EPD responds to Advisory Council on the Environment’s resolution regarding EIA report on partial development of Fanling Golf Course Site
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In response to media enquiries on matters related to the Advisory Council on the Environment (ACE)’s decision to request the project proponent (the Civil Engineering and Development Department) to provide further information on the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report on Technical Study on Partial Development of Fanling Golf Course Site – Feasibility Study after discussion at its meeting today (August 19), an Environmental Protection Department spokesman said the following:
The EIA system in Hong Kong is professional, objective and open. The Technical Memorandum on EIA Process (TM) and EIA Study Briefs lay down objectives, and clear principles, procedures, guidelines, requirements and criteria for various EIA matters. The Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO) aims to assess the acceptability of the proposal submitted by the project proponent, instead of determining whether the project is needed or the development proposal is appropriate.
The Director of Environmental Protection will study in detail the relevant EIA report and decide whether to approve it after a comprehensive and prudent consideration of the relevant EIA Study Brief, the TM requirements, comments collected during public inspection and views submitted by the ACE. If necessary, the Director may, in accordance with the EIAO, request the project proponent in writing within 14 days after receiving ACE’s comments to provide further information for her to decide whether to approve the EIA report.
