environmental protection legislation proposals.

Water Pollution

Work to expand sewage treatment and disposal facilities in accordance with the government's 10-year programme continued in 1978. At present, about 40 per cent of the demand for these facilities is being met and it is anticipated that by 1982, 85 per cent of the demand for sewage treatment and disposal facilities will be achieved. Industrial liquid effluent discharges are still largely untreated. Draft legislation to control liquid effluent discharges, to be known as the Water Pollution Control Ordinance, was completed in 1978 and is being put before the Legislative Council. The ordinance will require all liquid effluent dischargers to be licensed.

To avoid disrupting industry, existing dischargers generally will be allowed to continue with the same levels of discharge. But new dischargers will be regulated by discharge levels specified in licence conditions. Control will be implemented in stages on an area-by-area and industry-by-industry basis.

The proposed scheme, if implemented, will prevent further deterioration in the short term, and seek gradual improvement over the medium to long term. A new unit is being created within the Public Works Department to be responsible for the implementation of controls.

During the year, the Marine Pollution Section of the Agriculture and Fisheries Department continued its fortnightly plankton sampling in Tolo Harbour. Intense algal blooms appear to be more frequent now and a report on nutrient enrichment of the harbour was prepared in summer.

Fortnightly plankton sampling, which was initiated in late 1976 in Port Shelter, Junk Bay, Victoria Harbour and its western and south-western approaches, was completed early in the year and the results were analysed and prepared for