Asked by: Hon. Fred Li Date of sitting: 11 June 2003
Replied by: Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works
Question:
Regarding the impacts of town gas production plants and power plants on the residents in their vicinity, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether it regularly monitors the amounts of emissions from town gas production plants and power plants and the radiation levels of such emissions; if so, of the findings of the last monitoring work; if not, the reasons for that;
(b) whether it has studied if the emissions from such plants have any health impacts on the residents nearby; if so, of the results of the study;
(c) of the stipulation under the existing legislation on the shortest distance between such plants and residential premises; whether it knows the relevant stipulations in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan and other advanced countries and the criteria for determining the permitted shortest distance; if so, of the relevant details; and
(d) whether it will consider prohibiting the construction of residential premises within a certain distance from such plants?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) For the purposes of controlling air pollution and protecting public health, town gas and electricity production are classified as “specified processes” under the Air Pollution Control Ordinance. Town gas production plants and power plants have to obtain a licence from the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) for operation. The maximum level of emissions of the plants and the emission monitoring requirements are set out in the licences. Under the licences that EPD has issued to the town gas production plants and power plants in Hong Kong, the licensees are required to measure the level of emissions of their plants. EPD has access to and monitors the data collected.
The data from the monitoring system shows that the levels of emissions of the town gas production plants and power plants are below the maximum levels prescribed in their respective licences.
We do not measure the level of radiation of the emissions from the plants.
(b) The maximum level of emissions is prescribed in the specified process licences with the objectives of controlling air pollution and protecting public health, including the health of residents living in the neighbourhood of the plants. As mentioned in (a) above, the data from the monitoring system shows that the emissions from the plants are below the maximum levels prescribed in their licences. Moreover, the pollutants emitted are well dispersed at a height after passing through tall chimneys, thus reducing the impact on the health of residents in their neighbourhood.
(c) There is no specific requirement of minimum distance between town gas production plants/power plants and residential premises in existing legislation in Hong Kong. We are not aware of any legislation prescribing such requirements in the United Sates, United Kingdom, Japan and other advanced countries.
(d) Although existing legislation in Hong Kong does not prescribe a minimum distance between town gas production plants/power plants and residential premises, the established systems for selecting sites for development of such plants, and for planning land uses in the vicinity of “potentially hazardous installations” (PHIs) already serve to protect public health and safety. Under the established arrangement, in selecting a site for use as a town gas production plant or power plant, a comprehensive planning and assessment exercise including evaluation of safety and environmental factors will be carried out. After a possible site has been identified, an environmental impact assessment and, if necessary, a risk assessment will be conducted to ensure that the project will meet safety and environmental considerations.
Moreover, under the established planning system, a set of criteria is used to govern the construction of residential premises in the vicinity of PHIs. Town gas production plants are classified as PHIs. Power plants are not classified as PHIs, since the quantities of hazardous materials stored at them do not exceed the limits set. The Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines (HKPSG) stipulate that the land use in the vicinity of a PHI must comply with the relevant standards set out therein so as to minimise the risk posed by the PHI to residents nearby. A “Consultation Zone” will be delineated for the PHI concerned. The boundary and size of the “Consultation Zone” are determined having regard to the topography, the PHI type and its hazardous material storage capacity. For any development proposal that may increase the number of people living or working in the “Consultation Zone”, a risk assessment has to be carried out in accordance with the HKPSG with the objective of ensuring that the risks posed by the PHI to the public are confined within acceptable limits.
Given the foregoing, we have no plan to introduce a new requirement of minimum distance between town gas production plants/power plants and residential premises.
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