ENG-2000 — Page 335

THE ENVIRONMENT

Most of these laws have subsidiary regulations and other statutory provisions, such as technical memoranda, to give effect to 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 meet environmental goals, such as the protection of public health or the preservation of a natural ecosystem. The system aims to achieve the required environmental benefits in the most cost-effective and economically sustainable manner. Limits imposed on polluting emissions are no more stringent or costly than is necessary to achieve the conservation goal, which also makes the maximum safe use of the environment's natural capacity to absorb and recycle wastes.

EPD inspectors made 69 499 inspections to enforce control on air, noise, waste and water pollution in 2000. These included regular checks on environmental compliance and investigations of pollution complaints from the community. The enforcement work resulted in 1 687 convictions and $22.4 million in fines. To streamline enforcement operation, the EPD will set up multi-skilled teams which can deal with all types of pollution problems at any single site inspection.

Air Pollution

Air quality in Hong Kong is typical of any large modern city. Diesel smoke and fine dust in the urban areas are the most pressing problems, causing a nuisance and constituting a major health concern. In 2000, non-compliance of the air quality objectives for particulates and nitrogen dioxide was recorded in several districts, including the busy city centres such as Causeway Bay, Central and Mong Kok.

Hong Kong's objectives for air quality, developed in 1987, are comparable with standards adopted in developed countries at that time. Hong Kong is currently reviewing the objectives along with the latest overseas development.

Many factories and commercial activities produce air-borne emissions. The EPD operates a range of controls under the Air Pollution Control Ordinance and its subsidiary regulations, including specific controls on furnaces and chimneys, dark smoke emissions, fuel quality, open burning, dust emissions from construction works and benzene emission from petrol filling stations.

Air pollution arouses great public concern, especially when factories are near homes. In 2000, the department handled 5 135 complaints of air pollution, and issued 176 legal notices instructing offenders to abate air pollution.

Some large industrial facilities and processes cause more air pollution than others. The Air Pollution Control Ordinance specifies these processes, which must operate under a licence setting out the measures each must adopt to minimise air pollution.

Transport

Vehicle emissions are the major pollution source in Hong Kong. The Government's policy is to apply the most stringent motor vehicle fuel and emission standards whenever they are practicable and available.

As far as motor vehicle fuel is concerned, the sale of leaded petrol has been banned since April 1999. The Government is moving in parallel with the European Union in raising the statutory diesel standard. On this front, only diesel of less than 0.035 per cent sulphur in weight could be sold at petrol filling stations from January 1, 2001. In addition to that, in July Hong Kong became the first city in Asia to introduce ultra

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