A spokesperson for the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (November 24) said that the Air Pollution Control (Volatile Organic Compounds) (Amendment) Regulation 2017 (the Amendment Regulation) was passed by the Legislative Council to extend the existing control on products containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to fountain solutions and printing machine cleaning agents with effect from January 1, 2018.

     The spokesman said that the Amendment Regulation will help reduce the emissions of VOCs and the formation of photochemical smog, which is a key regional air pollution problem in the Pearl River Delta region.

     According to the Amendment Regulation, starting from January 1, the VOC content of fountain solutions and printing machine cleaning agents manufactured in Hong Kong or imported into Hong Kong shall not exceed 80 grams per litre and 500g per litre respectively. Importers and local manufacturers of these newly regulated products are required to display relevant product information, report their sales information to the Authority (i.e. the Director of Environmental Protection), and keep the reported information for at least three years and produce it for inspection if requested by the Authority.

     Those who import or locally manufacture the newly regulated products with VOC content exceeding the statutory limit will be liable to a fine of $200,000 and six months' imprisonment, while failure to display product information, submit a report or keep records may result in a fine of $50,000 and three months' imprisonment.

     The spokesman reminded related importers and local manufacturers to make necessary preparation for compliance with the Amendment Regulation.

Ends/Friday, November 24, 2017
Issued at HKT 15:32

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