Garden Company Limited Sham Tseng plant fined again for excessive wastewater discharge
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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) staff conducted an inspection at the food factory in November last year and a wastewater sample was taken from the discharge of the factory's sewage treatment facility for analysis. The result showed that the concentrations of oil and grease, as well as the biochemical oxygen demand, exceeded the limits of the discharge licence by about 50 per cent and 10 per cent respectively, which confirmed that the wastewater was not properly treated before discharge. After investigation and evidence gathering, the EPD initiated prosecution in accordance with the WPCO.
The Garden Company Limited was convicted for contravening the WPCO last year. The EPD instructed the company to strengthen its management and monitoring of the plant's sewage treatment facility. During a follow up inspection in April, the wastewater sample taken by the EPD fulfilled the standards of the discharge licence.
An EPD spokesman said that, food production factories must install appropriate wastewater treatment facilities and maintain their effective operation to ensure that the effluent discharge meets the discharge standards as set out in the wastewater discharge licence before discharging into communal sewers, so as to prevent increasing the loading of the Government's sewage treatment plants downstream or adversely affecting their normal operation.
Under the WPCO, anyone who discharges commercial or industrial wastewater which exceeds the standard of the discharge licence into communal sewers commits an offence. First-time offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and six months' imprisonment. A maximum fine of $400,000 and six months' imprisonment may be imposed on second or subsequent convictions.
Ends/Tuesday, May 8, 2018
Issued at HKT 16:55
Issued at HKT 16:55
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