THE ENVIRONMENT
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A Waste Management Policy Committee was established during the year to advise the Secretary for the Environment on disposal strategy. Aimed at ensuring the adequate avail- ability of disposal facilities, the committee will be placing particular emphasis on the use of methods which are both environmentally acceptable and cost effective. It is envisaged that much of the committee's activity will provide the basis for the Waste Disposal Plan which is a statutory requirement under the new legislation.
Air Pollution
The Air Pollution Control Division of the Labour Department administers the Clean Air Ordinance, the Clean Air (Furnaces, Ovens and Chimneys) (Installation and Alteration) Regulations, and the Clean Air (Restriction and Measurement of Smoke Emission) Regula- tions. The division is responsible for the control of smoke, grit and dust from stationary sources such as fuel-using plants.
The division requires that plans and specifications for the installation or alteration of furnaces, ovens, chimneys or flues are submitted to it to ensure that the design is up to appropriate standards. It organises inspections, investigates complaints, gives technical advice to industry and takes legal action against persistent offenders.
During the year, the division processed 356 sets of plans and specifications under the Clean Air (Furnaces, Ovens and Chimneys) (Installation and Alteration) Regulations, including plans for two 215-metre-high, multi-flue chimneys for the new power-generating plants at Tap Shek Kok and Po Lo Tsui. The division also offered advice to a number of developers at Tai Po Industrial Estate and on Lamma Island, on the installation of suitable pollution control equipment.
In addition, the division investigated 1,100 air pollution complaints, several of which originated from other forms of environmental pollution such as the emission of malodorous gases from public sewers and nullahs.
There were 40 prosecutions under the Clean Air Ordinance and its subsidiary regulations against persistent offenders, resulting in 40 convictions with fines ranging from $250 to $2,500.
The four daily monitoring stations continued to monitor atmospheric pollution levels. The 12-month mean average of sulphur dioxide readings at Hung Hom, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Sham Shui Po and Central Market stations were, respectively, 69 ug/m3, 98 ug/m3, 31 ug/m3 and 44 ug/m3, and the corresponding smoke density readings were 25 ug/m3, 32 ug/m3, 91 ug/m3 and 49 ug/m3. The highest daily reading of sulphur dioxide registered during the year was 494 ug/m3 which was very much below the maximum guideline of 1,310 ug/m3 recommended by the former Advisory Committee on Air Pollution.
From June onwards, staff of the division and students of the University of Hong Kong jointly conducted an 11-week survey of air pollution levels. They monitored concentrations of sulphur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide and lead particulates at different altitudes in busy streets and in industrial areas.
During the year, suspected air pollution incidents affecting school children were reported in a number of different locations. In May, pupils from a college and two schools in the Kwai Chung area complained of various degrees of discomfort, ranging from eye-burn to nausea, and attributed the symptoms to the presence of an irritant gas. Staff from the Labour and Fire Services departments made immediate investigations. They undertook a thorough search for chemical spillage and inspected factories and dumping areas. However, no definite source was found.
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