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Press
Releases - 2000
No
new loading permit for CT9 contractor
The Environmental
Protection Department (EPD) will not, for the time being,
grant any new permit to the Container Terminal 9 contractor
for loading dredged mud onto vessels for disposal at Erzhou
Island.
A spokesman
for the EPD said today (October 4) that the information provided
by the contractor on the dumping of the mud at Erzhou Island
was very extensive but was insufficient to allow the department
to be satisfied that the dumping operation would not cause
unacceptable impacts to the marine environment.
The analysis
and data contained in the reports submitted to the EPD may
well be sufficient for the State Oceanic Administration (SOA)
to draw conclusions with respect to the acceptability of the
dumping operations under their assessment system, particularly
as they may have access to other relevant information.
However,
the information is not comparable in extent or detail to that
which would normally be required under the Hong Kong assessment
system for similar projects, such as the East Sha Chau contaminated
mud disposal pit. Hence, the EPD has not been able to arrive
at a firm view on whether the impacts are acceptable or not.
"We have,
therefore, decided not to grant any new permits for dumping
operations in Mainland waters until we have enough information
to form a conclusive view.
"This
will almost certainly require further discussion between the
EPD and the SOA, the spokesman noted.
End/Wednesday,
October 4, 2000
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