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Press
Releases - 1998
EIA
reports to go on Internet
A new
move by the Environmental Protection Department has placed
Hong Kong at the leading edge in the use of the Internet to
enable public participation in the statutory process of assessing
environmental impacts from major developments.
Starting
from last month, all full reports of new environmental impact
assessment (EIA) studies submitted by project proponents under
the EIA Ordinance will be uploaded onto the Internet to facilitate
public access.
"The
move has made Hong Kong one of the leaders in using the Internet
to increase transparency in the statutory EIA process," according
to the Assistant Director of Environmental Protection, Mr
Elvis Au, who heads the Environmental Assessment and Noise
Division.
Since
the EIA Ordinance came into effect on April 1, 1998, a dedicated
Internet web site (www.info.gov.hk/epd/eia) was set up to
facilitate public access to information and public inspection
of key documents and decisions.
These
documents include the project profiles and the executive summaries
of the EIA reports submitted under the Ordinance. The documents
are placed in the web site within two days of the advertisement
notices in the newspapers.
The web
site also contains almost real time information about the
status of applications made under the Ordinance, the key documents
submitted and the key decisions issued by the Director of
Environmental Protection. The public can find from the web
site the latest status of all applications submitted under
the Ordinance.
"To further
facilitate public access and involvement in commenting on
reports under the EIA Ordinance, since mid-November there
has been a new requirement in all EIA study briefs for the
reports to be submitted in electronic format.
"When
such electronic EIA reports are submitted, the whole report
will be placed on the EIA Ordinance Internet web site for
public inspection," Mr Au said.
The web
site now also contains a full copy of the Ordinance, the regulations,
the technical memorandum on the EIA process, all guidance
materials and application forms, plus other key documents
and the public register.
As at
the end of November, the web site contained 33 project profiles
exhibited for public inspection, 16 EIA study briefs issued
by the Director of Environmental Protection, four executive
summaries of EIA reports that have been exhibited for public
inspection, and nine environmental permits that have been
issued.
"The
use of the web site for public access and involvement under
the EIA Ordinance has received warm welcome by members of
the Advisory Council on the Environment and the public, as
it makes the statutory EIA process far more transparent and
accessible than in the past.
"As a
means of disseminating information, it's far more efficient,
and environmentally friendly too," Mr Au said.
End/Sunday,
December 6, 1998
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