ENG-1996 — Page 476

THE ENVIRONMENT

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Beaches in the 'good' and 'fair' categories meet the government's water quality objective for bathing purposes.

Protecting the Environment

The Administrative Framework

The Planning, Environment and Lands Branch of the Government Secretariat has overall policy responsibility for the environment.

The Environmental Protection Department is responsible for pollution control and environmental management. Its tasks include: providing advice on policy; implementing programmes; environmental planning and assessment; enforcing and reviewing the effectiveness of all environmental legislation; planning and developing facilities for liquid and solid waste disposal; and promoting the concept and practice of environmental audit and environmental management systems.

The Agriculture and Fisheries Department is the main agency for nature and wildlife conservation. Its duties cover: designating and managing country parks, which cover some 40 per cent of the land area of Hong Kong; designating and managing marine parks; identifying and protecting areas of conservation importance; enforcing the protection of flora and fauna; providing advice on ecological aspects of environmental planning and assessment; and promoting public awareness of nature conservation.

Other departments also play an important part in protecting the environment. Planning for future land use and controlling developments in the urban and rural areas is undertaken by the Planning Department. The Drainage Services Department assisted by the Territory Development Department design, build, operate and maintain sewerage and sewage treatment and disposal facilities. The Urban and Regional Services Departments provide refuse collection services and maintain environmental hygiene. The Civil Engineering Department provides public dumping outlets for inert construction waste disposal. The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department operates refuse incinerators and promotes energy efficiency and conservation. The Marine Department clears floating refuse and oil from the harbour and enforces the law on oil pollution.

Planning Against Pollution

The past decade has witnessed great achievements in Hong Kong's efforts to pre- empt environmental problems through the application of an environmental impact assessment process (EIA) to policy, planning and project proposals. The environmental impact assessment process has now been brought into the highest level of decision making of the Executive Council and the Public Works Sub-committee (PWSC) of the Legislative Council's Finance Committee. The government requires that all policy proposals submitted to the Executive Council which are likely to bring about a significant cost or benefit to the environment, and all PWSC submissions, must contain an assessment on environmental implications.

Environmental Impact Assessment Bill

To implement a commitment in the Governor's 1994 Policy Address and to formalise the administrative environmental impact assessment process, an Environmental