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EIA
Study for the Proposed Theme Park at Penny's Bay
In response
to press enquiries concerning an article headlined "Disney
may skip impact study" and editorial "Following
Procedure" published in the South China Morning Post
today (Tuesday), a government spokesman made the following
responses and clarifications.
"It must be clarified that the Administration has never
received any request for any exemption under the Environmental
Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO) for a theme park. Nor has
there been any exemption granted by the Administration under
the EIAO or any other pollution control ordinances (or, for
that matter, any other ordinances). Any statement by any party
to the contrary is simply false.
"The
EIAO covers more than 100 items of projects listed in the
Schedule 2 of the EIAO, and environmental permits under the
EIAO are required for their construction and operation. A
theme park per se is not one of the designated projects listed
in this schedule. But the reclamation works, railways, roads
and major sewage pumping stations are controlled under the
EIAO and require environmental permits for their construction
and operation
"Nonetheless,
the Schedule 3 of the EIAO requires an EIA report to be conducted
and approved under the EIAO for an engineering feasibility
study of an urban development project with a study area more
than 20 hectares or involving more than 100,000 population.
The theme park falls within the Northshore Lantau Development
Feasibility Study which has a study area of more than 20 hectares.
It is under this category that an overall statutory EIA study
covering the theme park is being conducted under the EIAO.
"This
statutory EIA study is being conducted by the Civil Engineering
Department (CED) as part of the Northshore Lantau Development
Feasibility Study. It is now addressing the cumulative impacts
of the proposed developments including the theme park at Penny's
Bay on ecology, fisheries, visual quality, water quality,
noise, waste disposal, sewerage and other relevant environmental
issues. CED will have to formally submit the EIA report for
thorough review under the EIAO, exhibit the report for the
public to comment, and consult the Advisory Council on the
Environment before the Director of Environmental Protection
decides on the approval of the EIA report. The statutory procedures
under the EIAO will be strictly followed.
"Notwithstanding
that all of the major environmental impacts from the proposed
theme park and associated infrastructure are already being
addressed under the EIAO as outlined above, in recognition
of the public interest in the project, the Secretary for Planning,
Environment and Lands intends to exercise his power under
section 4(2) of the EIAO to add the development of major theme
parks to the list of Schedule 2 Designated Projects. There
will, therefore, be a self-contained EIA produced for the
theme park and the theme park itself will require a permit
under the EIAO in addition to those required for the associated
infrastructure."
End/Tuesday,
July 13, 1999
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