Edited version of this letter from me appeared in today's South China Morning Post:
These were especially timely given I am involved in opposing plans for building an artificial island together with mega waste incinerator beside southwest Shek Kwu Chau, in the otherwise unspoiled waters along southern Lantau.
I considered the EIA report on possible sites for waste incinerators was strongly biased towards making the Shek Kwu Chau site appear a viable choice for an incinerator, and deficient concerning potential pollution, as well as impacts on scenery, biodiversity, and Hong Kong people's quality of life.
So when I attended a public session of an Advisory Council on the Environment sub-committee meeting on the report, I looked forward to hearing some strong criticisms, with ACE members pointing out the report’s many shortcomings. Instead, there was little of substance; and to my mind, the sub-committee functioned largely as a rubber stamp for the report.
Also striking to me: though the meeting included government officials and consultants, together with ACE members, it appeared not one person present was an expert in waste incineration. Indeed, after a little research within Hong Kong and on the internet, I felt better informed than most people who spoke.
In this case, then, the EIA process was particularly deficient. Not only was the government both proposing and judging a project that would cause environmental damage, but the EIA was discussed by a government-appointed body, with ACE chair Paul Lam Kwan-sing admitting (in the Post article) that members lack certain expertise.
The government subsequently withdrew the EIA report, after a judicial review found serious issues with the EIA for the Hong Kong – Zhuhai – Macau Bridge. This suggests that though ACE passed the report, the government lacks confidence in it.
Clearly, a better system is needed. Not just a bureaucratic mechanism: I believe there is a case for leadership coupled with true dialogue with Hong Kong people; both are sorely lacking at present.
The choice of Shek Kwu Chau for Incinerator Island has surely arisen not through vision, but through the government fumbling for a strategy, with a series of consultations, reports and committee meetings that have failed to tackle the root causes of Hong Kong's waste problem or find forward-looking solutions.