|
Press
Releases - 2000
No
further impact detected after styrene spillage
In response
to media enquiries, a spokesman for the Environmental Protection
Department (EPD) said today (Monday) that it had detected
no further impact on the environment following the spillage
of styrene in Yuen Long on February 5.
The EPD
has conducted a number of inspections at the scene, the nearby
nullah and watercourses as well as the Mai Po marshes after
the incident.
Although
stains indicating a spillage were spotted on the road surface
the following day, EPD staff found that they had disappeared
and no odour was detected last Friday and today.
EPD staff
found no further impact on the environment during the subsequent
inspections and a large number of live fish were found returning
to the nullah the day after the incident.
The spokesman
said: "When exposed to air, styrene vaporises, degrades and
polymerises into inert substances quickly."
The area
in the vicinity of the incident is mostly covered by concrete
or other pavement materials, except for small patches of exposed
soil for each tree on the footpath.
Since
much of the spilled styrene entered the nearby nullah via
the roadside gullies, it is possible that some of it was trapped
in the sediments accumulated around the gullies but it will
degrade to form harmless substances.
The spokesman
said: "The amount of styrene trapped in this way or in the
soil underneath the trees on the footpath is very small. The
impact on both humans and the environment is minimal."
On the
contaminated land guidelines issued by the EPD, the spokesman
said they are mainly applicable to contaminated land cases
where there is extensive soil contamination.
The standard
referred to in the guidelines are adapted from the Netherlands,
which only require land remediation if the volume of contaminated
soil is over 25 cubic metres and when the relevant criteria
are exceeded.
"The
guidelines are therefore not applicable in this particular
case as it involves only small volume of sediments trapped
inside the gullies and very small patches of soil around the
trees," the spokesman said.
Based
on the risk assessment approach which is now commonly adopted
in many other countries, the need for the clean up of contaminated
soil should be judged on the basis of exposure risk to the
public and the related health implications, as well as the
likely impact on the ecosystem.
"We are
fully aware of the sensitive habitat of the Mai Po marshes
and Deep Bay and the need to safeguard public health.
"However,
we consider that this particular incident does not warrant
any need for clean up in the light of the natural degradation
of styrene within a short period and limited impact on both
the public and the ecosystem," the spokesman added.
End/Monday,
February 21, 2000
|
