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Following is a question by the Hon Lee Wing-tat and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, at the Legislative Council meeting today (December 1) :

Question:

It was reported that a fire broke out some time ago at a plastic bottles recovery plant in Tin Sam village, Yuen Long, and caused a heap of waste tyres in the village to burn on and off several times and release thick smoke and gases. Those waste tyres had been recovered under public funding for recycle and reuse. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) as people in the tyre trade have pointed out that, after a fire has been extinguished, strong heat energy is still hidden in the fragments of burnt tyres, and they may burn spontaneously when the heat inside comes into contact with oxygen from the wind, whether the authorities have taken any measures to remove the inflammable waste tyres in question, so that the life and property of residents nearby will not be put at risk; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(b) of the measures to regulate the disposal of wastes that may emit toxic gases, such as waste tyres, and the contingency measures in place to tackle the problem of toxic emission from such wastes, so as to ensure that residents nearby are not exposed to health hazards for inhaling such gases; and

(c) of the effectiveness of the publicly-funded scheme for the recovery industry and universities to recover waste tyres for producing construction materials, and whether the progress of the scheme has been reviewed regularly?

Reply:

Madam President,

(a) Under the Dangerous Goods (General) Regulations, rubber tyres are combustible goods and the Fire Services Department (FSD) should be notified whenever 500 or more rubber tyres are stored in a building used for the purposes of an industrial undertaking. However, storage of rubber tyres in an open area is not subject to the control of this Regulation. Upon receiving a fire report, the FSD will immediately proceed to scene to put out the fire in order to protect the residents nearby. The person(s) responsible will be advised to clear up the site as soon as possible.

After the fire under issue on 19 October 2004, officers of the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) inspected the site on 20 October. Having received complaints of bad smell from local residents, EPD officers inspected the site again on 21 and 26 October and asked the contractor concerned, both orally and in writing, to clear up the site immediately. The clean-up operation commenced on 26 October and was completed on 28 October. Since there was residual heat in the burnt tyres, the FSD dispatched its officers to stand by on several occasions when the contractor attempted to remove the tyres.

(b) Tyres, which are mainly made of rubber and steel wire, will not pollute the environment in normal use or storage. However, they will release dark smoke and smell when burnt. Under such circumstances, the FSD will follow the general emergency procedures and take all necessary contingency measures according to circumstances. For example, evacuation will be arranged if necessary and the relevant departments will also render their support to safeguard the safety and health of the residents in the neighborhood. A joint inspection was conducted by the FSD and the EPD on 1 November and the FSD concluded that the operation of the contractor did not contravene the Dangerous Goods Ordinance.

(c) The EPD commenced a pilot scheme to recycle waste tyres in April 2003 to promote the development of the local waste tyre recycling industry, help reduce the landfill space required for the disposal of such tyres and save expenditure on processing these tyres. Under the scheme, about 240 tonnes of waste tyres have been recycled each month and turned into rubber chips and steel wires. About 300 tonnes of these rubber chips have been used in the production of a lightweight construction material called "RubberSoil", which in turn has been used in the works projects carried out by various government departments, including the Civil Engineering and Development Department, Architectural Services Department, Highways Department, Home Affairs Department and EPD. All the steel wires reclaimed have been sold as scrap metal. The EPD has reviewed the progress and effectiveness of the pilot scheme and concluded that the objectives of relieving pressure on the landfills and recycling resources were met. Through the scheme, "RubberSoil" has been invented and tried out. From April 2003 to November 2004, a total of 4,600 tonnes of waste tyres, which would have been disposed of in landfills, were recovered and turned into useful materials, thereby saving the costs of transporting the tyres to landfills and the landfill space used. In the light of the experience gained from the pilot scheme, the EDP will invite tender for a longer-term contract in April next year to identify more ways to recycle waste tyres and further promote the development of the local waste tyre recycling industry.

Ends/Wednesday, December 1, 2004

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