A government-initiated bill regulating the use of hazardous materials was passed by the Legislative Assembly (AL) yesterday, while the government’s proposed permanent hazardous material storage site remains on hold due to litigation issues.
The legislature finished its final vote and debate on the hazardous material bill during a plenary session in the legislature’s hemicycle yesterday.
The hazardous materials law will take effect one year after its promulgation in the Official Gazette (BO) which is slated to happen soon.
Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak pointed out during yesterday’s plenary session that the government has been seeking a permanent storage site for the hazardous materials, but that the originally proposed site, at the Association of Rehabilitation of Drug Abuser’s of Macau (ARTM) Ka Ho Integrated Service Centre, has been put on hold due to litigation issues.
However, Wong stressed that the authorities would not wait indefinitely and would continue to look for suitable sites and release further information to the public as it becomes available.
Wong said that the government has tried find a new temporary hazardous storage site, but that plan has also been put on hold after the community objected to the location of the storage site.
According to previous local media reports, a temporary fuel distribution depot in Ilha Verde built in 2011 is unpopular with residents there because of the potential threat it could pose to neighbouring areas, such as an explosion.
Wong said that the temporary fuel distribution depot in Ilha Verde was previously planned to be relocated to the artificial island of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HKZMB) Macau Port checkpoint, but the project was put on hold due to the COVID-19 outbreak, resulting in the project still not having being approved by the Urban Planning Council (CPU).
In 2015, the explosion of a hazardous chemical warehouse at the port of Tianjin municipality raised the awareness of Macau then chief executive Chui Sai On, who ordered Macau’s public entities to pay close attention to the amount of hazardous materials stored in Macau, as well as their chemical properties, Wong said.
Wong said the government plans to create a database dedicated to managing the quantity, storage and export of hazardous materials, and has authorised the Fire Services Bureau (CB) and the Land and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU) to conduct inspections.
Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak speaks during yesterday’s plenary session in the legislature’s hemicycle. – Photo courtesy of GCS
