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Following is a question by the Dr. Hon Law Chi-kwong and an oral reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, in the Legislative Council meeting today (March 19) :

Question:

Regarding the treatment of chemical wastes, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the quantities of chemical wastes treated by the Chemical Waste Treatment Centre (CWTC) on Tsing Yi in each of the past three years, and the percentages of these quantities in its designed treatment capacity; the quantities of waste oil treated by CWTC in each of the past three years, the unit cost for the treatment, and the amount and percentage of the unit cost subsidised by the Government;

(b) whether it has considered reallocating the annual amount of Government subsidy for CWTC so as to encourage the stakeholders to adopt more effective methods for treating chemical wastes; if not, whether it will consider this in the near future; and

(c) whether it has a policy of promoting the recovery of recyclable materials from chemical wastes, with a view to promoting the development of environmental protection industries; if not, whether it will consider formulating such a policy?

Reply:

Madam President,

(a) In 2000 and 2001, the Chemical Waste Treatment Centre (CWTC) treated 63,000 tonnes of chemical waste each year. In 2002, it treated 52,500 tonnes of chemical waste. The design treatment capacity of the CWTC is 100,000 tonnes per annum. Accordingly, the actual treatment quantities were 63 per cent of the design treatment capacity in 2000 and 2001, and 52 per cent in 2002.

Between 2000 and 2002, the CWTC treated 30,500 tonnes, 44,000 tonnes and 34,700 tonnes of oily waste respectively. About 80 per cent of the oily waste was generated from ocean going vessels, and the rest from local public transport companies, and machinery and vehicle maintenance workshops etc.

The variable operating cost of treating oily waste is dependent on the treatment process required. Treatment by oil-water separation costs about $2,300 to $2,500 per tonne. The cost of incineration is about $9,200 per tonne. Last year, about 80 per cent of the oily waste treated at the CWTC was treated by oil-water separation, and the rest was incinerated.

The CWTC is a government facility. Government pays the contractor the operating cost in accordance with the contract. At present, the average charge paid by chemical waste producers is only about 30 per cent to 40 per cent of the variable operating cost. Hence, the Government is providing a subsidy to chemical waste producers, which is about 60 per cent to 70 per cent of the variable operating cost.

(b) The operation of the CWTC does not involve any subsidy. However, we consider that, in accordance with the Polluter Pays Principle, the subsidy to chemical waste producers should be gradually reduced, with a view to recovering the variable operating cost in full.

(c) We have always encouraged the environmental industry to recover and recycle different kinds of materials. Hence, the CWTC and some private chemical waste disposal facilities have been recycling chemical waste. Examples include the recovery of copper oxide from spent etchant; fuel from oily water waste; production of lubricating oil, hydraulic oil and moulding oil from different types of recycled waste oil; silver from photofinishing waste; and precious metals such as gold and silver from spent plating solution.

End/Wednesday, March 19, 2003

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