It is decades since concerns were voiced about the level of toxins in the waters off Tsing Yi. Lead, cadmium and chromium were all reported present in high concentrations, and there were warnings that marine life would be harmed if the discharge of industrial waste continued.
At one time it was reported that the Rambler Channel was among the most polluted waterways in the world. In 1977, Tsing Yi fishermen claimed that waste from factories on the island had killed a large amount of fish from farms in the typhoon shelter, costing more than $100,000 in lost earnings.
Those concerns were forgotten when Container Terminal 9 finally got the go-ahead in July after years of bitter wrangling between Beijing and London. Amid the euphoria at predictions of its boost to Hong Kong's port capacity at a time when mainland exports were picking up strongly, past pollution concerns were conveniently overlooked. But toxic waste is not something that can be ignored amid today's heightened environmental concerns. Only months after work started, the problem-plagued CT9 is back in trouble, with contractors dumping waste from dredging work near Dangan Island in the Pearl River estuary. The work involves removing 800,000 cubic metres of contaminated mud. The fear is, if Greenpeace's claims are right, even miniscule quantities of some of the chemicals can cause gender mutations among fish and other serious hazards.
Greenpeace admits it has no scientific proof of the contaminants. It is basing its objections on a 10-year-old feasibility study. But the history of the area justifies its concern. Over the years, there have been several reports on the problem, each more alarming than the last. Under the circumstances, preparation work on CT9 should have begun with an environmental impact study to establish the true situation and what effect it is likely to have on marine ecology and ultimately the food chain.
However scrupulously the Environmental Protection Department has followed the law, it is not just a question of having the correct paperwork. The South China Sea is already polluted, and adding apparently lethal toxins to the mix could have serious repercussions. Even at this late stage, the Government should consider holding up the work until an assessment is made. It will be costly, but less harmful than pressing ahead and inflicting irreversible harm on the marine environment.
