****************************
Following is the transcript (English portion) of a media session given by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau, when he attended a public function at Hong Kong Jockey Club this afternoon (March 23):
Reporter: (Air Pollution Index)
Secretary for the Environment: As you can see from the index we issued in real time, the reading of the API (Air Pollution Index) across the territory is gradually reducing. We hope this will continue to improve during the day when the prevailing wind changes. We will, of course, continue to observe the situation. Apparently, it is still a rather high level. This is clearly the first time we are being hit so extensively by a sandstorm travelling a long way from the northern part of the Mainland. We are still looking into ways in which we can have more advance notice so that we can get better prepared. As to the incident this time, on Sunday night, although it was midnight, when we discovered that there seemed to be some rapid increase in the reading of the API, we spared no time in informing the public via radio and TV, although it was very early in the day. We also brought our professional staff to the radio station to explain to the public what's going on. We hope to see if there are ways we can strengthen this inter-departmental co-ordination, the notification system or the advisory that we are able to give to the public. We are continuing to work on that.
Reporter: How much earlier can you release such information in the future? Would you be also actually updating the index because it has been in use for 15 years?
Secretary for the Environment: Clearly, if there are any ways or means that we can improve the system, we will certainly do so. As you can see, we in fact did it in real time even though it was in the early hours of the day.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Issued at HKT 15:48
NNNN