Pig Farm Owner Fined $8,000 for Discharging Improperly Treated Livestock Waste into Yuen Long Watercourse

Pig farm at Sheung Che in Pat Heung, Yuen Long convicted of illegal livestock waste discharge

The owner of a pig farm in Sheung Che at Pat Heung, Yuen Long, was convicted of violating the Waste Disposal (Livestock Waste) Regulations by discharging improperly treated livestock waste into nearby watercourse, and was fined $8,000 by the Fanling Magistrates' Courts on August 18.

During a previous surprise inspection in Yuen Long, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) staff applied smart technology to assist in monitoring and gathering evidence, including conducting aerial surveillance of the pig farm concerned using a drone, and spotted that a large amount of brownish wastewater with foam carrying odour of pig manure was being discharged into a nearby watercourse from a pipe of the pig farm concerned, causing serious pollution to the downstream water quality of Kam Tin River. The EPD staff immediately collected a wastewater sample for analysis, and the result indicated an exceedance of the legal discharge standard. The EPD subsequently instigated a prosecution against the pig farm owner involved in the case, in accordance with the Waste Disposal (Livestock Waste) Regulations, and notified the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of the case for follow-up action.

An EPD spokesman said that the department is highly concerned about illegal wastewater discharge from livestock farms along Kam Tin River. Livestock waste without proper treatment contains high concentration of pollutants. Its discharge into rivers not only causes serious water pollution, but also odour nuisance. According to the Waste Disposal (Livestock Waste) Regulations, liquid livestock waste generated by livestock farms must be properly treated to meet the statutory requirements before discharge. Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and a fine of $5,000 for each day on which the offence continues. Operators and staff of livestock farms must strictly comply with the law, properly operate and maintain wastewater treatment facilities for livestock waste, and must not, for the sake of convenience, discharge untreated livestock waste into nearby rivers or water bodies. Any contravention will be subject to prosecution.

The EPD spokesman reiterated that the department will continue to combat any illegal wastewater discharge activity by surprise inspections, smart technology application and inter-departmental collaboration to safeguard environmental health and river water quality.

A pig farm at Sheung Che in Pat Heung, Yuen Long, discharged livestock waste that had not been properly treated into a nearby watercourse. Photo shows a large amount of brownish wastewater with foam forming on the surface with an odour of pig waste, as found by Environmental Protection Department staff, being discharged via a pipe from the pig farm into a nearby watercourse during an inspection. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Red tides sighted

Two red tides were sighted during the past week, the Inter-departmental Red Tide Working Group reported today (August 21).

On August 18, staff of the Environmental Protection Department spotted two red tides at Repulse Bay Beach and Deep Water Bay Beach, Hong Kong Island, respectively. Both red tides have dissipated and no associated fish deaths have been reported as of today.

A spokesman for the working group said, "Both red tides were formed by Phaeocystis globosa, which is commonly found in Hong Kong waters. According to literature overseas, the algal species can produce foam that may affect fish."

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) urged mariculturists at the Lo Tik Wan, Sok Kwu Wan and Po Toi fish culture zones to monitor the situation closely and increase aeration where necessary.

Red tide is a natural phenomenon. The AFCD's proactive phytoplankton monitoring programme will continue to monitor red tide occurrences to minimise the impact on the mariculture industry and the public.

Source: AI-found images