A law that will make construction company directors personally liable if the noise level of their sites exceeds the legal limit was explained to legislators yesterday.
Guilty directors of construction, industrial and commercial firms face heavy fines under the legislative amendment.
Companies now are prosecuted and face a maximum fine of $100,000 for the first offence and up to $200,000 for repeat offences.
Chan Kam-sun, principal environmental protection officer (noise management and policy) at the Environmental Protection Department, said the present Noise Control Ordinance made it difficult to target directors because of lack of evidence.
'We must collect enough evidence to prove the directors are assisting others or directing the offence. It is extremely difficult to get this sort of evidence,' he said.
The amendment could make law enforcement more effective.