Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) Director Raymond Tam Vai Man told reporters yesterday that the government’s new limit for motorcycles’ exhaust emissions will be imposed from tomorrow, adding that over 90 percent of local motorbikes meet the new standard.
Tam made the remarks on the sidelines of yesterday’s “Macau Green Hotel Award” ceremony at the bureau.
According to previous reports, from tomorrow there will be new limits on motorbikes’ exhaust pipe emissions. The amount of carbon monoxide releases will be reduced from 4 percent to 3.5 percent. Meanwhile, there is also a new limit for hydrocarbon concentration emitted from a motorcycle’s exhaust pipe.
Tam said that after the new limit is imposed, the older motorbikes or those that release large amounts of pollutants through their exhausts won’t meet the standard. Even so, Tam urged the owners of old motorbikes or those which release excessive pollutants to have them repaired, get a new one or change to a battery-powered one. He stressed that the aim for imposing the new limit is to improve the city’s air quality.
When asked whether there will be a new limit imposed on other motor vehicles, Tam said that every year his bureau reviews vehicles’ exhaust emissions and determines whether they have been releasing too many pollutants. He added that after reviewing the data from the previous year, his bureau would decide whether to lower the limit for other vehicles as well.
Coastal waters more polluted
Moreover, Tam acknowledged that in recent years Macau’s coastal waters have become more polluted. Tam said that his bureau confirmed that there are 186 drains around the coastline, 47 of which discharge waste water without filtering the pollutants. He said that this was the reason for the poorer quality of Macau’s coastal waters, especially rainwater that goes into the drains and often gets discharged into the sea without being properly filtered. He underlined that his bureau has been trying to figure out new ways to ensure that water is being filtered before entering Macau’s coastal waters.
Green Hotel Award
Meanwhile, yesterday was the annual “Macau Green Hotel Award” ceremony, according to a DSPA statement. The statement said that 13 hotels were awarded for being eco-friendly by saving energy or processing kitchen waste. The statement said that the new round of Macau Green Hotel Award is accepting nominations from tomorrow, hoping that more hotels can participate this year.
This year the Gold Award winners were Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Grand Hyatt Macau, The Parisian Macao, The Venetian Macao, and Wynn Macau.
Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) Director Raymond Tam Vai Man talks to reporters yesterday on the sidelines of yesterday’s “Macau Green Hotel Award” ceremony at the bureau. Photo: Prisca Tang
