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The
EPD is the largest employer of environmental experts in Hong Kong.
It employs 1 239 professional and technical staff with backgrounds
in science, applied science, town planning and engineering, and
many are active members of learned societies in their fields of
expertise. The department contributes to the development of the
environmental management profession in Hong Kong and elsewhere by
investing in continuous training of staff, collaborating with researchers,
providing advice, writing for outside publications and organising
conferences, seminars and staff exchanges.
Highlights
of 2003:
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An international seminar on the effectiveness and aesthetics
of noise barriers was held in December, jointly organised by
the EPD, Highways Department, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
and Hong Kong Institute of Acoustics. Speakers came from Australia,
Belgium, Britain, Hong Kong and Japan, and more than 160 professionals
attended.
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A workshop on stormwater pollution management was held in November
with officials from Canada and Australia, to share experiences.
60 professionals from the Environment, Transport and Works Bureau,
Drainage Services Department and the EPD attended the workshop.
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A technical exchange workshop on monitoring techniques for particulate
matter and volatile organic compounds was held in February with
our Guangdong counterparts. Local, Mainland and overseas experts
were invited to participate in the training of EPD and Mainland
staff.
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Officials from the Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau
and the EPD carried out an exchange programme for the second
year running to widen their work exposure and experience, and
to foster closer partnership and communication between both
jurisdictions.
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An interim version of the EPD’s Strategic Environmental
Assessment Manual was presented at the annual meeting of the
International Association of Environmental Assessment in June
for comment.
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Presentation on Hong Kong’s proposed clinical waste control
scheme at the National Clinical Waste Conference in Australia
in November.
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A trial exchange programme between EPD and Highways Department
officials began in October, to promote better understanding
of each other’s work.
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The EIAO Support Section organised 34 tailor-made workshops
on the EIA mechanism for about 820 professionals from government
departments, private and public sector corporations, contractors,
and professional bodies, between November 2002 and February
2004.
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Two PROPECC notes were issued to professionals, setting out
guidelines for air quality inside bus and railway compartments.
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EPD staff wrote a number of papers on various environmental
issues during the year, which were published in professional
journals and presented at conferences and workshops.
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The EPD continued to serve on the fund-vetting committees of
the Innovation and Technology Fund and the Environment and Conservation
Fund, which help finance education and research projects in
the environmental field.
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Nine
EPD staff were trained in an Institute of Environmental Management
and Assessment (IEMA) Approved Environmental Management System
Lead Auditor course in 2003.
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EPD professional staff received training for an average of 8.7
days each in 2003. Technical staff recorded an average of 6.8
days each of training. The department will continue to invest
in staff development in 2004.
Environmental
Graduate Training Scheme
The
EPD employs more than 190 professional engineers in various fields.
As a leading employer in environmental protection, it recognises
the need to train future generations of professional environmental
engineers. The department has been certified for the Hong Kong Institute
of Engineers’ Scheme “A” Training since 1997.
21 environmental engineering graduates have undertaken on-the-job
training with the EPD so far, acquiring project management skills,
enforcement experience and environmental impact assessment knowledge.
12 of the graduates completed their training in 2003.
Workshop
for Senior Management
To
further enhance communication across the whole department and to
share expertise amongst senior managers, a series of experience-sharing
workshops were arranged for our senior staff.
Three workshops were held in 2003 on "Collaboration with Mainland
China in Protecting our Environment", "Environmental Considerations
in Preventing Disease Outbreak" and "Topical Environmental
Issues". They were attended by an average of 123 senior staff,
ranking from Senior Environmental Protection Officer to the Director
of Environmental Protection. Over 100 Environmental Protection and
Assistant Environmental Protection Officers also joined the last
workshop.
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EPD
colleagues join in a discussion panel and share their views
and experience in a workshop. |
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We
will ensure through appropriate training and professional development,
that every member of our staff has the knowledge and competency to
assume their environmental responsibilities and to participate constructively
in environmental activities. |