Hong Kong Opens 19 Temporary Heat Shelters Amid Very Hot Weather Warning.

HAD opens temporary heat shelters

The Home Affairs Department is opening 19 community halls/community centres as temporary heat shelters today (October 6).

The temporary heat shelters will remain open for people to take refuge from the heat when the Very Hot Weather Warning is in force. From 10.30pm to 8am the next day, the temporary heat shelters will also provide bedding and a sleeping place for people in need. The shelters are manned by duty attendants.

For further information, please call the department's hotline before midnight on 2572 8427.

The heat shelters are located at:

Hong Kong Island:

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Central and Western -

Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall

3/F, Sai Ying Pun Community Complex

2 High Street, Sai Ying Pun

Eastern -

Causeway Bay Community Centre

3/F, 7 Fook Yum Road, Causeway Bay

Southern -

Lei Tung Community Hall

Lei Tung Estate, Ap Lei Chau

Wan Chai -

Wan Chai Activities Centre

LG/F, Wan Chai Market, 258 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai

Kowloon Districts:

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Kowloon City -

Hung Hom Community Hall

1/F, Kowloon City Government Offices

42 Bailey Street, Hung Hom

Kwun Tong -

Lam Tin (West) Estate Community Centre

71 Kai Tin Road, Lam Tin

Sham Shui Po -

Shek Kip Mei Community Hall

G/F, Block 42, Shek Kip Mei Estate, Sham Shui Po

Wong Tai Sin -

Tsz Wan Shan (South) Estate Community Centre

45 Wan Wah Street, Tsz Wan Shan

Yau Tsim Mong -

Henry G Leong Yaumatei Community Centre

60 Public Square Street, Yau Ma Tei

New Territories Districts:

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Islands -

Tung Chung Community Hall

G/F, Tung Chung Municipal Services Building, 39 Man Tung Road, Tung Chung

Kwai Tsing -

Kwai Shing Community Hall

Podium, Block 6, Kwai Shing West Estate, Kwai Chung

North -

Cheung Wah Community Hall

Cheung Wah Estate, Fanling

Sai Kung -

Hang Hau Community Hall

G/F, Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex, 38 Pui Shing Road, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O

Sha Tin -

Lung Hang Estate Community Centre

Lung Hang Estate, Sha Tin

Tai Po -

Tai Po Community Centre

2 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po

Tsuen Wan -

Lei Muk Shue Community Hall

G/F, Hong Shue House, Lei Muk Shue Estate, Tsuen Wan

Tuen Mun -

Butterfly Bay Community Centre

Butterfly Estate (near Tip Sum House), Tuen Mun

Yuen Long -

Long Ping Community Hall

Long Ping Estate, Yuen Long

Yuen Long -

Tin Yiu Community Centre

Tin Yiu Estate, Tin Shui Wai

In addition to the above heat shelters, a number of community halls/community centres can also be used for taking refuge from the heat during their operating hours. For their address details, please browse the following document: www.had.gov.hk/file_manager/en/documents/public_services/emergency_services/List_CH_CC_Day_E.pdf.

EPD completes investigation on T·PARK's stack gas monitoring incident

Concerning the incident regarding the suspected short-term non-compliance of the total organic carbon (TOC) from certain T·PARK's flue stacks during the period from last October to this July, as compared with the emission standards set out in the contract, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (December 30) announced the investigation findings.

The investigation revealed that, at the same time when the monitoring data of TOC collected from the operating flue stack exceeded the emission limits set out in the contract, TOC was also detected from the air inside the other non-operating flue stacks in the facility. Since the monitoring of organic carbon requires utilization of air from the surrounding environment in order to assist combustion, scientifically the monitoring data need to be corrected according to the organic carbon concentration in the ambient air before they can be compared with the standards. With the above correction, it is confirmed that the actual data of TOC from the operation of T·PARK had not exceeded the emission limit under the contract.

TOC generally refers to the total amount of carbon in all organic compounds. Vegetation, vehicles, paints, cooking and industrial activities, etc are common sources of TOC in the ambient air. TOC is not a parameter under the statutory Air Quality Objectives, in order to ensuring proper operation of the facility, the contract between the EPD and the contractor of T·PARK has set emission standards for TOC, and conduct continuous monitoring. During the period from last October to this July, there were a few occasions of suspected short-term non-compliance of TOC emission standards under the contract from certain T·PARK's flue stacks. As the contractor had different views on whether the emission of TOC from the facility had violated the contract provisions, the EPD had to conduct investigation into the incident.

As the relevant investigation has been completed, the EPD has reuploaded the environmental monitoring reports for the period from last October to this October to the website www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/waste/data/data_stf.html