Annex 19
Pollution control
Public concern about air pollution has mounted in Hong Kong following
the large number of very high pollution readings in 1999. Of all the
pollutants, respirable suspended particulates and nitrogen oxides are
consistently at a high level and pose threat to public health. We are keenly
aware of the severity of the problem and are making every effort to reduce
these pollutants.
2.
In the urban area, vehicle emissions contribute to 75% of the
respirable suspended particulates and 80% of nitrogen oxides in the air at
street level. Diesel vehicles account for 98% of the respirable suspended
particulates and 80% of all nitrogen oxide emissions from vehicles. In his
Policy Address, the Chief Executive announced a comprehensive
programme to improve Hong Kong’s air quality through reducing diesel
vehicle emissions. The results of the programme are beginning to show up.
In 2000, the overall non-compliance rate of short-term air quality
objectives for general monitoring stations fell by 45%, and the overall
annual concentrations of respirable suspended particulate and nitrogen
dioxide fell by 8% and 6% respectively compared with 1999. The number
of smoky vehicles spotted has been decreasing since mid-2000, and the
number of fixed penalty tickets issued to repeated smoky vehicle offenders
has dropped sharply since January 2001. We expect to see a continuous
improving trend as we continue to bring the measures in the programme to
fruition.
3.
The comprehensive programme to improve air quality includes
the following measures -
(a) liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) taxi scheme: replacing all
diesel taxis with LPG taxis would reduce vehicle fleet emissions of
respirable suspended particulates and nitrogen oxide by up to 25%
and 6% respectively.
To encourage the switch, we have been
providing a subsidy of HK$40,000 (US$5,100) for each diesel taxi
replaced by an LPG one since August 2000. As at 30 June 2001,
about 10,000 out of the entire fleet of 18,000 taxis had been replaced.
Our target is to complete the replacement process by end-2005;
(b) alternative fuel light buses: the trial of LPG and electric light
buses was completed in January 2001 and the monitoring committee
completed its report in June 2001. Both types of alternative-fuel light
bus have proven more environmentally friendly than those run on
diesel. We are considering the way forward in the light of these
findings and the views of the trade and others in the community;
(c) particulate traps: since September 2000, we have been
providing financial assistance to enable owners of pre-Euro light
diesel vehicles to retrofit their vehicles with particulate traps. As at 30
June 2001, over 14,000 such vehicles had been retrofitted with the
device. Total vehicular emissions of respirable suspended particulates
will reduce by 6% upon completion of the scheme;
(d) catalytic diesel converters: the trial of retrofitting different
types of catalytic converters on pre-Euro heavy vehicles is near
completion. We are drawing up the technical specifications and
making preparations for tendering out a retrofit contract;
(e) Euro III Vehicle Emission Standard: in January 2001, we
upgraded the emission requirements for newly registered vehicles to
Euro III standards or equivalent;
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(f) ultra low sulphur diesel (ULSD): in July 2000, Hong Kong
became the first city in Asia to introduce ULSD on a comprehensive
scale for vehicle use. We have introduced a concessionary duty to
encourage a quick switch to this environmentally cleaner fuel. The
new fuel has become the only motor diesel sold at filling stations;
(g) fixed penalty for smoky vehicles: on 1 December 2000, we
increased the fine on vehicles emitting excessive smoke by more than
100%;
(h) smoky vehicle tests: in December 2000, we started using chassis
dynamometers for the smoke-testing of diesel vehicles; and
(i) control of idling engines: we have published to encourage
drivers to switch off their engines - where practicable - while waiting.
4.
Other ideas are being explored. These include pedestrianisation,
incentives for cleaner fuel vehicles, restraining vehicle numbers and road
use, and reducing emissions from non-vehicle pollution sources.
Water Pollution
5.
The greatest threat that water pollution poses to general health is
contamination of potable water supplies.
In Hong Kong, this threat
effectively does not exist because piped water supplies are treated to meet
WHO standards. Other potential threats are contamination of recreational
waters and marine and freshwater biota used for human consumption.
6.
Hong Kong’s inland water quality has improved dramatically in
the last 15 years or so with the percentage of river sampling stations graded
bad or very bad declining from about 54% in 1987 to about 10% in 2000.
Pollution of the 10% residue is mainly caused by waste discharges from the
livestock industry. We are considering how to address this.
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7.
Beach water quality is generally good. In 1999, 35 of 41 publicly
managed beaches met our objective for water quality (an annual average E.
coli concentration of no more than 180 per 100mL of seawater). At this
level swimmers face no more than a 1% risk of contracting a minor illness.
The equivalent risk at the remaining six beaches stood at no more than
1.5%. We are working to reduce this further by extending mains sewerage
to public beaches in unsewered areas.
8.
The quality of some of our marine waters remains patchy, with
Deep Bay and Victoria Harbour suffering severe pollution. In Deep Bay,
the main problems are pollution by domestic sewage from unsewered
villages and waste discharges from livestock farms. We are gradually
extending mains sewerage systems to unsewered areas. As indicated
above, we are considering how to deal with livestock waste.
9.
The poor water quality in Victoria Harbour is caused by the
discharge each day of approximately 1.5m tonnes of domestic and
commercial sewage, of which 1.2m tonnes receive only rudimentary
treatment. To deal with this, we are putting the finishing touches to a
system of deep tunnels that will capture 70% of the sewage for chemical
treatment prior to discharge through a deep-tunnelled marine outfall. This
system will be commissioned around the end of 2001. We are reviewing
how best to handle the remaining 30% of the sewage, and whether the
treatment level for all sewage should be raised. Additionally, we are
planning to disinfect all our major sewage discharges.
10.
Threats due to contamination of local biota are very low. Strict
controls on the discharge of toxic pollutants are in place. The imposition
of these controls and other factors have led to a decline in the quantity of
toxic metals discharged into Victoria Harbour from about 7000 kg/day in
1993 to about 600 kg/day in 2000.
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