EPD continues to take stringent enforcement actions against concrete batching plants in Yau Tong
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The spokesman said that the EPD has been closely monitoring the operation of two CBPs of the China Concrete Co. Limited located at 20 and 22 Tung Yuen Street respectively, and taking stringent enforcement actions against their malpractice. Since 2021, the EPD had initiated 17 prosecutions against the CBPs which are currently pending court trial.
As the operations of the two CBPs failed to meet the requirement of environmental protection, the EPD refused the applications of renewal of a Specified Process Licence (SPL) for the two CBPs at 22 and 20 Tung Yuen Street in April, 2021 and April, 2022, respectively, and the two CBPs appealed subsequently.
The appeal and judicial review lodged by the CBP at 22 Tung Yuen Street had been dismissed by the Air Pollution Control Appeal Board and the High Court respectively and its license had lapsed. The proceeding of appeal by the CBP at 20 Tung Yuen Street is still underway.
In order to stop the continuous operation of the CBP at 22 Tung Yuen Street, the EPD, through the Department of Justice, applied for an interim injunction from the Court of First Instance of the High Court on April 13, 2022, requesting the CBP to stop operation involving cement works (including concrete production) immediately, and the interim injunction was granted by the Court of First Instance until April 22, 2022. Thereafter, the Court of First Instance decided not to extend the interim injunction and to adjourn the hearing to another day, under the commitment made by the CBP that its operation would not lead to air pollution and nuisance caused to the public.
The spokesman said, "We have been following up with the Department of Justice on working to schedule the case as soon as possible to obtain a final injunction, so as to stop the operation of the CBP at 22 Tung Yuen Street.
"We strongly condemn the CBP of the China Concrete Co. Limited to continue its operation after the application of renewal of license had been refused. We will take follow-up actions against all irregularities in a serious manner. Meanwhile, the department is also taking stringent enforcement actions by collecting and compiling evidence for a number of cases to initiate further prosecution actions."
Ends/Saturday, February 4, 2023
Issued at HKT 23:59
Issued at HKT 23:59
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