Update | Islanders' bid to halt Shek Kwu Chau incinerator fails
Court throws out all arguments of challenge to plan to build a HK$15b waste incinerator on Shek Kwu Chau near dolphin habitat
A Cheung Chau resident yesterday lost his legal battle to stop the government building a massive offshore waste incinerator on an island south of Lantau.
Leung Hon-wai objected to the proposed HK$15 billion incinerator on Shek Kwu Chau, which is near an important marine habitat for finless porpoises. He claimed the environmental impact assessment conducted for the project was flawed.
He saw all eight challenges he mounted dismissed by the Court of First Instance and vowed to take the challenge further.
"We will definitely file an appeal. It's not surprising that we lost," said Leung, 66, who took the case to court on behalf of Cheung Chau residents. "Our grounds are reasonable. We ought to fight for justice."
Leung said he opposed the construction of the incinerator because the government had not done enough to mitigate potential respiratory problems arising from the operations of the giant burner.
Secretary for the Environment Wong Kam-sing said the court's decision reaffirmed the objectiveness and transparency of the impact report, which was filed by the Environmental Protection Department.