Environmentalists on Saturday urged Hong Kong Disneyland to suspend fireworks displays at the theme park when pollution is bad in the area.
HONG KONG — Environmentalists on Saturday urged Hong Kong Disneyland to suspend fireworks displays at the theme park when pollution is bad in the area.
The park, set to open next month, has conducted tests indicating that noise and smoke produced by fireworks do not exceed limits on air and sound pollution set by the Environmental Protection Department, said Hong Kong Disneyland spokeswoman Esther Wong.
The company submitted those results to the department Friday and will further consult the Advisory Council on the Environment next week, Wong said.
But local environmentalist groups said this wasn't good enough because Hong Kong has low air quality standards.
"Meeting the minimum requirement doesn't mean it is safe," said Mei Ng, director of Friends of the Earth. "Why doesn't a multinational corporation go one step further to fulfill its environmental responsibility?"
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The group urged Disney to refrain from holding fireworks displays on badly polluted days.
"If the weather gets really worse, should we still aggravate (the situation) by showering these pollutants? That is a cumulative long-term impact," Ng said.
She also demanded that the company use eco-friendly air-launch firework technology at its Hong Kong park. The technology, which can reduce pollutants by up to 60 percent, was introduced last year at the U.S. Disney theme park in California.
Wong said the company would adopt "the most appropriate technology" for its fireworks in Hong Kong.
Source: Associated Press
