The Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak, has said that the long-term solution for the hazardous material warehouse is to “find a place in a landfill where we can have a permanent storage facility for dangerous and chemical substances, finally solving the problem.”
The Secretary was speaking to the media at a public event where he noted the great importance that the government attaches to the management of hazardous substances. Wong noted that there were defined short, medium and long-term plans to find solutions for the storage and the handling of such products in order to minimize risks to residents.
The comments of the Secretary come in response to the presentation of a petition to the government of over 7,400 signatures by the residents of areas surrounding the Concordia Industrial Park in Coloane. The petitioners sought to stop the planned construction of a hazardous waste storage facility in the land plot.
Wong issued a public reminder that hazardous substances are currently not being managed in a centralized way and are spread across different areas of the region, creating a potentially higher risk, and that this therefore requires a holistic solution.
The Secretary also noted that the current draft plan not only includes the installation of a central hazardous waste storage facility, but also several contingency plans to protect the safety of the facility and the transportation of materials. He added that in relation to the currently planned warehouse, the Fire Services plans to keep all the materials under close inspection, adding that any possible incident will be immediately tackled.
Concerning residents’ worries about the choice of site, Wong said it was a duty of the Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau to explain the project to the population in a more clear and detailed way, repeating words previously spoken by the Chief Executive, Chui Sai On.
Nevertheless, the Secretary said he would be available to explain the rules and criteria for construction, equipment, staff training, supervision procedures and management mechanisms, so that the population can be better informed about the management of hazardous substances. RM
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