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Press
Releases - 1998
Latest
Basel ban on hazardous wastes adopted
Transboundary
movements of hazardous wastes from developed countries to
developing countries will be banned in Hong Kong with effect
from December 28, 1998.
Making
the announcement today (Monday), Principal Environmental Protection
Officer Dr Ellen Chan said the move tied in with the latest
requirement of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary
Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal.
"The
ban applies to exports of hazardous wastes from developed
countries which are members of the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD), the European Community
(EC) and Liechtenstein (hereafter referred as the 'ban countries')
to other countries.
"The
ban was adopted by the Basel Convention Parties as it was
widely recognised that exports of hazardous wastes from developed
countries to developing countries generally constitute a high
risk of improper management of such wastes.
"The
implementation of the ban in Hong Kong shows that the HKSAR
Government is determined to control shipments of hazardous
wastes into or through Hong Kong in line with the latest international
practices," she said.
In Hong
Kong, a permit control system under the Waste Disposal Ordinance
has been put into operation since September 1, 1996 to regulate
the import and export of hazardous waste in line with the
requirements of the Basel Convention.
Any person
who imports or exports hazardous wastes without a permit is
liable to a fine of $200,000 plus six months' imprisonment
for the first offence, and $500,000 plus two years' imprisonment
for the second or a subsequent offence.
Dr Chan
said: "With the implementation of the Basel ban on December
28, the Environmental Protection Department will not issue
any import permit or transit consent to controlled waste shipments
from the 'ban countries'."
The Basel
ban does not apply to hazardous waste shipments from countries
other than the "ban countries". These shipments must, however,
still comply with the requirements of the Waste Disposal Ordinance.
End/Monday,
December 14, 1998
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