Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Ordinance, Cap.499

Application for Permission to Apply Directly for Environmental Permit

(Application No. DIR-143/2006)

 

Project Title: Proposed 132kV Submarine Cable Route for Airport “A” to

Castle Peak Power Station Cable Circuit

 

Conditions Imposed under Section 5(12) of the EIA Ordinance

for Permission to Apply Directly for Environmental Permit

 

1.      All relevant mitigation measures described in the Project Profile submitted with the application on 18 July 2006 shall be fully implemented.

 

2.      To minimize the water quality impact to the Butterfly Beach from dredging operation at the Tuen Mun landing point, no marine works within 500m of the Butterfly Beach shall be carried out during the bathing season from April to October inclusive.

 

3.      To minimize the water quality impact from dredging operation, cage type silt curtain shall be installed around the grab dredger and the area to be dredged by suction.  The silt curtain shall be properly maintained.

 

4.      To minimize the water quality impact, standing type silt curtain shall be installed around the two airport seawater intakes and at the artificial reef along the direction facing the cable alignment during construction of the Project.  The silt curtain shall be properly maintained.

 

5.      To minimize the water quality impact during construction of the Project, the maximum forward speed of the jetting machine shall be limited to 1km day-1.  For any section of the cable alignment close to the artificial reef (less than 200m), the maximum speed of the jetting machine shall be limited to 80m hr-1 and 1km day-1.

 

6.      To minimize the ecological impact to the Chinese White Dolphin, no underwater blasting and explosive shall be used for the construction of the Project.

 

7.      To minimize the ecological impact to the Chinese White Dolphin, a dolphin exclusion zone within a radius of 250m from the cable laying vessel shall be implemented during construction of the Project.

 

8.      To minimize the cultural heritage impact, a Marine Archaeological Investigation (MAI) shall be conducted and the final report of the MAI shall be deposited to the Director prior to the application for an environmental permit.  The MAI shall be carried out by a qualified marine archaeologist.  The marine archaeological value of all anomalies shall be ascertained.  Should marine archaeological sites be discovered, the proposed cable trench shall not be placed within 20m of the marine archaeological sites.

 

9.      To monitor the environmental impact and the recommended mitigation measures, environmental monitoring and audit (EM&A) programme shall be implemented by:

(i)         conducting baseline monitoring on water quality including sediment sampling at at least two locations along the jetting corridor;

(ii)      conducting impact monitoring on water quality; and

(iii)     conducting post project monitoring on water quality.

The applicant shall submit an EM&A Manual to the Director for approval prior to the application for an environmental permit.

       

Note

Under Section 17 of the EIA Ordinance, the applicant may appeal to the Appeal Board against the above conditions within 30 days of the receipt of this notice of the Director’s decision.

 

Environmental Protection Department

August 2006