The Environment | 273
The EPD also works with the construction, catering, and vehicle repair industries, the property management sector and other trades to promote good practices and compliance with environmental regulations.
The EPD runs a Compliance Assistance Centre where businesses may obtain updated information and advice on environmental compliance, pollution prevention and environmental management.
Air Pollution
Like most modern cities, Hong Kong's air is affected by pollutants emitted from a multitude of sectors, including transport, power generating and construction. The Government has been implementing various measures to improve air quality. Between 1990 and 2008, emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), respirable suspended particulates (RSP) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) have dropped by 44 per cent to 59 per cent.
The EPD operates a range of controls under the Air Pollution Control Ordinance (APCO) and its subsidiary regulations, including licensing of some large industrial facilities and specific controls on fuel quality, furnace and chimney installations, dark. smoke emissions, open burning, dust emissions from construction works, emissions from petrol filling stations, perchloroethylene emissions from dry-cleaning facilities, as well as VOC emissions from printing machines and the levels of VOC in selected products. With effect from October 1, 2008, the law mandates that all industrial and commercial processes use ultra low sulphur diesel (ULSD) to further reduce emissions of SO2. In 2009, the regulation limiting the content of VOC in products was amended to extend its control in phases starting from January 1, 2010 to vehicle refinishing paints/coatings, vessel and pleasure craft paints/coatings, adhesives, and sealants.
The APCO also bans the import and sale of the more dangerous types of asbestos, amosite and crocidolite. Moreover, anyone intending to remove asbestos must engage registered professionals, and submit asbestos investigation reports and plans to the department.
Power plants are the largest sources of emission. To ensure smooth, timely and transparent compliance with the emission caps imposed on power plants, the APCO was amended in 2008 to give statutory effect to the emission caps for power plants in 2010 and beyond. The amendments also provide for the local power plants to engage in emissions trading as an alternative means for achieving the emission caps.
The Government completed a comprehensive consultancy study in July to review Hong Kong's Air Quality Objectives and develop a long-term air quality management strategy, taking into account the latest international developments, including the Air Quality Guidelines published by the World Health Organisation. A four-month public consultation on the findings and recommendations of the study ended on November 30. The Government is reviewing the views gathered from the consultation including among others 2000-plus written submissions and returned questionnaires for
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