ENG-1993 — Page 450

THE ENVIRONMENT

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Chlorine has long been used in Hong Kong for water disinfection at water treatment works and swimming pools. Chlorine is toxic and potential risks to nearby residents from chlorine storage and use have been evaluated for all water treatment works, which are classified as PHIs. The risk assessments confirmed compliance with the Risk Guidelines following the introduction of several mitigation measures, including improvement in chlorine handling procedures, the replacement of bulk storage tanks with one tonne or 50-kilogramme containers, and the installation of chlorine absorption systems. These risk mitigation measures were fully implemented by the end of 1993. The Urban Services Department and Regional Services Department have agreed to phase out the use of conventional chlorine gas dosing systems for swimming pools in the future. The departments are converting to smaller cylinders for chlorine in the interim and are gradually adopting other safer sterilisation systems.

Legislation and Pollution Control

Hong Kong has six main pieces of legislation to control pollution. They are: the Waste Disposal Ordinance; the Water Pollution Control Ordinance; the Air Pollution Control Ordinance; the Noise Control Ordinance; the Ozone Layer Protection Ordinance and the Dumping At Sea Act (Overseas Territories) Order. Most of these include subsidiary regulations and other statutory provisions, such as technical memoranda, that give specific effect to the intentions of the principal laws.

The government has adopted a system of environmental quality objectives as a general principle in its pollution control laws. The objectives are set at levels that will protect conservation goals, such as the protection of public health or the preservation of a natural ecosystem. This system usually gives the required environmental benefit at the least cost. The limits it imposes on pollutant emissions are no more stringent or costly than is necessary to achieve the conservation goal. It also makes the maximum safe use of the environment's capacity to neutralise pollution.

Industrial and Commercial Emissions

Industrial and commercial success in Hong Kong has been achieved at the expense of severe degradation of the environment. The penalty is being paid in the form of adverse ecological changes, a heavy but usually hidden financial burden on the community, and great risks to community health.

The government's pollution control strategy aims not to harm industry and commerce, but to work in partnership with firms, so that all may benefit from a better environment. There are often direct economic benefits to be gained from activities that benefit the environment, such as recycling and the adoption of clean technology in manufacturing. These methods are better than pollution control techniques that have to be applied after a waste material has become a potential pollutant.

The government would prefer industry and commerce to recognise the benefits of waste minimisation and pollution prevention, but it is inevitable that this is not an entirely voluntary process and legislative control is required. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the case of the Water Pollution Control Ordinance, which first came into operation in 1987, and has been gradually extended to a series of water control zones. These zones were in 1993 extended to some of the most heavily industrialised areas, though the major industrial areas surrounding Victoria Harbour have yet to be covered.

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