Environmental Protection Department (EPD) is a department of

Hong Kong Government The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, commonly known as the Hong Kong Government or HKSAR Government, refers to the Executive (government), executive authorities of Hong Kong Special administrative regions of China, ...

concerning the issues of

environmental protection Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment by individuals, organizations and governments. Its objectives are to conserve natural resources and the existing natural environment and, where possible, to repair dam ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

.The EPD is responsible for developing policies covering environmental protection,

nature conservation Nature conservation is the moral philosophy and conservation movement focused on protecting species from extinction, maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystem services, and protecting biological diversity. A range of values unde ...

; enforcing environmental legislation; monitoring environmental quality; providing collection, transfer, treatment and disposal facilities for many types of waste; advising on the environmental implications of town planning and new policies; handling pollution complaints and incidents; and raising awareness and support in the community for environmental initiatives.''

History

The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) was created in 1986 to co-ordinate and carry out pollution prevention and control activities. Staff and resources from six government departments were deployed to the EPD. The EPD replaced the Environmental Protection Agency (which had been created in 1981 to replace the Environmental Protection Unit, created in 1977) as the main government body charged with tackling pollution. Between 1986 and 31 March 2005 it functioned mainly as an executive department enforcing environmental laws and implementing environmental policies, the latter having been determined by the relevant policy bureau, most recently the then

Environment, Transport and Works Bureau The Environment, Transport and Works Bureau (ETWB) was formerly a policy bureau of the Hong Kong Government in existence from 2002 to 2007. It was responsible for: *Environmental protection *Transport *Public works *Waste management The bureau w ...

. On 1 April 2005, the environmental policy-making function carried out by the then Bureau was subsumed within the EPD, with the head of the Environment Branch of the policy bureau taking up the dual role of Permanent Secretary for the Environment and Director of Environmental Protection, placing the EPD in the position of both determining and implementing environmental policy. Subsequent to the re-organisation of government bureaux on 1 July 2007, a new Environment Bureau was formed to oversee the formulation and implementation of environmental policies.

Reorganisation in 2007

In a re-organisation from 1 July 2007, EPD adopted a structure based on three operational divisions, four policy divisions, a cross-boundary division, and a corporate affairs division.

Divisions

*The Environmental Infrastructure Division, responsible for planning, developing and managing

waste disposal Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste, together with monitoring ...

facilities, such as strategic

landfills A landfill site, also known as a tip, dump, rubbish dump, garbage dump, or dumping ground, is a site for the disposal of waste materials. Landfill is the oldest and most common form of waste disposal, although the systematic burial of the waste ...

, refuse transfer stations, and a chemical waste treatment centre. The division is also responsible for implementing programmes to reduce waste generation and for regional and local planning for sewerage. The regional and local sewerage planned by this division is implemented by the

Drainage Services Department The Drainage Services Department (DSD) is a department of the Hong Kong Government responsible for drainage and sewerage. Since 2007 it has been subordinate to the Development Bureau. Responsibilities The department is responsible for stormw ...

as works agent. *The Environmental Assessment Division, responsible for reviewing the environmental implications of policies and strategic and local plans, and administering the application of the

environmental impact assessment Environmental Impact assessment (EIA) is the assessment of the environmental consequences of a plan, policy, program, or actual projects prior to the decision to move forward with the proposed action. In this context, the term "environmental imp ...

process under the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance. This division is also responsible for policy formulation, strategic planning and programme development in the area of environmental impact assessment and

environmental noise Environmental noise is an accumulation of noise pollution that occurs outside. This noise can be caused by transport, industrial, and recreational activities. Noise is frequently described as 'unwanted sound'. Within this context, environmenta ...

management. *The Environmental Compliance Division, responsible for enforcing pollution laws and facilitating business not only to comply with environmental requirements but also going beyond compliance. *The Air Policy Division, responsible for policy formulation, strategic planning and program development in the field of

air quality Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different types ...

management. *The Water Policy Division, responsible for policy formulation, strategic planning and programme development in the area of

water quality Water quality refers to the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water based on the standards of its usage. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which compliance, generally achieved through tr ...

management. This includes policy in relation to

sewage treatment Sewage treatment (or domestic wastewater treatment, municipal wastewater treatment) is a type of wastewater treatment which aims to remove contaminants from sewage to produce an effluent that is suitable for discharge to the surrounding envir ...

, and strategic planning for sewerage and sewage treatment facilities which are implemented by the Drainage Services Department. *The Waste Management Policy Division, responsible for policy formulation, strategic planning and program development in the field of waste management. This includes policy for

waste reduction Waste minimisation is a set of processes and practices intended to reduce the amount of waste produced. By reducing or eliminating the generation of harmful and persistent wastes, waste minimisation supports efforts to promote a more sustainab ...

and

recycling Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. The recovery of energy from waste materials is often included in this concept. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the p ...

. *The Nature Conservation and Infrastructure Planning Division, responsible for the formulation of nature conservation policy, the development of the Integrated Waste Management Facilities, and also the development of the Pilot

Biodegradable Waste Biodegradable waste includes any organic matter in waste which can be broken down into carbon dioxide, water, methane or simple organic molecules by micro-organisms and other living things by composting, aerobic digestion, anaerobic digestion ...

Treatment Plant and the Organic Waste Treatment Facilities. Implementation of nature conservation policy however rests with the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. *The Cross-Boundary & International Division, responsible for liaison with the Mainland authorities on environmental issues of mutual concern, and also for the development of plans to implement the Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants. *The Corporate Affairs Division, responsible for the departmental administration support, accounting, resources management, human resources management, information technology and knowledge management, and also provides support to HRM reforms and corporate development. The department employs about 1,600 staff, about one-quarter of whom are professional staff, half are technical-grade staff and the remainder are administrative and support staff. As at October 2021, the post of Director of the department and

Permanent Secretary for the Environment Permanent may refer to: Art and entertainment * ''Permanent'' (film), a 2017 American film * ''Permanent'' (Joy Division album) * "Permanent" (song), by David Cook Other uses * Permanent (mathematics), a concept in linear algebra * Permanent (cy ...

in the

Environment Bureau The Environment Bureau (ENB; ) is a defunct executive agency of the Government of Hong Kong in operation from 2007 to 2022. It was responsible for developing policies in environmental protection, energy, climate change, sustainable development ...

is vacant. Until 17 January 2022, the government announced the appointment of Janice Tse, the former Director of Home Affairs, as the new Director of the department and

Reorganisation in 2022

In July 2022, as the Environment Bureau reorganized into

Environment and Ecology Bureau Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB; ) is one of the fifteen policy bureaux of the Government of Hong Kong. The agency was established on 1 July 2022. The current (since 1 July 2022) Secretary for Environment and Ecology is Tse Chin-wan. This ...

, the title "Permanent Secretary for the Environment" has changed to "Permanent Secretary for the Environment and Ecology".

Air quality monitoring

Air quality monitoring by the department is reported by 13 general stations and three roadside stations. On 8 March 2012, the department started reporting data on fine suspended particulates in the air on an hourly basis, that are a leading component of smog. It began regular monitoring of PM2.5 levels, which measure 2.5 micrometres in diameter or less, at three stations since 2005, but the data were never publicised.Foo, Kennet
"Action stations as air monitoring fine-tuned"
'' The Standard''. 9 March 2012. Retrieved 2012-03-09

Other Work

The Department also works with local organisations for advocacy work, including with the Geography Society of

PLK Vicwood KT Chong Sixth Form College Po Leung Kuk Vicwood K. T. Chong Sixth Form College (KTC) is a government-subsidised sixth form college in Yau Tsim Mong District, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was established on 26 July 1991 to provide quality education to secondary pupils matricula ...

between 2008 and 2009.

Environmental Resource Centre

Fanling Environmental Resource Centre Fanling Environmental Resource Centre () was a resource center under the management of the Environmental Protection Department of the Government of Hong Kong. It was located in Wo Mun Street, Luen Wo Hui, Fanling, New Territories, Hong Kong. ...

Tsuen Wan Environmental Resource Centre Tsuen Wan Environmental Resource Centre is housed in Old House, Hoi Pa Village, in Tak Wah Park, Tak Wah Street, Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong. History The Old House, is originally one of the houses of former Hoi Pa Village (), a Hakka mixed-lineage v ...

Wan Chai Environmental Resource Centre The Old Wan Chai Post Office is the oldest surviving post office building in Hong Kong. It is situated at No. 221 Queen's Road East, at the junction with Wan Chai Gap Road. History The building was erected between 1912 and 1913, and open ...

References

External links

* {{authority control Hong Kong government departments and agencies Nature conservation in Hong Kong Ministries established in 1986 Environmental agencies of country subdivisions

1986 establishments in Hong Kong