Environment
Responsible Authority:
Environmental Protection Department
Ordinance(s)/Regulation(s) and Brief Description:
Environmental protection and pollution control in Hong Kong, China are mainly governed by the following ordinances:
- Air Pollution Control Ordinance (Cap 311) which provides for the control of air pollution from stationary polluting sources and motor vehicles;
- Water Pollution Control Ordinance (Cap 358) which provides for the control of water pollution in Hong Kong, China;
- Noise Control Ordinance (Cap 400) which provides statutory controls of noise pollution from domestic premises and public places; construction activities; noisy products; industrial and commercial activities; and motor vehicles;
- Waste Disposal Ordinance (Cap 354) which provides for a comprehensive framework for the management of all classes of wastes at various stages of the waste management chain from the place of arising to the final disposal point;
- Ozone Layer Protection Ordinance (Cap 403) which gives effect to Hong Kong, China's international obligations under the 1985 Vienna Convention, the 1987 Montreal Protocol and its amendment to control the import and export of ozone depleting substances;
- Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (Cap 499) which provides a statutory framework for assessing environmental impacts of designated projects and making the implementation of prevention and mitigation measures enforceable through an environmental permit system; and
- Dumping At Sea Ordinance (Cap 466) which provides for the control of the disposal of substances and articles at sea and the dumping of substances and articles in the sea and under the sea-bed, and for connected purposes.
Conformity Assessment Mechanism:
Pre-market registration and licensing:
The Environmental Protection Department takes the following pre-market measures:
- keeps a register of asbestos professionals, chemical waste producers and importers and exporters of ozone depleting substances;
- possesses applications for Noise Emission Label, Construction Noise Permit, chimney and furnace installations, drainage submissions, environmental permits for construction and operation of designated projects, and emission compliance letters for motor vehicles seeking first registration;
- issues licenses to chemical waste collection, treatment and disposal facilities, effluent discharges, specified air polluting processes and import and export of controlled ozone depleting substances; and
- issues permits to control dumping at sea activities, waste import and export activities (N.B. import/export of uncontaminated waste in the Sixth Schedule to the Waste Disposal Ordinance for the purpose of reprocessing, recycling, recovery or reuse is exempted)
- maintains a register of all approved emission reduction devices for scheduled motor vehicles under the Air Pollution Control (Emission Reduction Devices for Vehicles) Regulation
Post-market surveillance:
The Environmental Protection Department conducts inspection of pollution sources and prosecutes offenders and where necessary, serves Air Pollution Abatement Notices and Noise Abatement Notices.
Standards:
| Domestic Standards Made | International/National Standards Accepted |
|---|---|
|
Air |
Air
Analytical Methods for Effluents Discharged into Drainage and Sewerage Systems, Inland and Coastal Waters pH APHA 17ed 4500-H+ B Conductivity BS 2690 Part 9: 1970: Method 6 Total suspended solids APHA 17ed 2540 D Settleable solids APHA 17ed 2540 F Dissolved oxygen APHA 17ed 4500-O G Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) BS 6068 section 2.14: 1984 Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) ASTM D 1252-88 Test Method B or APHA 17ed 5220 C & D Oil and grease APHA 17ed 5520 C Pretreatment for total metals Sample Digestion APHA 17ed 3030 A and 3030 F.3b Antimony, Beryllium, Barium, Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Iron, Lead, Manganese, Nickel, Silver, Thallium, Vanadium, Zinc APHA 17ed 3111, 3113 and 3120 as appropriate Arsenic, Selenium APHA 17ed 3113 and 3114 as appropriate Mercury APHA 17ed 3112 Boron APHA 17ed 3120 Cyanide ASTM D 2036-89 or APHA 17ed 4500-CN Sulphide: Total; free; H2S APHA 17ed 4500-S2- Phenols APHA 17ed 5530 Anionic Surfactants BS 6068 Section 2.23: 1986 or APHA 17ed 5540 C Non-ionic Surfactants BS 6068 Section 2.24: 1986 Total residual chlorine APHA 17ed 4500-CI G Total phosphorus (TP) ASTM D 515-88 Total Reactive Phosphorus APHA 17ed 4500-P Sulphate APHA 17ed 4500-SO42- Chloride APHA 17ed 4500-Cl- Fluoride APHA 17ed 4500-F- -C Nitrogen-Ammonia APHA 17ed 4500-NH3 Nitrogen-Nitrate APHA 17ed 4500-NO3- Nitrogen-Nitrite APHA 17ed 4500-NO2- Total Kjeldahi Nitrogen (TKN) ASTM D 3590-89 E coli DoE (1983): The Bacteriological Examination of Drinking Water Supplies 1982, Sec 7.8 & 7.9 Membrane lauryl sulphate method with in situ urease test for E coli: Reports on Public Health and Medical Subjects No 71 Methods for the Examination of Waters and Associated Materials. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office 1983 Noise Air Compressors Noise Level European Council Directive 84/533/EEC Hand Held Percussive Breakers Noise Level European Council Directive 84/537/EEC Motor Vehicles Noise Level Council Directive 70/157/EEC of 6 February 1970 made by the Council of the European Communities on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the permissible sound level and the exhaust system of motor vehicles, as amended by Council Directive 92/97/EEC of 10 November 1992 and Commission Directive 96/20/EC of 27 March 1996 Article 30 of the Safety Regulations for Road Vehicles made by the Ministry of Transport of Japan, as amended by Ministry of Transport Ordinance No 5 of 21 February 2000 Motorcycles Noise Level Directive 97/24/EC of 17 June 1997 made by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union on certain components and characteristics of two or three-wheel motor vehicles Articles 30 and 65 of the Safety Regulations for Road Vehicles made by the Ministry of Transport of Japan, as amended by Ministry of Transport Ordinance No 5 of 21 February 2000 and No 66 of 20 December 1996 respectively General ISO 14000 series (voluntary) |
