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Following is a question by the Hon Kam Nai-wai and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (May 25):
Question:
Regarding the refuse collection vehicles (RCVs) in Hong Kong, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the respective numbers of private and government-operated RCVs in Hong Kong in each of the past five years, together with a breakdown by the emission standards met by RCVs and by whether those vehicles are covered; whether the Government has any plan to replace its uncovered RCVs with covered ones; if it has such a plan, of the details and the timetable; if not, the reasons for that;
(b) at present, whether and how private and government-operated RCVs are required to be kept clean and hygienic, and to reduce dripping of foul water and emission of odour; if it is so required, of the measures concerned and the penalties, and whether penalties had been imposed on organisations and people who breached the requirements in the past five years; if so, of the details; and
(c) whether prosecutions had been instituted in the past five years against RCVs dripping foul water, emitting odour and causing adverse impact on the environment; if so, of the number of prosecutions instituted in each of the past five years, together with a breakdown by grounds of prosecution?
Reply:
President,
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has formulated guidelines and contract provisions to ensure respectively that the Department's refuse collection vehicles (RCVs) and those of its contractors are kept in a clean and hygienic condition. In monitoring the services rendered by its contractors, FEHD will take punitive actions against the contractors in accordance with the relevant contract provisions, if any breach of contract provisions is found. My reply to the three parts of the question is as follows:
(a) The numbers of RCVs of FEHD and its contractors in each of the last five years are set out below:
Year No. of RCVs of FEHD No. of RCVs of
FEHD's Contractors
2006 182 108
2007 167 117
2008 160 117
2009 149 122
2010 153 125
FEHD's RCVs have a general service life of eight to ten years. All these RCVs comply with the statutory requirements at the time of purchase, including using diesel engines which meet the Euro emission standards. Besides, in order to prevent the emission of odour, all the RCVs of FEHD are either fitted with a packer plate to cover the rear refuse hopper (33 vehicles) or are of an enclosed type design (120 vehicles). All the RCVs fitted with packer plate will be replaced with those of an enclosed type design in or before 2013.
As for the RCVs of FEHD's contractors, it is provided in the refuse collection service contracts commencing after November 2008 that they must be fitted with petrol or diesel engines which meet the Euro emission standards as stipulated in the contracts. So far, 58 RCVs have been fitted with such engines and the rest will be fitted with the same in the coming two years. Also, all RCVs of contractors must be fitted with tailgate cover to prevent the emission of odour. To further improve the situation, contractors are required to use RCVs of an enclosed type design as provided in the refuse collection service contracts commencing after May 2011. Currently, 30 RCVs of its contractors are of the enclosed type design and the other vehicles will be replaced by those of the same design upon the renewal of contracts.
(b) To keep the RCVs clean and maintain environmental hygiene, FEHD has installed sump tanks in all RCVs to trap leachate. Besides, among the 153 RCVs, 130 have been installed with deodourising systems in the loading compartments, and installation to the rest of RCVs will be carried out by 2012 to further prevent odour emission.
It is also stipulated in FEHD's refuse collection service contracts that the contractors' RCVs must be installed with sump tanks at the bottom of the vehicles and that the contractors have to take all necessary preventive measures against dripping of leachate during refuse loading, unloading and transportation.
After the refuse is unloaded at refuse transfer stations or landfills, RCVs of FEHD and its contractors will have their sump tanks emptied and their vehicle bodies and/or wheels washed with the vehicle washing system at the site before departure. These RCVs have to undergo the washing process again after the daily collection work is finished or when they return to depot.
FEHD reminds its staff from time to time that RCVs must be kept in a clean and hygienic condition, and washed properly every day in accordance with the relevant guidelines. As for the contractors, if any breach of contract provisions on requirements for and operation of RCVs is found, FEHD will take punitive actions accordingly, including the issue of verbal warnings, written warnings and default notices. The monthly amount payable to the contractors who have received default notices will be deducted in the light of the breaches. The numbers of verbal warnings, written warnings and default notices issued by FEHD for the contractors' breaches of contract provisions on requirements for and operation of RCVs (i.e. leachate dripping from RCVs and filthy RCVs) in the last five years are as follows:
Year No. of Verbal No. of Written No. of Default
Warnings Warnings Notices
2006 10 7 6
2007 10 3 0
2008 10 2 2
2009 9 1 2
2010 9 8 2
(c) Over the past five years, the numbers of prosecutions instituted by FEHD concerning RCVs dripping leachate or dropping waste are as follows:
Year No. of Prosecutions No. of Prosecutions
Concerning Dripping Concerning Dropping
of Leachate of Waste
2006 0 0
2007 4 3
2008 0 2
2009 0 0
2010 3 1
The existing legislation does not empower FEHD officers to take enforcement action in cases involving RCVs emitting odour.
Ends/Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Issued at HKT 12:57
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