Viable waste management plan snubbed

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Viable waste management plan snubbed

The government’s waste management policies and plans, or to be more correct the long-standing deficiency of them, has fired many well-considered letters to these columns. In particular, the Environmental Protection Department’s dogged intention to locate a massive offshore waste incinerator on Shek Kwu Chau has been the source of bitter criticism. These columns have also been addressed several times by an executive director of Green Island Cement (Holdings), offering a time- and cost-effective plan at a more convenient location. The department has never responded to these letters, and thus gives the impression that it does not welcome any private sector initiative in waste management – perhaps it prefers to waste public funds? The only comprehensible reason for the selection of Shek Kwu Chau appears to be that it avoids a hostile reaction from vested landed interests if a more logical site in the New Territories was chosen. Green Island Cement is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings, and according to the company profile, the group is aggressively seeking business opportunities in environmental development. Those New Territories interests must be powerful indeed if they can cause the government to knock back the interests of Li Ka-shing.

In your editorial (“Rumblings in an empire affect all [1]“, July 25) you muse that perceptions “are rife that the tycoon is not in favour with the government, prompting speculation that politics is at play and a push is on to exit our city”. As if on cue, I read (“CKI eager to enter new industries as profit grows [2]“, July 26) where Cheung Kong Infrastructure has made two major overseas acquisitions – a waste management firm in New Zealand, and a stake in the largest producer of electricity by burning waste in the Netherlands. While I generally think that Li Ka-shing’s footprint has grown too large for the public good in Hong Kong’s confined economy, I believe that in the waste management sector we urgently need all the help we can get. It is a sad day for the city if our most successful businessman is investing in waste management overseas because the government is stymieing private enterprise here in Hong Kong.

Frank Lee, Mid-Levels

Overlooking complexity of airspace

Due to the geographic location of Chek Lap Kok airport, the justification for the third runway is undoubtedly a complex exercise.

Keith Moran’s assertion that the key element to efficiency is air-traffic control comes from a common lack of understanding (“Air-traffic controllers the key element [3]“, July 27). A superficial comparison with Heathrow does nothing but harm the reputation and dedication of Hong Kong’s air-traffic controllers.

It overlooks the complexity of airspace, impact of terrain, lack of centralised flow control, single departure tracks, inability to turn traffic operating from the southern runway and the impact of weather through our two extremely narrow arrival corridors.

New York is similar in complexity to Hong Kong with the close proximity of busy airports. However, by being controlled and regulated by a single authority, the entire airspace model and operations are designed to optimise and integrate aircraft movements.

This is not possible in Hong Kong for political reasons. Five or more competing national interests and four nearby airfields govern our operations. A1, the major air route running along the coast of China, is considered the busiest on the planet. It is a two-way route unlike any busy motorway that separates traffic. The complexity faced on a daily basis by our controllers managing departing and arriving traffic into and crossing this route needs to be factored into the overall performance of Chek Lap Kok.

Mr Moran’s solution was for controller training in Britain. Over the past 15 years, a large body of expats, many from the UK and US, have been primary training officers. Those methods and techniques are incorporated into our syllabus.

As a consequence of the rapid growth in air movements, the Civil Aviation Department and the Hong Kong Air Traffic Control Association have been active over the last two years with an educational programme for local airlines, providing aircrew visits and briefings.

I encourage Mr Moran and other aircrew to contact either body to obtain the facts rather than comment publicly and cloud the third runway debate. Communication and understanding between aircrew and air-traffic controllers is vital to safe operations.

Mike O’Neill, president, Hong Kong Air Traffic Control Association