Baseline studies
政府贏官司未贏理據 大型工程應做基線評估
文章日期:2011年10月26日

雙語社評齊齊聽

英語 (足本收聽)

普通話 (足本收聽)

【明報專訊】YESTERDAY the Court of Appeal (CA) allowed the Director of Environmental Protection's (the Director's) appeal about the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HKZM Bridge) project. Having won, the government immediately said works would resume as soon as possible and it would work doubly hard to make up for lost time. It is right for it to do so.

英語

港珠澳環評司法覆核上訴案裁決,政府贏了官司,即時表示會盡快開展相關工程,並且會加碼追回已損失的時間,這是正確做法。

普通話

The CA has ruled that it is not necessary to carry out a baseline study on the grounds that it is not required by legislation, the technical memorandum or the study brief. It has faith in the Director's professional decision. Furthermore, it is satisfied that, when the Director issued the environment permit, she required that measures be taken to minimise pollution. Therefore, the ruling is in keeping with the laws in force both in point of fact and in point of law. The CA's judgement is silent as to whether baseline studies ought to be carried out. However, the judge who heard the judicial review case in the Court of First Instance made an enlightening observation about baseline studies.

英語

上訴庭是以條例、技術備忘錄及研究概要沒有規定,並確信環保署長的專業決定,裁定基線評估並非必需;另外,上訴庭確信環保署長在批出環境許可證時,也要求採取措施,把環境污染減至最低。所以,這個裁決就事實和理據而言,符合現行法例要求;不過,判辭對總體而言,環評是否應該引入基線評估,並無着墨。而原訟庭審理此案時,法官對基線評估有一番精彩演繹。

普通話

At present, the Director may issue an environment permit in respect of a project if environmental pollution will not exceed the permissible limits when it is completed. The judge pointed out in his judgement that the attitude in which the Director decided whether to issue an environment permit resembled that of a person who would pour dirty water into a bucket as long as it was not full. The purpose of doing a baseline study in respect of a project is to determine what additional environmental pollution it may cause.

英語

按現時做法,若工程完成後,環境污染水平最終未超標,環保署長就會批出許可證。當時法官在判決時指出,環保署長這個審批準則,就是採取水桶一日未滿、一日仍可傾倒更多污染物的態度來批出許可證,這不符合法例的精神。基線評估,就是要具體交代工程對環境造成了多少「額外」污染。

普通話

Baseline studies are rigorous and scientific. To require them to be carried out is to require environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports to contain more data and information so that the public and those charged with approving projects will have better knowledge and information. The purpose of doing so is to strike a proper balance between development and conservation. We therefore take the view that the government should require that EIA reports include stand-alone baseline studies.

英語

基線評估嚴謹和符合科學要求。基線評估只是要求工程環評交代更多、有更清晰數據,讓公衆知曉和審批者有更多資料參考,目的要在工程發展和環境保育之間,找出一個真實平衡。從這些角度出發,我們認為,政府應該把基線評估納入為日後環評的基本做法。

普通話

The CA has ruled in the HKZM Bridge case it is unnecessary for EIA reports to include baseline studies. However, it remains to be determined how to ensure adequate measures will be taken to minimise the pollution caused by a project if no baseline study is carried out in respect of it. There are still arguable points of law. Chu Yee-wah, the applicant, may not take the case to the Court of Final Appeal, but none can say for certain no other project will be challenged in court. To avoid such legal encumbrances, the government should adopt reforms.

(1) It may declare that EIA reports in respect of major projects will include baseline studies so that they will contain accurate and valuable data.

(2) It may simply have the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance amended to require EIA reports to include baseline studies. It should lay down concrete criteria to let the public know it is genuinely concerned about infrastructure projects' impact on the environment.

英語

事實上,雖然上訴庭就港珠澳大橋環評官司,作了毋須基線評估的裁決,但是仍然未解決在沒有基線評估下,如何確保工程已經採取了足夠措施,把污染減至最低。所以,仍然存在法律爭拗空間,朱綺華最終即使不上訴到終審法院,但是其他工程環評會否遭到司法覆核挑戰,尚在未知之數;若要擺脫這方面法律困擾,政府應該主動改革,包括:

普通話

(1)政府公開宣示日後在大型工程環評,引入基線評估,使環評數據更準確更具參考作用。

(2)政府乾脆修訂《環境影響評估條例》,把基線評估納入為日後環評的必要項目,並具體訂出準則,以體現政府確實關注工程發展對環境污染的影響。

普通話

In our view, the government should adopt what is scientific and advanced. It will be a good thing if Chief Executive Donald Tsang declares in his last policy address baseline studies will become mandatory.

英語

我們認為政府應該汲取科學進步做法。若特首曾蔭權發表最後一份施政報告時,能公開宣示環評要做基線評估,將是一件好事。

普通話

明報社評 2011.09.28

Presented by lecturers of Hong Kong Community College, PolyU and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Mr. Raymond Ng

Lecturer, Hong Kong Community College, PolyU

http://www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/index.php?lang=eng&cms=137

周文駿

香港專上學院講師

http://www.hkcc-polyu.edu.hk/index.php?cms=651&lang=big5

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