Press
Release
Schemes on cross-boundary marine dumping signed
The State Oceanic Administration (SOA) and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government today (June 15) signed two implementation schemes on cross-boundary marine dumping and disposal of inert construction and demolition (C&D) materials.
Signing the implementation schemes are the Director of the South China Sea Branch, the SOA, Mr Li Lixin; the Permanent Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works (Environment), Mr Kwok Ka-keung; and the Director of Civil Engineering and Development, Mr Tsao Tak-kiang.
Both the "Implementation Scheme on the management of cross-boundary marine dumping" and the "Implementation Scheme on Hong Kong disposal of inert C&D materials in the Mainland" stipulates technical details to dispose of the materials in mainland waters.
As reclamation projects dwindled in Hong Kong, locally generated inert C&D materials could not be reused in reclamation works. To avoid such materials from occupying precious landfill space, they are now stored in temporary fill banks in Tuen Mun and Tseung Kwan O.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr Kwok said that the temporary fill banks would be saturated by the end of this year.
"The signing of the implementation schemes is significant in solving the imminent problem to handle the inert C&D materials which could not be reused in local reclamation works," he noted.
The HKSAR Government expects that the transfer of inert C&D materials to the Mainland for reclamation purposes could be started within this year.
"The two schemes confirmed concrete technical details and arrangement of the transfer of inert C&D materials to the mainland waters for disposal. We will work closely with the SOA to speed up the process to reuse public fill in Mainland reclamation projects with a view to solving the problem of managing C&D materials in Hong Kong," Mr Tsao said.
The SOA and the Environment, Transport and Works Bureau of the HKARG signed a Cooperation Agreement on Cross-boundary Marine Dumping on March 31, 2004.
The Agreement laid the foundation to a close cooperation and communication on issues concerning the management principles of cross-boundary marine dumping and disposing of HK's inert C&D materials in mainland waters. The schemes reflect the consensus between the two governments under the framework of the cooperation agreement.
Ends/Wednesday, June 15, 2005
|
