Power plant emissions cap to boost air quality
Other strategies include a recycling park and improved waste recovery
Emissions from Hong Kong power plants are to be capped to improve air quality in the Pearl River Delta region, Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa said.
He also said a waste recycling park would be opened by next year, a scheme introduced to improve waste recovery and $1.2 billion spent in the next 10 years to cover 16 polluted nullahs.
The government will also consider introducing recycling legislation.
'To control air pollution, the government will impose caps on the total emissions of the power companies. We will also make it a policy to require them to maximise the use of natural gas in power generation and to develop renewable energy,' he said.
The cap will press the worst polluters to adopt cleaner ways to generate power, including increased use of natural gas and cleaner coal.
Under existing regulations, power plants are free to emit unlimited amounts of pollutants as long as their concentration levels meet an environmental standard. The new proposal will set ceilings on the volume of emissions for each power plant.
CLP Power and Hongkong Electric, which account for 89 per cent of Hong Kong's sulfur dioxide emissions and 45 per cent of nitrogen oxide emissions, will be asked to cut them back to 2002 levels in the first stage.
Officials said the measure was vital to meet air-quality targets agreed with Guangdong for 2010, and to pave the way for a pilot emissions-trading scheme.
CLP Power, which has used more coal to produce power in the past two years, welcomed any proposal to improve air quality and said it would co-operate with the government.
Hongkong Electric said it expected a 'reasonable and practicable' cap to be introduced and said its new natural-gas-fired plant, which will start operating next year, would reduce the use of coal.
Concessions will be offered to recycling operators that move to the 20-hectare Recovery Park, which will open in Tuen Mun by late next year. Rents at the park will be lower than the market rate.
Robin Chiu, director-general of the Federation of Industries, welcomed the news, saying the park could spur the development of recycling industries and create jobs.
The public will be consulted about whether to make the recovery of used tyres mandatory. The proposal would require drivers to pay a fee for the treatment of tyres they dispose of.
Mr Tung said 16 open nullahs in the city would be covered in 10 years. Officials said apart from improving the environment, the $1.2 billion project could create up to 4,000 jobs for low-skilled workers. The nullahs are in old areas, including Mongkok, Shamshuipo, Kwun Tong, Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi.
Friends of the Earth welcomed the news on recycling legislation but said schemes covering plastic bags, plastic bottles and batteries should be given priority. It also said laws penalising the use of excessive packaging should be introduced.
KEY ENVIRONMENT PLEDGES
Caps to be imposed on power plant emissions
$1.2 billion plan to cover 16 nullahs in the city
New legislation on recycling to be considered
New $3 billion building management and maintenance assistance programme to be launched
