Press
Release
Harbour
Area Treatment Scheme Stage 2 Programme announced
The Permanent Secretary for the Environment, Transport
and Works (Environment), Mr K.K. Kwok, today (April 22) announced
the implementation programme for the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme
(HATS) Stage 2.
"Taking
into account the generally positive response received during the
public consultation on HATS Stage 2 last year, the Executive Council
decided that we should implement the final stage of HATS in two
phases," Mr Kwok said.
"The first
phase (Stage 2A) is targeted to be completed by 2013", he said.
"Depending on the results of a review to be carried out in
2010/11 which will take account of population growth and the trend
in water quality, we plan to commence Stage 2B upon completion of
Stage 2A." He added, "The public's acceptance of the need
to recover the full operational costs through sewage charges is
a prerequisite for the Stage 2 programme to proceed."
HATS Stage 1
is now treating 75 per cent of the sewage generated around Victoria
Harbour. Since the full implementation of HATS Stage 1 in December
2001, the harbour water quality has improved significantly.
"But these
gains will be eroded in the future if we do not act now to put in
place a treatment system that not only deals with the remainder
of the untreated sewage, but also caters for projected increases
in the volume of waste water expected as a result of the growing
population and increase in economic activities," Mr Kwok said.
The Administration
consulted the public from June 21 to November 20 last year on the
way forward for HATS Stage 2 which comprises :
For Stage 2A
:
* Extension
of the deep tunnel network to collect and convey sewage from the
remaining parts of Hong Kong Island to the Stonecutters Island Sewage
Treatment Works (SCISTW) for proper treatment;
* Expansion
of the existing chemical treatment capacity from the present design
level of 1.7 million cubic metres daily to 2.8 million cubic metres;
* provision
of disinfection to all HATS treated effluent before the effluent
is discharged into the Harbour; and
For Stage 2B
:
* Upgrading
to biological treatment for all HATS flows.
.
"The vast majority of the responses received during the public
consultation process strongly supported the proposal to clean up
the harbour by implementing HATS Stage 2." .
"By completing
Stage 2A, we will be able to achieve most of our water quality criteria
in the majority of the harbour area, thereby leading to a cleaner
and healthier marine environment," Mr Kwok said.
HATS Stage 2
will cost about $19 billion to construct. It will also require about
$1.1 billion per year to operate. Based on the polluter-pays principle,
the Government will conduct a review of the existing levels of the
sewage charge and trade effluent surcharge and put forward proposals
for consultation later in the year.
Mr Kwok also
said that the results of the consultation revealed that most respondents
supported the application of the polluter-pays principle to fund
the operational cost for HATS.
"The Government
is prepared to fund the capital cost of the facilities in Stage
2, but the resources for their on-going operation must come from
sewage charges."
"With public
support of this principle, we will be able not only to proceed with
Stage 2A for completion in 2013, but also to advance part of the
disinfection facilities planned under Stage 2 for completion by
2008/09. This will bring further improvements to the water quality
in the Harbour and enable the beaches in Tsuen Wan to be re-opened
at an early date," Mr Kwok added.
Details of the
HATS and the consultation document can be downloaded from the website:
http://www.cleanharbour.gov.hk.
End/Friday,
April 22, 2005
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