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The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (October 30) announced that the South East New Territories (SENT) Landfill at Tseung Kwan O will only receive construction waste from January 6, 2016, onwards.
"From then on, waste collectors should deliver domestic, commercial and industrial waste to refuse transfer stations operated by the EPD which offer refuse transfer service at a fee, or to the other two landfills at Ta Kwu Ling in North District and Nim Wan in Tuen Mun for disposal," a spokesman for the EPD said.
"Under the new arrangement, private waste collectors may have to rearrange their waste collection routing and times, and also reassess the waste collection quantity and operational costs arising from adjustments to the routing and any additional fee for using refuse transfer stations. In view of the polluter-pays principle, waste collectors may need to adjust their service fee," he added.
To ensure that normal waste collection services can be maintained for safeguarding environmental hygiene, the EPD spokesman reminded property owners and property management agents to liaise with their waste collection contractors as soon as possible to find out whether their waste collection will be affected and, if necessary, enter into new collection contracts in a timely manner.
The Waste Disposal (Designated Waste Disposal Facility) (Amendment) Regulation 2013 (Commencement) Notice 2015 designates that the SENT Landfill will only receive construction waste from January 6, 2016, onwards. The Government tabled the commencement notice at the Legislative Council (LegCo) on July 8, 2015, for negative vetting. The vetting period expired at the LegCo sitting of October 28, 2015, thus completing the vetting procedures. Details of the designation of the SENT Landfill to receive only construction waste and the waste diversion arrangements are available at www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/waste/prob_solutions/waste-diversion-plan.html. To obtain more information, please email wastediversion@epd.gov.hk or call the EPD's hotline 2872 1727. For enquiries regarding the public waste collection service, please contact the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.
Ends/Friday, October 30, 2015
Issued at HKT 11:31
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