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The Government's policy objective on the environmental well-being of the community is to improve our urban, rural and marine surroundings, conserve our natural heritage, and optimise the use of resources and goods so as to reduce pollution and waste and promote health and the enjoyment of our living environment.

This was stated by the Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands, Mr Bowen Leung today (Thursday) in response to public comments made on the Policy Address announced yesterday (Wednesday), in particular, to the work done in improving our air and water quality.

On the LPG taxis scheme, Mr Leung said the necessary supporting infrastructure such as LPG refilling stations and vehicle maintenance workshops will be put in place to enable all newly registered taxis to use the cleaner fuel by end 2000. He said that the Government aims to phase out diesel taxis over a five year period.

He added that replacing diesel taxis with LPG will reduce particulate emission by the current diesel vehicle fleet by 30 per cent.

The Government will study the feasibility of extending LPG to diesel light buses as a clean alternative together with the affected trades in 1999.

The Police will take more stringent enforcement action against smoky vehicles through the use of portable smokemeter and by increasing the fixed penalty fine for such vehicles in 1999.

As an on-going initiative, all light duty diesel vehicles suspected of excessive smoke emissions will be required to undergo a more rigorous smoke emission tests with the use of chassis dynamometer. A pilot scheme to use dynamometer tests on heavy duty vehicles will be launched by end 1998. These tests will be more effective in ensuring smoky vehicles to be properly rectified.

Mr Leung said the Government has already introduced the most stringent and practicable fuel and emission standards for both petrol and diesel vehicles. We will ban the use of leaded petrol and introduce emission standards for motorcycles which have none at the moment. We will continue to tighten fuel and emission standards as they become practicable and available locally.

The LPG taxi trial has proven that LPG taxis are safe and viable in Hong Kong. We have worked out an implementation proposal taking into account results of the trial and views of the affected trades. Details of our proposal will be put to the community for wider discussion starting from mid-October.

To tackle the problem of vehicles left with their engines idling while stationary, Mr Leung said the Government is actively considering the formulation of legislation to discourage such activities from the enforcement angle.

"The Environmental Protection Department is working on a proposal to legislate against such behaviours and will be consulting the relevant Departments and motoring trades, particularly bus, coach and taxi fleet operators to solicit their views and support," he said.

On comments that the Strategic Sewage Disposal Scheme (SSDS) was a wrong approach right from the start, Mr Leung said the scheme was selected in 1989 after an intensive two-year study of many disposal options. The scheme was reviewed in 1994 under the SSDS Stage II Options Review Study in which over 50 different sewage treatment options were considered.

An International Review Panel, comprising three internationally renowned experts from China, Denmark and the US, was appointed to oversee the work of the consultants. The Panel concluded that the strategy adopted was technically sound, cost effective and appropriate.

"We are confident that the SSDS is the correct approach and will provide a full solution to our pollution problem in Victoria Harbour," Mr Leung said.

He said that the Stonecutters Island Sewage Treatment Works, a key element of the SSDS Stage I, was commissioned in May 1997 and is already treating sewage from north-west Kowloon.

He anticipated that all the tunnels required for Stage I would be completed in 2000.

Mr Leung emphasised that efforts to cut harmful emissions from vehicles and to complete the construction of an effective sewage treatment system are essential to the health and the enjoyment of our city.

"In the Policy Address just announced, we have begun to draw together some of the other issues, such as efficiency in resource use, conservation of nature and better waste management, which, together with pollution control, shape our environment."

"It is just a start. It also sets out the new initiatives we will be starting and lays out the developing direction for an environmental policy that will help to sustain Hong Kong," he added.

End/Thursday, October 8, 1998

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