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Following is a question by the Hon Raymond Ho and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, at the Legislative Council meeting today (December 20) :
Question:
Under the Air Pollution Control (Petrol Filling Stations) (Vapour Recovery) (Amendment) Regulation 2004, which came into operation on 31 March last year, oil companies are required to install, within the following 36 months, a vapour recovery system (recovery system) in each petrol dispenser of their petrol filling stations to recover the petrol vapour displaced from the fuel tanks of vehicles when they were being refuelled and return it to the petrol storage tank in the station, so as to reduce the release of volatile organic compounds into the environment. According to a media report in October this year, only 13% of the 280 petrol filling stations in Hong Kong had been installed with the recovery systems. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) how the progress in installing the recovery systems by oil companies compares with that originally anticipated by the Government;
(b) whether it knows the reasons for the slow progress of installing the recovery systems; and
(c) whether it will take measures to expedite the installation of the recovery systems by oil companies; if so, of the details of such measures?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) Under the Air Pollution Control (Petrol Filling Stations) (Vapour Recovery) Regulation, all new petrol filling stations are required to install vapour recovery systems (recovery systems) in their petrol dispensers. Petrol filling stations in existence before the new regulation came into force on March 31, 2005 (old stations) are required to complete the installation by March 31, 2008. Based on the information provided by oil companies, at present about 20% of the old stations have been installed with recovery systems. According to the oil companies' works plans, it is expected that by April 2007, more than half of the old stations will have completed installing the recovery systems. The oil companies indicated that they were confident about completing the installation for all their old stations within the statutory deadline.
(b) Oil companies need to order equipment for installing recovery systems at petrol filling stations. Good project planning is also required to avoid too many stations undergoing installation simultaneously and causing inconvenience to drivers. Therefore, a sufficient transitional period is required.
(c) The Environmental Protection Department has requested the oil companies to accelerate the installation as far as possible. Since December 1, 2006, petrol filling stations with recovery systems have displayed poster-sized certificates showing compliance with the requirements on testing and examination of recovery systems. This will help customers to recognise them and attract more patronage. The measure helps encourage the oil companies to expedite the completion of all installation projects at the old stations.
Ends/Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Issued at HKT 15:49
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