Police today (December 4) appealed to the public for information on a woman who went missing in Tin Sum. Lo Lai-chun, aged 86, went missing after she left Prince of Wales Hospital yes… read more
​Compass Technology Company Limited, located at Chiaphua Industries Building in Siu Lek Yuen, Sha Tin, was caught again for discharging excessive industrial wastewater into a communal sewer. It was fined $10,000 by Fanling Magistrates’ Courts today (December 4) for contravening the Water Pollution Control Ordinance (WPCO). The company committed the same offence in December last year and was convicted and fined $15,000 in June.
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) spokesman said that enforcement officers conducted a follow-up inspection at the above factory in July this year and found that the concentration of copper in the industrial wastewater discharged from the factory still exceeded the WPCO licence by 2.3 times. After investigation and evidence gathering, the EPD initiated prosecution against the company again in accordance with the WPCO.
The spokesman explained that electronic component manufacturing factories will generate wastewater with heavy metal. Factories must install appropriate wastewater treatment facilities and maintain their effective operation to ensure that the effluent discharge meets the discharge standards as set out in the wastewater discharge licence before discharging into communal sewers. If its heavy metals concentration exceeds the standards, it will affect the operation and effectiveness of microbial treatment processes in sewage treatment plants, which will pollute the environment.
The EPD reminded all WPCO licensees that they should strictly adhere to the discharge standards of all pollutants as stipulated in the licence, and ensure proper operation of their wastewater treatment facilities. Anyone who discharges wastewater which exceeds the standard of the discharge licence commits an offence. Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and six months’ imprisonment. read more
The registered owners of two light goods vehicles, which were involved in three illegal waste disposal cases on Tai Yip Street in Kowloon Bay and Po Lun Street in Mei Foo with about 10.5 cubic metres of waste being disposed of, were convicted and fined a total of $9,000 by Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts today (December 4) for contravening the Public Cleansing and Prevention of Nuisances Regulation.
A spokesman for the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said that Kowloon Bay is a densely populated commercial and industrial area, and some members of the logistics industry illegally disposed of construction waste and commercial and industrial (C&I) waste at night when traffic and pedestrian flows were low. To step up efforts to combat illegal waste disposal, a round-the-clock surveillance camera system was installed at Tai Yip Street to facilitate evidence collection and prosecution. The surveillance camera captured that a light goods vehicle abandoned several boxes of waste on the roadside twice in May this year, and the EPD subsequently issued two summonses to the registered owner of the vehicle involved.
Separately, the EPD received a report from a member of the public in May this year about the illegal disposal of construction waste at Po Lun Street in Mei Foo from a light goods vehicle. The EPD traced the registered owner of the vehicle according to the photos and vehicle information provided by the member of the public, and subsequently prosecuted the registered owner of the vehicle in accordance with the law.
The EPD spokesperson reminded those from the recycling, renovation and construction sectors that C&I waste and demolished construction waste should be delivered to the Government’s waste treatment facilities as required by the law. It is unlawful to dispose of waste in public places and on the roadside. According to the Public Cleansing and Prevention of Nuisances Regulation, it is an offense to dispose of waste on the streets or in public places from vehicles, including goods vehicles, private cars and motorcycles. Otherwise, it constitutes an offence and the registered owner may be prosecuted. First-time offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $25,000 and imprisonment for six months upon conviction. If the offence continues, an additional fine of $300 will be imposed daily. read more
The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Tuesday, December 4, 2018 is 105 (down 0.3 against yesterday’s index). read more
The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority: Hong Kong Monetary Authority Exchange Fund Bills Tender Results ***************************************************** Tender date : December 4, 2018… read more