ENG-1992 — Page 424

THE ENVIRONMENT

Protecting the Environment

The administrative framework

The Environmental Protection Department is the government's main store of expertise in the pollution control and planning aspects of conservation. Its tasks include: providing advice on policy, and monitoring progress to the policy goals for all aspects of pollution; undertaking environmental planning and assessment; devising, enforcing and reviewing the effectiveness of environmental legislation, including the livestock waste control scheme, and recommending new or amended legislation; planning and developing facilities for liquid and solid waste disposal.

Other departments play a major role in protecting Hong Kong's environment. The Planning Department takes care of the environment in government urban and rural planning at strategic and local level. The Drainage Services Department designs, builds, operates and maintains sewerage and sewage treatment and disposal facilities through- out the territory. The Territory Development Department carries out sewerage and sewage disposal works in new towns. The Urban Services Department and Regional Services Department provide refuse collection services and maintain environmental hygiene. The Civil Engineering Department oversees and operates landfills for the disposal of waste. The Agriculture and Fisheries Department is responsible for wildlife and countryside conservation, manages agricultural weirs, and operates and maintains departmental farm waste treatment facilities. The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department operates refuse incinerators. The Marine Department clears floating refuse and oil from harbour waters and enforces the law on oil spills.

Planning against Pollution

Environmental planning aims to achieve land uses that are environmentally acceptable and compatible between neighbours. It is carried out at various levels.

At the strategic level, the Metroplan Study, completed in 1990, created a framework. Studies such as the Territorial Development Strategy Review are building on this, to recommend improvements to Hong Kong's existing or proposed land use, environment and transport structure.

The Territorial Development Strategy study recognised at the outset that environmental factors were fundamentally important. It aimed to improve not only the efficiency of the territory but, more importantly, the quality of life.

Environmentally desirable land use changes are being more precisely defined through sub-regional development strategy reviews. In 1992 work continued on the environmental assessments associated with both the North-West and South-West New Territories Development Strategy Reviews.

Environmental assessment work arising from the Metroplan has reached down to district level in the form of environmental planning studies, which are part of the district development statements. In 1992 the West Kowloon Development Statement was finished and work commenced on both the Tsuen Wan and Kwai Tsing Development Statement and the South East Kowloon Study.

Work on defining the cumulative environmental effects of developments in and around Deep Bay continued during 1992. During the year the Hong Kong-Guangdong Environ- mental Protection Liaison Group considered a joint report on pollution and development

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