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Following is a question by the Hon. Tam yiu-chung and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment and Food, Mrs Lily Yam, in the Legislative Council meeting today (February 14):

Question :

Regarding the impact of building demolition works on the environment, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) whether it knows if the contractor responsible for demolition of the buildings in the "Tsuen Wan Seven Streets"

(i) has conducted regular air quality tests inside and outside the site to monitor the level of asbestos dust in the air; if such tests have been conducted, of the results; if not, the reasons for that; and

(ii)has put in place any measures to alleviate the nuisances caused to the neighbouring residents by dust, noise and effluent etc. arising from the demolition works; and

(b) whether it plans to require contractors of major demolition works to be carried out in future, such as the forthcoming demolition of Wah Kai Industrial Centre, to put in place measures to alleviate the nuisances caused to the neighbourhood; if so, of the details, if not, the reasons for that?

Reply :

(a)(i) In connection with the demolition works for "Tsuen Wan Seven Streets", the registered asbestos contractor engaged by the Land Development Corporation in accordance with the Air Pollution Control Ordinance has to measure the asbestos fibre concentrations in the air within the works site and its vicinity regularly. Up to present, the measurement results have shown that the asbestos fibre concentrations have not exceeded the legal limit of one fibre in every hundred millilitre of air. Environmental Protection Department monitors the conduct of the asbestos removal works regularly and takes additional measurements to verify the measurement results of the contractor. Up to present, the additional measurements taken by the Department have shown that the asbestos fibre concentrations within the works site and its vicinity have not exceeded the legal limit.

(ii)In addition to following the Air Pollution Control Ordinance, the contractor responsible for the demolition works for Tsuen Wan Seven Streets has to observe other ordinances and regulations relating to abatement of environmental pollution, such as the Air Pollution Control (Construction Dust) Regulation, the Noise Control Ordinance and the Water Pollution Control Ordinance, to reduce the nuisance caused to neighbouring residents by the environmental pollution arising from the works project.

The contractor also has to abide by the regulation relating to control of construction dust and take appropriate measures to reduce emission of dust during the demolition work. Such measures include spraying within the demolition works area and covering materials that are prone to create dust. The contractor has to cover the sides of a building to be demolished adjoining or facing the street or pedestrian passage, open areas accessible to the public, and all the walls of a building to be demolished with non-permeable dust barriers. The barriers have to be at least one metre higher than the building to be demolished.

As regards noise, the contractor must use low-noise mechanical equipment where practicable. Moreover, it has to close the engine cover of any air compressor when they are being used and to install a noise reduction device on any crushing machine. To reduce the nuisance caused to residents in the vicinity, Environmental Protection Department as a general practice would only allow the contractor to carry out demolition works between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on non-holidays.

On sewage, the contractor concerned has obtained a licence for discharge from Environmental Protection Department and has to follow strictly the licensing conditions. Generally, all sewage generated from the works site has to go through proper treatment to meet the licensing standard before it can be discharged through specified outlets.

(b) All contractors carrying out building demolition works have to adopt the environmental pollution abatement measures mentioned above to protect public safety and reduce the nuisance caused to the public. Staff of the local pollution control offices of Environmental Protection Department closely monitor the operation of works sites during their routine inspections to ensure that contractors have adopted the environmental pollution abatement measures mentioned above.

End/Wednesday, February 14, 2001

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