Officers of the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) make regular inspections of potential air polluting plants and respond to air pollution complaints raised by the public. Enforcement is empowered by the Air Pollution Control Ordinance (APCO) and its subsidiary regulations. When appropriate, the EPD gives advice or issues a legal notice to the premises to abate the air pollutants emission. If the advice or legal notice is ignored, legal action is then taken against the offender. In 2008, the EPD gave advice on 4 815 occasions, served 1 529 notices and undertook 168 prosecutions under the APCO and 2 prosecutions under the Ozone Layer Protection Ordinance (see chart below).
Air Pollution Enforcement Statistics in 2008
| Chimney Applications Processed | 377 |
| Specified Process Licences (New Application) | 8 |
| Notices Served | 1 529 |
| Prosecutions | 170 |
| Technical Advice Given | 4 815 |
Fines Imposed for Air Pollution Convictions in 2008 (HK$)
| Total | Highest | Lowest | Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breach of Asbestos Requirement | 253 200 | 10 000 | 1 000 | 2 944 |
| Breach of Construction Dust Regulation | 302 000 | 40 000 | 1 000 | 8 389 |
| Breach of Fuel Restriction Regulation | 10 000 | 10 000 | 10 000 | 10 000 |
| Breach of Open Burning Regulation | 12 200 | 5 000 | 1 000 | 2 033 |
| Breach of Ozone Layer Protection Ordinance | 55 000 | 40 000 | 15 000 | 27 500 |
| Breach of Volatile Organic Compounds Regulation | 4 000 | 4 000 | 4 000 | 4 000 |
| Dark Smoke Emission | 76 000 | 18 000 | 3 500 | 9 500 |
| Defective Design | 36 000 | 12 000 | 6 000 | 9 000 |
| Illegal Installation/Alteration | 74 000 | 12 000 | 3 000 | 5 692 |
| Nuisance | 7 000 | 4 000 | 3 000 | 3 500 |
