The following is issued on behalf of the Commission of Inquiry into the Diaphragm Wall and Platform Slab Construction Works at the Hung Hom Station Extension under the Shatin to Central Link Project:
 
     The Commission of Inquiry into the Diaphragm Wall and Platform Slab Construction Works at the Hung Hom Station Extension under the Shatin to Central Link Project conducted a preliminary hearing today (September 24) at the hearing room on 1/F of the former Tsuen Wan Law Courts Building, 70 Tai Ho Road, Tsuen Wan, New Territories, Hong Kong.
 
     As revealed in the opening address by Counsel for the Commission, the Commission has issued letters requesting witness statements and other documentation from a number of involved parties. The Commission has also served "Salmon letters" (that is letters giving advance notice to entities that might be the subject of criticism) on the parties listed below. 
 

1. Transport and Housing Bureau;
2. Highways Department;
3. Development Bureau;
4. Buildings Department;
5. MTR Corporation Limited;
6. Leighton Contractors (Asia) Limited;
7. Intrafor Hong Kong Limited;
8. Fang Sheung Construction Company; and
9. China Technology Corporation Limited.

 
     These parties have been asked to consider participating in, and having separate legal representation at, the substantive hearing.
 
     The above-mentioned parties have provided witness statements and documents to the Commission. More are expected to be provided as the Inquiry progresses. So far, the Commission has received witness statements from more than 40 individuals. Unless notified otherwise, all these individuals will be required to give evidence at the substantive hearing.
 
     Counsel for the Commission has stated that the Commission has instructed two expert witnesses, namely, Professor Don McQuillan (Director of RPS Consulting Engineers) and Mr Steve Rowsell (Director of Rowsell Wright Ltd) to assist the Commission in the Inquiry. They are expected to provide expert opinion on structural safety and integrity issues as well as project management issues. Professor McQuillan is a Vice President of the Institution of Structural Engineers and Mr Rowsell is a Past President of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation of the United Kingdom.

     The Commission has also dealt with other procedural matters at the preliminary hearing, including default language of the hearing, access to documents and use of materials provided by the Commission, written witness statements and responsive statements, participation and legal representation of the parties, seating arrangements in the hearing room and hearing procedure.
 
     The Commission will conduct the hearings in English, and will provide simultaneous interpretation services when appropriate. Unless otherwise directed, all hearings will be open to the public. No photography or audio/video recording is allowed at the hearing venue.
 
     The Commission will commence the substantive hearing of the Inquiry on October 22 at the above-mentioned hearing room. The substantive hearing shall, subject to any adjournments that the Commission may consider necessary from time to time, continue until November 16 and shall resume from November 26 until December 21 (on a provisional basis). Unless otherwise directed by the Commission, the substantive hearing will be held from 10am to 1pm and from 2.30pm to 5pm on weekdays. The Commission may consider holding the substantive hearing on Saturday mornings during the said periods if necessary.

     The Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, visited an area set aside for temporary wood waste collection in the Kai Tak Development Area this afternoon (September 24) to learn more about its operation.
      
     In response to the huge amount of broken or fallen trees caused by Super Typhoon Mangkhut, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) and the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) jointly set up the collection area for the public to deliver the remains of fallen trees and branches for temporary stockpiling, with a view to prioritising the clearance of tree waste. Another objective is to improve the waiting time of waste collection vehicles at various refuse transfer stations and maintain their operational efficiency.
      
     Since the opening of the collection area on September 21, as at 5pm today almost 1000 truckloads of wood waste had been delivered there for temporary stockpiling.
      
     The EPD will select a suitable portion of the stockpiled materials from the collection area for delivery to the Animal Waste Composting Plant at Ngau Tam Mei for treatment and recycling into compost, which will then be utilised by local educational, social welfare, charity and horticultural organisations and farmers. In addition, some suitable materials will also be utilised by the Organic Resources Recovery Centre Phase 1 in Siu Ho Wan.
      
     Tree trunks can be reused while leaves and branches can be turned into compost. In order to encourage waste reduction and resources recycling, the EPD welcomes interested parties or members of the public to collect wood or leaves suitable for recycling and reuse at the collection area. The public can call the EPD hotline (Tel: 3741 1823 or 3741 1822) for registration in advance. As of today, the EPD had received about 60 calls from groups and members of the public who expressed an interest in reusing the stockpiled wood waste.
      
     Mr Wong said that the Environment Bureau and the EPD have all along been encouraging government departments and the community to adopt the principle of reduce, reuse and recycle to minimise yard waste. He thanked the CEDD and especially frontline staff members who have to be on duty on the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival for their flexible support in facilitating the collection of tree waste for recycling and conversion into resources.

      

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (September 24) announced that trace amounts of malachite green were found in a prepacked grass carp sample and a grass carp fish maw sample. Follow-up is in progress.

     Details of the grass carp sample are as follows:

Packed by: Wai Kee Marine Products Ltd
Net weight: 245 grams
Use-by date: August 23, 2018

     A CFS spokesman said, "The CFS collected the grass carp sample from a supermarket in Ho Man Tin and the grass carp fish maw sample from a stall in Smithfield Market under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test results showed that they contained malachite green at respective levels of 0.953 parts per billion (ppb) and 5.13 ppb.

     "Malachite green is a type of industrial dye and has been used for treating infection in fish. Major agricultural economies such as the Mainland, the European Union, Canada and the United States prohibit the use of the chemicals in food fish. According to the Harmful Substances in Food Regulations (Cap 132AF), no food sold in Hong Kong is allowed to contain malachite green. Offenders will be prosecuted and will be liable to a fine of $50,000 and to imprisonment for six months upon conviction."

     The CFS is following up on the unsatisfactory results, including tracing the sources and taking samples for testing.

     The CFS will continue to follow up on the incidents and take appropriate action.

Attention radio/TV announcers:

Please broadcast the following at suitable intervals:

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) reminds people to keep places clean, not to burn wax, not to put lit candles on the ground or grass pitches, not to throw glow sticks or other objects onto trees, and not to fly sky lanterns while celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival.

     People littering at LCSD venues are liable to a penalty of $1,500, while the maximum penalty for burning wax, throwing objects onto trees or flying sky lanterns is a fine of $2,000 and 14 days' imprisonment.

     Meanwhile, in the wake of the adverse impact brought about by Tropical Cyclone Mangkhut which has led to various levels of damage to the facilities and trees at many LCSD venues, the department is making great efforts to conduct clearance and repair work and members of the public are advised not to go near or enter the cordoned-off areas in these venues for the sake of safety.

     A ground-breaking ceremony for the Disciplined Services Quarters for the Fire Services Department at Pak Shing Kok, Tseung Kwan O was held today (September 24). As the first pilot project to adopt Modular Integrated Construction (MiC), the quarters will provide 648 units for married disciplined services staff.

     The construction of the Disciplined Services Quarters for the Fire Services Department at Pak Shing Kok echoes the Government's initiative to adopt advanced technology and innovative construction methods to enhance productivity and cost-effectiveness, as introduced in last year's Policy Address. The Architectural Services Department and the main contractor of the project will adopt MiC and the concept of "factory assembly followed by on-site installation", in which most of the labour-intensive and time-consuming processes can be accomplished in an off-site prefabrication yard with a view to enhancing productivity by minimising the duration of work and demand for construction workers. MiC will also enhance on-site safety and quality control of projects, as well as reducing adverse impacts on the environment.

     Officiating at the ceremony, the Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Mr Hon Chi-keung, said the Government aims to promote the application of new technology and innovative construction methods and lead by example through public projects. He expressed the hope that through the adoption of MiC in this Fire Services Department project, the confidence of the industry in the new construction method will be further strengthened.

     Other officiating guests at the ground-breaking ceremony were the Director of Fire Services, Mr Li Kin-yat; the Director of Architectural Services, Mrs Sylvia Lam; and the Chairman of the Construction Industry Council, Mr Chan Ka-kui.