Hong Kong wetland records 40 times more petroleum after oil spill: Greenpeace

A protected Hong Kong wetland on southern Lantau Island has recorded a high concentration of petroleum following an oil spill in September, with levels up to 40 times higher than those in unaffected areas, according to an environmental group’s study.Greenpeace in Hong Kong said the high concentration could threaten local ecology. It urged authorities to investigate the oil spill and include unprotected sites with high ecological value in the priority conservation projects under the Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, with clear implementation details and timelines.The study released on Monday found that 70 per cent of the 18 soil and water samples collected from affected wetlands in a conservation area in South Lantau’s Pui O showed significantly higher petroleum hydrocarbon (TRH) levels.According to Andy Chu Kong, a campaigner for the group, the Environmental Protection Department said it had received no reports of leaks from nearby construction sites and had only coordinated the clean-up without investigating the source or enforcing regulations.“This ultimately allowed the matter to be swept under the carpet, amounting to condoning ecological destruction,” Chu said, adding the department would be breaching its conservation commitments if it failed to implement and enforce policies effectively.“This would also allow Pui O to continue to suffer various forms of environmental degradation, which would result in habitat degradation and fragmentation, threatening the precious natural ecology and rich biodiversity of Lantau Island.”