Hong Kong is a prosperous city, but the New Territories "hides" many large garbage mountains.
Greenpeace discovered that there are many brownfields in the New Territories suspected of illegal operations. In addition to the suspected illegal disposal of electronic waste, it was also surprised to see huge garbage mountains, estimated to be up to 8 meters high, some of which are even suspected of occupying official land.
Greenpeace estimates that for the nine garbage mountains in one of them, the market value of the aluminum scrap after cleaning and screening may reach several billion yuan.
Greenpeace criticized that there is no filtering facility in the open dump, and heavy metals and pollutants will spread to the surrounding area with the rain.
If waste is imported into Hong Kong, we are even more worried that after sorting out "useless" garbage in the workshop, it will be dumped in the landfill, in a disguised form that Hong Kong will swallow "foreign garbage".
They believe that brownfield lot of chaos, the government must fully regulated brownfields, "brownfield obviously can play a floor, Why waste resources to shovel garbage, or do illegal work?"
He said in reply to a query EPA, associated land The process generates dust and causes air pollution problems, so an air pollution reduction notice has been issued.
The Planning Department has also confirmed that the planning permission for some sites has expired and been revoked. If there is sufficient evidence, enforcement actions will be taken.
There are 9 garbage hills of different sizes on Jiboling Road in Xia Village. Greenpeace estimates that each one is about 5 to 8 meters high, and some of them are suspected of occupying government land.
(Photo by Zhang Haowei)
Using satellite images and other tools, Greenpeace has drawn up a list of more than 70 locations for tracing. Among them, at least 35 workshops have been identified as suspected of illegal operations, such as illegal processing of electronic waste, metal waste, and foreign waste, which are expected to cover an area of more than 20 hectares. .
Part of the 18 sites, and even the entire workshop, belong to official land, covering a total of about 6 hectares.
Greenpeace discovered that eight of the workshops had erected a lot of huge garbage hills, made up of metal scraps, circuit boards, and suspected "foreign garbage."
+1
There is a large garbage mountain near Xia Village, suspected of occupying official land and operating illegally
The garbage hill on Jiboling Road in Xia Village is the most amazing. The site covers an area of 7.7 hectares. There are 9 giant garbage hills of various sizes.
Greenpeace estimates that each garbage mountain is about 5 to 8 meters high, that is, the highest is about 3 stories or more. It is estimated that the aluminum scrap involved will weigh between 51,000 and 93,000 tons.
However, data shows that many garbage hills are located on official land.
Greenpeace predicts that even related brownfield operations will involve occupying more than 4 hectares of official land.
In addition, some areas of the site have applied for temporary open-air container maintenance sites, etc. However, the relevant planning permission application has expired this year, and the permission has even been revoked, which means that there is a possibility of illegal operation.
Near Jiboling Road in Xia Village, the excavator on the huge "mountain" also appears small.
(Photo by Zhang Haowei)
Excessive zinc and copper content in neighboring residents
Although the above planning application has been approved by the Town Planning Board.
However, after looking up the information, the Environmental Protection Department had objected to the application because the closest residential house was only about 68 meters away.
In fact, these garbage hills are surrounded by a number of indigenous villages, only about 300 meters away from Xiangjiangwei, Yuen Long, which is very close to the "recognized funeral area" for residential and indigenous residents.
Greenpeace stated that when the excavator or machine on the site was started, dust or yellow gas appeared on the site, and it did not rule out that it contained garbage or metal particles.
After testing, they found that the soil samples at the site contained copper, nickel, selenium, and zinc content that exceeded the Dutch soil pollution standards for heavy metals.
Near Jiboling Road in Xia Village, one of the garbage hills on July 8 was smaller in size (left in the picture), but the height increased significantly on 10 August (right in the picture).
(Provided by Greenpeace)
A mountain of rubbish is flooded with villagers: valuable industrial waste
In addition, there is another giant garbage hill on Jiboling Road in Xia Village, where the garbage is higher than the fence and even overflows outside the fence.
It is worth noting that in addition to circuit boards in Garbage Hill, there are also many brands that are not commonly sold in Hong Kong, such as canned sardines produced in foreign countries, which are suspected to be "foreign garbage."
After laboratory tests, they also found that the selenium content of the soil samples at the site exceeded the Dutch soil pollution standards for heavy metals.
During the inspection, a villager in Fengjiang Village had inquired about the reporter's intentions.
He said that there is a funeral and interment area nearby, and descendants such as Deng will come to worship. He also said that he received a complaint saying that he was worried that someone was "making ancestors," so he deliberately visited the site to find out. Denying the garbage mountain is "junk" and describing it as "valuable industrial waste."
There is also another giant garbage hill on Jiboling Road in Xia Village. In addition to being higher than the fence, some of the garbage even overflows outside the fence.
(Provided by Greenpeace)
Brownfield suspected of turning into illegal electronic dismantling field
In addition to garbage hills, there are even more suspected illegal operations of electronic dismantling farms on brownfields.
Greenpeace discovered that 27 factories were suspected of illegally disposing of toxic e-waste, of which 17 factories were suspected of illegal storage or dismantling, commonly known as "four computers and one brain."
Greenpeace stated that the area near Siu Hom Village, Yuen Long, will become an open-air storage warehouse with at least 500 refrigerators in 2020.
However, refrigerators are controlled electrical appliances with "four computers and one brain". Anyone who stores or disposes of electrical waste must first apply for a license, which means that the site has the opportunity to operate illegally.
Greenpeace also stated that the site belongs to a green belt and will still have green vegetation in 2017.
However, they suspect that someone "destroyed first and then built". When the land becomes brownfield, this type of illegal electronic dismantling field can be used.
In addition, Greenpeace also discovered that the factory in Dinosaur Hangxi, Sheung Shui, had stockpiled a large number of American electric scooters, Bird, which is estimated to reach thousands of units. However, the brand is not sold in Hong Kong, so it is estimated that they are imported garbage.
They also pointed out that the scooter involves hazardous electronic waste, and the disassembly process may produce heavy metal pollution.
There are at least 500 refrigerators in the brownfield near Siu Hom Village, Yuen Long. However, refrigerators are controlled electrical appliances and anyone who stores or handles them must be licensed first.
(Provided by Greenpeace)
Greenpeace discovered that thousands of electric scooters had been stockpiled in the Dinosaur Hangxi Workshop in Sheung Shui, but this brand was not sold in Hong Kong.
(Provided by Greenpeace)
Garbage hill "valueless" Shanzhai treatment plant may spread pollutants
The scale of the garbage hill is also in line with the recent increase in the import volume of aluminum scrap.
Greenpeace found that in the first six months of this year, Hong Kong had imported 304,000 tons of aluminum scrap, which was 6.8 times that of the same period last year. Therefore, it is speculated that the source of the garbage hill may involve imported scrap.
However, the overall export volume in the first six months of this year was only 217,000 tons, which means the difference between the two is nearly 90,000 tons.
Mountains of rubbish are everywhere, but why do rubbish pile up like mountains?
Chen Kechun, director of the Greenpeace project, estimates that the relevant waste is waiting to be sorted or transported away. If you select items that can be resold or sold, the Hong Kong landfill will "pay the bill" if you can't sell it.
Greenpeace questioned that these aluminum scraps may be mixed with a large amount of garbage when imported, so the final exportable aluminum scrap will be greatly reduced, or 10,000 tons of waste will be dumped in the landfill.
She also pointed out that the current scrap aluminum price has risen to a high level. It is estimated that the waste is only in the area of the nine garbage hills on Jiboling Road. These scraps may be worth 750 million to 1.37 billion yuan.
Chen Kechun also said that the installation and discharge of licensed e-waste sites will be regulated to minimize emissions.
However, many cottage treatment plants are open-air. Due to the sun and rain, the pollutants may be easily washed into the underground water channel or the soil, and they may spread to other places along with the rain.
When asked whether the garbage hill on Jiboling Road in Ha Village occupied government land, the Lands Department only replied that if any illegal occupation of government land was discovered, land control actions would be taken.
(Photo by Zhang Haowei)
Land administration: if illegal occupation of government land is found, regulatory action will be taken
The reporter asked the Lands Department about the occupation of official land, but the department did not respond positively. It only stated that if illegal occupation of government land is discovered, land control actions will be taken. It also pointed out that there are Part of the land is located in the Hung Shui Qiao/Xia Village New Development Zone. The private land involved in the first phase of the project has been returned to the government. Among them, the relocation deadline for business operators near Jiboling Road is September 30, 2021.
As for the Dinosaur Pit Workshop, the prescription confirms that there are structures in violation of the contract, and contract enforcement actions will be taken.
The Planning Department confirmed that there are some garbage hills on Jiboling Road, and a small part of its application involves locations such as "gas stations" and "roads". However, since the relevant planning permission has expired and been revoked, the Department will follow up .
The Department also pointed out that there are suspected scrap metal storage sites in the "government, institution or community" zone near Jiboling. For the Siu Hom Village Recycling Site, the Town Planning Board has not received relevant planning applications. Follow up the suspected illegal development.
The Environmental Protection Agency stated that in the aluminum scrap recycling plant on Jiboling Road, dust was generated during the sorting process, which caused air pollution problems. Therefore, the owner of the involved plant has been required to install air pollution control facilities within a time limit.
(Photo by Zhang Haowei)
Environmental Protection Department: Air Pollution Reduction Notice has been issued to Dinosaur Pit for violations
When responding to enquiries, the Environmental Protection Department stated that it had sent personnel to inspect the aluminum scrap recycling site on Jiboling Road and claimed that the local sorting process generated dust and caused air pollution problems. The department has issued an air pollution reduction notice requesting that the stored materials be completely covered. In order to avoid dust, gravel or particles from dispersing, and the nearby storage has been sorted as a site for recycling or reusing aluminum materials, the department said that no violations were found.
As for the recycling yard in Siu Hom Village, the department said it is investigating.
As for the scooter recycling yard in Dinosaur Pit, the Department also confirmed that the recycling yard is suspected of handling chemical waste in violation of the Waste Disposal Ordinance. The Environmental Protection Department is collecting evidence and considering corresponding enforcement actions. It also alleged that the recycling yard is recycling scooters locally. Store metals and plastics separately, and remove the batteries for export disposal.
In two years, 43 containers were found to contain excessive content
When asked whether the garbage hill involved imported waste, etc., the Environmental Protection Department did not respond positively, saying only that the aluminum scrap is a harmless metal recycling material, which must meet the requirements of the relevant national standards (including the content of inclusions). Therefore, it is not within the scope of the import and export license control of the "Waste Disposal Regulations".
The Environmental Protection Department continued that if the above-mentioned requirements for scrap metal recycling materials are found (for example, the inclusions contained in aluminum scrap exceed the relevant national standards), the relevant container will be returned to the source of origin, and if there is sufficient evidence, the relevant import involved will be prosecuted. business.
In the past two years, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Customs inspected a total of 940 containers containing recycled materials. A total of 43 containers were found to contain scrap metal materials that exceeded the relevant national standards.
Greenpeace urges comprehensive regulation of brownfields, restoration of "detoxification", and redevelopment approval of the government to indulge in chaos, Yuen Long has discovered a number of giant garbage hills, suspected of importing foreign garbage ring groups, involving billions of dollars in business, Xintian Shopping City at the end of August The cleared land has been returned to the owner, Huang Dingguang: I heard that there is a brown map of the second phase of the intention to build a house, and the brown map is released.
01News
/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/prisa/KMEYMJKESBAZBE4MRBAM4TGHIQ.jpg)
