Pig farm owner at Pat Heung in Yuen Long convicted for illegal discharge of livestock waste into watercourse
​The owner of a pig farm at Ma Pau Ling at Lin Fa Tei in Pat Heung, Yuen Long, illegally discharged untreated livestock waste into a nearby watercourse and was fined $8,000 by Fanling Magistrates' Courts today (October 9) for contravening the Waste Disposal (Livestock Waste) Regulations.
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) received a complaint from a member of the public in February this year about suspected illegal discharge from a pig farm near Ngau Keng Village. EPD staff conducted an inspection at the location under complaint and found that a large amount of greyish-black wastewater with the odour of pig waste was being discharged from the drainage pipe of a pig farm in Ma Pau Ling, which seriously polluted the Kam Tin River downstream. The analysis results of the two wastewater samples taken by the EPD showed that the concentrations of suspended solids in the samples exceeded the discharge standard by 19 times and 15 times. After gathering sufficient evidence, the EPD subsequently initiated prosecution against the owner of the pig farm in accordance with the regulations and notified the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of the case concerned.
An EPD spokesman said that untreated livestock waste contains high concentrations of excreta and will lead to serious pollution and odour problems if discharged into rivers. According to the Regulations, liquid livestock waste generated by livestock farms must be treated properly in a wastewater treatment facility to meet the statutory requirements before being discharged. Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and a daily fine of $5,000 for a continuing offence.
The spokesman reminded owners and staff members of livestock farms in the New Territories to properly operate treatment facilities for wastewater generated from livestock waste and not to discharge untreated livestock waste into nearby watercourses. The department will continue to conduct surprise inspections to combat any irregularities of livestock farms.
More information about the livestock waste control scheme is available on the EPD's website: www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/laws_regulations/enforcement/lwis.html.