Environmental Hong Kong 2003
Environmental Protection Department
| Contents
| Traditional Chinese | Simplified
Chinese |
| Hong Kong's Environment | Community
Awareness | Partnership | Environmental
Assessment and Planning | Air | Noise
| Waste | Water
| Enforcement |
Noise
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Chart - Number of offenders convicted five times or more under the Noise Control Ordinance between 1999 and 2001 Repeat Offenders Laws to control noise are well-established, but some offenders, particularly in the construction trade, see the fines they receive as the cost of doing business. Between 1999 and 2001, 51 companies were convicted five times or more of noise violations. Eighteen were convicted more than 10 times. It was felt a stronger deterrent was needed. In June 2002 the Legislative Council passed an amendment to the Noise Control Ordinance, which holds company directors liable for noise offences. The amendment applies if a second offence or more is committed at the same construction site and if it occurs after directors have received written warning from the EPD. The department will issue that warning after the first offence, to alert management to the problem, then prosecute if the problem persists. There is a two-year time limit to the warning letter. A code of practice is being drafted and the law will be applied after that is issued. At the same time, the EPD is pursuing a partnership programme with the industry to raise awareness and offer general advice and support. |
At the same time as creating deterrents, the EPD is also trying to be more helpful. One concern has been that the construction industry and others were not well-informed about how to reduce noise. Partnership programmes therefore have been enhanced over the past three years to raise awareness, offer general advice and share views. The programmes initially are targeted at the construction, restaurant, garage and property management trades. So far they appear to have been effective. Noise prosecutions dropped from a peak of 523 cases in 2001 to 273 cases in 2002.
But while enforcing the ordinance and developing partnerships have helped to reduce noise from stationary sources, a different approach is needed to address traffic noise. Once a busy road has been built next to a residential building, or vice versa, it is very difficult to solve the noise problem. And many busy roads and buildings were built next to each other when Hong Kong was undergoing rapid development in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
Photo - Noise-reducing installation for construction machinery
Photo - EPD staff explained noise control measures at a construction site
Traffic Noise
A total of 650 existing roads in Hong Kong have excessive noise, affecting one million people. There are two obvious solutions: erect barriers or enclosures, or cover the roads with a quieter, absorbent surface. Unfortunately, both measures are hampered by constraints.
Barriers are good at containing noise, but there are several constraints in using them. They require space, they cannot compromise traffic safety and they cannot block vehicle or pedestrian access to buildings, ground floor shops and - most importantly - fire exits. Only about 30 existing roads are considered suitable for barriers, which will be installed progressively.
Photo - A typical noisy traffic route
Photo - Barriers block out noise from receivers
Low-noise surfaces can reduce noise by a few decibels, but they are not suitable on every road. Open-texture pavement is being used to reduce noise on high-speed roads, such as the Island Eastern Corridor, and is now a standard for new highways. Since 1987, 11 kilometres of highways have been resurfaced, benefiting about
Low-noise Road Surfaces The material used for paving roads can contribute to traffic noise. Materials that are too rigid or too flexible are not able to absorb noise and it bounces back into the environment. The EPD has worked with the Highways Department to try and find materials that can help to reduce road noise. Photo - Low-noise road surfacing on a section of West Kowloon Corridor Open-texture pavement cuts traffic noise by one to five decibels. It also enhances road-tyre friction and safety through better water drainage during wet weather. The material is now a standard requirement for all high-speed roads where traffic flows over 70 kilometres an hour. The government has also initiated a programme to apply open-texture pavement to existing local roads where possible. Only roads without a lot of heavy vehicles, incline or start-stop actions are suitable, because these types of conditions will significantly affect the pavement's lifespan, creating other problems. Seventy-two existing local roads could meet the requirements and will be resurfaced by 2004. The EPD and Highways Department are also continuing to investigate other noise-reducing road materials. Photo - A close look of the low-noise road surface showing the open-texture finish |
Photo - An education package has been produced on environmental noise Photo - The EPD's noise website Reaching Out A dedicated noise website has been set up by the EPD to help improve the public's understanding about noise. By visiting http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/noise_education, people can find out what noise is, how humans perceive noise, what the noise problems are in Hong Kong, what the government is doing to control them, how noise is assessed and how noise can be prevented. A CD-ROM version has also been prepared, including a version targeted at primary and secondary students. One of the interesting features of the package is that it lets people "trying out planning to avoid noise problem". Users can type in different information - such as the height of a building, its distance from the road, traffic speed and percentage of heavy vehicles - and see what the noise levels will be in different flats in the building. The bilingual package was prepared in 2002, for release in early 2003. The CD-ROMs will be distributed to schools and District Offices, and briefing sessions have been organised for teachers to help them understand the package's special features. |
Highlights of 2002
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Looking Ahead
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