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Following is the transcript of a media session given by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau, after the luncheon of the Seminar on Thermal Waste Treatment held today (March 7):
Reporter: There are worries in Shenzhen about the effect of the Integrated Waste Management Facilities (IWMF)?
Secretary for the Environment: As I mentioned, the concern about air quality, about the environment, sees no boundary, be they our local residents or residents in our neighbourhood. It is quite legitimate and understandable to ask whether this facility would affect them. Our colleagues have given a briefing to visitors from Shenzhen. I understand their major concern is whether the emission standards would meet the highest international standards. We can confidently say that they will. And there is also a lot of ongoing routine dialogue at both the professional and working levels between the provincial and city governments on both sides of the boundary. The subject can be discussed and looked into as we proceed in planning for the new facility.
Reporter: Would you study other options, for example, reducing waste as set out in the 2005 framework?
Secretary for the Environment: All the measures we have set out in the Policy Framework are essential useful tools that we will move ahead. Obviously different programmes will take different times and will involve a lot of public engagement. The IWMF is one of the very important tools that we cannot afford to omit because currently we are disposing our waste through a single means, landfill. We all know that our landfills will be full in another four to eight years. We must start planning for that. In the meantime, other actions, other efforts, including any means to reduce waste, to recycle waste, to re-use waste, must go in parallel. This includes our recently introduced legislation to impose the polluter-pays-principle among the producers. This also includes the ongoing research and investigation into, say, the municipal waste charging, which we have to further look into. We will explore all the options laid out in the Policy Framework. We need all of them to make it work.
Reporter: The cement factory said it could meet the standard. Why was their proposal not accepted?
Secretary for the Environment: We are starting to plan ahead with the Integrated Waste Treatment Facilities. It certainly takes time. For instance, we are starting the site searching. In the process, we need the environmental impact study which will take about 18 months. From our projection, with the landfills running out of its capacity in the next four to eight years, we need to have a facility ready by 2014 or 2015. Working back, I think we need to start working now. There are different proposals which different companies or different corporations will propose and we take an open view on them. Obviously we will look into different proposals to see whether they can come up with a viable, feasible and publicly acceptable package. In the meantime, our focus will continue to be working on the site selection for the IWMF and we will continue with the environmental assessment.
Reporter: What is your view onĦ people abandoning or dumping refuseĦ.?
Secretary for the Environment: The existing Waste Disposal Ordinance has a sanction against any flytipping or illegal dumping of refuse. We have had a very good inter-departmental operation in the last few days. The operating departments are looking into the case. They are doing the job. We have also invited some people to assist in the investigation. I will let the operating departments carry on with the job. The law is there. I will also remind the public that it is illegal and people will incur a sanction, both fine and possibly imprisonment.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion.)
Ends/Friday, March 7, 2008
Issued at HKT 17:51
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