ENG-2017 — Page 305

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The Environment

materials, with 90 road sections enhanced through these efforts as at end-2017. All these requirements and measures have reduced the number of people exposed to excessive traffic noise from 1.14 million in the past to about 900,000 despite increases in the population, number of vehicles and total length of roads.

Railway Noise

The MTR Corporation carries out noise reduction programmes to address noise problems along railways. New railway projects are required to undergo environmental impact assessments.

Aircraft Noise

The impact of aircraft noise on almost all residents in the vicinity of flight paths at the airport is within planning standards. However, there is still concern about nuisance from aircraft noise, especially during evenings and early mornings. The government will continue to explore all practicable mitigation measures.

Construction Noise

The department issues construction noise permits to control noise from general construction works between 7pm and 7am and at all times on public holidays. Strict criteria under these permits restrict the use of equipment and the conduct of noisy manual activities in built-up areas. Percussive piling is prohibited at night and on public holidays, and requires a permit during the day on non-public holidays. The use of noisy diesel, steam and pneumatic piling hammers is generally banned, while hand-held percussive breakers and air compressors used in construction must meet strict noise standards and be issued with noise emission labels. Apart from these legal controls, the department also promotes quiet construction equipment and technologies to the construction industry.

Noise from Industrial or Commercial Activities

The department serves noise abatement notices requiring the owners or occupants of premises causing excessive noise from industrial or commercial activities to tone down within a given period.

Waste Management

Waste Statistics'

Over the past decade, the municipal solid waste dumped at landfills has increased 13 per cent, while the mid-year population has grown 6 per cent. Between 2012 and 2016, municipal solid waste totalling 3.4 million to 3.79 million tonnes annually was disposed of, with the daily per capita disposal rate at between 1.30kg and 1.41kg. Food waste accounted for 36 per cent of municipal solid waste on average.

During the same five-year period, landfills took in 1.26 million to 1.62 million tonnes of construction waste annually, an average 40 per cent drop on the 2.39 million tonnes in 2005 before the launch of a Construction Waste Charging Scheme in 2006.

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Waste statistics for 2017 will be published in the report, Monitoring of Solid Waste in Hong Kong: Waste Statistics for 2017, to be released in 2018.

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