​The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said today (November 22) that it is conducting an in-depth investigation into the short-term exceedance of emission standards of total organic carbon from T·PARK's flue stacks on a few occasions during the monitoring period from last October to this July.
The EPD has been taking very stringent monitoring on air emissions from all waste treatment facilities. During the monitoring period from last October to this July, the department found that some data of the total organic carbon from the flue stacks in T·PARK exceeded the emission standards under the contract in short term on a few occasions, including the half-hourly average concentration and the hourly average emission rate temporarily exceeding the emission standards, while the daily average concentration and emission rate maintained compliance with emission standards.
Total organic carbon is not a parameter under the statutory Air Quality Objectives. The contract between the EPD and the contractor of T·PARK has set emission standards for total organic carbon emitted by T·PARK's flue stacks, with a view to ensuring proper operation of the facility.
In addition to requesting more information from the contractor for investigations, the EPD deducted the operation fees for the incident according to the contract provisions. As the contractor had different views on whether the total organic carbon emitted by the facility itself had violated the contract provisions, it had appealed against the department's investigation and the penalty imposed. It also conducted its own investigation and tried to provide supplementary information, in an attempt to clarify the causes of short-term exceedance of standard in some of the monitoring data of total organic carbon. To ensure impartiality of the investigation, the EPD has suspended the release of data reports during the period. Nevertheless, the department has been closely monitoring all data, which showed that all other emission values (including dioxins, particulates, nitrogen oxides and other emission parameters) ​​are in compliance with standards and requirements.
The latest contentious monitoring data was recorded in July this year. The incident is currently under final review and would soon be concluded. The EPD will upload all the data reports again for the relevant period once the investigation is completed.
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