ENG-1993 — Page 456

THE ENVIRONMENT

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Sea Act 1974 (Overseas Territories) Order 1975. Anyone who intends to dump dredged marine spoil or excavated material that is unsuitable for reclamation purposes must first obtain a licence from the Director of Environmental Protection.

Spoil grounds have been designated for the disposal of dredged marine spoil or excavated material unsuitable for reclamation. All marine dumping activities must be carried out at these designated areas in an appropriate manner in accordance with marine dumping licences.

The large number of port and airport-related projects has generated a vast quantity of materials requiring marine disposal. This increase in dumping activities has been accompanied by a corresponding increase in illegal dumping. In view of the serious impact of illegal spoil dumping on marine life, the department has revised its marine dumping action plan. Since January 2, 1993, a vessel must be equipped with an automatic self- monitoring device before it can be listed in a marine dumping licence. The device will track all dumping operations by keeping a continuous record of the position and draft of the vessel, so that the authorities can trace any illegal dumping in a more cost-effective manner. The department maintains strict enforcement through frequent marine patrols, which have been supplemented by the introduction of helicopters patrols. Offenders who are caught are prosecuted, and repeat offenders face having their licences revoked or applications for new licences refused. Serious cases are taken to the district courts where higher fines can be imposed.

Livestock

Indiscriminate disposal of waste from the livestock industry is one of the main causes of pollution in streams in the New Territories, and constitutes a health hazard. A Bill to amend the Waste Disposal Ordinance to prevent pollution by livestock waste was submitted to the Legislative Council in late 1993 to increase the maximum penalties and make the law easier to enforce. Livestock-keeping will be banned in all urban and environmentally sensitive areas of Hong Kong. Where they are allowed, livestock farms will be controlled by licensing to ensure that the farms are equipped with proper waste treatment systems.

Complementing these controls is an administrative scheme to help affected operators. If an operator wishes to continue in business, he is eligible for a grant and a loan to help him pay for pollution control facilities. Since the start of the scheme, about $1.6 million has been paid out in capital grants and loans. If an operator chooses instead to cease business, he is eligible for an allowance to help tide him over until he finds other employment. About $590 million has been paid out in allowances to date, of which about $100 million was handed out in 1993.

During the year under review, the livestock waste control scheme stopped pollution equivalent to the raw sewage from 200 000 people being discharged into the environment. This brought to about 60 per cent the total reduction in livestock waste pollution since the 1987 inception of the control scheme.

Ozone

A Global Responsibility

To control ozone-depleting substances and fulfil Hong Kong's obligations as a party to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the Ozone Layer Protection Ordinance was enacted in 1989. This ordinance prohibits local manufacturing of