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In response to media enquiries about the North East New Territories (NENT) Landfill, a spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) made the following clarification today (June 25):
"Recently, there have been media reports about suspected stream pollution in Wo Keng Shan Tsuen, Ta Kwu Ling, caused by sewage from the landfill. In the past two years the EPD has received only one complaint from a villager, and after investigations officers of the department confirmed that the landfill did not discharge sewage into local streams. In fact, the NENT Landfill has been designed and constructed as a secure containment facility incorporating multilayer composite liner systems covering the entire surface area of the site, thus preventing landfill sewage (leachate) from leaking into the surrounding environment. The leachate is collected by a pipe network and treated at an on-site leachate treatment plant, and discharged to public sewers for further treatment. Under the contract, the landfill operator is required to regularly monitor the environment in the vicinity of the landfill, including the water quality of ground water and surface water. EPD officers on-site and the independent consultant also conduct regular inspections on the streams and waterways nearby so as to ensure the surrounding environment is not affected.
During a regular inspection on June 20, EPD officers did not find any sewage discharged into the streams. The on-site officers conducted further inspections in the following three days and confirmed that the leachate treatment plant was in normal operation and caused no pollution to the nearby streams.
The proposed NENT Landfill extension plan does not cover Wo Keng Shan Tsuen. As regards the reports noting that a 400-year-old Camphor-tree will be felled to provide for the extension of the NENT Landfill, further investigations have confirmed that there are no old and valuable trees over 100 years old among those trees to be removed due to the extension plan."
Ends/Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Issued at HKT 17:31
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