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As a further measure, pollution control units are to be established in appropriate govern- ment departments to enforce regulations, issue licences and provide surveillance and control for individual discharges or emissions. Generally, their responsibility will be to ensure that the level of pollutants in any area does not result in a breach of the quality objectives specified for that area, and to see that licence conditions are set accordingly.

These developments are part of the phased build-up of staff and resources for environ- mental protection which, over the next three years, will involve an estimated annual expenditure of approximately $15 million. In addition, there will be a total expenditure of around $6 million on equipment.

Considerable importance is being attached to investigational work which will establish the factors affecting pollution locally. Only through detailed research will it be possible to avoid the error of adopting pollution control measures which may have worked elsewhere, but may be quite inappropriate for Hong Kong.

Protecting the Environment

An important part of the strategy for environmental protection in Hong Kong is ensuring that projects which could be potential sources of pollution incorporate adequate control measures at the design stage. This is achieved through the submission, by the developer, of detailed environmental impact assessments which are then examined by government departments, the Environmental Protection Unit and the Environmental Protection Ad- visory Committee (EPCOM).

Such assessments continued to be submitted during the year by the companies involved in constructing Hong Kong's two new power stations - one at Tuen Mun in the New Territories, and the other on Lamma Island – which are due to begin operation in 1982. Reports on aqueous and aerial emissions and the visual impact of the stations were among the assessments to be examined.

Discussions in EPCOM - and with the companies concerned - over the possible effects of emissions from the Tap Shek Kok power station on the Tuen Mun urban area, led to an increase in the chimney height to improve plume dispersion. Construction of the chimney was completed in mid-1980 and, at 215 metres, it is presently the tallest concrete structure in Southeast Asia.

Moving into another area, the EPU and relevant government departments began work in 1980 on environmental studies in and around Junk Bay, which will be developed to provide industrial and residential land on the eastern side of Kowloon. The investigations will determine the capacity of the Junk Bay environment, particularly the air and water, to absorb or disperse polluting emissions and to establish environmental quality objectives compatible with the expected development.

To achieve these aims, a range of control strategies will be explored for domestic, indus- trial and agricultural emissions. The study will comprise data gathering, measurement and analysis and, taking full account of seasonal variations, is expected to last approximately two years.

Consultative Process

In order to balance the protection of the environment with the demands of the economy and social and public needs, the government has made a firm commitment to the process of consultation.

The principal consultative forum on environmental matters is the Environmental Pro- tection Advisory Committee (EPCOM). In the decade since its formation, EPCOM has