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Following is a question by by the Hon Kwok Wai-keung and a written reply by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah, in the Legislative Council today (December 16):
Question:
It has been reported that the artificial turfs, sports ground tracks and playground rubber mats in a number of sports and recreation venues under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) have used surfacing materials with waste tyre rubber granules as fillers. As such rubber granules contain heavy metals and styrene-butadiene rubber, a kind of carcinogenic chemical, the United States Department of Health and Human Services has classified the materials as carcinogens since 2011. Regarding the safety of the surfacing materials used in sports and recreation venues, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the sports and recreation venues under LCSD which have used surfacing materials with waste tyre rubber granules as fillers; regarding the waste tyre rubber granules in such surfacing materials, whether it knows (i) their places of origin, and (ii) the percentage of those from local origin; whether LCSD, in procuring surfacing materials or carrying out the relevant works, has requested the suppliers or contractors to submit test reports confirming compliance of those materials with the relevant international safety standards;
(2) given that some researchers have pointed out that when the protective layer of the surfacing materials is damaged, there is a higher chance for users of the sports and recreation venues to come into contact with the rubber granules in the surfacing materials, how LCSD arranges for the repair and maintenance of the surfacing materials in its sports and recreation venues; of the number of works carried out by LCSD in the past 10 years to replace damaged surfacing materials and the expenditures incurred; and
(3) given that at present, some countries have banned the use of surfacing materials with waste tyre rubber granules as fillers in their sports and recreation venues, and it has also been reported earlier that the sand granules procured by LCSD for turf pitch levelling works not only did not match their specifications and were of poor quality, but were also tainted with shells and rubble, whether the authorities will devise standards for the composition, quality, safety and impurities of the surfacing materials used in various sports and recreation venues under LCSD; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
My reply to the three parts of the question is as follows:
(1) The recreation and sports facilities under the management of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) are mostly designed and built by the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD). Rubber granules are used in floor mats or as fillers for sports ground tracks, jogging tracks in parks, safety matting for outdoor fitness equipment and children's playgrounds, and third generation (3G) artificial turf football pitches.
For surfacing materials used in sports ground tracks and safety matting for outdoor fitness equipment and children's playgrounds, recycled rubber granules derived from waste tyres are normally used in the bottom layer while synthetic rubber is used in the top layer. Contractors of the ArchSD are obliged to submit the certificates according to the contract requirements to prove that the materials used are in compliance with the relevant international safety standards. As for 3G artificial turf pitches, the rubber granules used vary according to the design of the proprietary system adopted by different suppliers. As stipulated by the ArchSD in the works contracts, the materials and the specification of works used by the contractors must be in compliance with the relevant international safety standards. According to the standard set by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), 3G artificial turf materials shall be non-toxic. To ensure that the new artificial turf pitches meet the FIFA standard, contractors are also required to submit certificates issued by independent accredited institutions on field performance upon the completion of installation. In general, the ArchSD does not specify or impose restriction on the place of origin of materials used in the works contracts or in the specification of works.
(2) LCSD staff regularly inspect facilities in leisure and sports venues, including running tracks, safety matting and 3G artificial turf football pitches. If damage is found, the ArchSD or the contractor concerned will be asked to carry out repair and maintenance works as soon as possible. Contractors are required to submit certificates according to contract requirements to prove that the materials used are in compliance with the relevant international safety standards. In addition, staff of the ArchSD and LCSD will inspect the maintenance works to ensure that materials used are in compliance with the contract requirements and the works have been completed according to the specification of works. As the repair and maintenance of surfacing materials are often conducted along with other facilities maintenance works, the statistics on the numbers of works involving only the replacement of damaged surfacing materials and the expenditures incurred are not available.
(3) As stated in part (1) of the reply, for construction of 3G artificial turf football pitches, the materials used by contractors must comply with the relevant international safety standards as stipulated by the ArchSD in the works contracts. To ensure that the artificial turf pitches have met the FIFA standard, contractors are also required to submit certificates issued by independent accredited institutions upon completion of project. The ArchSD will conduct timely review on the mechanism of material selection and control to ensure building materials are in compliance with the relevant standards and suitable for the venues concerned.
To improve the quality of natural turf pitches, the LCSD has purchased quartz sand of higher quality and better drainage ability for the sand layers. Quartz sand has been used as top dressing material for turf pitches managed by the LCSD since May 2014. The specifications of the sand, including its size and colour, and the impurity-free requirement are clearly stipulated in the procurement contracts. Suppliers are required to submit certificates in accordance with the contracts to prove that the sand complies with stipulated specifications when delivering it to LCSD venues. LCSD staff will inspect the sand according to established procedures before acceptance of delivery. The sand will be used after its compliance is confirmed.
Ends/Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Issued at HKT 11:50
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