INCINERATOR UPDATES FOR JUNE More news and dates for your diary along with some good news and bad news... * The BAD news is that the HK administration has now obtained two of the three Legco approvals it needs to proceed with the incinerator on SKC. The third (and final) approval is from Legcos Finance Committee and will be formally sought on Friday 27 June when the committee meets (from 3pm in the Legco offices in Tamar). A demonstration outside the Legco offices is being organized for that same day (27 June). Theres also a latter writing campaign under way targeting all members of the Finance Committee. For more information, see the Living Islands Movement website at livingislands.org.hk. Cheung Chau Rural Committee is holding a preliminary meeting on Tuesday 17th June to discuss what more can be done in protest. The meeting will be at the Committees offices on Cheung Chau and starts at 8.30pm. All are welcome. It may seem like this 3rd Finance Committee approval is a foregone conclusion because the Public Works Committee approved the project in May and the PWC is a sub-committee of the Finance Committee. However, the two votes are independent of each other and the composition of the committees is different. There are plenty of reasons why the EPDs 3+1 proposal (to build the incinerator on SKC and extend each of the existing 3 landfill sites) is a waste of taxpayer money (and, for that matter, a waste of our waste) so its still worth writing to register objections to the proposal for what is a crucial vote (no money, no honey, as they say). * Now heres the GOOD news. Even if this funding is approved, the project should not start until the currently pending judicial review is resolved. Last week (4/5 June), the Hong Kong court of appeal heard arguments as to why the Environmental Permit for the SKC incinerator should be revoked. I sat through the hearing and have a transcript of what was said for anyone interested. The case for revocation was well put by Gladys Li SC and Hectar Pun as counsel for JR applicant/appellant Leung Hon Wai. The judges are now deliberating. Whatever the appeal judges decide, issues of law are at stake of such fundamental constitutional importance that an appeal to the Court of Final Appeal seems inevitable. This is unlikely to come on for yet another year. This means there is still time to persuade the HK Government to redirect its policies. * Without such a change of policy, the incinerator and landfill extension (3+1) programme is still likely to proceed. Even if the JR proceedings result in revocation of the Environmental Permit for the SKC incinerator, the government can carry out a further EIA and issue the ensuing EP by processes which comply with judicial requirements. As noted above, Shenzhen, which already operates 7 incinerators with capacity to process 4,875 tonnes of Municipal Solid Waste per day, plans by next year (2015) to have an additional 3 incinerators, processing up to 6,300 tonnes per day – bringing Shenzhen’s total incinerator capacity to 11,175 tonnes per day. So, whatever the outcome of the current SKC incinerator proposal, there is a broader local and cross-border battle to be fought to clear Hong Kong ’s air for the future. * In summary, there are still a number of paths by which to make your views known to the current Hong Kong administration so as to get a better informed approach to our current waste management crisis. You are cordially invited to make the most of these opportunities. Best wishes, Tom
Posted on: Fri, 13 Jun 2014 11:02:55 +0000
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