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Dumping at Sea Ordinance
Control on Marine Dumping
Following the spirit of the London Convention, the Dumping At Sea Ordinance (DASO) controls the disposal and dumping of substances and articles from vessels, aircraft and marine structures in the sea and under the sea-bed and the related loading operations. All these operations would require a permit to be issued by the Director of Environmental Protection as the Authority under the DASO.
Application for marine dumping of dredged sediments
Anyone who intends to dump dredged sediments at sea must first obtain a permit from the Director of Environmental Protection. All marine dumping activities must be carried out at these specified areas in accordance with the marine dumping permit.
Relevant considerations
- Before an application of a marine dumping permit is made, the project proponent should have fulfilled the requirements stipulated in "Paragraph 4.2.1 (Management of Dredged/Excavated Sediment) in Chapter 4 of the latest edition of Project Administration Handbook (PAH) for Civil Engineering Works" or "Administrative Guidance - Management Framework for Disposal of Dredged/Excavated Sediment" regarding testing and allocation of dumping capacity for dredged sediments.
- Dumping at Sea Ordinance, Guidance Note No. 1/2024 is relevant to the "implementation of the 1996 Protocol to the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, 1972". Applicants should note that the considerations set out in this Guidance Note shall apply to all applications submitted for a permit required under the Dumping at Sea Ordinance.
Real time tracking of dumping vessels
All dumping vessels have to be equipped with an automatic recording equipment, namely the Front End Mobile Unit (FEMU), which is a key component of the Real Time Tracking & Monitoring of Vessel (RTTMV) System of the EPD. The FEMU transmits self-monitoring data direct from the barge at sea to the Control Centre at the EPD through mobile communication network.
How to Apply for a permit
Application for the permit should be made in a standard application form EPD 114a "Application For A Permit To Dump Material At Sea Under The Dumping At Sea Ordinance". The application should be accompanied by the prescribed application fee. Separate applications should be made if a single project involves sediment requiring different types of disposal option. The application form together with any relevant document can be submitted to Customer Service Counters of the EPD or through online submission. Applicants can settle the application fee by a crossed cheque made payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" or through Faster Payment System (“FPS”) at the counters. For online submission, payment can be made online through credit card or PPS. The applicant may also be required to submit further details such as drawings, method of dumping and confirmation letters to substantiate his application and the information he gives.
For dumping outside Hong Kong, the applicant should in addition complete the standard application form EPD 114a-1 "Application for A Permit To Dump Material At Sea Under The Dumping At Sea Ordinance (loading of substances for dumping outside Hong Kong waters, and/or dumping the substances from a Hong Kong vessel)".
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