EPD Confirms T·PARK's TOC Levels Compliant After Investigation into Short-Term Non-Compliance Concerns

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

Commissioner of Customs and Excise meets Director-General of Department of Commerce of Hubei Province

The Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Chan Tsz-tat, today (January 2) met with the Director-General of the Department of Commerce of Hubei Province, Ms Long Xiaohong, in the Customs Headquarters Building to exchange views on expanding the scope of co-operation between air boundary ports in Hubei and Hong Kong International Airport.

Mr Chan welcomed Ms Long's visit to Hong Kong Customs with her delegation and chaired a meeting with the delegation. During the meeting, they discussed issues including implementation of "Single Submission for Dual Declaration" for air cargo and the development of smart airports.

Hong Kong Customs will continue to strengthen collaboration and communication with relevant Mainland departments and authorities, spare no effort in fulfilling Hong Kong’s integration into overall national development, and implement a diverse range of trade facilitation measures in a timely manner to build a beneficial business environment.

Commissioner of Customs and Excise meets Director-General of Department of Commerce of Hubei Province Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Commissioner of Customs and Excise meets Director-General of Department of Commerce of Hubei Province Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases