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Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2002 1:22 pm
Posts: 10011
Location: Pak Kok Village
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"Dear 1823,
I am writing to complain about the ridiculous situation we have in our community whereby dumping, which degrades our environment and is unpleasant to people, is permissible.
I attach one case below. The response from government is unacceptable. The dumping in question is right next to the family trail - which is frequented by local residents and tourists who want to enjoy the natural environment. This dumping occurred after we made a complaint to 1823 about dumping of building materials which came out of the works carried out by the building of the new police station. As this dumping was on government land, the Lands Department posted notices that the materials had to be moved. We then saw the dumping from this area being cleaned up and dumped on the Hung Shing Yeh site.
However, because this is on private land the Lands Department have no power to act - despite the fact that the materials being dumped originated from a government project. For members of the public (and the tourists that visit Hong Kong) it does not matter if the dumping is on government land. Dumping is dumping - and because of the loopholes in the law and the lack of action by government to curb this anti-social and environmentally damaging behavior, it is getting worse and worse.
1823 seems ineffective - all that happens is that you send an email to the Lands Department. If the dumping is on government land, notices will prompt worse dumping on vegetation that are habitats for local flora and fauna. If it is on 'private land' then all we get is the same email that we have been receiving for years giving a lame excuse about why action will not be taken.
Please tell me - what justification is there for a law that gives certain people in society the right to pollute and despoil the environment for the rest of us?
We have so many cases on Lamma and so many people have complained and brought this issue to the authorities, but it seems that Hong Kong government officials are employed to write excuses rather that to take action.
1. Please find out who in HK government would be able to form a committee on this issue with a view to bringing about change so that the laws on littering and dumping are enforceable regardless of land status.
2. Please help me to invite the committee to come for a site visit to Yung Shue Wan. We will show them several areas where dumping has been occurring. In particular, there is an area in the Yung Shue Long Valley which started as a small dumping area and then became a big dumping area and has now been concreted over and is a building site complete with power and electricity. We have made so many complaints about this area, which is agricultural land and used to be a breeding area for Romer's tree frog (a protected species). According to the statutory outline zoning plan, the only thing that is permissible to be placed on this area is soil. Yet, after almost 5 years of complaining, we see the adjacent farm laid waste after a small stream was blocked by the dumping and those that despoil the land rewarded as their action go unpunished.
Meanwhile the rest of us have to put up with more and more dumping.
IT IS TIME TO ENFORCE THE LAW. THIS IS A HONG KONG WIDE PROBLEM. LACK OF ACTION BY GOVERNMENT IS SENDING A STRONG MESSAGE TO THE COMMUNITY THAT THERE IS NO CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND NO CARE FOR THOSE WHO CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
We look forward to supporting positive change. We have plenty of documentation to support the need for change, as I know other residents have all across Hong Kong. What we need is meaningful commitment from government. I hope this will be forthcoming in the new year.
Best regards
Jo Wilson - Chairperson - Living Lamma - Tel: 9042 3241
Subject: Dumping at Hung Shing Yeh, Lamma
From: catrinachan@epd.gov.hk
Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2013 18:18:03 +0800
Our ref: EP3/N09/RS/00030220-13
Thank you for your email dated 13.12.2013 complaining against dumping at Hung Shing Yeh, Lamma Island.
We have conducted investigation and found out that the site concerned marked in the map provided by you is private land lot and the deposition of waste was carried out with the landowner鈥檚 consent. Under the existing provisions of the Waste Disposal Ordinance (WDO) (Cap. 354), deposition of waste with the permission of any owner or lawful occupier of the place does not constitute an offence and hence this department has no right of taking enforcement action against it.
Thank you for your concern about the environment of Hong Kong.
Regards,
W. K. CHAN
for the Director of Environmental Protection"
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