by Allen Au-yeung allen.auyeung@scmp.com
South China Morning PostYesterday, 22:43
District councillor Kwong Chun-yu points out the waste-dumping ‘mountain’ site at Deep Bay Road in Lau Fau Shan. Photo: SCMP Pictures
A government investigation has been launched after another waste-dumping “mountain”was discovered in the New Territories – this one about the size of two basketball courts and reaching a height of up to five metres.
The site, near Deep Bay Road in Lau Fau Shan to the west of Tin Shui Wai, was made up of soil mixed with an assortment of rubbish, topped off with a layer of asphalt paving.
The discovery, which followed that of a four-storey “waste mountain” in Tin Shui Wai last week, was revealed on Monday by Yuen Long district councillor Kwong Chun-yu, who received complaints from residents last September about waste being rapidly unloaded on what was originally a flat piece of land.
“The soil was of the lowest standard. The waste mountain is made of wood, construction waste, plastic bottles and trash,” said Kwong of the site, which has raised safety and environmental fears in the area.
“What’s troubling about the mountain is it is paved with asphalt. I don’t know if someone is trying to turn it to a place of storage or a car park – but the foundation is made of waste.”
Although only a handful of people live near the site, which is not yet foul-smelling, he said the waste mountain was a danger to people and the environment.
“What’s worrying me is [the effect of] rain. The site formation is not reinforced and it’s rather dangerous,” he said.
According to Kwong, sites similar to the one found in Lau Fau Shan had proliferated in remote areas in the New Territories over the years.
He suspected the dumping of construction waste was being done by people who wanted to avoid the cost of taking it to landfills which charge fees by tonnage.
“They just want to dump it somewhere else,” he said.
Government landfills currently charges HK$125 for every tonne of construction waste.
A Lands Department spokesman said the site concerned was private land classified as an “old schedule agricultural lot”, meaning there were no land-use restrictions and its owner would not breach the land lease.
Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Department said it had inspected the site and was investigating the dumping, including verifying who owned the land.
It added the area had been designated as a “recreation” zone under government plans and the department had received three complaints about illegal dumping along Deep Bay Road since May last year.
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1925086/probe-launched-after-another-waste-mountain-found
