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Merged the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) with the
Environment Branch of the Environment, Transport and Works Bureau
from 1 April 2005, and brought conservation policy-making under
EPD’s remit.
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Unveiled "A Policy Framework for the Management of Municipal
Solid Waste (2005-2014)", outlining a comprehensive package
of measures to deal with municipal solid waste.
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Commenced charging for construction waste disposal at landfills,
sorting plants and public fill reception facilities.
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Received approval from the Executive Council to build Stage
Two of the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme in two phases and adopt
a polluter pays approach.
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Introduced a cap on emissions from power plants.
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Reached agreement with traders to impose limits on volatile
organic compounds in products.
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Established a joint regional air quality monitoring network
with Guangdong and agreed to release the Regional Air Quality
Index to the public.
-
Launched the web-based Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)
knowledge centre and interactive 3-D continuous public engagement
in EIA.
-
Rolled out a full-scale programme to promote separation of
domestic waste at source.
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Approved three Management Agreement Pilot Projects, in which
green groups and landowners receive financial incentives to
co-operate and protect ecologically sensitive sites.
 |
 |
Hong Kong is
a high consumption society where people often throw or flush
their waste away and consume energy without much thought of
the environmental consequences. Instead, they expect the Environmental
Protection Department (EPD) to pick up the pieces. We have
tried hard over the years to stay on top of the ever-increasing
quantities of liquid, solid and gaseous wastes generated in
Hong Kong, with some success. We have provided safe, environmentally
sound systems for handling wastes, achieved significant reductions
in street-level air pollution, and endeavoured to improve
noise in our environment. But, as anyone can see, our environment
is still not satisfactory. Ambient air pollution levels are
unhealthy, water pollution remains a serious problem in parts
of Victoria Harbour, waste loads are increasing at a faster
rate than the population, and traffic noise is still affecting
a significant part of our population. Our problems have become
too complex for one government department, or even one government,
to cope with on its own. |
The EPD is working with trade and industry and other governments
to control pollution, but we need to go deeper to the root of the
problem. Everybody in the community is a polluter and everybody
needs to recognise they have a responsibility to control and reduce
their pollution. That means paying more for services that protect
the environment and modifying habits and lifestyles. In 2005 the
EPD unveiled an ambitious range of programmes and investments to
deal with persistent pollution. These were all underscored by the
notion that the community needs to bear a greater share of the burden
if we are to achieve a sustainable environment.
Take water pollution as an example. The Government gave the green
light to Stage Two of the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme in 2005,
to follow up improvements made in Stage One. Stage Two is a costly
but necessary system that would significantly improve water quality
throughout Victoria Harbour, to the extent that the annual cross-harbour
swim could be re-introduced. While the Government recognises its
responsibility to build the system, it needs everybody to pay their
share of the full operating costs of treating their sewage.
This principle of making polluters pay is not just a financial
one; it is also a matter of equity and responsibility. Unless the
full operating costs are recovered, the Government – and taxpayers
– will be subsidising polluting activities. Moreover, someone
who pollutes more will receive a larger subsidy than someone who
tries to minimise their pollution. Each household currently pays
only half their share of sewage treatment expenditure, an average
$11 a month, while commercial and industrial sectors pay about 80
per cent of the costs of treating the excess pollution they produce.
When the $8.1 billion first phase of Stage Two starts operating
in 2013-14, the full sewage treatment costs would likely be in the
region of $30 per month per household, a figure most people could
afford. In 2006 we will go to the Legislative Council seeking an
increase in sewage charges. The intention is to gradually increase
the charges until they reflect the full treatment cost. The message
here is that polluters must pay for the quantity of pollution they
produce.
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Western Victoria Harbour.
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A poster
of the Construction Waste Disposal Charging Scheme. |
The polluter pays principle is also being applied in waste management.
Our municipal solid waste loads have increased at a rate about three
times the growth in population over the past nine years. In early
2005 landfills were estimated to be full within six to ten years
unless urgent action was taken to reduce, recycle and treat our
waste. The EPD undertook two major initiatives during the year.
We amended the Waste Disposal Ordinance to introduce landfill charges
for construction waste, which place enormous pressure on landfills.
Polluters will pay directly for the amount of construction waste
they throw away. We also issued "A Policy Framework for the
Management of Municipal Solid Waste (2005-2014)", a comprehensive
strategy on sustainable municipal solid waste management that requires
a high degree of community support and participation, including
paying for waste disposal.
The Policy Framework addresses municipal solid waste management
on three fronts. First, we need to avoid and reduce waste at source.
A source separation scheme was launched in 2005 to make it convenient
for people to remove a wide range of recyclables from the waste
stream, and will extend to all public rental housing estates by
2012. Second, we need economic incentives to reduce and recycle
waste. This is where waste charges come in. Municipal solid waste
charges are being developed to reflect disposal costs and encourage
waste minimisation and we hope to introduce a relevant Bill in 2007.
At the same time we are developing producer responsibility schemes
which will require manufacturers, importers, retailers and consumers
to recover and recycle waste products that otherwise end up in the
waste stream. The third front involves treatment and disposal. We
will adopt a multi-technology approach by applying biological treatment
to source-separated biodegradable waste, mechanical biological treatment
to recover recyclables and stabilise the biodegradable fraction
of mixed waste and incineration for the remainder before disposal
of the residue at landfills.
Taken together, these initiatives would mean only 25 per cent of
our waste would end up in landfills, as against 60 per cent at present.
However, there would be broad impacts on the community. New facilities
would need to be built, to achieve safety and environmental standards.
The community needs to accept that these facilities are important
for achieving sustainable waste management. Just as importantly,
people need to pull their weight in reducing waste loads. Sharing
responsibility is not only about sharing costs. Everyone also has
to make an effort to minimise their waste and buy goods with less
packaging, re-use items where possible and separate waste for recycling.
Collectively, these actions will have positive impacts on our landfills
and our consumption of resources.
 |
 |
Dr Sarah LIAO,
Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works (fifth from
right), opens the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Festival
2004-05. |
One of Hong Kong’s
power plants operates at Lamma Island. |
The idea that individual actions can help the environment also
extends to air pollution. The EPD is tackling air pollution on several
fronts to meet emission reduction targets agreed with Guangdong.
We have brought motor vehicle emissions under control and we are
developing controls on volatile organic compounds, an important
source of smog. Most importantly, in 2005, we acted to limit emissions
from power plants, our main contributors to regional air pollution.
Power plants generate energy used by everyone in the community.
If we are less wasteful with electricity, we can reduce air pollution
from this source.
The Government is taking the lead here by setting summer indoor
temperatures at 25.5 degrees Celsius in government premises to conserve
energy and developing a mandatory energy efficiency-labelling scheme
for three major consumer products. The success of these initiatives
will depend on how widely they are adopted in the community. If
more people become conscious of their electricity consumption and
try to reduce it, there will be greater benefits to air quality
in Hong Kong and the region.
|
View
of Victoria Harbour from the Peak. |
On the noise front, the Government is tackling environmental noise
problems through a 4-pronged approach: prevention through planning,
legislative control, implementation of abatement programmes and
public engagement. Individuals such as household occupants, road-users,
drivers, operators of public transport, building contractors, developers,
factory operators can all contribute to a quieter environment by
makiing a conscientious effort to reduce noise.
The Government has a responsibility to address Hong Kong's environmental
problems by developing strategies, building facilities and co-operating
with other governments. But it cannot single-handedly change people's
behaviour. Everybody in the community needs to make an effort to
separate their waste, put up with minor inconveniences such as higher
air-conditioning temperatures and generally try to minimise their
environmental impacts where they can. They also need to understand
the necessity of the Government's plans to improve the environment,
even when these incur costs and some inconveniences to homes and
businesses. We all live in the same environment, we all have a responsibility
to improve and protect it. Only with this sense of shared responsibility
and common destiny can we hope to achieve a safe, healthy, sustainable
environment for ourselves and for future generations.
 |
MILESTONES IN ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION SINCE 1986
1986 |
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Established the Environmental Protection
Department on April 1, bringing the majority of pollution
prevention and control activities under one umbrella. |
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Enacted Water Pollution Control Regulations
under the Water Pollution Control Ordinance (1980). |
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1987 |
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Declared the first water control zone (WCZ)
at Tolo Harbour. |
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Commenced the Sewerage Master Plan (SMP)
programme to provide a blue print for the sewerage infrastructure
required to collect sewage on a catchment-basis. |
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1988 |
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Implemented the Livestock Waste Control
Scheme. |
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Enacted the Noise Control Ordinance to
provide statutory powers for the control of noise from domestic
and public places, construction sites, industrial and commercial
premises and noisy products. |
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1989 |
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Published the "White Paper on Pollution:
A Time to Act" laying down a comprehensive 10-year plan
to fight pollution. |
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Published the statutory Waste Disposal
Plan under the Waste Disposal Ordinance to set out a 10-year
plan for developing new facilities and closing old ones. |
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1990 |
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Commissioned Hong Kong’s first Refuse
Transfer Station (RTS) at Kowloon Bay. |
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Implemented the Air Pollution Control (Fuel
Restriction) Regulations to limit the sulphur content and
viscosity of fuel oils. Significant improvement was seen in
ambient sulphur dioxide levels. |
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1991 |
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Established the first two Local Control
Offices (LCOs) to improve pollution control, services and
liaison with the community. |
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Introduced unleaded petrol on April 1
to reduce harmful lead pollution. |
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1992 |
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Completed Hong Kong’s first "over-road"
noise barrier at Tate’s Cairn Tunnel approach roads
to protect adjacent high rise dwellings from road traffic
noise. |
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Saw announcement in Governor’s
Address to the Legislative Council that all Executive Council
policy and project papers contain an Environmental Implications
paragraph. |
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1993 |
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Commissioned comprehensive Chemical Waste
Treatment Centre – the first in South East Asia, with
a capacity to treat 100 000 tonnes of chemical waste per annum,
most of which had previously been dumped in the harbour. |
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Commissioned West New Territories (WENT)
Landfill, the first of three strategic landfills in Hong
Kong. |
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1994 |
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Opened the EPD’s Visitors Centre
in Revenue Tower, Wan Chai to complement the Wan Chai Environmental
Resource Centre. These are the gateways to environmental information
for the community. |
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Banned the import of halons and introduced
controls on 3,4-hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC), 3,4 hydrobromo-fluorocarbons
(HBFC), and methyl bromide under the Ozone Layer Protection
Ordinance, fulfilling our global obligation in environmental
protection. |
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1995 |
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Launched Hong Kong’s first Air Pollution
Index (API) to inform the community of the status of air pollution
in Hong Kong. |
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Extended the 24-hour pollution complaints
hotline service to six local hotlines to handle complaints
on a district basis. |
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1996 |
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Enacted the Air Pollution Control (Open
Burning) Regulation to bring open burning activities under
control. |
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Established EPD’s home page in the
World Wide Web to provide the public with easy access to environmental
information conducive to an informed and environmentally aware
community. |
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1997 |
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Enacted the Environmental Impact Assessment
Ordinance to set out the framework for the controlling the
environmental impacts of major development projects. |
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Launched a pilot scheme for liquefied petroleum
gas taxis to reduce air pollution. |
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1998 |
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Saw announcement in the Chief Executive’s
Policy Address that all policy secretaries and directors
of bureaux and departments have to provide environmental
reports for their organisations starting from 2000.
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Saw agreement by the Hong Kong –
Guangdong Environmental Protection Liaison Group to work
towards removing all effluent from the Deep Bay catchment
as a long term goal. |
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1999 |
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Placed emphasis in the Chief Executive’s
Policy Address on "Quality People, Quality Home" and
sustainable development.
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Announced a comprehensive programme
of measures to tackle motor vehicle emissions.
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2000 |
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Saw endorsement by the Executive Council
of a new policy to redress noise impacts from existing roads
by means of engineering and non-engineering measures where
practicable. |
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Saw signing of a Memorandum of Understanding
between the State Environmental Protection Administration
and the Environmental Protection Department on the control
of hazardous waste imports and exports.
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2001 |
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Tightened motor vehicle fuel requirements,
introduced Euro III emission standards for newly registered
vehicles in step with the European Union, and required newly-registered
taxis to be fuelled by LPG or petrol. |
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Saw full commissioning of Stage 1 of
the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme (HATS) [formerly known
as Strategic Sewage Disposal Scheme (SSDS)].
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2002 |
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Completed a report on air quality in
the Pearl River Delta region, through the Joint Working
Group on Sustainable Development and Environmental Protection. |
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Launched the Waste Recycling Campaign
in Housing Estates (Phase VI), with the participation
of 1 200 public and private housing estates covering some
1.5 million households, and co-operation with community
groups to launch waste recovery schemes.
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2003 |
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Participated in the Team Clean operation
and undertook joint efforts with other government departments
to improve environmental hygiene in the community, with particular
emphasis on flytipping of waste, broken pipes and discharges
in backlanes, illegal connections to stormwater drains and
improperly maintained septic tanks. |
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Saw endorsement of the Regional Air Quality
Management Plan for the Pearl River Delta region by the
Hong Kong–Guangdong Joint Working Group on Sustainable
Development and Environmental Protection. |
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2004 |
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Saw the governments of the Hong Kong
SAR and Guangdong Province jointly commence work to establish
a Pearl River Delta region joint air monitoring network
and the associated quality assurance and control manuals,
and to arrange routine quality management meetings. |
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Saw the Legislative Council approve the
Waste Disposal (Amendment) Bill No.2 2003 to enable charging
for disposal of construction waste at waste disposal facilities
and to enhance control of illegal dumping of waste.
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2005
January
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Saw the CE announce in his policy speech that HATS Stage Two
would proceed in phases with Stage 2A targeted for completion
in 2013.
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Launched the programme on source separation of domestic waste
territory-wide with the aim of having 80 per cent of the population
in Hong Kong take part by 2010.
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Organised a seminar and launched a support package on Environmental
Management Information and the ISO 14001 environmental management
system for SMEs in the electrical/electronic sector.
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Issued a bilingual guideline on "Environmentally-friendly
Cold Water Thawing Practice", in collaboration with the
University of Hong Kong.
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Launched a new Green Garage web site (http://www.greengarage.com.hk).
February
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Organised a seminar at Central Library for the restaurant
trade to share successful experiences on green restaurant and
management practices.
March
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Implemented the amended Air Pollution Control (Petrol Filling
Stations) (Vapour Recovery) Regulation to require vapour recovery
systems to be installed at petrol filling stations for recovering
petrol vapour during vehicle refuelling.
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Organised thematic workshops on "Towards Green Restaurant
2005" at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre for the restaurant
trade and related stakeholders, covering the development of
pollution control technologies, green management policies and
practices in the Mainland and overseas.
April
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Saw the merger of the Environmental Protection Department and
the Environment Branch of the Environment, Transport and Works
Bureau on April 1.
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Introduced the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals
and Plants Bill to the Legislative Council. The bill will enable
Hong Kong to fully comply with the requirements of the Convention
on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora.
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Launched the territory-wide Rechargeable Battery Recycling
Programme to recover all types of rechargeable batteries. This
was a good example of tripartite collaboration between the trade,
green groups and the Government in implementing a voluntary
producer responsibility scheme.
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Held an appointment ceremony for Environmental Ambassadors
and paint spraying seminar for the vehicle repairing trade.
May
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Saw signing of co-operation arrangement between the State
Environmental Protection Administration and the Environmental
Protection Department on air pollution.
June
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Commenced a grant scheme to help owners of pre-Euro heavy diesel
vehicles that need to operate on-board equipment when idling,
to install particulate reduction devices.
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Issued a promotional video CD for the restaurant trade, to
promote environmental awareness, legislative requirements and
compliance assistance service.
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Adopted "Fresh Air, Cool City" as the local theme
of World Environment Day 2005 to encourage switching off idling
vehicle engines and setting air-conditioning temperatures at
25.5 degrees Celsius.
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Organised two seminars for practitioners on Strategic Environmental
Assessment (June and December).
July
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Commenced an EIA Study on advance disinfection facilities at
Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Works.
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Commissioned the Low-level Radioactive Waste Storage Facility
at Siu A Chau.
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Launched the "Guideline on Modelling Vehicle Emissions"
and an advanced vehicle emission model that was adapted from
the California Air Resource Board’s EMFAC model.
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Launched the administrative Quality Powered Mechanical Equipment
scheme to promote the use of quieter and more environmentally
friendly construction equipment.
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Received the first delegation of officials from the State Environmental
Protection Administration under a formal agreement on staff
exchanges with EPD.
August
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Disseminated the Life Cycle Energy Analysis software tool
to appraise the life cycle costs and life cycle environmental
performance of building materials and components in promoting
the concept of sustainable construction.
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Imposed Hong Kong’s first set of emission caps on the
Castle Peak Power Station of CLP Power Hong Kong Ltd. on August
1 as a condition of the Specified Process Licence renewal under
the Air Pollution Control Ordinance.
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Launched a revamped "Green Restaurant Website" .
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Set aside $5 million under the Environment and Conservation
Fund to support the implementation of Source Separation of Domestic
Waste in private housing estates.
September
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Saw membership of the Wastewi$e Scheme exceed 1 000.
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Joined the Pan Pearl River Delta Regional Environmental Protection
Industry Cooperation Exhibition with the Guangdong Environmental
Protection Bureau to promote regional co-operation on the environmental
protection industry.
October
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Saw the Environment and Conservation Fund Committee approve
the granting of $4,620,000 to three non-governmental organisations
to implement pilot conservation management agreement projects
in Fung Yuen and Long Valley, to enhance conservation of ecologically
important sites under private ownership.
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Secured additional funding of $3.3 billion for sewerage projects,
of which $1.3 billion was for village sewerage.
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Saw the new CE reaffirm the Government’s intention to
implement HATS Stage Two in phases with the aim of completing
Stage 2A by 2013-14 and advanced disinfection by 2008-09, subject
to acceptance by the community of the need for the full recurrent
costs to be recovered through the sewage services charging scheme.
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Introduced to the Legislative Council an amendment regulation
to implement Euro IV emission standards for newly registered
light duty vehicles in 2006.
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Applied 3-D visualisation technologies at a public consultation
for noise barrier installation to enhance public understanding.
November
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Commenced on November 30 operation of the Pearl River Delta
regional air quality monitoring network jointly established
by the Guangdong and HKSAR governments, and published a Regional
Air Quality Index for each monitoring station.
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Updated the environmental management system support packages
for SMEs in the construction and electrical/electronic sectors
to ISO14001:2004 version.
December
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Saw the Finance Committee of LegCo approve expenditure of
$166.5 million for the environmental impact assessment, investigations
and tunnel conveyance system design for HATS Stage 2A.
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Published "A Policy Framework for the Management of Municipal
Solid Waste (2005-2014)" which sets out a comprehensive
strategy for municipal solid waste management in Hong Kong for
the ten years from 2005 to 2014.
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Commenced implementation of the Construction Waste Disposal
Charging Scheme.
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Completed on December 31 an incentive scheme encouraging diesel
light buses to make an early switch to clean light buses. Around
55% of the diesel public light buses have switched to use LPG.
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Launched a "Pay for Environment Scheme" to introduce
comprehensive contractual requirements and to provide financial
incentives for implementing enhanced pollution abatement measures
in all future public construction projects.
-
Organised the first Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
(WEEE) Recycling Day and "Zero Waste" walk to echo
the Environmental Protection Festival 2005.
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Broadcast a series of one-minute TV programmes and a 30-minute
TV programme to promote waste reduction.
-
Launched the web-based Strategic Environmental Assessment
knowledge centre and interactive 3-D continuous public engagement
in EIA.
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