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Letter to the Editor of the South China Morning Post dated 7 November 2003
I refer to the letters published by your paper on November 5 and 6 on air pollution.
The very high air pollution on November 3, 2003 was a combination of calm weather over the past two weeks and the effect of the tropical storm, Melor, approached the South China Sea that resulted in the building up of pollution to an unusual level over Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta Region.
Although such pollution levels are unusual, the Government fully recognises the need to tackle air pollution and is taking strong actions both locally and together with Guangdong.
Locally, we have implemented a comprehensive control programme to reduce vehicle emissions, which includes the LPG taxi programme, the particulate reduction device retrofit programme for old diesel vehicles, the incentive programme for replacing diesel light buses with LPG or electric vehicles, adoption of the most stringent Euro III emission standards, introduction of ultra low sulphur diesel (ULSD), strengthened emission tests and enforcement against smoky vehicles, etc. The Government is also exploring various measures to promote energy efficiency as well as the use of renewable energy.
We are among the first in Asia to introduce ULSD back in July 2000 and are still among the few internationally cities to use ULSD exclusively on diesel vehicles. Our LPG vehicle fleet now accounts for about 20% of the vehicle mileage, this is much higher than that of the USA which only has 3% of their vehicles operate on clean alternative fuels such as LPG.
Respirable suspended particulates and nitrogen oxides have dropped by 19% and 16% respectively at roadside since 1999, and the number of smoky vehicles has dropped by 70% over the period. As a further illustration of the improvement, the total number of hours for which the air monitoring stations recorded API exceeding 100 was 928 hours for this year up to November 2, as compared with 1,412 hours for the same period in 1999.
At the regional level, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Guangdong Provincial Government have agreed to, on a best endeavour basis, aim to cut the emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, respirable suspended particulates and volatile organic compounds in the Pearl River Delta Region by 40%, 20%, 55% and 55% respectively, using 1997 as the base year, and strive to achieve these targets by 2010. The reduction of these air pollutants will greatly improve the haze phenomenon of the Region and the air quality objectives in Hong Kong will also be met.
This department has contacted the author of the letter on smoky vehicles and provided him with the information he asked for. Any members of the public who are interested in becoming a spotter for smoky vehicles may write to us for the details at the following address:
The Environmental Protection Department
Rm 1001-1003, 10/F, COL Tower,
World Trade Square,
123 Hoi Bun Road, Kwun Tong, Kowloon.
Tse Chin-wan
Assistant Director (Air)
for Director of Environmental Protection
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