ENG-1988 — Page 374

THE ENVIRONMENT

The Noise Control Ordinance deals with the following:

•

·

317

noise from domestic premises and public places (also referred to as general neighbour- hood noise),

noise from construction activities (including piling),

noise from places other than construction sites, domestic premises or public places (e.g. noise from industrial or commercial premises), and

noise from individual items of plant or equipment.

The ordinance enables associated regulations and technical memoranda to be made which introduce detailed control criteria, measurement procedures and other technical matters. The provisions of the ordinance will be enforced by the Director of Environmental Protection (who will be appointed by the Governor as the Noise Control Authority) and the police.

It is intended that the provisions relating to noise from construction sites will come into operation in mid-1989, although applications for construction noise permits will be accepted a few months in advance in anticipation of the new controls. The provisions relating to noise from domestic premises and public places and noise from industrial or commercial premises will come into operation at the same time. Provisions relating to noise from prescribed products will come into operation when the necessary regulations have been made.

Until the Noise Control Ordinance comes into force, construction noise is controlled by a permit system under the Summary Offences Ordinance, for which the Director of Civil Engineering Services is the Authority. During the year, 2 487 permits were issued to cover construction work during the restricted hours. Also, the Regional and the Urban Services Departments control noise from ventilation and air-conditioning systems under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance. Some 572 complaints about noise from ventilation and air-conditioning systems were dealt with and 11 prosecutions were initiated on advice given by the EPD.

Wastes: Provision of Facilities and Services

The Environmental Protection Department is responsible for the development of cost- effective and environmentally acceptable programmes for the management of liquid and solid wastes, including chemical waste and livestock waste. The Urban Services and Regional Services Departments are responsible for the collection of household wastes in their respective areas while the Marine Department is responsible for the collection of marine refuse.

During the year, the Civil Engineering Services Department and the Territory Develop- ment Department continued to provide sewerage, sewage treatment and disposal facilities throughout the territory. The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department operates the sewage treatment and disposal facilities while the Civil Engineering Services Department maintains the sewerage system.

Planning for the provision of sewage collection, treatment, and disposal facilities is the responsibility of the Director of the Environmental Protection Department. The intention in the planning for and design of the facilities is to match discharges to the assimilative capacity of receiving waters. A consultancy is being carried out to develop an overall strategy for sewage treatment and disposal in Hong Kong. This should be completed by the middle of next year. At a more detailed level, measures are in hand to develop comprehen- sive sewerage master plans in a number of areas. The second phase of a study to produce a master plan for East Kowloon ended in June and three new studies, of the Hong Kong