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LCQ1: Measures to improve air quality in Tung Chung

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Following is a question by the Hon Leung Yiu-chung and an oral reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, in the Legislative Council meeting today (November 24):

Question:

As the air pollution in Tung Chung has become increasingly serious, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) whether, at the planning stage for the development of the Tung Chung New Town, it had envisaged that the air pollution in this area would become very serious; if so, why it still went ahead with the development of this new town; if not, of the reasons for that;

(b) whether it has studied the causes of the increasingly serious air pollution in Tung Chung, and of the respective current percentages of pollutants from coal-fired power plants in Hong Kong and the Mainland in the total amount of air pollutants of various kinds in this area; if so, the study results; and

(c) of the specific and immediate measures to improve the air quality in Tung Chung?

Reply:

Madam President,

(a) The North Lantau Development Study completed in 1992 included an Environmental Impact Assessment which examined in detail the impacts of developments on the air quality in Tung Chung. The impacts of air pollution sources near Tung Chung, including the Castle Peak Power Station at Tap Shek Kok, as well as the airport at Chek Lap Kok, the power station at Lan Kok Tsui and the North Lantau Highway which were planned to be built, were all covered in the assessment.

The assessment concluded that the air quality in Tung Chung would not exceed the Air Quality Objectives as a result of local developments and, therefore, Tung Chung was considered a suitable location for a new town. As a matter of fact, the annual average air pollution index (API) of Tung Chung was 44 in 2003, which was not only comparable to the corresponding figures of other new towns such as Shatin and Tai Po, the annual average APIs of which were 42 and 44 respectively, but also better than those of the urban areas, which ranged from 47 to 49.

(b) The occasional increase in ozone level over Tung Chung is not caused by pollutants originating from Tung Chung or the neighbouring areas, but arises from the photochemical reactions over the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region. When such ozone-generating photochemical reactions are vigorous over the PRD region, the ozone level over the whole of Hong Kong will rise. Since nitrogen monoxide emitted from vehicles can remove some ozone in the air, urban areas with heavy traffic flow may have lower ozone levels than other areas with low traffic flow, such as Tung Chung and Tap Mun. Since ozone can only be generated under strong sunlight, high ozone levels will only persist for a short time. For instance, on September 14 this year, the API recorded in Tung Chung surged to 201 at 3 pm as a result of an increase in ozone, but dropped to 75 within three hours.

Coal-fired power plants in Hong Kong and Mainland China are sources of air pollutants in the region. As far as the total emissions of pollutants in the whole PRD region (including Hong Kong) is concerned, the Joint Study on the Air Quality in the PRD Region conducted by the Environmental Protection Department of Hong Kong and the Environmental Protection Bureau of Guangdong Province shows that the power plants in Hong Kong account for 9%, 10% and 2% of the regional emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and respirable suspended particulates respectively. For power plants in the rest of the PRD, the corresponding figures are 36%, 24% and 6%.

(c) I have often pointed out that tackling the regional air pollution problem is the only way to improve the air quality in Tung Chung. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Guangdong Provincial Government reached a consensus in April 2002 to reduce by 2010, on a best endeavour basis, the regional emissions of four major pollutants by 20% to 55%, using 1997 as the base year. The two governments also jointly drew up the Pearl River Delta Regional Air Quality Management Plan in December 2003.

Under the Management Plan, the emission reduction measures that Hong Kong will implement include the followings:

(i) To tighten the motor petrol standard to Euro IV with effect from January 1 next year;

(ii) To introduce new legislation in the first quarter next year which requires the installation of vapour recovery systems at petrol filling stations;

(iii) To apply the Euro IV emission standards to newly registered vehicles by 2006;

(iv) To require importers or manufacturers of specified products to register the volatile organic compound (VOC) contents of their products with the EPD and provide labelling on the container or packaging of the products in an effort to reduce the occurrence of smog in the region caused by VOC emissions; and

(v) To negotiate with power companies on measures to further reduce power plant emissions and increase the share of natural gas in electricity generation. We will also explore the feasibility of introducing demand-side management to save energy.

The emission reduction policy of Guangdong Province mainly focuses on power plants, vehicles and the most polluting industrial processes. Measures taken include the followings:

(i) To diversify clean energy production and supply systems, construct gas-fired power plants and provide for the transmission of electricity from the western provinces;

(ii) To restrict the use of high sulphur fuels, close down small power generation units and retrofit such units with flue gas desulphurisation systems in order to reduce emissions from the power generation process;

(iii) To phase out coal-fired boilers, industrial boilers and industrial technologies and equipment with inefficient energy consumption and causing serious pollution;

(iv) To reduce VOC emissions; and

(v) To build metro expressway systems, develop green transport and reduce vehicle emissions.

Upon the achievement of the emission reduction targets by both sides, the air quality in Hong Kong, especially the smog problem, will be significantly improved.

Ends/Wednesday, November 24, 2004

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