Monitoring and Investigations

The assessment of progress towards policy goals is one of the
Environmental Protection Department's key activities. Its routine
monitoring and special investigations form the basis for all the strategic
planning, provision of facilities and statutory controls aimed at improving
the environment. The department has more than 100 sampling stations in
the open sea, enclosed bays and typhoon shelters plus another 80 stations
for inland waters. It also keeps 41 gazetted bathing beaches under
surveillance.

This monitoring began in 1972 and provides a comprehensive record of
the chemical, physical and microbiological quality of Hong Kong's waters.
All the data are published regularly and can be made available to scientists
and engineers on computer disks or printed copies. Members of the public
are usually more interested in the summary reports of bathing water
quality, which are issued to the media and published in newspapers every
two weeks during the summer.

Mathematical models are frequently used to assess the water quality
impact of major development activities in Hong Kong. With increasing
collaboration between Hong Kong and local authorities in mainland China,
mathematical modelling is also becoming a useful tool for evaluation of
cross-border development projects. During 1997, a water quality model
was developed for Deep Bay, a semi-enclosed bay whose catchment lies
partly in Hong Kong and partly in Shenzhen. The model will help to
determine how much waste the bay can naturally recycle. Once this is
known the two sides will work together to develop a management plan to
ensure this limit is not exceeded.

In similar context, a study was commissioned this year to extend and
upgrade the government's territorial water quality models so that they
can be applied effectively also in the outer Pearl River estuary. This
will provide a sound basis for assessment of the various Hong Kong-
Guangdong infrastructure projects likely to be proposed as economic
integration accelerates.

The EPD operates 10 air quality monitoring stations, of which the
Causeway Bay roadside station was established in 1997. They are
equipped with continuous monitoring instruments for measuring sulphur
dioxide, nitrogen oxides, photochemical oxidants and carbon monoxide.
Respirable and total suspended particulates (dust) and lead concentrations
are also measured. There are plans to establish four more air quality
monitoring stations including one more at the roadside. Monitoring of
toxic air pollutants at Tsuen Wan and Western District commenced in
1997.

The department reports and publishes the results of its air quality
measurements each month and an air pollution index and forecast system
provides daily information to the public. It also conducts a survey on
disposal of solid waste every year to collect up to date information for
planning disposal facilities. The community disposed of about 15 700
tonnes of solid wastes each day in 1997 at landfills and, up to its
decommissioning in May, at the Kwai Chung incinerator. Of this, 6 800
tonnes were domestic waste, 1 900 tonnes were commercial and
industrial waste and 6 400 tonnes came from construction activities. The
municipal waste production amounts to 1.3 kg for each person in Hong
Kong every day - a similar figure to that in neighbouring Asian countries.

Local waste recovery continued to play an important role in waste
management, resulting in the export of substantial quantities of recovered
waste materials for recycling overseas. In all, about 1.2 million tonnes of
waste materials, including waste paper, metals and plastic were exported
in 1997, and generated export earnings of over $2 billion. More than
400 000 tonnes of waste paper, metals, plastic and glass were
reprocessed locally. The total recovery rate represents some about 34
per cent of the total municipal solid waste generated, probably the
highest rate of recovery in any of the world's advanced economies.

The government is studying the feasibility of building two
waste-to-energy incinerators with a combined daily burning capacity of
4 400 tonnes of municipal waste.

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