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The Government today (May 22) published in the Gazette an amended regulation to further control the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a major category of pollutants responsible for smog that reduces Hong Kong's visibility.
The new legislation - the Air Pollution Control (Volatile Organic Compounds) (Amendment) Regulation - is to extend the existing control on VOC-containing products to vehicle refinishing paints, vessel paints, pleasure craft paints, adhesives and sealants. It will ban the import and local manufacture of the newly regulated products with VOC contents exceeding the prescribed limits.
VOCs play a significant role in the formation of ozone and respirable suspended particulates. The SAR Government and the Guangdong Provincial Government have a consensus to reduce VOCs by 55% by 2010, on the basis of the emissions in 1997.
"The newly regulated products are the remaining VOC-containing products that are also controlled by the State of California of the USA, which is the most advanced in controlling VOC emissions for better air quality. We expect that a further 700 tonnes of local VOC emission will be reduced when the extended control is fully implemented, which is essential in helping us to achieve the reduction target," a spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department said.
"We held thorough consultation with trade representatives before finalising the control scheme. The phased implementation of the new control will bring us to the forefront of VOC control in the world," he said.
The amended regulation will be tabled next Wednesday (May 27) at the Legislative Council for negative vetting, after which it will be implemented in phases starting from January 1, 2010.
Ends/Friday, May 22, 2009
Issued at HKT 17:19
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