Bromochloromethane will be banned under the Ozone Layer Protection Ordinance in a proposal to be gazetted May 29, a government press release said Wednesday.

The Ozone Layer Protection Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule) Order 2009 will bring Hong Kong into compliance with the additional requirements under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, according to a press release from the Information Services Department of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government.

The Environment Bureau said this is another step by Hong Kong in restoring the ozone layer, which protects life on Earth against harmful ultraviolet radiation.

Bromochloromethane was added as an ozone-depleting substance to be controlled under the protocol in 1999.

The order will be submitted at the Legislative Council June 3 with implementation scheduled for Oct. 1.

(Xinhua News Agency May 27, 2009)