Hong Kong – EPD responds to Advisory Council on the Environment’s resolution on San Tin/Lok Ma Chau Development Node EIA report

     In response to the Advisory Council on the Environment (ACE)’s decision to endorse the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report on San Tin/Lok Ma Chau Development Node with conditions in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO) after discussion at its meeting today (April 22), an Environmental Protection Department (EPD) spokesman said:

     “The statutory EIA process in Hong Kong is a professional, objective and open system. The Technical Memorandum on EIA Process (TM) and EIA Study Briefs lay down objective and clear principles, procedures, guidelines, requirements and criteria for various EIA matters. The EIAO aims to assess the environmental acceptability of the development proposal submitted by the project proponent.

     “The Director of Environmental Protection will review in detail the EIA report with comprehensive and careful consideration of the requirements of the EIA Study Brief and the TM, as well as comments on the environment raised by the public and the ACE during the public inspection period, before making the decision on whether to approve the EIA report and the conditions to be imposed if the EIA report is approved.”