Letters to the Editors
Letter to the editor of South China Morning Post - Response to reader's letter relating to sludge treatment facility
I wish to correct what was stated in Peter Reid’s letter (“Incinerator for sewage sludge generating a lot of air pollution”, June 3) about the Sludge Treatment Facility (STF) which is in the final stages of construction.
Hong Kong is served by an intensive network of sewage treatment works, which generates a large amount of sludge requiring disposal in a proper and environmentally-sound manner. At present, approximately 1,000 tonnes of sewage sludge generated every day are disposed of at the three landfills. Considering landfilling is not a sustainable disposal option, the Government commenced in 2003 the planning and development of a sludge treatment facility at Nim Wan, Tuen Mun. With a treatment capacity of 2,000 tonnes per day, the STF is being commissioned and tested for operation by the end of this year. It adopts fluidized bed incineration, a well-proven technology with outstanding operational, safety and environmental performance records for large-scale thermal treatment of homogeneous materials such as sludge.
The STF is equipped with advanced pollution abatement and control systems coupled with continuous emission monitoring to ensure the flue gas emissions comply with stringent European Union emission standards. The statutory environmental impact assessment study has shown the STF will have no adverse air quality impact to air sensitive receivers in the vicinity and those in Tuen Mun town area.
This high-temperature incineration process can substantially reduce sludge volume by about 90%. The ash generated has to comply with the Incineration Ash and Residue Pollution Control Limits before disposal at landfill. To further reduce the disposal of ash at landfill, we are studying with local tertiary institutions the feasibility of reusing ash in construction or for other uses.
As regards public consultation, we have been liaising closely with local communities and stakeholders since 2004. We have taken on board views from the Tuen Mun District Council on the architectural design of the facility and its environmental monitoring measures. To further enhance communication with them regarding the operation of waste treatment facilities, including the STF, we have set up a District Liaison Group for Tuen Mun and Yuen Long and two meetings have already been held. We will continue to work closely with the local communities to monitor the environmental performance of the STF and ensure it will meet the highest standards.
Ellen YL Chan
Assistant Director of Environmental Protection