[Press Release 新聞稿] Civic Exchange paper outlines key issues on air quality and the law in HK-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Judicial Review 思匯報告探討港珠澳大橋司法覆核的空氣質素影響評估

Don't miss your email and connect your friends with TalkKing!

If you cannot read this eamil, please press here. 如果您看不到這個電郵，請按這裡。

PRESS RELEASE新聞稿

(Please release immediately即時發放)

Civic Exchange paper outlines key issues on air quality and the law in

Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Judicial Review

思匯政策研究所報告探討港珠澳大橋司法覆核

有關空氣污染及法律理據的主要問題

31 August 2011 (Wednesday) … Independent policy think tank Civic Exchange today released a paper "Air Quality Impact Assessment of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Judicial Review". This is the second in a series of paper on this landmark case, which is one of the most important legal cases relating to the environment in Hong Kong. 2011年8月31日（星期三）── 思匯政策研究所今天發表報告《港珠澳大橋司法覆核的空氣質量素影響評估》。這是為探討此對環保具有劃時代意義案件一系列文章的第二篇。

"The Judicial Review is bringing up a number of important issues in Hong Kong, we hope this paper could facilitate effective public debate, as legal arguments and judgments are usually hard for laymen to understand," said Christine Loh, CEO of Civic Exchange. 思匯政策研究所行政總監陸恭蕙稱：「這次司法覆核引發了許多重要的香港議題。但由於普羅大衆往往難於理解複雜的判詞，我們希望本透過一系列文章促使公衆明白案件的論點，有助社會討論。」

A significant aspect of the judgment is that the EIA reports should have included a "stand alone analysis" of background air quality in the absence of the projects. David Renton, author and a lawyer explained, "Only with this background data as a control could decision-makers understand the magnitude of the bridge's impacts on air quality and come to a view as to whether those impacts could be reduced" The Administration was upset with the decision, and the EPD Director requested the Court of Appeal to grant an expedited hearing which began on 23 August 2011. 判詞中的一個重點是，環評報告原應包括一份在沒有工程進行的情況下關於背景空氣質素的「獨立分析」。　　本報告作者David Renton 先生解釋：「有了這樣的背景數據作為對照，才可讓決策者了解大橋對空氣質素所造成影響的程度，並就這些影響是否可以減少提出意見。」政府當局對此決定感到不安，環保署署長其後向上訴法庭要求加快聆訊，該上訴案件於是於8月23日開始進行聆訊。

Among the counter appeal on the other points, the most important issues raised by the current court case is perhaps its concern on how public health should be taken into account in air quality assessments, which however is not included in the project EIA report. 對於上訴的其他反駁，最重要的論點是空氣質素評估如何考慮公共健康的問題。然而，港珠澳大的環境影響評估報告並沒有提及這一點。

Despite Hong Kong's bad air pollution, the city Air Quality Objectives remain outdated, and EIA methodologies confusing. "The EPD has sat back for too long and watched Hong Kong's air quality bucket fill up with pollution to the point where there is no room left for new projects. The solution now lies in the Government's hands", Renton added. 儘管香港的空氣污染情況一直持續惡劣，我們的空氣質素指標仍然未有得到更新，而環境影響評估的方法亦不見得清晰。「環保署已坐視太久了，眼見香港空氣質素的『木桶』一步一步被污染填滿，現在已經到達無法再有空間發展新項目的地步了。今天，解決的辦法就掌握在政府手中。」Renton補充說。