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The Government today (October 30) published in the Gazette the Dumping at Sea (Exemption) (Amendment) Order 2009 to apply the regulatory control regime under the Dumping at Sea Ordinance (DASO) to the new sediment disposal facility situated in an area to the east of Sha Chau.
The Amendment Order includes the foreshore and sea-bed affected by the new facility in Schedule 2 to the Dumping at Sea (Exemption) Order. "Any person intending to perform dumping operations at the new facility will be required to obtain a permit from the Director of Environmental Protection before carrying out such operations," a spokesman of the Environmental Protection Department said.
"The order is in conformity with the legislative intent of the DASO, which is to protect the marine environment through imposing regulatory control on marine dumping operations."
"Such amendment will also enable the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to fulfil its obligation under the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, 1972 (the London Convention) and to keep Hong Kong in line with the international practices concerning the prevention of marine pollution caused by dumping of wastes and other matter at sea," he said.
The order will be tabled on Wednesday (November 4) at the Legislative Council for negative vetting. Subject to the agreement from the Legislative Council, it will take effect from January 1, 2010, to tie in with the commencement of the operation of the new facility by phases from 2010.
Ends/Friday, October 30, 2009
Issued at HKT 15:02
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