3. ENVIRONMENTAL Legislation and Standards

3.1 Introduction

This section describes the regulatory requirements and criteria against which the potential or predicted impacts of the construction and operation of the East Rail Extension Hung Hom to Tsim Sha Tsui were evaluated.

Most of the relevant legislation, criteria or guidelines are those produced, adopted or accepted by the Hong Kong SAR Government. In some cases, the provisions of international conventions and agreements may also apply; similarly, if a specific type of impact or issue is not addressed by Hong Kong SAR Government requirements, or more stringent performance requirements are considered necessary or desirable, appropriate international standards, codes of practices may be adopted.

In addition to the standards and guidelines set out below, the EIAO and the TMEIA (EIAO, Cap 499,S16) provides guidance on the methodology to be used for undertaking environmental assessment in Hong Kong. This EIA is based on the EPD EIA Study Brief No. ESB-016/1998 and will follow the procedures as set out in the EIA Ordinance.

3.2 Noise

3.2.1 Construction Phase

Control over the generation of construction noise in Hong Kong is governed primarily by the Noise Control Ordinance (NCO) and the EIAO. Technical Memoranda (TMs), which stipulate control approaches and criteria, have been issued under the NCO and EIAO. These TMs prescribe the permitted noise levels for construction activities depending upon working hours. The TMs, which are applicable to the control of noise from construction activities, include:

^·^{Technical
Memorandum on Noise from Construction Work other than Percussive Piling (TM1);}

^·^{Technical
Memorandum on Noise from Construction Work in Designated Areas (TM2); and}

^·^TMEIA.

The NCO criteria for the control of noise from powered mechanical equipment (PME) are dependent on the type of area containing the noise sensitive receivers (NSRs). The NCO requires that noise levels from construction activities at affected NSRs to be less than a specified Acceptable Noise Level (ANL) which depends on the Area Sensitivity Rating (ASR). The ANLs for construction work in designated areas are more stringent than those given in TM1, as stated in Table 3.2.1a.

Table 3.2.1a ANLs for Construction Noise other than Percussive Piling

^{Time Period}	^{Area Sensitivity Ratings}
	^A	^B	^C
All weekdays during the evening (1900 to 2300 hours), and general holidays (including Sundays) during the day and evening times	60 (45)	65 (50)	70 (55)
All days during the night-time (2300 to 0700 hours)	45 (30)	50 (35)	55 (40)

Note: Figure in brackets are ANLs for construction work in designated areas

The construction activities of the proposed work will need to be planned and controlled in accordance with the NCO. A Construction Noise Permit (CNP) is required for the use of powered mechanical equipment (PME) during the restricted hours (between 1900 and 0700 and at any time on a general holiday). The procedures set out in TM1 and 2 are used by the EPD to determine whether or not a CNP should be issued. CNPs will not automatically be granted and will be assessed on a case by case basis by the Authority. The granting of a CNP is subject to conditions stated in the permit and it may be revoked at any time for failure to comply with the stated conditions.

The use of specified powered mechanical equipment (SPME), other than percussive piling, and the undertaking of Prescribed Construction Work (PCW) during the restricted hours are controlled by TM2. Construction plant or equipment classified as SPME under TM2 are hand-held breakers, bulldozers, concrete mixer lorries, dump trucks and poker vibrators. PCW includes the erection or dismantling of formwork or scaffolding, handling of rubble, wooden boards, steel bars, or scaffolding material, hammering, and the disposal of rubble through plastic chutes.

The Area Sensitivity Ratings assumed in this EIA report are for indicative assessment only. Despite any description or assessment made in the EIA report on construction noise aspects, there is no guarantee that a construction noise permit (CNP) will be issued for the project construction. The Noise control Authority will consider a well-justified CNP application, once filed, for construction works within restricted hours as guided by the relevant Technical Memoranda issued under the Noise Control Ordinance (NCO). The Noise Control authority will take into account contemporary conditions / situations of adjoining land use and any previous complaints against construction activities at the site before making their decision in granting a CNP. Nothing in this EIA report shall bind the Noise Control Authority in making his decision. If a CNP is to be issued, the Noise Control Authority shall include in it any condition they think fit.

The noise impacts arising from general construction works during normal working hours (0700 to 1900 hours on any day other than Sundays or public holidays) at buildings with openable windows are assessed in accordance with the TMEIA. Table 3.2.1b presents the recommended noise standards.

Table 3.2.1b Noise Standards for Daytime Construction Activities

^Uses	^{Acceptable Noise Standards (Leq, 30min dB(A))}
All domestic premises including temporary housing accommodation	75
Hotels and hostels	75
Educational institutions	70
	65 (During examinations)

3.2.2 Operational Phase

Noise from fixed sources will be evaluated in accordance with the TMEIA. Noise from sources such as electrical and mechanical plant will be assessed with reference to the Technical Memorandum on Noise from places, other than Domestic Premises, Public Places or Construction Sites (TM3), issued under the Noise Control Ordinance. Train operational noise will also be assessed according to the TMEIA.

Annex 5 of the TMEIA provides further criteria for assessing fixed noise sources and recommends noise limits of 5dB(A) below the NCO limits stated in Table 3.2.2a.

Table 3.2.2a Acceptable Noise Levels (ANLs)

^{Time Period}	^{Area Sensitivity Ratings}
	^A	^B	^C
Daytime (0700 to 1900 hours)	60	65	70
Evening (1900 to 2300 hours)
Night-time (2300 to 0700 hours)	50	55	60

It should be noted that fixed noise sources are controlled under section 13 of the NCO. At the time of investigation the Noise Control Authority shall determine noise impact from concerned fixed noise sources on the basis of prevailing legislation and practices being in force, and taking account of contemporary conditions / situations of adjoining land uses. Nothing in this EIA report shall bind the Noise Control Authority in the Context of law enforcement against al the fixed noise sources being assessed.

The NCO do not specifically control ground borne noise and vibration from railways within buildings. The ANL of the NCO are specified at the facade of the building for incident airborne noise impacts and for transmission of noise from building to building where these are structurally coupled. In terms of controlling ground borne noise and vibration, common law relating to environmental nuisance will be the ultimate mechanism for abatement of unacceptable impacts. Therefore, it will be the responsibility of KCRC to ensure an acceptable standard of design is achieved in the railway to avoid nuisance in the community.

In defining acceptable limits for the groundborne noise, reference has been made to acceptability criteria adopted by the American Public Transportation Association and the Federal Transit Association. Consideration was also given to typical operational conditions where these overseas criteria are based compared to the future operations of the East Rail. Taking all these into account, a criterion in terms of maximum overall noise level of 30 dB(A) during a train passby has been defined. It was then adopted in the PER for assessing the operational groundborne noise impacts.

3.3 Air Quality

3.3.1 Air Pollution Control Ordinance

Air quality is regulated under the provisions of the Air Pollution Control Ordinance, Cap. 311 (APCO) (Ref. 5), which controls air pollutant emissions from industrial activities and other stationary sources. Under the current legislation, the Statement of Air Quality Objectives (AQOs), presented in Table 3.3.1a, provides the statutory AQOs for the Air Control Zones (ACZs) that have been declared for the whole of the Territory. Certain specified processes are named under the APCO and have specific controls attached. Thus far, the only construction activities which will be controlled as specified processes are rock crushing and cement works (concrete batching plant), the Contractor will require a specified process licence if he needs to operate any such plant.

Table 3.3.1a Hong Kong Air Quality Objectives

^Pollutant	^{Concentration}^m^{g/m3 (i) Averaging Time}
	^{1 Hour (ii)}	^{8 Hours (iii)}	^{24 Hours (iii)}	^{3 Months (iv)}	^{1 Year (iv)}
Sulphur Dioxide	800		350		80
Total Suspended Particulates (v)			260		80
Respirable Suspended Particulates (v)			180		55
Nitrogen Dioxide	300		150		80
Carbon Monoxide	30000	10000
Photochemical Oxidants (as ozone) (vi)	240
Lead				1.5
(i) Measured at 298ºK (25ºC) and 101.325 KPa(one atmosphere) (ii) Not to be exceeded more than three times per year. (iii) Not to be exceeded more than once per year. (iv) Arithmetic means. (v) Photochemical oxidants are determined by measurements of ozone only

The resultant dust levels in terms of total suspended particulates at the nearby air sensitive receptors need to be within the AQO 24-hour limit of 260mg/m³. In addition, the dust levels at the site boundary should be controlled within an hourly limit of 500 mg/m³. This limit is stipulated in the TMEIA and is recommended by EPD to prevent unmitigated dust impacts due to construction projects.

3.3.2 Air Pollution Control (Construction Dust) Regulation

The Regulation defines notifiable and regulatory works for achieving the purpose of dust control for a number of activities. The Regulation requires any notifiable work shall require advance notice to EPD. It also requires the contractor to ensure that the notifiable work and regulatory work will be carried out in accordance to the Schedule of the Regulation. Dust control and suppression measures are provided in the Schedule. Notifiable works are site formation; reclamation; demolition, foundation and superstructure construction for buildings; and road construction. Regulatory works are building renovation, road opening and resurfacing, slope stabilisation, and activities which are potential sources of dust arising as given in Parts II & III of the Schedule. Examples of these activities are stockpiling, dusty material handling, excavation, concrete production, etc. This project is expected to include both notifiable and regulatory works.

3.4 Water Quality

The regulatory requirements and standards to protect water quality include the Water Pollution Control Ordinance (WPCO), its subsidiary technical memoranda, and various technical circulars issued by the Works Branch and the EPD as described below. Whilst the technical circulars are non-statutory, they are generally accepted as best practice guidelines in Hong Kong and have been adopted for this assessment.

3.4.1 Water Pollution Control Ordinance (WPCO)

Under the Water Pollution Control Ordinance (WPCO), Hong Kong waters are subdivided into 10 Water Control Zones (WCZs). Each WCZ has a designated set of statutory Water Quality Objectives (WQOs). Works for this study fall within the Victoria Harbour Phase II WCZ and the WQOs for this WCZ will apply to any waste water discharges from the Tsim Sha Tsui works to Victoria Harbour.

3.4.2 Technical Memorandum on Standards for Effluents Discharged into Drainage and Sewerage Systems, Inland and Coastal Waters

The parameters of most concern during the construction phase will be suspended solids (SS) and dissolved oxygen (DO) levels for inshore and marine water discharge. The WQOs against which impacts shall be assessed are as follows:

^·^{SS
levels : Activities during the
construction phase must not cause the natural ambient SS level to be raised by
more than 30% nor give rise to accumulation of SS in Victoria Harbour which may
adversely affect aquatic communities; and}

^·^{DO
levels : DO levels should not be less
than 2 mg/l within 2 m of the seabed and below 4 mg/l at an average of three
water depths (1 m below the water surface; mid-depth; and 1 m above sea bed)
for Victoria Harbour.}

All discharges during both the construction and operational phases of the TST Extension are required to comply with the Technical Memorandum for Effluents Discharged into Drainage and Sewerage Systems, Inland and Coastal Waters (TM) issued under Section 21 of the WPCO, which defines the acceptable discharge limits to different types of receiving waters. Under the TM, effluents discharged into the drainage and sewerage systems, inshore and coastal waters of the WCZs are subject to pollutant concentration standards for particular volumes of discharge. These are defined by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) and specified in licence conditions for any new discharge within a WCZ. The pertinent discharge limits for Victoria Harbour WCZ and are listed in Table 3.4.2a.

In addition, there are non-statutory guidelines to control the water quality of cooling and flushing water of the identified seawater pumping stations. The applicable criterion of SS specified by operators of several cooling water intakes is 140 mg/l. This limit has been recommended in the Central Reclamation Phase III, Final EIA, 28 February 1997 to be the upper tolerance threshold for SS at cooling water intakes. Water Supplies Department (WSD) has also specified their WQOs at intake points of sea water pumping stations for toilet flushing. The WSD's WQOs of sea water for SS and DO are less than 10 mg/l and greater than 2 mg/l, respectively.

Table 3.4.2a... Standards for Effluents Discharged into the Inshore Waters of Victoria Harbour Water Control Zone (All units in mg/L unless otherwise stated; all figures are upper limits unless otherwise indicated)

^{Flow rate (m3/day)} ^Determinand	^£¹⁰	^{>10 and}^£²⁰⁰	^{>200 and}^£⁴⁰⁰	^{>400 and}^£⁶⁰⁰	^{>600 and}^£⁸⁰⁰	^{>800 and}^£¹⁰⁰⁰	^{>1000 and}^£¹⁵⁰⁰	^{>1500 and}^£²⁰⁰⁰	^{>2000 and}^£³⁰⁰⁰	^{>3000 and}^£⁴⁰⁰⁰	^{>4000 and}^£⁵⁰⁰⁰	^{>5000 and}^£⁶⁰⁰⁰
pH (pH units)	6-9	6-9	6-9	6-9	6-9	6-9	6-9	6-9	6-9	6-9	6-9	6-9
Temperature (^oC)	40	40	40	40	40	40	40	40	40	40	40	40
Colour (lovibond units) (25 mm cell length)	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
Suspended solids	50	30	30	30	30	30	30	30	30	30	30	30
BOD	50	20	20	20	20	20	20	20	20	20	20	20
COD	100	80	80	80	80	80	80	80	80	80	80	80
Oil & Grease	30	20	20	20	20	20	20	20	20	20	20	20
Iron	15	10	10	7	5	4	2.7	2	1.3	1	0.8	0.6
Boron	5	4	3	2.7	2	1.6	1.1	0.8	0.5	0.4	0.3	0.2
Barium	5	4	3	2.7	2	1.6	1.1	0.8	0.5	0.4	0.3	0.2
Mercury	0.1	0.001	0.001	0.001	0.001	0.001	0.001	0.001	0.001	0.001	0.001	0.001
Cadmium	0.1	0.001	0.001	0.001	0.001	0.001	0.001	0.001	0.001	0.001	0.001	0.001
Other toxic metals individually	1	1	0.8	0.7	0.5	0.4	0.25	0.2	0.15	0.1	0.1	0.1
Total toxic metals	2	2	1.6	1.4	1	0.8	0.5	0.4	0.3	0.2	0.14	0.1
Cyanide	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.05	0.05	0.03	0.02	0.02	0.01
Phenols	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.3	0.25	0.2	0.13	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
Sulphide	5	5	5	5	5	5	2.5	2.5	1.5	1	1	0.5
Total residual chlorine	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
Total nitrogen	100	100	100	100	100	100	80	80	50	50	50	50
Total phosphorus	10	10	10	10	10	10	8	8	5	5	5	5
Surfactants (total)	20	15	15	15	15	15	10	10	10	10	10	10
E.coli (count/100 ml)	5000	5000	5000	5000	5000	5000	5000	5000	5000	5000	5000	5000

3.4.3 Construction Site Drainage Guidelines

The Practical Note for Professional Persons on Construction Site Drainage (PN1/94) issued by the EPD provides basic environmental guidelines for the handling and disposal of construction site discharges to minimise impacts on water quality.

3.5 Land Contamination

The Land Contamination Assessment follows the guidelines outlined under Annex 19 section 3.1 and 3.2 of the TMEIA. Reference has also been made to the criteria detailed within the EPD’s Practice Note for Professional Persons PN 3/94 “Contaminated Land Assessment and Remediation”, and EPD’s “Guidance Notes for Investigation and Remediation of Contaminated Sites of Petrol Filling Stations, Boatyards and Car Repair /Dismantling Workshops”, May 1999.

3.6 Waste Management

The following legislation covers the handling, treatment and disposal of wastes in Hong Kong.

^·^{Waste
Disposal Ordinance (Cap354)}

^·^{Waste
Disposal (Chemical Waste) (General) Regulation (Cap354)}

^·^{Land
(Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap 28); and}

^·^{Public
Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap 132) - Public Cleansing and
Prevention of Nuisances (Urban Council) and (Regional Council) By-laws.}

3.6.1 Waste Disposal Ordinance

The Waste Disposal Ordinance (WDO) prohibits the unauthorised disposal of wastes, with waste defined as any substance or article which is abandoned. Construction waste is not directly defined in the WDO but is considered to fall within the category of “Trade Waste”. Trade Waste is defined as waste from any trade, manufacturer or business, or any waste building, or civil engineering materials.

Under the WDO, wastes can only be disposed of at a licensed site. A breach of these regulations can lead to the imposition of a fine and/or a prison sentence. The WDO also provides for the issuing of licences for the collection and transport of wastes. Licences are not, however, currently issued for the collection and transport of construction and/or trade wastes.

3.6.2 Waste Disposal (Chemical Waste) ( General) Regulation

Chemical wastes as defined under the Disposal (Chemical Waste) (General) Regulation includes any substance being scrap material, or unwanted substances specified under Schedule 1 of the regulation, if such substance or chemical occurs in such a form, quantity or concentration so as to cause pollution or constitute a danger to health or risk of pollution to the environment. The definition is sufficiently general that liaison with the regulators (EPD) is required to confirm whether some wastes are deemed to be chemical wastes or not.

A person should not produce, or cause to be produced, chemical wastes unless he is registered with EPD. Any person who contravenes this requirement commits an offence and is liable upon conviction to a fine of up to HK $200,000 and to imprisonment for up to 6 months. The current fee for registration is HK$325.

Producers of Chemical Wastes must treat their waste utilising on-site plant licensed by EPD or have a licensed collector take the wastes to a licensed facility. For each consignment of waste, the waste producer, collector and disposer of the wastes must sign all relevant parts of a computerised trip ticket. The system is designed to allow the transfer of wastes to be traced from site to disposal - a cradle to grave approach.

The Regulation prescribes the storage facilities to be provided on site including labelling and warning signs. To minimise the risks of pollution and danger to human health or life, the waste producer is required by the Regulation to prepare and make available written procedures to be observed in the case of emergence due to spillage, leakage or accidents from the storage of chemical wastes. He must provide employees with training in such procedures.

3.6.3 Land (Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance

Construction wastes which are wholly inert may be taken to public filling areas. Public filling areas usually form part of land reclamation schemes and are operated by the CED. The Land (Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance requires that public filling licences are obtained by individuals or companies who deliver suitable construction wastes to public filling areas. The licences are issued by the CED as delegated from the Director of Lands.

Individual licences and windscreen stickers are issued for each vehicle involved. Under the licence conditions public filling areas will accept only inert building debris, soil, rock and broken concrete. There is no size limitation on the rock and broken concrete, and a small amount timber mixed with other suitable material is permissible. The material should, however, be free from marine mud, household refuse, plastic, metal, industrial and chemical waste, animal and vegetable matter or any other material considered unsuitable by the dump supervisor.

3.6.4 Public Cleansing and Prevention of Nuisance by-Laws

These by-Laws provide further control on the illegal tipping of wastes on unauthorised (unlicensed) sites. The illegal dumping of wastes can lead to fines of up to HK$200,000 and imprisonment for up to 6 months.

3.6.5 Other Relevant Documents and Guidelines

The following documents and guidelines also relate to waste management and disposal in Hong Kong:

^·^{Waste
Disposal Plan for Hong Kong (December 1989), Planning Environment and Lands
Branch, Hong Kong Government Secretariat;}

^·^{Works
Bureau Technical Circular No. 5/98 On Site Sorting of Construction Waste on
Demolition Sites;}

^·^{Environmental
Guidelines for Planning in Hong Kong (1990), Hong Kong Planning and Standards
Guidelines, Hong Kong Government; and}

^·^{New
Disposal Arrangements for Construction Waste (1992), Environmental Protection
Department and Civil Engineering Department.}

3.7 Archaeology and Cultural Heritage

3.7.1 EIA Ordinance

The two criteria for evaluating impacts to cultural heritage sites are specified in Annex 10 of the TMEIA:

a) The general presumption in favour of the protection and conservation of all sites of cultural heritage because they provide an essential, finite and irreplaceable link between the past and the future and are points of reference and identity for culture and tradition.

b) Adverse impacts on sites of cultural heritage shall be kept to the absolute minimum."

3.7.2 Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance (Cap 53)

The EIAO (Ord. No. 9 of 1997, Schedule 1, A262) further specifies that "sites of cultural heritage mean an antiquity or monument, whether being a place, building, site or structure or a relic, as defined in the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance (Cap. 53) and any place, building, site or structure or a relic identified by the AMO to be of archaeological, historical or palaeontological significance."

Therefore, to an important extent, questions of significance are resolved by the AMO which, in its Ordinance and after consultation with the "Authority" and the AAB, is given the power to "declare monuments" (Cap. 53, Section 3), only 67 of which have been so "declared" since 1976. In its mission to survey, record and preserve Hong Kong's cultural heritage, the AMO and AAB use an internal reference system, with no statutory status, according to three grades:

Grade I: a building of 'outstanding' merit which should be preserved at all costs;

Grade II: a building of 'special' merit, thus efforts should be made to selectively preserve; and

Grade III: a building of 'some' merit, but not yet qualified for consideration as a possible monument.

Most of the cultural heritage resources in the Study Area are not "declared"; only the Signal Hill Tower has been assigned a Grade (II), AMO Reference 770006. However, several sites of cultural heritage in the Study Area provide "essential, finite and irreplaceable links" between the past and future, and are "points of reference and identity for culture and tradition" in Hong Kong. They are considered to be of cultural interest, even if not declared as monuments.

Under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance (Cap 53) the Antiquities Authority (the Secretary for Home Affairs) may, after consultation with the Antiquities Advisory Board (AAB) and with Government approval, declare any place, building, site or structure which the Antiquities Authority considers to be of public interest by reason of its historical, archaeological or palaeontological significance, to be a monument, historical building, archaeological or palaeontological site or structure. Once declared to be a site of public interest, no person may undertake acts which are prohibited under the Ordinance, such as to demolish or carry on building or other works, without permission from the Antiquities Authority.

The Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) of the Home Affairs Bureau acts as the executive arm of the Antiquities Authority. The AMO also serves the Antiquities Advisory Board (AAB) who are responsible for advising the Government on sites which merit protection. The office has responsibility for the protection of buildings and items of historical interest and areas of archaeological significance. The search for excavation of all archaeological material is regulated and monitored by the Antiquities Authority who require applicants to hold a license from the Antiquities Authority.

Archaeological sites are identified and recorded by the AMO as they are revealed through systematic survey, casual finding and/or the EIA process. All such archaeological sites are considered to be of cultural heritage value and their preservation in totality must be taken as the primary aim of the EIA process.

3.7.3 Criteria for Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment (CCHIA).

Criteria for the assessment of cultural heritage are presented in Annex 10 and Annex 19 of the TMEIA but more specific requirements and guidelines are set out by The Home Affairs Bureau in the Criteria for Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment (CCHIA). The CCHIA stipulate that if this is not possible, amelioration must be achieved by the reduction of potential impacts and preservation be means of detailed cartographic and photographic survey or preservation of an archaeological site “by record”, i.e. through excavation to extract the maximum data as the very last resort. Projects are not to cause excessive impact on archaeological and historically important sites unless there is adequate protection or mitigation measures or a satisfactory rescue plan is proposed.

3.7.4 Assessing cultural significance: applying commonly accepted, professional criteria and standards

Before assessing the impact of any proposed activities within the Study Area, it is fundamental to understand what makes the site important. In other words, what is its significance? The problem is that the question of significance is difficult to define with absolute precision in the case of any cultural resource.

As explained in the methodology (Section 4.12), although the EIAO provides the AMO with the final determination of significance, the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance does not precisely define significance. Furthermore, the Ordinance limits the AMO to a declaration of "monuments" rather than to "districts" or historic areas more broadly conceived. To assist the AAB in its rating of buildings, AMO has used a non-statutory grading system. However, this system is not particularly well-suited to deal with a constellation of culturally significant resources in a Study Area such as the ones at issue here. Therefore, in addition to AMO's criteria, our Study Team has also looked at commonly accepted professional criteria from beyond Hong Kong that are concerned with the significance of cultural heritage sites.

Several internationally-recognised organisations have specified standards and criteria that address the issue of how to specify significance. Some documents, such as the International Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites (the Venice Charter), focus primarily on architectural "monuments", while others such as UNESCO's World Heritage List highlight cultural sites that have been deemed to be "of outstanding universal value." Given Signal Hill Tower's situation as a Grade II historic building that seems to embody less than "universal value", it is more appropriate to turn to other sources for guidance about the significance of cultural heritage sites in the Study Area. To better understand the significance of such sites, we have therefore primarily used the measures of the following organisations and/or documents dealing with significance published by these organisations. They are: (1) the World Monuments Fund [hereafter WMF]; (2) the U.S. National Register Program and the National Council for Preservation Education [USA]; and (3) the Australia ICOMOS charter for the conservation of places of cultural significance [the Burra Charter].

3.7.5 International Standards

The WMF, a private non-profit organisation founded in 1965, established a World Monuments Watch program in 1995, for which it defined significance as "the intrinsic artistic and/or historic importance of a site within its cultural context." The WMF emphasises varying, as opposed to absolute standards of significance. These include (a) a site's influence on other sites, (b) a site's being a symbol of an economic system, (c) a site's links to industrial and technological development, (d) a site's relationship to a larger architectural movement, or (e) a site's reflection of vernacular and traditional culture. Underlying these varying standards is the fact that "in order to meet the criterion of significance. it is necessary that a site have importance within its cultural context, defined in artistic, social, economic, technological, or traditional terms²." As demonstrated below, Signal Hill has importance within its cultural context, as defined by several of these terms.

3.7.6 U.S. Standard

The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) administers the National Register Program, where criteria for significance are spelled out in federal legislation (36 CFR 60). The National Council for Preservation Education (NCPE), a non-profit organisation with a mission to advance preservation education both in academe and among the general public, has been at the forefront of ongoing efforts in the U.S. to better understand what the WMF calls "varying standards of significance." In March 1997, for example, NCPE along with the NPS organised a major conference that centered on the question of historical significance, which "should be interpreted as encompassing both tangible and intangible realms of the past; that is, both the built environment and the myriad of forces that have given it shape and meaning over time³." Avoiding a precise textbook definition, several professional presentations at this conference emphasised how complex the definitions of significance had become since 1966, when the National Register was established using criteria for national, state and local significance. Using any of the measures of significance articulated at the NCPE conference, Signal Hill has clear local, and possibly national significance.

3.7.7 Australian Standard

Since its creation in 1979, the Burra Charter has become not only "the standard for heritage conservation practice in Australia", but also a fundamental conservation document for use world-wide "to express the basic principles and procedures that should be followed in looking after important places⁴." In Article 1 the Charter defines "cultural significance" as the "aesthetic, historic, scientific or social value for past, present or future generations." As demonstrated below, Signal Hill embodies cultural significance in all four of these respects.

3.8 Landscape and Visual Issues

The methodology for undertaking the landscape and visual impact assessment is in accordance with Annex 18 of the TMEIA. The main elements of the assessment are given below.

The Landscape and Visual Impacts are considered as follows :

^·^{landscape
impact assessment shall assess the source and magnitude of developmental
effects on the existing landscape elements, character and quality in the
context of the site and its environs; and}

^·^{visual
impact assessment shall assess the source and magnitude of effects caused by
the proposed development on the existing views, visual amenity, character and
quality of the visually sensitive receivers within the context of the site and
its environs.}

These are evaluated in accordance with Annex 10 of the TMEIA.

3.9 Hazard

The requirement to undertake the hazard assessment performed as part of the East Rail Extension Hung Hom to Tsim Sha Tsui EIA is defined in the EPD Study Brief for “the storage of explosives on-site”. Since explosives are not to be stored overnight on the site, as specified in the Study Brief, no requirement of a hazard assessment for explosive transport and storage is considered necessary in this study.

4. ASSESSMENT SCOPE and METHODOLOGY

4.1 Introduction

The scale and complexity of the East Rail Extension Hung Hom to Tsim Sha Tsui requires that a carefully structured, systematic and consistent approach is applied to the EIA process. This section defines the physical and temporal scope of the overall project and each of the various specialist assessment tasks, defines the meaning of terminology that may be used to describe assessment outcomes in particular specialist areas, and presents the impact predication methodologies to be employed in the various assessment tasks.

4.2 Spatial and Temporal Scope

4.2.1 Spatial Scope

In its broadest sense, the spatial scope of the EIA is the physical area over which changes to the environment are likely to occur as a result of the Project. In practice, the spatial scope will be limited to those areas where there is a reasonable likelihood of change to the environment resulting in impacts on resources or receivers.

The actual physical scope will differ between the specialist areas of assessment discussed in the following sections. For example, the assessment of impacts to landuse will be limited to areas of land to be acquired for the construction and operation of the new railway. By contrast, the assessment of changes to visual amenity may be extended beyond an initial study corridor of 500 metres either side of the alignment, if it is felt that sensitive visual receivers at greater distances will be adversely affected by the construction of the new railway.

4.2.2 Temporal Scope

The temporal scope of the EIA is the same for each of the specialist disciplines. For assessing impacts arising from construction activities, the temporal scope is from the date of commencement of site works (assumed to be the Year 2000) to the date immediately prior to the opening of the railway (assumed to be 2004).

It is assumed that this rail extension will reach design capacity approximately 10 years after commissioning. Therefore, the temporal scope for assessing operational impacts covers the period from commissioning to 2011. The assessment of impacts in 2011 makes allowance for planned changes to the baseline conditions in the intervening period.

Environmental impacts likely to arise from the decommissioning of the railway are not included in the scope of the EIA as it has been assumed that this section of the East Rail Extension will be operational for the foreseeable future.

4.3 Impact Assessment Terminology

In evaluating and describing an impact, an EIA assessment must consider the standards and criteria (whether quantitative or qualitative) set out in the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance and the associated Technical Memorandum. In some cases, especially where qualitative criteria are used or where no specific criteria exist, a consensus of professional judgement about the acceptability or significance of an impact may be sought.

However, the significance of an impact is not merely a measure of its compliance with a standard or criteria nor of its perceived acceptability. Significance may also involve questions of :

^·^{The
magnitude of the impact and the size of the exceedance;}

^·^{The
number of people affected and their sensitivity;}

^·^{The
scale or amount of the resources affected and their value and sensitivity; and}

^·^{The
tractability of the issue or problem.}

A number of different approaches are being taken in describing predicated impacts in this EIA study.

Firstly, for areas where quantified standards or criteria are used, an impact may be described as acceptable or in compliance (on the one hand) and unacceptable or failing to comply (on the other hand). Generally speaking, an impact which does not comply is considered as significant, and the measure of its significance will take into account the factors listed above. Impacts relating to air quality, water quality, noise, waste management and hazards are evaluated in this way.

Secondly, issues such as impacts on landscape for which no quantitative criteria are applied are described with terms indicating a gradation of significance. For example, landscape impacts are rated as “very slight”, “slight”, “moderate”, “substantial” or “very substantial”.

Finally, areas such as archaeology and culture, landuse and land contamination use no particular terminology for acceptability or significance, relying largely on professional judgement and common terms of speech to describe the importance and significance of impacts.

4.4 Noise

4.4.1 Construction Phase

The assessment of construction noise impacts has identified all existing and committed landuses in the vicinity of the development, selected representative receivers which are generally nearest to the alignment, using specific information obtained from engineering design consultants concerning activity scheduling and plant teams and following the methodology stated in TM1 (see Section 3.2), and quantified the expected impacts at the receivers. References are also made from BS5228 in case suitable noise data of specific construction plant are not available from TM1. The technical methodology outlined in TM1 is as follows:

^i.^{locate
NSRs that may be affected;}

^ii.^{determine
plant items for corresponding construction activities based on information
provided by the engineering design consultants;}

^iii.^{determine
the sound power levels of the plant items according to the information stated
in TM1;}

^iv.^{calculate
the correction factors including facade correction, distance and barrier
attenuation;}

^v.^{predict
the construction noise levels at the NSRs in the absence of any mitigation
measures.}

Mitigation measures are then evaluated and recommended where necessary to control the impacts at the affected NSRs adequately.

4.4.2 Blasting

Although the blasting may give rise to noise and vibration impacts, there are no statutory procedures and criteria under the NCO and EIAO for assessing these impacts. They are beyond the scope of the EIA.

The administrative and procedural control of all blasting operations in Hong Kong is vested in the Mines and Quarries Division (M&Q) of the Civil Engineering Department (CED). The M&Q require a blasting assessment to be carried out by qualified blasting specialists. The contractual controls on blasting will provide mitigation of possible impacts on nearby sensitive landuses. In order to minimize the risk of loss in human life and damage to properties (including the Signal Hill Tower), the maximum charge to be detonated for the blasting will be limited. The number of blasts per day is unlikely to be more than one and blasting will be limited to daytime only. The blasting will be part of the excavation activity for the ETS construction. The excavation will take about 15 months. In addition, liaison campaigns to adequately inform the nearby community prior to any blasting activity will be launched to minimise possible nuisance or complaints.

4.4.3 Operational Phase

The operational noise impact assessment has followed the Technical Memorandum for the Assessment of Noise from Places Other Than Domestic Premises, Public Places or Construction Sites (TM3). The operational noise criteria are described in Section 3.2.2.

The study area is classified as urban, an Area Sensitivity Rating of B has been assigned in the assessment for the NSRs that are not influenced by road traffic noise from major roads. Whilst an Area Sensitivity Rating of C has been assigned for the NSRs that are influenced by road traffic noise from main roads, either directly or indirectly.

The Area Sensitivity Rating for the NSRs located near Nathan Road (between Mody Road and Salisbury Road) and Mody Road (between Nathan Road and Chatham Road South) should be “B”. As described in “The Annual Traffic Census 1997” published by the Transport Department, the AADT figures on the Cross Harbour Tunnel Approach Road and Princess Margaret Road are above 30,000 vehicles, thus, these roads are considered as “Influencing Factors”. The Area Sensitivity Rating for the NSRs near Kowloon (Hung Hom) Station and Ho Man Tin Traction Substation is therefore “C”.

Fixed Plant Noise

The assessment of the fixed plant noise has employed standard acoustic principles in the prediction of the maximum at-source noise levels to ensure acceptability in the receiving environment. These maximum noise levels should be used by the detailed design team to devise mitigation, (including equipment enclosures and silencers) in order to meet acceptable noise limits at NSRs.

Train Noise

Airborne train noise has been modelled using a methodology agreed with the EPD. (see Appendix D1) for calculating the L_eq(period) in the reference time bands given by the HKPSG and NCO, and uses comparative source data for the electric multiple unit (EMU) provided by KCRC. Only passenger trains will be running on the Hung Hom to Tsim Sha Tsui Extension.

The train noise source term of an EMU has been provided by the KCRC with a maximum 86dB(A) at a distance of 25m and speed of 100 kph. It is based on the EMU source term for East Rail Spur line. The standard formulae used in the prediction methodology for the proposed alignment are shown in Appendix D1. A conservative approach is adopted for predicting the train noise by assuming a train speed of 100kph although it is likely to be lower.

4.5 Air Quality

4.5.1 Construction Phase

Air sensitive receivers (ASRs) are defined in Annex 12 of the TMEIA. They include any domestic premises, hotels, hospitals, clinics, nurseries, temporary housing accommodation, schools, educational institutions, offices, factories, shops, shopping centres, places of public worship, libraries, courts of law, sports stadiums, performance arts centres. Other premises or places with which, in terms of duration or number of people affected, has a similar sensitivity to air pollution as the above premises and places is also considered to be air sensitive.

Potential dust impacts on the ASRs have been predicted with the aid of the US EPA approved model, Fugitive Dust Model (FDM), specifically designed for computing dust dispersion from fugitive dust emission sources.

Emission rates of the dust sources and their corresponding particle size distribution used in the model have been estimated based on the PER and the USEPA publication, Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission Factors, 5^th Edition (AP-42). Emission factors for various site activities are given in Table 4.5.1a, while the assumed size distribution of dust particle are given in Table 4.5.1b.

Table 4.5.1a Emission Factors for Site Activities

^Activities	^{Emission Factors}		^Remarks
Material Handling	1.96 x 10 ^-7g m^-2s^-1		Ref: PER
Excavation	1.89 x 10 ^-7g m^-2s^-1		Ref: PER
Hauling on Paved Roads within station worksites	1.008 x 10 ^-3 g m^-1s^-1		Ref: AP-42 Sect 13.2.1 · silt loading: 2.4 g m^-2 · vehicle weight: 30 tons · trucks per day · control efficiency with watering: 50%
Blasting		27.5 g blast^-1	AP-42 Section 11.9-5. Assume blast area width of 5 m x 5 m, and blasting point 2m above ground level

Table 4.5.1b Dust Particle Size Distribution

^{Dust Size (}^m^m)	^{Particle Fraction (1)}
	^{Material handling/ Excavation}	^{Paved Road}
2.5	0.095	0.031
5.0	0.105	0.0
10	0.16	0.0131
15	0.14	0.156
30	0.50	0.682

Note: (1) Reference: Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission Factors, 5^th Edition, USEPA

A full year sequential meteorological data, measured at Hong Kong Observatory’s Tsim Sha Tsui Station, were used for the modelling. The data include air temperature, wind speed, wind direction, Pasquill stability class and atmospheric mixing height.

The construction of Salisbury Underpass is entrusted to the East Rail Extensions works, and their cumulative impact has been assessed in this Study. Both the maximum 1-hour and 24-hour cumulative TSP levels at the ASRs have been predicted. The annual average TSP level of 87 mg m^-3 recorded at the nearest EPD fixed air quality monitoring station, Central /Western Station, was included as the background.

The 24 hour dust levels from the East Rail construction are extrapolated from the one hour maximum levels, and assumed for a twelve hour daily working period. Therefore, the 24-hour average corresponds to 50% of the modelling results that assume a full day operation.

To assess the blasting activities, it has been confirmed that the frequency of blasting will be no more than one per day; and a complete blasting event is expected to last for approximately an hour. There will be no concurrent activities being undertaken within the same site when blasting takes place. Therefore, blasting dust impacts have been assessed separately from other activities. The 1-hour TSP levels for blasting have been assessed separately from other site activities. The 1-hour TSP levels have been predicted at downwind distances up to 200 m from the blasting site.

4.5.2 Operational Phase

No significant operational impacts are anticipated since the trains will run on electricity and operate mostly underground. Any exhaust vents connected to the ventilation shafts are expected to be orientated to face away from the nearest ASRs.

4.6 Water Quality

4.6.1 Spatial Scope

Land based impacts may comprise both point and non point (via surface water runoff, construction site erosion etc.) sources of water pollution. Thus, the water quality assessment study area encompasses both local and directly affected waters, and water sensitive receivers(WSRs) located downstream and remote from the proposed works.

4.6.2 Construction Phase

Introduction

Potential water quality impacts during the construction phase comprise land-based and marine impacts. Drainage Impact Assessment (DIA) was conducted by the KCRC’s appointed consultant⁵, to establish engineering solutions to reduce impacts of the East Rail construction on drainage systems. The detailed water quality assessment in this Final Assessment Report has condensed the DIA findings and recommendations in terms of ensuring the adequacy of environmental protection of water sensitive receivers (WSRs).

Prediction Methodology

Present construction designs were reviewed to assess the proximity of the East Rail Extension construction activities to existing and committed WSRs. All WSRs were identified in accordance with the guidance provided in the HKPSG, the EIAO TM and through detailed literature reviews, supplemented where necessary by field surveys and area appraisals.

Construction type, sequence and duration were reviewed to identify activities likely to impact upon identified water bodies and WSRs.

Following the identification of WSRs and potential water quality impacts, the scale, extent and severity of potential net (i.e. unmitigated) construction impacts were evaluated, wherever possible quantitatively, taking into account all potential cumulative effects including those of adjacent projects, with reference to the WPCO criteria.

Where net water quality impacts were predicted to exceed the appropriate WPCO criteria, practical water pollution control measures / mitigation proposals were identified to ensure compliance with reference to the WPCO criteria for the beneficial uses of the marine water bodies and fresh water courses.

4.6.3 Operational Phase

Introduction

It is currently expected that water quality impacts during the operation of the railway will not be significant. In addition to the construction phase DIA, an operational phase DIA was conducted by the engineering Design Consultants to establish engineering solutions to reduce impacts of the East Rail operational drainage on downstream drainage systems.

General Land and Marine Impacts

The railway alignment has been reviewed to assess the proximity of the rail or any associated operational facilities to existing and future committed WSRs.

Following the review of the East Rail operation, the potential adverse effects, scale, extent and severity of potential net (i.e. unmitigated) impacts were assessed and evaluated, wherever possible quantitatively, taking into account all potential cumulative effects. Water quality impacts were assessed with reference to the Water Quality Objectives and the assessment criteria in Annex 6 of the TMEIA.

4.7 Land Contamination

The Land Contamination Assessment follows the guidelines outlined in Annex 19 sections 3.1 and 3.2 of the TMEIA, as required under Clause 3.11 of the Study Brief. Reference has also been made to the criteria detailed within the Practice Note for Professional Persons PN 3/94 “Contaminated Land Assessment and Remediation”, where appropriate.

A review of the historical and current land use was undertaken as part of the PER¹. This indicated the potential for land contamination based upon previous industrial usage and the existance of underground oil storage tanks associated with the petrol filling station located on Middle Road.

4.7.1 Methodology

The objectives of the Land Contamination Assessment have been :

i. to identify any potential for contaminants to be present in the ground from current and historic land use activities within the study area;

ii. to determine whether migration pathways exist for any of the identified contaminants;

iii. to determine the presence and likely extent of any potential risks to the environment, to the proposed works or to site users/workers;

iv. to collate and assess all the available information which can then be used to determine the design and scope of any more detailed site investigations prior to consideration of the waste disposal options or design of any remedial works.

The Land Contamination Assessment comprised a desk-based study in conjunction with a walkover of the study area. No intrusive site investigation or analysis was undertaken as part of this assessment. The assessment has included the following activities:

i. review of information detailed within the PER undertaken for the project;

ii. review of geological, hydrogeological and hydrological information from earlier geotechnical reports to establish environmental sensitivities at the site and its environs;

iii. review of historical maps and aerial photographs to identify previous usage of the study area and its immediate surroundings in order to identify potential sources of land contamination;

iv. contact with the regulatory authorities in order to obtain information on the identified fuel installations;

v. walkover of the study area to assess current land uses;

vi. preparation of a report, outlining the findings and recommendations, including requirements for any further work.

4.7.2 Current Land Use

A walkover of the study area was carried out on 18^th March 1999. Current land use within the study area comprises mixed retail, commercial and some residential properties. The Middle Road Children’s Playground, the Wing On Plaza Garden and the TST promenade are the key areas of public open space in the Study Area. The Hong Kong Coliseum and International Mailing Centre lie to the south of Hung Hom Station and the Cross Harbour Tunnel Road and toll gate to the west. The Hong Kong Coliseum and Hung Hom Station are elevated on an engineered podium and along the east of Salisbury Road the undercroft area is used as a truck/bus parking depot.

Hotel, retail and commercial properties are located along the Salisbury Road and Middle Road sections of the Extension. A petrol filling station (operated by Caltex) is located on Middle Road, to the immediate west of the Middle Road Children’s Playground.

No current industrial land uses have been identified within the study area and no potential sources of land contamination have been identified from current uses other than the petrol filling station on Middle Road and a fuel installation located at the CHT toll gate.

Details on both fuel installations were requested from site management6 and the Fire Services Department (FSD) who are responsible for licence issue under the Dangerous Goods Ordinance. Information was requested on the nature of the installations (location, capacity, installation dates, construction design), maintenance records (including tank integrity test results) and potential likelihood that any spillage’s / leakage’s may have taken place. FSD reported (see Appendix G) that since the issue of both licences there are no records of any supply/storage tank or fuel line failure/leakage, at either of the installations. No other fuel installations have been identified within the vicinity of the East Rail Extension.

Consultation with Caltex also indicated that there are no records of any tank or fuel line failures or repairs since May 1997, when Caltex took possession of the site from Shell Hong Kong Ltd. Three underground storage tanks serve the petrol station (11,375 litre capacity for each) and are located to the immediate east of the site, within the Middle Road Children’s playground with fuel lines behind the road. Tank integrity tests performed in July 1997 demonstrated that the installations were sound and in good condition. Installation dates for the tanks were not available. The petrol station site is leased by Caltex from the Government Property Agency and the tenancy expires in May 2000. Under the lease agreement, Caltex are not under any obligation to remove the fuel installations (including underground tanks, lines, etc.).

The Cross Harbour Tunnel Co. Ltd., supplied limited information regarding their installation at the CHT toll gate although they reported that there were no records of any tank failures, repairs or leakage. The underground fuel tank has a 1500 gallon capacity and was installed in 1972. There are no records of any tank integrity tests being performed.

4.7.3 Historic Land Use

To obtain information on the historical use of the study area (and the surrounding area) the maps and aerial photographs as summarised in Tables 4.7.3a and Table 4.7.3b were reviewed :

Table 4.7.3a Review of Historical Maps

^Scale	^Date	^{Description of land use}
8 inches : 1 mile	1863	TST area designated as planned “battery” with limited reclamation. Study area principally not reclaimed.
8 inches : 1 mile	1887	Limited reclamation and development . Majority of TST labelled as “War Department” land.
8 inches : 1 mile	1902-1903	Further reclamation of TST and some limited development. Railway line runs adjacent to the alignment of Chatham Road, cuts across Salisbury Road to the south of Middle Road and then south of Salisbury Road into Kowloon Station. Sidings and go-downs to the south of Salisbury Road on reclaimed land
8 inches : 1 mile	1924	As per 1902.
8 inches : 1 mile	1947	Expansion of go downs and docks to the south of Salisbury Road. Recreation grounds between the railway and Chatham Road.
4 inches : 1 mile	1964	Railways lines etc.…as per 1947 although reclamation works to the east in progress.
1 : 15,000	1990	Reclamation of the study area complete. Hung Hom Station moved to current location.

Source: Mapping Hong Kong. A Historical Atlas. H Empson

Table 4.7.3b Review of Aerial Photographs

^Date	^{Description of Land Use}
1963	Railway line, station and sidings located to the south of Salisbury Road. Godowns and piers present to the south of Middle Road and Salisbury Road, open area to the west and adjacent to the Middle Road Children’s Playground.
1967	Railway as per 1963. Building now located to the west of Middle Road Children’s Playground.
1968	As per 1967.
1969	As per 1967.
1972	As per 1967.
1975	Petrol filling station on Middle Road appears to be present. Railway lines still in place although go down area to the south of Salisbury Road appears to be under construction.
1984	Reclamation/construction to the south of Salisbury Road on-going. Railway line removed.
1986	Reclamation complete. Construction appears to be on-going within parts of the area south of Salisbury Road.
1988	Construction appears complete.
1991	No discernible changes.

The earliest map reviewed dated from 1863 indicated that the majority of the area of the proposed East Rail Extension was un-reclaimed. The area of Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) remained relatively undeveloped except for battery and military use. Reclamation works were evident throughout TST from 1863 and extend eastwards. By 1902, the Kowloon-Canton Railway line runs adjacent to the existing alignment of Chatham Road on reclaimed land, cutting across Salisbury Road to the south of Middle Road and terminating south of Salisbury Road at Kowloon Station. Godowns and piers are also located to the south of Salisbury Road and to the east of Kowloon station on reclaimed land.

By 1947 some expansion of the godowns and piers to the south of Salisbury Road are apparent, with recreation grounds located between the railway line and Chatham Road. There are no discernible changes in land use until 1964 when extensive reclamation works are evident within the study area and to the east of TST. The railway line and Kowloon station have been removed by 1984 and construction works within the reclamation area appear complete by 1988.

4.7.4 Geology

The geological map (Sheet 11, HGM20, 1:20,000) shows the majority of the area of the East Rail Extension to be underlain by reclaimed land. Reclamation works are indicated on the geological map to have commenced as early as 1904, with the majority of the East Rail Extension reclaimed by 1964.

The area of the proposed ETS Station and associated underpasses through Signal Hill and along Mody Road, are the sole areas of the Extension which are directly underlain by natural ground, which comprises a medium grained granite.

A geotechnical investigation for the preliminary design work for the East Rail Extension was carried out and reported in 1998 (Maunsells 1998). This geotechnical report identified that the area from Hung Hom to the Kolwoon Shangri-la Hotel (located on Salisbury Road) is covered by fill ranging from 6m to 15m in thickness. The fill typically comprises a silty fine sand, with variable quantities of concrete and brick fragments, which is underlain by silty marine sand and sand deposits.

From the Kowloon Shangri-la Hotel to just east of Chatham Road, fill thickness ranges from between 3m to 13m. To the west of Chatham Road and towards the area of the proposed station, Signal Hill rock head is present. The site investigation indicated that Signal Hill comprises between 0.9-3m of fill, overlying 16-24m of weathered granite which is in turn underlain by unweathered granite (bedrock).

Borehole logs (using the geotechnical report’s references) for EREBH10 (located in the Middle Road Children’s Playground) indicate a fill depth of 1.9m comprising slightly silty sand, underlain by extremely weak, completely to highly decomposed granite. Within EREBH8 and EREBH9 (located along Middle Road) fill was present to depths between 6m to 7.9m below ground level and underlain by extremely weak, completely decomposed granite. The borehole locations are given in Figure 4.1. No environmental analysis of soil or groundwater samples was carried out as part of the geotechnical investigation.

4.7.5 Groundwater

The groundwater regime was monitored and reported within the geotechnical investigation (Maunsells 1998). Within the Middle Road area, the groundwater level varies between 2.9 to 0.2 mPD (ground surface at 4.2 to 3.6 mPD). Along Salisbury Road to Hung Hom Station groundwater levels vary from 1.7 to 1.4 mPD (ground surface and conditions similar to Middle Road).

In view of the extent of hardstanding throughout the area, variations in groundwater levels recorded are likely to predominantly be a result of tidal influence, with fluctuations reported to correlate with tidal changes according to the geotechnical investigation.

4.7.6 Surface / Coastal Waters

The TST area is heavily developed and predominantly covered by buildings and hardstanding. Surface water run-off therefore discharges to storm water sewers and into Victoria Harbour. No surface water courses are present within the area of the East Rail Extension.

Victoria Harbour is within 50m (at its closest point) of the Extension, which was gazetted as the Victoria Harbour (Phase 2) Water Quality Zone in 1995 under the Water Pollution Control Ordinance.

Water quality within Victoria Harbour is affected by industrial, sewage and cooling water discharges. A sewage outfall, located off TST promenade discharges into Victoria Harbour and monitoring results reported within the EPD Marine Water Quality Report (1997) indicate non compliance with Water Quality Objectives (WQOs) for total inorganic nitrogen and an increasing trend in E-coli concentrations, which were also exceeded.

4.8 Waste Management

4.8.1 Assessment Factors

The assessment and evaluation of environmental impacts from waste generation is based on three factors:

i. the type and rate of waste generated;

ii. the amount of main waste types generated; and

iii. the proposed reuse, backfilling, storage, transport, treatment and disposal methods, and the impacts of these methods.

4.8.2 Prediction and Evaluation of Impacts

The nature and amount of the waste arising from the construction of the Project and the potential environmental impacts which may arise from their handling, storage, transport and disposal are discussed in detail under the headings of each waste type. The criteria for evaluating waste management implications are taken from Annex 7 of the TMEIA. The types of waste arising and the disposal options are discussed below:

4.8.3 Public Fill

Public fill materials will, where practicable, be reused in abutments and miscellaneous work such as landscaping, whilst excess materials comprising of inert rock and sand will be taken to reclamation sites or public filling areas as advised by the Fill Management Committee. Given the inert nature of this material, reuse on-site or in reclamation construction is unlikely to have any unacceptable environmental impacts relating to its disposal. However, the handling and transportation of this material will require assessment and evaluation to determine the most favourable options. Given the location of the project, transportation by barge would be favoured providing suitable handling arrangements can be determined.

4.8.4 Construction and Demolition Waste

The storage, handling, transport and disposal of construction and demolition wastes have the potential to create similar visual, water, dust and associated traffic impacts to those associated with the storage and disposal of excavated materials as described above. However, the impacts related to demolition wastes will potentially be greater than those relating to construction because of the larger volumes to be handled, the dust generating nature of the materials and the activities necessary to sort and store demolition wastes. As such, consideration should also be given to demolition wastes.

The only source of demolition waste is from the works associated with the existing Hung Hom Station. It should be determined, prior to demolition, whether any of the materials comprising the demolition wastes are asbestos materials. If this is the case, an asbestos abatement plan must be drafted including specific mitigation measures relating to asbestos removal and disposal.

The disposal of construction and demolition wastes is unlikely to raise any long term concerns because of the nature of most construction wastes. In accordance with an EPD policy, implemented to conserve void space at landfill sites, construction waste must not be disposed of at a landfill site if it contains more than 20% inert material by volume. Segregation of wastes at construction sites therefore is necessary before disposing of inert materials at public filling areas for reclamation works and putrescible materials at controlled landfill sites. The segregation of materials to prevent wastes from going to landfill will also assist in minimising costs should landfill charges be introduced.

Construction and demolition wastes currently form approximately 35% of the annual take-up of limited landfill void available in Hong Kong, although this proportion has varied over recent years. Therefore, it is important to minimise, wherever possible, the waste being delivered to landfill.

4.8.5 Marine Sediment

The construction of the proposed International Mail Centre Access Road, may involve a need to excavate and dispose of a very small quantity of marine sediments from one piling location. In view of known historic industrial discharges into Victoria Harbour, there is a potential that sediment materials are contaminated.

The quality, quantity and programme for the removal of sediment will be assessed in accordance with the EPD TC No. 1-1-92, Classification of Dredged Sediment for Marine Disposal. Sediment Quality

The EPD Marine Water Quality Report (1997) was reviewed to obtain preliminary data on the likelihood of sediment contamination. Analytical data for sediment samples collected within close proximity to the proposed location of the access road indicated that materials would be classified as contaminated and would require special disposal requirements. Data is summarised within Table 4.8.1 below:

Table 4.8.1 Marine Sediment Quality

^Determinand	^{Concentration}	^{Classification according to}^{Technical Circular No. 1-1-92}
Cadmium	0.0-0.9 mg/kg	A
Chromium	0-49 mg/kg	A
Copper	³65 mg/kg	C
Lead	0-64 mg/kg	A
Mercury	0-0.7 mg/kg	A
Nickel	0-34 mg/kg	A
Zinc	0-140 mg/kg	A
PCBs	11-20 mg/kg	**
PAHs	>200 mg/kg	**

**no criteria quoted within the Technical Circular.

The guideline values (metal) detailed within the EPD Technical Circular are presented within Appendix E. For the 7 metals analysed, all results were grouped as Class A (uncontaminated), except for copper which is Class C (unsuitable for normal marine disposal). Values for organic determinands (PAHs, PCBs) are not defined within No. 1-1-92. It is also noted that a new sediment management framework will be in place in the year 2002.

One of the supporting columns of the proposed access road is in the Harbour water. The potential impact on the sediment regime in Victoria Harbour will be assessed.

4.8.6 Chemical Waste

Chemical wastes may pose serious environmental and health and safety hazards if not stored and disposed of in an appropriate manner as outlined in the Chemical Waste Regulations and the Code of Practice on the Packaging, Labelling and storage of Chemical Wastes (Chemical Waste COP). The hazards include.

i. toxic effects to workers;

ii. adverse effects on air, water and land from spills;

iii. fire hazards; and

iv. biological disruption to sewage treatment works where waste enters the sewage system.

Chemical wastes will arise principally as a result of maintenance activities. It is difficult to quantify the amount of chemical wastes which will arise from construction activities since it will be highly dependent on the Contractor’s on-site maintenance intentions and the amount of plant and vehicles utilised.

4.8.7 General Refuse

The storage of general refuse has the potential to give rise to adverse environmental impacts. These include odour if waste is not collected frequently, windblown litter, water quality impacts if waste enters water bodies and visual impact. The sites may also attract pests, vermin and other disease vectors if the waste storage area is not well maintained and cleaned regularly. In addition, disposal of wastes, at sites other than approved landfills, can also lead to similar adverse impacts at those sites.

4.9 Archaeology and Cultural Heritage

The Archaeological and Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment programme comprised four tasks as follows:

4.9.1 Data Collection

This task involved the collection of data regarding the geology and geomorphology of the area including: geological maps, borehole data, early maps of the area and aerial photographs. The data has been used to reconstruct the topography and landforms within the study area at various times during history and prehistory. Information has also been collated regarding historic land use and any possible structural remains, which may be under the present surface.

A desktop study was conducted by consulting several libraries, archives and offices that hold information regarding the Study Area. These included the Antiquities and Monuments Office, the Lands Department, the Public Records Office, the Hong Kong History Museum and libraries at Hong Kong University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Some data was graphic in nature (e.g., historic maps and aerial photographs) while other data was more documentary (e.g., archival records and historic anecdotes). To better understand the cultural significance of the sites in question, this data was complemented with architectural information that helps place the sites in a proper contemporary context.

4.9.2 Detailed Field Evaluation and Watching Brief Programme

To assess the value of relevant archaelogical and cultural heritage sites, it was fundamental to visit the Study Area and understand the remaining historic fabric of the sites that are potentially impacted by the proposed development. An initial reconnaissance-level survey of the site was made and then, having studied historic maps and aerial photographs, significant landscape features and historic objects were studied in subsequent visits. The Signal Hill Tower was examined carefully to better comprehend its technological, stylistic and structural nature. Other structures and objects at the Signal Hill site and adjacent to it within the Study Area were also scrutinised, which has seen dramatic landscape changes, especially since 1907 when the Tower was erected. Field investigations supplemented the desktop study.

A programme of field evaluation of impacted areas of Signal Hill has been designed. In addition, a programme has been outlined for the monitoring and retrieval of data and archaeological material within an urban development context.

4.9.3 Assessment of Archaeological Potential

Data from the previous tasks has been examined in the light of the planned engineering works and a map of archaeological potential prepared indicating areas where deposits might be expected to occur, and the potential nature of the deposits.

4.9.4 Assessment of Potential Impacts on Archaeological Resources and Sites of Cultural Heritage

To the extent possible with currently available documentation, attempt has been made to ascertain the areas of potential effect implied by the proposed developments. However, a truly comprehensive inventory of potential impacts has been limited by the following factors:

^i.^{access
to the site's entirety was denied (e.g., for safety reasons, not being able to
access the steep, extreme southern end of the Signal Hill site); and}

^ii.^{some
of those impacts (e.g., from possible blasting and tunnelling) are of a
geotechnical nature, and require attention by design consultants during the
detailed design to minimise any
potential damage to the historic structure of Signal Hill.}

4.9.5 Mitigation Measures

Recommendations for Mitigation: The levels of impact which result from the various planned works have been considered in terms of the assigned levels of archaeological potential. After consultation with the AMO, recommendations have been made for mitigation of these impacts. The mitigation required could include field evaluation of areas of Signal Hill which might be affected by the works and a watching brief to be carried out during the excavation and construction phase of the engineering works.

Attempt has been made to use the conclusions derived from the analysis of this archaeology and cultural heritage assessment as a basis for further debate and discussion among the relevant authorities concerning the future use of the sites in question. The proposed mitigation measures are meant to protect the affected sites of cultural heritage and to enhance their meaning for the general public.

4.10 Landscape and Visual Issues

4.10.1 Landscape Impact Assessment

The assessment of the potential impacts of a proposed scheme on the existing landscape comprises two distinct sections :

^i.^{baseline
survey; and}

^ii.^{potential
landscape impacts assessment.}

A baseline survey of the existing landscape character and quality has been undertaken from site inspections and desktop surveys. Landscape elements considered include :

^·^{local
topography;}

^·^{woodland
extent and type;}

^·^{other
vegetation types;}

^·^built
form;

^·^{patterns
of settlement;}

^·^{land
use, including open space;}

^·^{details
of local materials, styles, streetscapes, etc.;}

^·^{prominent
watercourses; and}

^·^{cultural
and religious identity.}

Confirmed developments either within the Study Area or adjacent to it are also considered. The baseline survey will form the basis of the landscape context by describing broadly homogenous units of similar character. The landscape character is rated into low, medium or high depending not only on the quality of elements present but also their sensitivity to change and local or regional importance. The quality of the landscape is not only related to its visual amenity.

The assessment of the potential landscape impacts of the proposals will result from

^i.^{identification
of the sources of impact, and their magnitude, that would be generated during
construction and operation of the scheme; and}

^ii.^{identification
of the principal landscape impacts, primarily in consideration of the degree of
change to the baseline conditions. The
impacts are considered systematically in terms of the landscape elements, the
site and its context.}

The overall landscape impact is a product of the following factors :

^·^{the
landscape character and its quality;}

^·^{source,
nature and magnitude of potential impacts;}

^·^{the
degree of change caused by each of the impacts to the existing landscape;}

^·^{tolerance
of the landscape to absorb the change;}

^·^{significance
of this change in consideration of the local and regional areas and other
developments;}

^·^{cumulative
effects on the landscape of this and neighbouring proposals; and}

^·^{identification
of plant species of significant value which should be conserved.}

The degree of impact is defined in Table 4.10.1 as follows:

Table 4.10.1 Landscape Impact Assessment Definition

^{Negative / Beneficial Impacts}
Significant:	Moderate:	Slight:	Negligible:
adverse/beneficial impact where the proposal would cause significant deterioration or improvement in existing landscape quality	adverse/beneficial impact where the proposal would cause a noticeable deterioration or improvement in existing landscape quality	adverse/beneficial impact where the proposal would cause a barely perceptible deterioration or improvement in the existing landscape quality	no discernible change in the existing landscape quality

The analysis of the degree of impact is based on the following matrix, Table 4.10.2:

Table 4.10.2 Landscape Impact Assessment Matrix

	High	Moderate Impact	Moderate / Significant Impact	Significant Impact
MAGNITUDE OF CHANGE	Medium	Slight / Moderate Impact	Moderate Impact	Moderate / Significant Impact
	Low	Slight Impact	Slight / Moderate Impact	Moderate Impact
		Low	Medium	High
		SENSITIVITY / QUALITY

The above matrix will apply in the assessment of the majority of situations, however, in certain cases a deviation form this may occur, e.g. the impact may be so major that a significant impact may occur to a low quality element.

4.10.2 Visual Impact Assessment

The assessment of the potential visual impact of the scheme comprises two distinct parts :

i. baseline survey; and

ii. visual impact assessment.

The baseline survey of all views towards the proposals is undertaken by identifying:

^·^{the
visual envelope or visual zone within which the proposed development may be
contained either wholly or partially within views. This must also include indirect effects such as off-site
construction activities; and}

^·^{the
visually sensitive receivers (VSRs) within the visual envelope whose views will
be affected by the scheme.}

The potential receivers are considered as three groups:

i. views from residences - the most sensitive of receivers due to the high potential of intrusion on the visual amenity and quality of life,

ii. view from workplaces - less sensitive than above due to visual amenity being less important within the work environment; and

iii. views from public areas - including all areas apart from the above, e.g., public parks, recreation grounds, footpaths, roads, harbour, etc. Sensitivity of this group depends on the transitory nature of the receiver, e.g. sitting in a park or travelling on a highway. Also considered is the degree of view or glimpsed views.

The sensitivity of each group is also influenced by its location and direction of view relative to the scheme. Typical viewpoints from within each of the visually sensitive groups are identified and their views described. Both present and future visually sensitive receivers will be considered.

The baseline survey will form the basis of the visual character and quality of the site. The assessment of the potential visual impacts will result from:

i. identification of the sources of visual impacts, and their magnitude, that would be generated during construction and operation of the scheme; and,

ii. identification of the principal visual impacts primarily in consideration of the degree of change to the baseline conditions.

The impact assessment will relate to the typical viewpoints within the visual receiver group, as identified previously, and their existing and potential views subsequent to the scheme development. The visual impact will result from consideration of the following:

^·^{character
of existing view;}

^·^{quality
of existing view;}

^·^{context
and location of the visually sensitive receiver;}

^·^{visual
receiver group sensitivity;}

^·^{degree
of change to existing views;}

^·^{other
views available to visual receiver group; and}

^·^{the
cumulative effects on views of this and other neighbouring developments.}

The degree of visual impact is rated in a similar fashion to the landscape impact, i.e. significant, moderate, slight and negligible. The impacts may be beneficial or adverse.

4.10.3 Mitigation Measures

The identification of the landscape and visual impacts will highlight those sources of conflict requiring design solutions or modifications to reduce the impacts, and, if possible, blend the development and associated activities in with the surrounding landscape. These mitigation measures should take into account factors including :

^·^{woodland,
tree and shrub planting of new or disturbed slopes, amenity strips and areas,
central reservations and adjacent to any new structures;}

^·^{consideration
of the contouring of new slopes in order to blend them in with the existing
topography;}

^·^{earth
mounding and screening, structural or vegetated;}

^·^{highlighting
unacceptable impacts and considering alternative scheme proposals;}

^·^{treatment
of structural forms;}

^·^{hard
landscape, furniture and other landscape; and}

^·^{significant
landscape elements.}

This will result in the formation of landscape mitigation proposals, which will alleviate the previously identified landscape and visual impacts as far as possible.

4.10.4 Residual Impact

The Residual Impacts are those that remain after the proposed mitigation measures have been implemented. This is often 10 to 15 years after the proposed scheme has been open to normal operation when the soft landscape mitigation measures are deemed to have reached a level of maturity which allows them to perform their original design objectives.

The level of impact is derived from the degree or magnitude of change that the proposals would cause to the view that would have existed during this period if the proposed scheme had not been constructed. This concerns the quality of the landscape and its sensitivity or ability to tolerate change, and takes into account the beneficial effects of the proposed mitigation. The degree of impact is derived from the following matrix:

The degree of impact is considered as follows:

Table 4.10.3 Degree of Residual Impact

High	Acceptable with mitigation	Unacceptable / acceptable with mitigation	Unacceptable
Medium	Acceptable / acceptable with mitigation	Acceptable with mitigation	Unacceptable / acceptable with mitigation
Low	Acceptable	Acceptable / acceptable with mitigation	Acceptable with mitigation
None	Low	Medium	High
Sensitivity	Quality of View or Landscape Character that would have existed

The acceptability of the residual impact is considered as follows:

Table 4.10.4 Acceptability of Residual Impact

Residual Impacts

Beneficial

The project will complement the landscape and visual character of its setting, will follow the relevant planning objectives and will improve overall and visual quality.

Acceptable

There will be no significant effects on the landscape, on significant visual effects caused by the appearance of the project, or no interference with key views.

Acceptable with mitigation

There will be some adverse effects, but these can be eliminated, reduced or offset to a large extent by specific measures.

Unacceptable

The adverse affects are considered too excessive and would not be reduced to an acceptable level by mitigation.

Undetermined

Significant adverse effects are likely but the extent to which they may occur or may be mitigated cannot be determined from the study. Further detailed study will be required for the specific effects in question.

Alignment Construction

The alignment construction at Worksite 2 without mitigation would result in exceedances of 3 to 6dB(A) at N1. The noise impacts are due to site preparation and concreting.

ETS Construction

The ETS construction at Worksite 5A without mitigation would result in 3dB(A) exceedances at N3 due to the excavation activity (drill and blast). The Mariner’s Club would provide effective protection to N3 against the noise from the ETS construction. There would be 7 - 14dB(A) exceedances at N4 due to the ETS construction at Worksite 5A.

For the ETS construction at Worksite 5 which is adjacent to the Salisbury Road Underpass, there would be 1-9dB(A) exceedances at the eastern facade of N2, due to a range of activities for site preparation, station construction, grouting, sheet piling, etc.

Pedestrian Interchange Subway and Middle Road Station Entrances Construction

Due to the proximity of NSRs to the pedestrian interchange subway construction along Mody Road (Worksite 7), the un-mitigated construction activities would lead to exceedances of 2 - 7dB(A) at N5, 22 - 27dB(A) at N6, 19 - 24dB(A) at N8, 21 - 26dB(A) at N9, N13 and N14 and 20 -25dB(A) at N10.

The construction of the Middle Road Station Entrances without noise mitigation would result in exceedances of 11 - 17dB(A) at N4 as a result of close proximity distance for the site and the NSR.

5.2.3 Review of Possible Mitigation Options

Possible mitigation options are discussed in Appendix D9 in terms of their typical noise attenuation effectiveness and applicability for this project. Identified constraints or limitations of use for specific measures as well as the ease of implementation in actual practice are addressed. Some are the outcome of consultation with government departments (i.e. EPD and FSD), KCRC and the detailed design consultants. The options reviewed have been categorised into the following hierarchy according to the approach of noise control :

^·^{At
Source (S) - Reduction of Plant Number, Use of Quiet Plant, Alternative
Construction Methods, Reduction of Plant Operating Time.}

^·^{Along
Propagation Path (P) - Portable Noise Barriers, Fixed or Movable Enclosures,
Acoustic Shrouds, Full Decking.}

^·^{At
Receiver (R) - Indirect Technical Remedies by means of Improved Window Glazing
and Air-conditioning.}

^·^{Management
(M) - Contractual Control, e.g. Use of Specialized Equipment, Particular
Contract Specification in Terms of Environmental Noise Limits.}

It is anticipated that by reducing the plant quantity, using quiet plant, and using portable noise barriers, it would be sufficient to mitigate the noise impacts of the railway alignment construction. This is verified in the options evaluation in Section 5.2.4. A typical example of a portable noise barrier is provided in Figure 5.5. The actual design and construction can be determined by the Contractor. It is recommended that such a barrier should be constructed of panels or materials with a superficial density of at least 20 kg/m². Its maximum practical height should be no more than 3 m above ground, to ensure compliance with wind loading, structural stability and safety issues when in use.

However, the above measures will not be adequate for mitigating the impacts of the pedestrian interchange subway and the Middle Road Station Entrances construction, which are over 10dB(A) for most cases and substantial measures will be required. Although a full enclosure is normally an appropriate solution for mitigating such severe exceedances, there will be practical difficulties for its use. The key constraints upon its practicality are illustrated in Figure 5.6 with details given in Appendix D9. These include that the enclosure would be very close to windows of the lower floor residential units, imposing nuisance and a safety risk to these residents in the event of fire or accident. A full enclosure would limit the access of fire engines and the use of fire fighting water hoses as there would be insufficient room outside of the enclosure. The use of the enclosure will also constrain the construction works and prolong the construction period.

As stated earlier a bored tunnel option has also been reviewed with details given in Appendix D9. It is not considered to be practical or appropriate.

The EIA identified that a conventional mitigation approach will be unable to achieve the required noise reductions, therefore, a number of specific measures will be implemented by KCRC, which are summarized below with details being further described in Appendix D9 :

^·^{more
refined phasing and sequencing of construction activities;}

^·^{use
of electrically driven plant whenever practicable;}

^·^{eliminate
mobile generators through the use of temporary mains supply;}

^·^{use
of containers to accommodate concrete pumping equipment;}

^·^{use
of alternative construction plant which is quieter;}

^·^{use
of shrouds to mitigate noise wherever possible; and}

^·^{fully
decking of the worksite during excavation and subway box construction.}

5.2.4 Mitigation Options Evaluation

Prediction details for different combinations of noise mitigation measures being incorporated are given in Appendix D9.

Alignment Construction

Table 5.5a demonstrates that by reducing the plant quantity, using quiet plant, and using portable noise barriers, the noise impact of the railway alignment construction (refers to N1 for Worksite 2) would be fully mitigated.

ETS Construction

Table 5.5a also demonstrates that with the above measures, the noise impact of ETS construction (refers to Worksites 5/5A) would be fully mitigated at N3, but there would be 2 - 4dB(A) residual exceedances at N2 due to grouting, sheet piling and road reinstatement of Worksite 5; and 6 - 9dB(A) residual exceedances at N4 due to site preparation, excavation (drill & blast) and station construction of Worksite 5A.

Pedestrian Interchange Subway and Middle Road Station Entrances Construction

Table 5.5b shows that with the KCRC specific measures, the residual exceedances of the pedestrian interchange subway construction (Worksite 7) along Mody Road would be within 10dB(A) except for N6 and N16 where there could be 11dB(A) residual exceedances. For the construction activities to be undertaken in Middle Road (Worksite 6), the residual exceedances would be within 5dB(A).

It should be noted that the specific measures would further reduce the maximum residual exceedances by 10dB(A) when compared with the combined measures of reduced plant quantity, quiet plant, and the use of portable noise barriers. (see Appendix D9 for details).

It is anticipated that the above residual impacts will be unable to be mitigated adequately for achieving the TMEIA requirements, therefore, KCRC have confirmed that indirect technical remedies (ITR) will be utilised as the last resort to mitigate the residual noise impacts. The ITR is the provision of suitable window glazing and air conditioning to the affected NSRs during the construction period. It will be put in place before the construction phase of the works which cause the residual exceedances.

The ITR implementation is expected to involve the following tasks :

^·^{devise
the ITR reimbursement scheme;}

^·^{set
criteria for identifying households which are qualified for the ITR}

^·^{identify
households which are qualified for the ITR;}

^·^{advise
the qualified households of the ITR scheme;}

^·^{assess
the existing insulation conditions of the qualified households by Quantity
/Building Surveyors;}

^·^{confirm
to the qualified households the reimbursement to which they are entitled; and}

^·^{recommend
a list of KCRC approved Contractors to the qualified households for undertaking
the ITR work.}

Table 5.5a Residual Noise Exceedances and Duration with Reduced Plant Quantity, Use of Quiet Plant and Portable Noise Barriers (Worksites 2, 5 & 5A)

^NSRs	^N1	^N2	^N3	^N4
^{Work Site}
^Activity	²	⁵	^5A	^5A
Site Preparation	-	-	-	6 (5.6)
Excavation (Drill and Blast)	N/A	N/A	N/A	8 (14)
Station Construction	-	-	-	9 (11)
Grouting	N/A	4 (28)	N/A	N/A
Concreting	-	N/A	-	-
Sheet Piling - Oscillating	N/A	2 (28)	N/A	N/A
Diaphragm Walling	N/A	-	N/A	N/A
Road Decking	N/A	-	N/A	N/A
Excavation (at surface)	N/A	-	N/A	N/A
Subway/Tunnel Box Construction	N/A	-	N/A	N/A
Backfilling	N/A	-	-	N/A
Road Reinstatement	N/A	3 (28)	N/A	N/A

Notes: N/A: Not applicable
( ) exceedance duration in months - NB The durations for N2 are not cumulative
- indicates no exceedances above the 75dB(A) noise criterion

Table 5.5b Residual Noise Exceedances and Duration with KCRC Specific Measures (Worksites 6 & 7)

NSRs	N4		N6/N16		N7/N8
Work Site	6S		7N/7M		7E/7D
Activity	dB(A)	Months	dB(A)	Months	dB(A)	Months
Pipe & Deck ^(a)	4	3.2	11	2.8	8	3.0
Construction ^(b)	1	6.7	8	4.9	4	5.4
Reinstatement ^(c)	4	3.7	11	2.3	8	2.8

Notes: (a) includes site preparation, pipe pile wall and road decking at different times.
(b) includes excavation, shoring and subway construction at different times.
(c) includes back filling and road reinstatement at different times.
NB The total duration of noise exceedance at NSRs will be equal to the sum of individual duration.

Table 5.5b (Con’t) Residual Noise Exceedances and Duration with KCRC Specific Measures (Worksites 6 & 7)

NSRs	N9		N10		N13		N14
Work Site	7C		7A		7G		7H
Activity	dB(A)	Months	dB(A)	Months	dB(A)	Months	dB(A)	Months
Pipe & Deck ^(a)	10	2.6	9	3.2	10	2.8	10	2.6
Construction ^(b)	7	4.6	6	4.9	7	5.1	7	4.9
Reinstatement ^(c)	10	2.3	9	2.8	10	2.8	10	2.3

Details of the reimbursement methods is subject to a further study under a separate KCRC contract. For identifying a household which is qualified for the ITR, the following criteria are proposed :

^·^{the
household is expected to be subject to a residual noise exceedance of 5dB(A) or
above; and}

^·^{the
duration of the residual noise impact at the building facade of that household
is 1 month or greater.}

The estimated number of households which would be qualified for the ITR according to the above criteria is 381 in terms of flats. This figure tends to be conservative as it does not preclude existing households which are fitted with air-conditioners. For details refer to Appendix D4.

5.2.5 Construction Noise Permit

In accordance with EPD’s advice, the Area Sensitive Rating for the NSRs located near Nathan Road (between Mody Road and Salisbury Road) and Mody Road (between Nathan Road and Chatham Road South) should be “B”. The predicted mitigated noise levels at these NSRs exceed the daytime noise criterion. It is envisaged that EPD would reject the applications for CNPs for evening and night-time works as the noise criteria for these time periods are more stringent than daytime.

5.2.6 Cumulative Impacts

Cumulative impact on N4 is expected due to combined worksite activities. N4 will be impacted by the Worksites 5A and 6 due to the close distances to the two sites. The predicted noise level at N4 has subsequently been increased by 3dB(A) as appropriate.

The assessment of noise impacts from the construction of Salisbury Road Underpass has been undertaken previously and reported in the EIA for Salisbury Road Underpass and Associated Road Improvement Works - Final EIA Report, Maunsell, March 1999. In accordance with the EIA report, there will be no adverse construction noise impacts expected at the buildings close to the site as all nearest buildings are centrally air conditioned and do not rely on openable windows for ventilation. If based on an estimated total sound power level of 122 dB(A) due to the construction of Salisbury Road Underpass, the predicted noise levels of Salisbury Road Underpass construction are in the range of 60 – 67dB(A) at the nearby NSRs N4 and N14. Compared to the noise levels from the East Rail Extension construction, which are in a range of 76 - 86 dB(A), the impact of the road works would be insignificant.

5.2.7 Recommended Noise Mitigation

The following noise mitigation measures are recommended in four distinct levels.

Level 1 - Good site practices and noise management techniques

Level 2 - Use of movable noise barriers and site hoarding;
Use of quiet PME and working methods; and
Reduction of number of plant to be used on site where practical

Level 3 - KCRC specific measures

Level 4 - Use of indirect technical remedies.

5.2.7.1 Levels 1 and 2

Both Levels 1 and 2 mitigation are on site measures necessary to avoid uncontrolled noise impacts, and will be implemented for all worksites except Worksites 6 and 7. Details of good site practice and management are described below. As their noise reduction benefits can vary according to specific site conditions and operations, they cannot be assumed to guarantee a particular level of noise reduction.

i. Only well-maintained plant should be operated on-site and plant should be serviced regularly during the construction programme;

ii. Machines and plant (such as trucks, cranes) that may be in intermittent use should be shut down between work periods or should be throttled down to a minimum;

iii. Plant known to emit noise strongly in one direction, where possible, be orientated so that the noise is directed away from nearby NSRs;

iv. Silencers or mufflers on construction equipment should be properly fitted and maintained;

v. Mobile plant should be sited as far away from NSRs as possible; and

vi. Material stockpiles and other structures should be effectively utilised, where practicable, to screen noise from on-site construction activities.

5.2.7.2 Level 3

The KCRC specific measures will be implemented for Worksites 6 and 7. They can be summarized as follows :

i. more refined phasing and sequencing of construction activities;

ii. use of electrically driven plant whenever practicable;

iii. eliminate mobile generators through the use of temporary mains supply;

iv. use of containers to accommodate concrete pumping equipment;

v. use of alternative construction plant which is quieter;

vi. use of shrouds to mitigate noise wherever possible;

vii. full decking of the worksite during excavation and subway box construction.

5.2.7.3 Level 4

The extent of ITR will be subject to a further site investigation under a separate KCRC contract. The ITR will be put in place prior to the commencement of the works which cause residual exceedances (see Implementation Schedule for details). The current estimation of the ITR requirements is summarized in Table 5.6 below, it is subject to verification through the detailed design process. References can be drawn from the TMEIA and the HKPSG for details regarding different insulation categories.

Table 5.6 Recommended Glazing Upgrading Requirements

^{Noise Sensitive Receivers}		^{Street adjacent to the Facades of the Building which Require ITR}	^{Recommended ITR Glazing Type† *}	^{Estimated Number of Flats Requiring ITR}
N4	Far East Mansion	Middle Road	I	51
N6	Minden House	Minden & Blenheim Avenues	II	8
N7	No.30 Mody Road	Mody Road	I	6
N8	No. 18 Mody Road	Mody Road	I	6
N9	Peninsula Apartment	Mody Road	II	54
N10	Mirador Mansion	Mody Road	I	52
N13	Ocean View Court - Western facade	Mody Road	II	80
N14	Ocean View Court - Eastern facade	Mody & Chatham Roads	II	80
N16	Lyton Building	Mody & Chatham Road	II	44
Estimated Total No. of Flats Requiring ITR				381

^{†Type I - openable well-gasketted window, 6mm pane, or transmission
loss (TL) of 28dB or above in 250Hz octave-band and sound transmission class
(STC) 31 or above.}

^{Type II - openable well-gasketted window, 8mm pane, or TL of 32dB or
above in 250Hz octave-band and STC 34 or above.}

^{* Glazing type for the worst affected flat and it is subject to
further verification under a separate KCRC Contract .}

5.2.8 Construction Noise Monitoring

It is recommended that the construction noise should be monitored during the entire construction period. This ensures that the construction noise fully complies with the TMEIA requirements. The recommended monitoring schedule in terms of monitoring stations, frequency of both baseline and impact noise monitoring, methodology, etc. are provided in the EM&A Manual (Appendix I). The recommended noise monitoring stations are chosen from the impact prediction points of the EIA. They are subject to further review by the Independent Environmental Checker, EPD and the Contractor’s environmental team, depending on their accessibility, availability and so on.

5.3 Operational Phase

5.3.1 Fixed Plant Noise

Noise generation from fixed plant associated with an underground railway is principally associated with tunnel ventilation. The technical scope of this study is to determine, through the use of standard acoustic principles, a maximum at-source noise level specification to ensure acceptability in the receiving environment. The specifications will be used by the system designers to provide adequate mitigation within the systems.

Several tunnel ventilation shafts shall be required along the TST Extension. Eight sets of ventilation shafts have been identified and considered in this assessment. These are located at Mody Road, Hanoi Road, Middle Road Children’s Playground, Wing On Plaza Garden and close to the Hong Kong Coliseum (Figure 5.2). There will also be a traction substation at Ho Man Tin located to the north of the interchange between Chatham Road North and Princess Margaret Road (Figure 5.3 ).

Prediction of Impacts

The noise specifications for each potential source of fixed plant noise have been determined by considering the maximum permissible sound power levels (SWL) to achieve compliance with the relevant noise criteria at the nearest NSR. In the predictions, assuming no intermittent or tonal sources, corrections have been included for separation distance and facade reflection.

Table 5.7 presents the maximum permissible SWLs for each of the East Rail Extension fixed plant noise sources required to ensure compliance with Annex 5 of the TMEIA.

Table 5.7 Maximum Permissible Sound Power Levels of TST Fixed Plant

^{Fixed Plant}	^{Nearest NSR}	^{Shortest Distance (m)}	^ASR^[1]	^{ANL-5 L}_eq(30min)^dB(A)	^{Permissible SWL dB(A)}
Vent Shaft 1	Mirador Mansion	6	B	50	71
Vent Shaft 5	No. 5-7 Chatham Road	67	B	50	86
Vent Shaft 8	No. 5-7 Chatham Road	53	B	50	84
Vent Shaft 6	Pak Sui Yuen	115	C	55	101
Vent Shaft 7	Ocean View Court	6	B	50	71
Traction Substation	Shun Man House	155	C	55	104

Note: [1] - Cross Harbour Tunnel Approach Road and Princess Margaret Road are considered to be Influencing Factors. In any event, the ASR assumed here is for indicative assessment only given the preliminary status of plant layout. It should be noted that fixed noise sources are controlled under section 13 of the NCO. Nothing in this report shall bind the Noise Control Authority in assessing noise from these sources upon receipt of complaints. EPD shall assess the noise impacts based on the contemporary conditions/situations.

Although the above permissible SWL would ensure the noise achieves the ANL-5 criterion, a general specification of 75dB(A) at 1 m from each vent shaft is recommended, except vent shafts 1 and 7 at Mody Road which require a more stringent limit of 71dB(A). These minimize the likelihood of noise nuisance in public open areas due to the vent shafts.

Mitigation For Ventilation Shafts and Buildings

Ventilation fan noise, and consequently vent noise is characterised primarily by turbulent air flow and tonal noise. Turbulent air flow can be minimised by careful consideration of the fan positioning, avoiding areas where turbulence is likely to occur such as close to heaters, coolers or ductwork bends. Tonal noise can be minimised by optimising the fan speed and pitch of the blades. Where more than one fan is used, fan speeds should be selected to prevent low frequency noise being generated.

Fan noise can be reduced further by providing an acoustic enclosure and fitting silencers. Noise emanating from vents can further be reduced by fitting attenuators.

All fans should be maintained in good working condition to prevent any unnecessary noise such as the high frequency whine that can be generated by worn bearings.

Mitigation For Traction Substation

Noise from traction substations can be minimised by providing acoustic enclosures around transformers, particularly the cooling fans, and ensuring that all equipment is maintained in good working condition.

5.3.2 Train Operational Noise

Potential Impacts

The proposed alignment for the East Rail Extension begins southward at the KCR Kowloon (Hung Hom) Station. Heading south-west, the alignment descends from the existing station platform and passes over the Cross Harbour Tunnel, after which it continues to descend along Salisbury Road until it reaches a rail level of approximately -8mPD near the Wing On Centre (at a depth of approximately 13m from the ground surface). No airborne noise will arise from the underground rail alignment. Only a short section of the alignment is above ground near Kowloon (Hung Hom) Station Podium, but the train noise will be screened by the tunnel wall, thus eliminating noise impacts to the nearby NSRs. Assessment has been made for this above ground railway alignment (Figure 5.4 ).

Train System

In accordance with the PER, the headways before 0700 and after 2400 are considered to be roughly 2 - 3 minutes for the East Rail Extension. Therefore, there will be 10 - 15 trains per half-hour for the night-time period.

The NSRs that would be affected by train noise impacts have been identified as the south-eastern facades of Pak Sui Yuen (Figure 5.4 ). The ASR for this NSR should be “C” as the Cross Harbour Tunnel Approach Road is considered as an Influencing Factor. The facade noise levels were predicted at this selected location in order to determine the train noise impacts.

Prediction of Impacts

A spreadsheet was constructed, based on the methodology described in Section 4.4.3, to predict the train noise levels at the identified NSR. Detailed sample calculations are presented in Appendix D1. The predicted night-time noise level (L_eq,30min) due to airborne noise at the NSR is 59 dB(A) which has been corrected for facade reflection, and based on a 100 kph train speed for a conservative noise prediction. It is within the night-time ANL of 60dB(A) in terms of L_eq,30min for Area Sensitivity Rating C.

5.3.2.1 Groundborne Noise

The railway alignment will run from Hung Hom Station to East Tsim Sha Tsui Station through a cut-and-cover tunnel box, which will be located beneath the Victoria Harbour side of Salisbury Road. The tunnel box will be founded on soft fill, sandy silt and alluvium, with the rock head at a depth significantly below that of the tunnel invert. There will be a double crossover located opposite the Empire Building. The structure of primary concern from a ground and structure radiated noise standpoint along this track section is the Kowloon Shangri-la Hotel.

Given the set back distance and geology, groundborne noise and vibration impacts on the Kowloon Shangri-la or any other adjacent structure are not anticipated from the train operations, therefore, no restrictions on trackform are recommended. The double crossover is located diagonally to the south east of the hotel, but at considerable setback; thus, it is not likely that floating slab track (FST) would be required under this special trackwork. However, given the increase in vibration due to passage of trains over the points and crossings, and the sensitivity of the Kowloon Shangri-la, further consideration of the crossover trackform type should occur during detailed design.

The Sheraton Hotel, the New World Hotel and the Mariners Club may be affected by the track over run. The Sheraton Hotel will be the closest to the alignment. As the rock head through this track section will be just below the cut-and cover tunnel box, which will be founded on soft fill, sandy silt and alluvium, there is a potential that groundborne noise levels within the guest rooms of the hotel may exceed the 30dB(A) noise criterion. Therefore, it is recommended that FST be installed through the East Tsim Sha Tsui Station and the track over run in order to protect these properties from the ground borne noise and vibration during train operations. However, the extent and appropriate design of FST will be undertaken during detailed design.

^{Air Sensitive Receivers}	^{Salisbury Road Underpass and Haul Roads (1) (}^m^g/m3)	^{East Rail Extension (1) (2) (}^m^g/m3)	^{Cumulative Impact of Underpass and the East Rail (1) (}^m^g/m3)
A1 International Mail Centre	98	133	144
A2 Pak Sui Yeun	101	175	189
A3 Fire Services Headquarters	103	175	191
A4 Chinachem Golden Plaza	102	131	146
A5 Hotel Nikko Hong Kong	105	220	238
A6 South Seas Centre	105	88	105
A7 Grand Standard Harbour View Hotel	109	177	198
A8 Urban Council Centenary Garden	109	133	155
A9 Regal Meridien Hotel	113	88	114
A10 Empire Centre	116	133	162
A11 Royal Garden Hotel	119	88	120
A12 Tsim Sha Tsui Centre	139	177	229
A13 Houston Centre	133	88	133
A14 Shangri-la Hotel	206	179	298
A15 Wing On Plaza	293	137	343
A17 New World Centre	154	176	243
A18 Tokyu	208	176	297
A19 Hermes House	166	187	266
A20 Middle Road Car Park	260	187	359
A21 Far East Mansion	165	229	307
A22 Titus Square	149	229	291
A23 Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel	229	229	371
A24 Kowloon Hotel	130	273	316
A25 Peninsula Hotel	135	273	321
A26 Hankow Centre	111	141	164
A27 YMCA Building	114	141	167
A28 Hecny Tower	196	132	240
A29 Lyton Building	169	131	213
A30 Ocean View Court	174	131	218
A31 Continental Orient Commercial Centre	153	131	197
A32 Proposed LDC Redevelopment	144	131	188
A33 Proposed LDC Redevelopment	132	132	176
A34 CF Commercial Tower	146	132	190
A35 No. 5 Mody Road	123	133	169
A36 Peninsula Apartment	125	133	171
A37 Mirador Mansion	117	91	121
A38 Holiday Inn Hotel	117	91	121

^{Air Sensitive Receivers}	^{Salisbury Road Underpass and Haul Roads (1) (}^m^g/m3)	^{East Rail Extension (1) (2) (}^m^g/m3)	^{Cumulative Impact of Underpass and the East Rail (1) (}^m^g/m3)
A1 International Mail Centre	88	110	111
A2 Pak Sui Yeun	88	131	132
A3 Fire Services Headquarters	88	131	132
A4 Chinachem Golden Plaza	88	109	110
A5 Hotel Nikko Hong Kong	88	154	155
A6 South Seas Centre	88	87	89
A7 Grand Standard Harbour View Hotel	88	132	133
A8 Urban Council Centenary Garden	89	110	112
A9 Regal Meridien Hotel	89	87	90
A10 Empire Centre	89	110	112
A11 Royal Garden Hotel	90	87	90
A12 Tsim Sha Tsui Centre	90	132	135
A13 Houston Centre	92	87	92
A14 Shangri-la Hotel	95	133	141
A15 Wing On Plaza	139	112	164
A17 New World Centre	105	132	150
A18 Tokyu	102	132	146
A19 Hermes House	112	137	162
A20 Middle Road Car Park	108	137	157
A21 Far East Mansion	103	158	174
A22 Titus Square	94	158	165
A23 Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel	96	158	167
A24 Kowloon Hotel	91	180	184
A25 Peninsula Hotel	91	180	184
A26 Hankow Centre	89	114	116
A27 YMCA Building	89	114	116
A28 Hecny Tower	104	109	126
A29 Lyton Building	102	109	124
A30 Ocean View Court	102	109	124
A31 Continental Orient Commercial Centre	98	109	120
A32 Proposed LDC Redevelopment	95	109	117
A33 Proposed LDC Redevelopment	93	109	116
A34 CF Commercial Tower	95	109	117
A35 No. 5 Mody Road	93	110	115
A36 Peninsula Apartment	94	110	116
A37 Mirador Mansion	92	89	94
A38 Holiday Inn Hotel	93	89	95

7. Water Quality

7.1 Introduction

This section provides a detailed assessment of the potential water quality impacts associated with the construction and operation of the Project, based on the updated engineering design information provided by the KCRC.

The key focus of this section is to assess the potential generation and discharge of waste waters, which may cause adverse water quality impacts on water sensitive receivers (WSRs) if not properly controlled. Where appropriate, mitigation measures have been proposed to control all potential water quality impacts so that residual discharge levels meet the Technical Memorandum on Standards Discharged into Drainage and Sewerage Systems, Inland and Coastal Waters.

7.2 Construction Phase

Table 7.1 Summary Statistics of 1997 Water Quality of Victoria Harbour WCZ

		^{Victoria Harbour (Central)}
^Determinand		^VM4	^VM5
Temperature (°C)		23.1	23.1
		(16.6-27.6)	(16.7-27.6)1
Salinity (ppt)		30.6	30.5
		(27.1-32.8)	(26.1-32.7)
Dissoloved Oxygen (mg/L)		4.4	4.2
	Bottom	(3.2-6.7)	(3.0-5.6)
Dissolved Oxygen (% Saturation)		66	66
	Bottom	(54-85)	(52-78)
		61	58
		(48-88)	42-73)
pH		8.0	7.6
		(7.5-8.2)	(6.7-8.1)
Secchi Disc Depth (m)		2.5	2.2
		(1.2-4.5)	(4.5-4.0)
Turbidity (NTU)		4.0	4.3
		(1.9-8.8)	(1.5-7.2)
Suspended Solids (mg/L)		5.7	6.4
		(2.0-19.7)	(1.6-13.3)
5-day Biochemical Oxygen Demand (mg/L)		0.8	0.8
		(0.4-1.7)	(0.4-1.6)
Ammoniacal Nitrogen (mg/L)		0.27	0.27
		(0.09-0.38)	(0.07-0.40)
Unionized Ammonia (mg/L)		0.009	0.006
		(0.004-0.018)	(0.003-0.013)
Nitrite Nitrogen (mg/L)		0.01	0.02
		(<0.01-0.04)	(<0.01-0.04)
Nitrate Nitrogen (mg/L)		0.11	0.11
		(0.03-0.45)	(0.05-0.38)
Totoal Inorganic Nitrogen (mg/L)		0.40	0.40
		(0.24-0.57)	(0.25-0.53)
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (mg/L)		1.09	1.07
		(0.32-1.50)	(0.46-1.5)
Total Nitorgen (mg/L)		1.23	1.20
		(0.36-1.64)	(0.51-1.64)
Orthophoshate Phosphorus (mg/L)		0.05	0.05
		(0.03-0.08)	(0.02-0.08)
Total Phosphorus (mg/L)		0.10	0.11
		(0.06-0.18)	(0.06-0.22)
Silica (as SiO₂) mg/L)		1.1	1.2
		(0.5-2.0)	(0.5-2.2)
Chlorophyll-a (mg/L)		1.8	1.4
		(0.7-5.6)	(0.4-4.2)
Phaeo-pigment (mg/L)		1.2	0.9
		(0.2-2.9)	(0.2-2.2)
E.coli (cfu/100mL)		8159	7494
		(3567-19000)	(2400-22733)
Faecal Coliforms (cfu/100mL)		12948	13223
		(5200-39667)	(4333-44000)

Note : 1. Except as specified, data presented are depth-averaged data.

2. Data presented are annual arithmetic means except for e.coli and faecal coliforms which are geometric means.

3. Data enclosed in brackets indicate the ranges.

7.2.1 Water Sensitive Receivers (WSRs)

Water quality impacts resulting from the Project will be evaluated based on the proximity of WSRs, which have been identified in accordance with the TMEIA.

The receiving water body during the construction and operation of the works will be Victoria Harbour. Due to the highly urbanised nature of the Kowloon peninsula, there are no natural streams located within the Project construction area. There are, however, a number of seawater pumping stations and associated cooling water intakes along the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade for either the cooling systems of commercial buildings or domestic wastewater arising throughout the area. The WSRs could potentially be impacted by increases in suspended solids and associated siltation problems.

There are no marine biological SRs such as mariculture zones, commercial fisheries or shell fisheries in the vicinity of the Project. Victoria Harbour is considered to be of low relative sensitivity as a result of the existing poor water quality. However, by 2001 the SSDS Phase 1 will be in operation and water quality can be expected to improve significantly. It therefore important to prevent any further deterioration resulting from construction or operation of the Project.

There are nine cooling water intakes and outfalls near Grand Stanford Harbour View Hotel that will be directly affected by the TST Extension, as shown in Figure 7.2. The properties served by these intakes and outfalls include:

^·^Hotel
Nikko;

^·^{Chinachem
Golden Plaza;}

^·^{Royal
Garden Hotel;}

^·^{Regal
Meridian Hotel;}

^·^{Empire
Centre;}

^·^{South
Seas Centre;}

^·^{Grand
Stanford Harbour View Hotel;}

^·^{Hong
Kong Polytechnic University; and}

^·^{Queen
Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).}

As the proposed railway tunnel alignment conflicts with the present locations of these cooling mains, extensive diversion has been proposed to facilitate construction of the railway, which is also shown in Figure 7.2.

There is also a possible conflict between the existing East Tsim Sha Tsui 2590 mm x 2515 mm box culvert, which crosses Salisbury Road to its outfall near Empire Centre, and the proposed Project railway tunnel. The culvert will be required to be diverted 100 m westward along the north side of Salisbury Road to the west of Mody Lane near Tsim Sha Tsui Centre. The culvert can then traverse the Project tunnel to its outfall to the harbour. Since effluent from the existing cooling water outfalls is discharged directly into Victoria Harbour, the rediversion of the culvert will not cause further marine water quality impact.

The Project alignment will not lie adjacent to the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront. However, part of the alignment will be built next to the seaward side of the IMC. Eleven marine piles with a diameter of less than 1.5m will pass through the existing seawall. Although no contaminated mud is expected to be dredged, dewatering from piling on top of the existing seawall foundation may generate effluent containing high levels of suspended solids. This effluent will require settlement prior to discharge to remove suspended particulates.

7.2.2 Baseline Conditions

EPD's routine water quality monitoring programme data from stations VM4 and VM5 (Figure 7.1), which are nearest to the Project alignment, provides an acceptable reference of the baseline water quality for the Project. A summary of the most recently published EPD monitoring data (for 1997) collected at these stations are presented in Table 7.1.

The summary data indicate that Victoria Harbour is heavily influenced by freshwater discharges from stormwater drains and sewers, with E. coli numbers ranging from 2400 - 22,733 per 100 ml (the WQOs has no specification of E. coli for marine water). A large quantity of organic matter with high oxygen demand enters the water column from the sewers, resulting in oxygen depletion in the bottom layer of the water column, especially in the summer (when the vertical mixing is weak). Furthermore, due to the construction of Central Reclamation Phase I (CRI), the background level of the suspended solids fluctuated from 1.6 mg/l to 19.7 mg/l. The concentration levels of DO and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) range from 3 to 6.7 mg/l and from 0.4 to 1.7 mg/l respectively. The depth-averaged DO level was approximately 4.7 mg/l and BOD depth-averaged concentration was 0.8 mg/l (the WQOs has no specification of BOD for marine waters). These data indicate that the marine water quality near the coastline of Tsim Sha Tsui has been subjected to serious pollution from human activities.

7.2.3 Potential Sources of Construction Impacts

Potential water quality impacts arising from the construction of the Project are predicted to include the following:

^i.^{construction
runoff and drainage;}

^ii.^tunnelling;

^iii.^{excavation
and demolition materials;}

^iv.^{sewage
effluent; and}

^v.^{general
construction activities at the site, including water pollution from debris and
rubbish.}

7.2.4 Prediction of Impacts

Construction Runoff and Drainage

Construction Runoff

Runoff from construction sites may contain increased sediment loads, debris and various contaminants. Potential sources of water pollution from the Project runoff include :

i. runoff and erosion from site surfaces, drainage channels and earth working areas;

ii. any dewatering activities as a result of marine piling (adjacent to IMC);

iii. illegal discharge of bentonite slurries and other grouting materials;

iv. wash water from dust suppression sprays and wheel washing facilities; and

v. fuel, oil and lubricants from construction vehicles and equipment.

Construction runoff may cause physical, chemical and biological effects. Any increase in sediment loads and debris from the site could accumulate, leading to blocked channels, and associated local flooding when heavy rainfall occurs, as well as affecting the water quality in Victoria Harbour.

Chemical and biological effects may also arise as a result of construction runoff. Primary chemical effects may result from liquids containing significant quantities of concrete and cement derived materials, including concrete wash. These may include localised increases in turbidity and discolouration, localised elevations in pH, and accretion of pH solids. Bentonite slurry and other grouting material within runoff could also contribute to these chemical effects within the water column.

A number of secondary effects may also arise including:

i) toxic effects to marine biota due to elevated pH values;

ii) reduced decay rates of faecal micro-organisms due to decreased light penetration; and

iii) a localised increase in the proportion of un-ionised ammonia.

Drainage

Drainage along the alignment of the TST Extension comprises storm water pipes, local highway drainage and foul sewers. The storm water drainage system along Salisbury Road discharges to Victoria Harbour via three main drainage outfalls, while the sewers connect to a screening plant in East Tsim Sha Tsui. The drainage along Hankow Road and Kowloon Park Drive connects into the Middle Road drainage system which connects into the main drainage system in Nathan Road and eventually discharges to Victoria Harbour.

Most of the foul sewers will be retained without diversion. About 10 storm water drains will require replacement or diversion. The need for temporary construction stage diversions of storm, water drains and the re-alignment of sewers have been identified in the Drainage Impact Assessment by Maunsell⁵, KCRC Extension to Tsim Sha Tsui, Phase II (Part 1), Report KD2, Highways, 1996. These include :

i. the diversion of the East Tsim Sha Tsui box culvert 100 m westward along Salisbury Road, a 1350 mm diameter stormwater pipe which is currently proposed to be diverted under the Hung Hom Bypass project and a 1050 mm diameter stormwater drain at Salisbury Road;

ii. the re-alignment of the cooling water intake pipes under Salisbury Road and the stormwater outfall close to the existing cooling water pumping station; and

iii. the temporary support of the existing sewers will be required during station construction and the ETS will be designed to avoid the new sewerage works.

In addition, an action plan has been identified in more recent reports to overcome the conflicts between the proposed railway tunnel alignment and the existing cooling water mains and drainage culverts:

i. a drain must be built along the north side of the future railway tunnel to pick up the stormwater drainage cut off by the railway tunnel.

ii. detailed design will confirm whether a new culvert (minimum internal dimensions 1100 mm x 1100 mm) will be required parallel to the stormwater culvert to pickup the existing seven 450mm diameter cooling main outfalls at Salisbury Road near Grand Stanford Harbour View Hotel. The new culverts will intersect the existing 2590 mm x 2515 mm box culvert near The Urban Council Centenary Garden. All three culverts will need to be diverted along the north side of Salisbury Road and then across the railway tunnel box near Tsim Sha Tsui Centre;

iii. Chinachem Golden Plaza and Hotel Nikko intakes will need to be diverted down Mody Road and Mody Lane. The Hotel Nikko main diversion will be approximately 380 m long and the Chinachem diversion will be approximately 365 m long;

iv. once all the diversions have been completed and commissioned, the north side of Salisbury Road will be opened up to remove the existing mains and build the new culverts. The new culverts must be completed before the outfall pipes can be redirected away from the railway alignment; and

v. other relatively minor local diversions will be required to the intake mains across Salisbury Road such that they do not clash with the proposed culvert diversions.

The potential water quality impact during the reprovision and re-alignment of drainage pipes and culverts will be limited to runoff and erosion from site surfaces and earth working areas, which can be controlled to within acceptable levels. Small amounts of waste water may also be released during the disconnection of the various drainage pipes.

Tunnelling

Cut and Cover Tunnelling

During wet periods, rainfall and surface runoff entering exposed cut and cover tunnel sections could lead to construction runoff with high suspended solids (SS) content. Mitigation should be designed to reduce the influx of rainwater into the exposed cut and cover works areas.

Bentonite and some chemical grouting will be required for diaphragm walling works and, as a result, may contaminate surface runoff. The wastewater generated during the tunnel construction will contain high concentrations of SS and require settlement prior to discharge. Suspended matter will arise from Bentonite and some chemical grouting, excavation works, rainwater infiltration etc. Oil interceptors should also be installed to remove the oil, lubricants and grease from the wastewater arising from tunnelling works.

Drill and Blast Tunnelling

Sections of rock tunnel will be constructed and are expected to generate wastewater laden with suspended solids, grouting derivatives, lubricants and oils. For this construction activity sufficient space must therefore be provided for treatment of wastewater prior to discharge. Treatment should include settlement of suspended solids and oil and grease removal.

Excavated and Demolition Materials

Tunnelling will generate public fill material requiring handling and transportation off-site, and this will be common to all tunnelling construction methods.

The excavated materials will mainly comprise rock, sand and rubble that may be disposed of at a public filling area. Marine deposits (comprising primarily marine and alluvial sands with some silt and clay layers), alluvium and colluvium may also be excavated during tunnel construction. The volume of excavation should be quantified, and classified (according to the EPD Technical Circular No. 1-1-92). Marine disposal of excavated marine deposits, alluvium and colluvium must follow the guidelines and instructions of the Works Branch Technical Circular No. 22/92 and Buildings Ordinance Office PNAP 155. No insurmountable water quality impacts are expected to arise provided the Government guidelines and instructions are followed. Solid waste management is discussed in Section 9.0.

Sewage Effluent

Sewage is characterised by high levels of BOD, ammoniacal compounds, E. coli and SS. Sewage effluent generated from on-site construction workforce will also have the potential to cause water pollution. It is currently anticipated that there will be a maximum of approximately 1000 workers working on-site on a full-time basis. Owing to the lack of established guidelines for sewage generation rates for construction sites, the recommended design rate for offices, specified in the Guidelines for the Design of Small Sewage Treatment Plants, EPD Solid Waste Control Group, March 1990 has been used for this assessment. A volume of approximately 56m³ per day could be generated by 1000 workers working along the alignment. Significant water quality impact will occur only if the domestic sewage is discharged directly into the receiving water body without any treatment.

International Mail Centre Access Road

The proposed IMC Access Road is a 3-lane road of 12m wide and approximately 140m long, supported by four columns. Three of the columns will be built on top of the existing pier, and one will be constructed in the water. In so far as the impact on the water quality is concerned, only the supporting column in the water needs to be considered. Two possible construction methods are envisaged at this moment in time. One is construction from within a steel framed caisson. Any dredging will be carried out within the steel frame, there will be no spillage of sediments or contaminants into the ambient receiving water resulting from the dredging activity itself. However, the effluent from dewatering the dredging spoils can contain high concentration of contaminated sediments. The effluent should go through a settling process to remove the contaminated sediments before being discharged to local drainage systems. The other construction method is by piling the column down into the sea bed. The disturbance to the surrounding sea bed material by the downward piling action will be negligible as compared to the natural tidal and wave actions in the Victoria Harbour. As such, no mitigation measures are required for the latter scenario.

General Construction Activities

Construction activities have the potential to cause water pollution from debris and rubbish, such as packaging and used construction materials, entering the water column and resulting in floating refuse in the vicinity of the site that reduces the aesthetic quality of the water body. Appropriate site practices and house-keeping requirements should be implemented to control these impacts.

7.3 Recommended Mitigation Measures

It is important that appropriate measures are implemented to control runoff and drainage and thereby prevent high loading of SS from entering the Victoria Harbour. Good site management is essential to minimise surface runoff, soil erosion and sewage effluents.

Construction site runoff and drainage should be prevented or minimised in accordance with the guidelines stipulated in EPD’s Practice Note for Professional Persons on Construction Site Drainage, Professional Persons Environmental Consultative Committee, 1994 (ProPECC PN 1/94). Good housekeeping and stormwater best management practices, detailed below, should be implemented to ensure the runoff from construction areas and any stored excavated material complies with the WPCO and no unacceptable impact on the WSRs arises due to the construction of the Project. All discharges from the construction site should be controlled to comply with the standards for effluents discharged into the Victoria Harbour under the Technical Memorandum.

Construction Runoff and Drainage

Construction runoff related impacts associated with tunnelling and above ground construction activities can be readily controlled through the use of appropriate mitigation measures, in accordance with the ProPECC Practise Note, which includes the use of :

^·^{sediment
traps for all off-site discharges;}

^·^{wheel
washing facilities for vehicles leaving the site; and}

^·^{adequate
maintenance of drainage systems to prevent flooding and overflow.}

Areas of key concern will be any construction areas using bentonite slurries and other grouting materials as well as construction sites near the shoreline such as the alignment at the seaward side of IMC.

All temporary and permanent drainage pipes and culverts provided to facilitate runoff discharge should be adequately designed for the controlled release of storm flows. All sediment traps should be regularly cleaned and maintained. The design of efficient silt removal facilities should be based on the guidelines in Appendix A1 of the ProPECC PN 1/94. The temporarily diverted drainage should be reinstated to its original condition when the construction work has finished or the temporary diversion is no longer required.

Sand and silt in the wash water from the wheel washing facilities, which ensure no earth, mud and debris is deposited on roads, should be settled out and removed before discharging into storm drains. The section of the site between the wheel washing bay and the public road should be paved to prevent wash water or other site runoff from entering public road drains.

Portable sediment tanks constructed from waste bins of approximately 6 to 8m³ capacity are recommended as a general mitigation measure which can be used along the TST Extension for settling runoff prior to disposal off site. Alternatively, silt traps should be installed along the drainage channels or pipes to remove suspended solids from extracted ground water prior to disposal. Oil interceptors should be provided in the drainage system and regularly emptied to prevent the release of oil and grease into the storm water drainage system after accidental spillage’s. The interceptor should have a access road to prevent flushing during periods of heavy rain.

Tunnelling

The cut and cover tunnelling work should be conducted incrementally to limit the amount of construction runoff generated from exposed areas during the wet season (April to September).

Pumped discharge should pass through settlement tanks prior to off-site discharge.

Bentonite slurries used in diaphragm wall construction should be reconditioned and reused wherever practicable. Used bentonite slurry disposal will only be permitted to be discharged to the storm drains if it is treated to the TM standards as set out in Table 7.1. Any bentonite that is left unused should be temporarily stored in a closed warehouse on the site (or work areas) and transported away from the site when construction is completed. The handling and disposal of bentonite slurries should follow the requirements as set out in the Practice Note for Professional Persons ProPECC PN 1/94.

Water used in the construction of bored tunnel should, as far as practicable, be recirculated after sedimentation. When final disposal is required, the wastewater should undergo a sedimentation process before being discharged via silt traps and oil interceptors.

Excavated and Demolition Materials

Temporary open storage of excavated materials used for backfill on site should be covered with tarpaulin or similar fabric during storm events. Any washout of construction or excavated materials should be diverted to the drainage system via appropriate sediment traps. Stockpiling of the excavated material can be minimised by scheduling the construction program in a way that one section of the tunnel can be constructed and completed before the excavation works of the next section.

Sewage Effluent

To minimise any potential water quality impacts due to the poor handling of domestic sewage effluents from on-site workers, it is recommended that on-site portable toilet facilities be provided with the sewage collected by a reputable sewage collector for disposal at an appropriate sewage treatment works. In addition, several work sites designated to be resumed for construction works such as Wing On Plaza Garden and Middle Road Children’s Playground contain public toilet facilities and these should be used in preference to ensure sewage impacts are minimised.

International Mail Centre Access Road

During the operation stage, i.e. when the supporting columns are in place, the existing natural flows in the vicinity of the access road will be slowed down. Some deposit will form underneath the access road as a result. The deposition process will continue until a regime state is reached. Under the regime state, deposition will be balanced by suspension and there will be no net deposition or erosion. The total amount of deposition and the speed of reaching the regime state will depend on the dimension and the interval of the supporting columns. However, the impact will be limited to a small strip with the length and width similar to the access road above the water. Furthermore, the deposit will be purely from the settlement of the suspended sediments travelling from within the Victoria Harbour, no new sediments are generated from the entire process.

The effluent generated from dewatering the dredging spoils of constructing the supporting columns in the water, can contain highly contaminated sediments. The effluent should undergo a sedimentation process and be collected for treatment in public sewage treatment works.

Monthly monitoring of the water depth changes around the intakes is recommended. Depending on the water depth changes monitored, some maintenance dredging or relocation of the sea water intakes may be required.

7.3.1 Residual Impacts

Provided that mitigation is implemented effectively no significant residual water quality impacts are predicted. Key recommendations include:

i. Recommended mitigation measures including appropriate drainage and surface water runoff collection facilities are incorporated into the construction area;

ii. Any diversions of drainage pipes or channels are constructed so as to allow the water flow to the discharge point or outfall without any overflow or washout;

iii. All temporary drainage diversions are reinstated to the original condition after the completion of construction; and

iv. All construction site/works area discharges comply with the TM standards of the WPCO.

Any practical options for the diversion and re-alignment of drainage should comply with both engineering and environmental requirements. It is considered that controls on discharges from land-based construction activities and proper site management procedures, as referenced above, will minimise residual water quality impacts to acceptable levels.

7.4 Operational Phase

7.4.1 Potential Sources of Impact

Potential sources of impact on water quality from the operation of Project could include the following :

ⁱ⁾^{runoff
from rail track and operational tunnel drainage;}

ⁱⁱ⁾^{station
runoff;}

ⁱⁱⁱ⁾^{sewage
generation at ETS; and}

^iv)^{cooling
water discharges.}

7.4.2 Prediction of Impacts

Runoff from Rail Track and Operational Tunnel Drainage

Water quality impacts could result from tunnel seepage potentially contaminated with oil and grease from passing trains if such materials reach a water body. Where oil and lubricating fluids could be spilt, runoff must be diverted through silt and oil traps before being discharged into the existing public sewerage system. Track drainage discharges will contain oil, grease, rail grindings and grit that may cause clogging of pumping units and downstream impacts on public stormwater drains.

Station Runoff

Rainwater runoff from the station structure is expected to be “clean” and therefore should have no impact on the WSRs.

Sewage Generation

Domestic sewage will be generated from the ETS and discharges will be connected to the foul sewer system.

Cooling Water Discharge

Air conditioning for the railway station has been considered by the KCRC, but due to the potential visual impact of the air vents along the TST promenade water cooling is currently preferred.

Discharge of cooling water into the Victoria Harbour has the potential to induce thermal impact upon the receiving water. There is no detailed design information yet regarding the cooling water discharge from the station. According to Hyder’s experience in designing part of West Rail, the required cooling water can be up to 0.24 m³/s, equivalent to 20,736 m³/day. The discharge of such a quantity of cooling water will have thermal impact on the receiving water. Thermal plume modelling is required to quantify the impact as the TMEIA guidance on effluent temperature is only applicable to a discharge flowrate of no greater than 6000 m³/day. The thermal plume assessment is included as Appendix C. The assessment concludes that the maximum plume width under all scenarios tested is less than 7m, occurring in the dry season with the ambient tidal current velocity of 0.1m/s. The worst case temperature rise at 6 m from the discharge point and under zero ambient velocity, is only 1.6°C. It is predicted that the temperature rise from cooling effluent discharge will always be less than the worst case scenario and therefore within an acceptable level.

7.4.3 Evaluation of Impacts

The net (unmitigated) water quality impacts on the WSRs will arise from discharges from the station and rail/track. Impacts on water quality from operation of the Project are evaluated below.

Runoff from Rail Tracks and Operational Drainage: Drainage from rail tracks via pumping stations and tunnel drainage is expected to contain limited amounts of oil and grease. Where oils and lubricating fluids could be spilt, runoff should be diverted to silt and oil traps before being discharged to the existing public stormwater drain system.

Sewage: Sewage effluents will be discharged directly to the existing sewerage infrastructure and therefore adverse water quality impacts are not expected. Provided the quantities of sewage and drainage effluents comply with the TM standards before discharge into foul sewers, it is predicted that there will be no further deterioration of the water quality in Victoria Harbour WCZ due to the Project operational phase.

7.4.4 Recommended Mitigation Measures

No detrimental operational water quality impacts are expected if appropriate mitigation measures are implemented. Together with regularly cleaning and maintenance practices, operational water quality will comply with the WPCO standards. Two sources of water may arise including seepages of groundwater which should be unpolluted and runoff from the track which may contain oil and grit. The following measures should be incorporated, as appropriate, into the operation of the station :

i. A surface water drainage system should be provided to collect operational tunnel seepage. Where oils and lubricating fluids could be spilt, the operational tunnel discharge and track runoff should pass through the oil and grit/silt interceptors/chambers to remove oil, grease and sediment before being disposed to the public stormwater drainage system;

ii. Unpolluted groundwater should be discharged to the storm drains via a sediment trap;

iii. Sewage effluents generated at the station are required to meet the TM standards prior to discharge. Sewage should be directed to the public foul sewer system;

iv. The efficiency of silt traps and oil interceptors is dependent on regular cleaning and maintenance. These installations should be regularly cleaned and maintained in good working order;

v. Oil contents of the oil interceptors should be collected and transferred to the Chemical Waste Treatment Facility at Tsing Yi or other appropriate disposal site; and

vi. The design of the sanitary fitments and drainage works should take into account the guidelines published in Drainage Plans subject to comment by the EPD, Practice Note for Professional Persons, EPD (ProPECC PN 5/93).

7.4.5 Residual Impacts

With the adoption and incorporation of appropriate drainage and effluent collection systems, minimal residual operational water quality impact is expected.

^Source	^Pollutant	^Receptors	^{Pathways to Receptor}	^{Associated Hazard [Potential Severity]}	^{Likelihood of Occurrence}	^Risk
Fuel Installation – Middle Road	Hydrocarbons	Humans – site workers/ future site users	Direct contact, ingestion, inhalation	Health risk if ingested or inhaled, irritation on dermal contact. [Medium]	Low Likelihood Available records indicate no reports of any leakages / tank failures and integrity tests demonstrate tank in sound condition. Caltex present since 1997 and no previous data available. In view of the age of the installation (since ~1975) however a potential for historic leakages/spillages exists. Site investigation would categorise level of risk.	Moderate to Low risk
		Marine waters	Migration through permeable strata.	Contamination of Victoria Harbour [Mild]	Low Likelihood Victoria Harbour located 200m away and existing water quality is poor.	Low risk
		Below Ground structures/ services	Direct Contact	Degradation of building materials [Medium]	Low Likelihood Available records indicate no reports of any leakages / tank failures and integrity tests demonstrate tank in sound condition. Site investigation would categorise level of risk from historic leakages/spillages (prior to 1997).	Moderate to Low risk
		Humans/ Structures	Migration through penneable strata	Accumulation of potentially hazardous gases and explosive hazard several	Unlikely For a potential explosive hazard to exist high contamination levels would need to be present. Available records indicate no reports of nay leakages/lank failures and integrity tests demonstrate tank in sound condition.	Moderate to Low risk
Fuel Installation – Cross Harbour Tunnel toll gate	Hydrocarbons	Humans – site workers/ future site users	Direct contact, ingestion, inhalation	Health risk if ingested or inhaled, irritation on dermal contact. [Medium]	Unlikely Available records indicate no reports of any leakages / tank failures although no results of tank integrity tests provided. Installation however is located to the west and outside of the East Rail alignment, which will be above ground. Extent of below ground works therefore limited and low potential for direct contact.	Low risk
		Marine waters	Migration through permeable strata.	Contamination of Victoria Harbour [Mild]	Low Likelihood Victoria Harbour located 200m away and existing water quality is poor.	Low risk
Fuel Installation – Cross Harbour Tunnel toll gate	Hydrocarbons	Below Ground structures/ services	Direct Contact	Degradation of building materials [Medium]	Unlikely Available records indicate no reports of any leakages / tank failures. Installation however is located to the west and outside of the rail alignment, which will be above ground. Extent of below ground works therefore limited and low potential for direct contact.	Low risk
		Marine waters	Migration through permeable strata.	Accumulation of potentially hazardous gases and explosive hazard (Severe)	Unlikely For a potential explosive hazard to exist high contamination levels would need to be present. Available records indicate no reports of nay leakages/lank failures and integrity tests demonstrate tank in sound condition.	Moderate to Low risk
Historic Land use – railway, godowns	Range - e.g. oils, coal (PAHs, metals), asbestos	Humans – site workers/ future site users	Direct contact, ingestion, inhalation	Health risk if ingested or inhaled, irritation on dermal contact. [Medium]	Low Likelihood Former railway line and godowns/buildings intercept the proposed East TST station along the eastern side and extent of any contamination dependent upon nature of operations. Construction will below ground and potential for . Level of risk categorised by focused site investigation.	Moderate to Low risk
		Marine waters	Migration through permeable strata.	Contamination of Victoria Harbour [Mild]	Low Likelihood Victoria Harbour located 100m away and existing water quality is poor.	Low risk
		Below Ground structures/ services	Direct Contact	Degradation of building materials [Medium]	Low Likelihood Former railway line and godowns/buildings intercept the proposed East TST station along the eastern side and extent of any contamination dependent upon nature of operations. Construction will below ground and potential for . Level of risk categorised by focused site investigation.	Moderate to Low risk

9. Waste Management

9.1 Introduction

This Section identifies the possible waste arisings from the construction and operation of the East Rail Extension - Hung Hom to Tsim Sha Tsui and discusses the potential for environmental impacts. The options for waste minimisation, reuse and recycling have been considered together with waste treatment, storage, collection, transport and disposal requirements for the construction phase.

The operational waste will include material from servicing and replacement parts for the rolling stock and facilities. It is anticipated that much of this waste will arise at the service depots and will not be distinguished from the existing waste arising.

Other operational wastes will include general rubbish collected in refuse bins etc. at the station and subway areas. This waste can be dealt with by an extension of the existing waste management systems and will not be significant. As such no major waste streams are anticipated to arise during the operational phase of the railway extension.

9.2 Construction Waste

9.2.1 General

The construction and excavation activities of the East Rail extension which may create significant waste streams include drilling, blasting, site formation, station foundations, cut and cover tunnelling and subway formation. This assessment considers impacts arising from waste handling and disposal in accordance with the TMEIA Annex 15, including the following areas:

i. potential hazard

ii. air and odour emission

iii. noise;

iv. wastewater discharge; and

v. public transport.

This section specifically addresses the waste arising and disposal options whereas the associated impacts above are included in the relevant technical sections of the EIA.

9.2.2 Potential Sources of Waste Arising

General

Construction activities will result in the generation of a variety of wastes and can be divided into distinct categories based on their contents, as follows:

^·^{excavated
material (uncontaminated inert material for public filling areas)}

^·^{excavated
contaminated material (potentially in the vicinity of underground storage
tanks, although not anticipated to be significant);}

^·^{construction
and demolition waste; (including public fill for public filling areas and C
& D waste for landfill disposal).}

^·^{marine
sediment;}

^·^{chemical
waste; and}

^·^{general
refuse.}

The volumes and nature of each of these waste types arising from the construction of the railway extension have been reviewed and are presented in Table 9.1 and described below.

Excavated Material

Excavated material may comprise of inert rock and sand or reclamation fill material removed from the ground and sub-surface. In addition to spoil from tunnel boring and cut and fill construction, excavated material will be generated at the proposed stations from the excavation of the station caverns and the digging of building foundations. Material from rock excavation will comprise volcanic or granite, with those portions from surface and shallow sub-surface being partially or completely decomposed (CDG, CDV). Soft materials excavated will vary from sand to clay.

There will be considerable volumes of excavated material generated from the railway construction works, particularly from tunnelling and station excavations, with an estimated total bulk volume of 381,617 m³soil and 229,439 m³ rock. Ideally some backfilling of these excavated materials would occur on site, in the cut and cover tunnels and station complexes. However, because the Project timing is unlikely to allow for this, the majority of excavated materials will have to be disposed off-site, with only a small number of backfilling opportunities identified.

Excavated Contaminated Materials

Some excavated materials may be contaminated due to past land-use activities, and as such will require special handling and disposal procedures. This issue is being addressed separately in the form of a Preliminary Investigation of Potentially Contaminated Land and a Contamination Assessment Plan is included in this report.

Construction and Demolition Waste

Construction waste comprises unwanted materials generated during construction, including rejected structures and materials, materials which have been over ordered or are surplus to requirements and materials which have been used and discarded. Waste will arise from a number of different activities carried out by the Contractor during construction and maintenance and may include:

^·^{wood
from formwork and falsework;}

^·^{equipment
and vehicle maintenance parts, including machinery used in tunnel boring;}

^·^{materials
and equipment wrappings;}

^·^{waste
bentonite and spoil contaminated with bentonite}

^·^{unusable
or surplus cement/grouting mixes; and}

^·^{damaged/surplus/contaminated
construction materials.}

It is expected that the volume of construction waste generated by the construction activities will not deviate significantly from that arising on other similar projects. The total construction waste arising from the construction of the East Rail extension is estimated in the order of 5,000 m³.

Demolition wastes are generated as a result of site clearance and site formation works. Demolition wastes may include:

^·^{brick,
concrete, reinforcing bars and other rubble;}

^·^{derelict
equipment, plant and furniture;}

^·^{wood
and general refuse;}

^·^{felled
trees; and}

^·^{asbestos
bearing materials potentially arising from the Hung Hom Station works. (Note -
this will be confirmed during detailed design and any asbestos identified will
be handled in accordance with the Chemical Waste Regulations).}

Depending upon the nature of such structures and the activities which have been undertaken in them, demolition waste may be inert, mixed with putrescibles, or contaminated. The uncontaminated waste should be reused if found to be suitable for public filling, otherwise this material will be delivered to landfill for disposal. Disposal of asbestos waste should follow the Waste Disposal (Chemical Waste) (General) Regulation governing disposal to ensure that appropriate precautions are adopted in the handling and transportation. The estimated volume is 15,000m³.

Chemical Waste

A complete list of such substances is provided under the Chemical Waste Regulations, however, substances likely to be generated by construction activities for the East Rail will, for the most part, arise from the maintenance of the plant and equipment. These may include the following:

^·^{scrap
batteries or spent acid/alkali from their maintenance;}

^·^{used
engine oil from servicing;}

^·^{used
air, oil and fuel filters from machinery;}

^·^{spent
mineral oils/cleaning fluids from mechanical machinery; and}

^·^{spent
solvents/solution, some of which may be halogenated, from equipment cleaning
activities.}

Estimates suggest that monthly arising at each station site will consist primarily of a few hundred litres of used lubricating oils and small quantities of waste battery acids.

General Refuse

The presence of a construction site with large numbers of workers and site offices and canteens will result in the generation of a variety of general refuse materials requiring disposal. General refuse may include food wastes and packages, waste paper and packaging from construction materials.

Approximately 15-25 construction site workers have been assumed to be resident on any site at any time with a total workforce which could be as high as 1,000 at the peak. Based on this peak figure and a generic estimate of waste generation per worker per day of 0.65 kg, the total amount of general refuse is estimated to be 650 kg per day. Assumed average waste density in the order of 100-200kg m^-3. Estimates based on these figures suggest that the general refuse produced by all sites will be about 3-6m³ per day.

9.2.3 Bulk Excavation Volumes

The average daily rate during the peak excavation period is predicted to be 2,000 cubic metres in terms of bulk volume. Table 9.1 below summarises the key values.

Table 9.1 Estimated Volumes of Excavation

^Area	^{Total Bulk Soil Volume (m3)}	^{Total Bulk Rock Volume (m3)}
Station West	59,528	75,024
Station West Concourse	29,443	29,373
Overrun Tunnel	32,223	-
Station East	51,918	42,763
Station East Concourse	83,001	-
CH870 - CH952	31,292	-
Chatham Road	-	26,387
Interchange Subway at Mody Road / Blenheim Avenue	74,233	19,684
Underpass	19,978	36,208
Total	381,617	229,439

Based upon initial estimates of excavated material and the tentative construction sequence, it has been estimated that the greatest demand for spoil removal from the collective sites will occur in February 2002. The quantities for this period have therefore been adopted for the generation of vehicular traffic.

9.2.4 Waste Disposal Options

Excavated material and construction waste can be transported offsite by truck and then either disposed of directly by road or via the existing Hung Hom barging point. A sea frontage site is available at Hung Hom Bay although this site has no space for stockpiling.

Disposal by truck is the most commonly used method for waste transportation in Hong Kong. Waste arising could be loaded onto trucks and transferred directly to the disposal site e.g. public filling areas. Flexibility and efficiency are the advantages of this method. However, truck transportation has the potential for imposing environmental nuisance to the sensitive receivers in the vicinity. Fugitive dust, vehicular emissions, noise and local traffic loading are major environmental issues. These can be mitigated by careful planning and by imposing noise and dust mitigation measures.

Since the construction site is located relatively close to Victoria Harbour and an existing barging point is available at Hung Hom, barge transportation is a possible option. This method has the benefit of minimising overall vehicular emissions, traffic noise and congestion on major roads.

9.3 Waste Management Planning

9.3.1 Waste Management Plan

KCRC should require the Construction Contractor to prepare a Waste Management Plan (WMP). Such a plan would include:

^·^{Objectives
of WMP}

^·^{Contractor
Communications and Responsibilities}

^·^{Statutory
and Non-statutory Requirements}

^·^{Procedures
for Storage, Collection and Transportation of Waste}

^·^{Waste
Disposal}

^·^Training

^·^{Waste
Monitoring and corrective Action Plan}

9.3.2 Waste Management Hierarchy

The preferred options are those considered to have the least impacts and are more sustainable in a long term context. Hence, the hierarchy is as follows:

^·^{avoidance
and minimisation, i.e. not generating waste through changing or improving
practices and design;}

^·^{reuse
of materials, thus avoiding disposal generally with limited reprocessing; and}

^·^{treatment
and disposal, according to relevant laws, guidelines and good practice.}

The Waste Disposal Authority should be consulted by the Contractor on the final disposal of wastes.

This hierarchy is used to evaluate waste management options, thus allowing maximum waste reduction and presenting cost savings. For example, by reducing or eliminating over-ordering of construction materials, waste is avoided, and costs are reduced both in terms of purchasing and in disposing of wastes.

9.3.3 Excavated Materials

Uncontaminated inert materials may be reused or delivered to public filling areas etc. depending on the waste properties and Government advice. During the course of this EIA the Fill Management Committee of CED has been consulted and advised that the quantity of material is manageable within their current disposal operations. However, they have suggested that the wastes should be reused in the first instance existing on KCRC projects, including West Rail construction. The second option for public fill arising from the year 2000 to late 2002 would be to use the public filling area site at Pak Shek Kok. From the year 2003 onwards there are two options as follows:

i. disposal at the Kwai Chung public barging point; and

ii. disposal at reclamation sites in Tseung Kwan O.

9.3.4 Construction and Demolition Waste

It has been estimated that approximately 5,000m³ of construction wastes and 15,000m³ of demolition waste will arise through the construction of this East Rail Extension. In order to minimise waste arising and keep environmental impacts within acceptable levels, the mitigation measures described should be adopted.

Careful design, planning and good site management can minimise over ordering and waste of materials such as concrete, mortars and cement grouts. If feasible, the movable noise enclosures used at each site should be designed so that the construction materials are reusable. The design of formwork should maximise the use of standard wooden panels so that high reuse levels can be achieved. Alternatives such as steel formwork or plastic facing should be considered to increase the potential for reuse. Plywood containing tropical hardwoods shall not be used for hoarding or formwork.

It should be determined whether any asbestos bearing materials exist within the buildings scheduled for demolition. In this respect, the service of a specialist asbestos consultant, registered as such with the EPD should be engaged, to conduct comprehensive survey for asbestos containing materials within the building and submit an Asbestos Investigation Report (AIR). If the AIR identifies the need, an Asbestos Abatement Plan should be submitted to EPD for comment at least 28 days prior to the commencement of the demolition works. If this is the case, all asbestos containing materials within the existing buildings should be removed and disposed of in accordance with the Air Pollution Control (Amendment) Ordinance No. 13 of 1993 (APC(A)O), Part IX, Sections 69 to 73, and Code of Practice on the Handling, Transportation and Disposal of Asbestos, Environmental Protection Department, 1993 (Asbestos CoP), prior to any demolition works.

In accordance with the New Disposal Arrangements for Construction Waste, EPD and CED, 1992, disposal of construction waste can either be to a specified landfill, or at a public filling area, with the latter being the preferred option. Construction and demolition wastes currently comprise approximately 35% of the waste input to landfills. In order to maximise landfill life Government policy prohibits the disposal of construction waste at landfill if it contains more than 20% inert materials by volume. Such inert wastes should be sorted on site as stipulated in Works Bureau Technical Circular No. 5/98. Construction wastes should be disposal of at public filling areas, where they have the added benefit of offsetting the need for removal of materials from terrestrial borrow areas for reclamation purpose.

If diaphragm walls are constructed, it is recommended that the bentonite should be reused after filtering of spoil, rock etc. The filtered spoil can be treatment as construction waste and disposed to landfill. The spent bentonite can be disposed of at landfill as ordinary waste.

9.3.5 Chemical Waste

For the processes which generate chemical waste, it may be possible to find alternatives which generate reduced quantities or even no chemical waste, or less dangerous types of chemical waste.

Chemical waste that is produced, as defined by Schedule 1 of the Waste Disposal (Chemical Waste) (General) Regulation, 1992 should be handled as follows.

Containers used for the storage of chemical wastes should:

^i.^{be
suitable for the substance they are holding, resistance to corrosion,
maintained in a good condition, and securely closed;}

^ii.^{have
a capacity of less than 450 litres unless the specifications have been approved
by the EPD; and}

^iii.^{display
a label in English and Chinese in accordance with instructions prescribed in
Schedule 2 of the Regulations.}

Disposal of Chemical waste should:

^i.^{be
via a licensed waste collector; and}

^ii.^{be
to a facility licensed to receive chemical waste, such as the Chemical Waste
Treatment Facility (CWTF) which also offers a chemical waste collector service
and can supply the necessary storage containers; or}

^iii.^{be
to a reuser of the waste, under approval from the EPD, note that the Centre for
Environmental Technology operates a Waste Exchange Scheme which can assist in
finding receivers or buyers.}

9.3.6 General Refuse

General Refuse generated on-site should be stored in enclosed bins or compaction units separate from construction and chemical wastes. This should be disposed of on a daily or every second day basis to minimise odour, pest and litter impacts. The burning of refuse on construction sites is prohibited by law.

9.3.7 Marine Sediment

No dredging is required during the construction. Post construction maintenance dredging may be required at the support pier for the new access road. This will depend on whether sediments have built up to levels which affect the water flows in Victoria Harbour. Besides, as mentioned in Section 7, monitoring of the sediment will be carried out in order to determine the contamination of the sediment. In this case the sediment classification will be devised based on the new regulations in place after 31st December 2001. The current sediment classification is attached as Appendix E.

9.3.8 Summary

This section summaries the waste management requirements and provides practical recommendation which can be enforced to minimise the environmental impacts which may arise from the generation, reuse, treatment, storage, transport and disposal of wastes.

Waste reduction is best achieved at the planning and design stage. Good management and control at the design stage is necessary to prevent the generation of significant amounts of waste. For unavoidable waste arisings, reuse and disposal are the most practical when segregation occurs on the construction site.

The criteria for sorting waste is described in New Disposal Arrangements for Construction Waste. Waste containing in excess of 20% by volume of inert material should be segregated from waste with a larger proportion of putrescible material.

The Contractor should be required to segregate construction waste materials on-site to facilitate re-use, recycling and waste disposal practice in accordance with the best available technology, as follows:

a) Inert construction waste material when deemed suitable for reclamation or land formation shall be disposed of to public filling areas;

b) Inert material deemed unsuitable for reclamation or land formation and non-inert construction waste material shall be disposed of at public landfills.

c) Chemical waste as defined by Schedule 1 of the Waste Regulations (Chemical) 92, shall be stored in accordance with approved methods defined in the Regulations and the chemical waste disposed of at the Chemical Waste Treatment Facility at Tsing Yi or as determined by EPD.

Proper storage and site practices will minimise the damage or contamination of construction materials and prevent them from becoming wastes. On site measures may be implemented which promote the proper disposal of wastes once off-site. For example having separate skips for inert (rubble, sand, stone) and non-inert (wood, organic, etc.) waste would help to ensure that the former are taken to public filling areas, while the latter are properly disposed of at control landfills. If wood and organic material can be separated as they arise this will avoid cross contamination with other waste streams and facilitate sale or reuse. Waste brought to public filling areas will not incur any charges, whilst that taken to landfill may be charged. Thus, separating waste may also help to reduce disposal costs, should landfill charging be introduced.

It is recommended that :

i. wastes should be handled and stored in a manner which ensures that they are held securely without loss or leakage thereby minimising the potential for pollution;

ii. only waste collectors authorised to collect the specific category of waste concerned should be employed;

iii. stockpiles shall be covered;

iv. removal of demolition wastes should coincide with the demolition work;

v. appropriate measures should be employed to minimise windblown litter and dust during transportation by either covering trucks or transporting wastes in enclosed containers. Reference should be made to “WBTC No.18/99 Particular Specification Clause for Vehicles Carrying Dusty Materials”;

vi. the necessary waste disposal permits should be obtained from the appropriate authorities, if they are required, in accordance with the Waste Disposal Ordinance (Cap 354), Waste Disposal (Chemical Waste) (General) Regulation (Cap 354) and the Land (Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance(Cap 28);

vii. collection of general refuse should be carried out frequently;

viii. waste should be disposed of at licensed sites and site staff and the civil engineering Contractor should develop procedures to ensures that illegal disposal of wastes does not occur.

ix. waste storage areas should be well maintained and clean regularly;

x. the possible presence of asbestos bearing materials within the Hung Hom Station should be investigated and mitigated, in accordance with the APC(A)O and the Asbestos CoP;

xi. Training and instruction of construction staff should be given at the site to increase awareness and draw attention to waste management issues ands the need to minimise waste generation;

xii. The environmental monitoring shall include trip ticket usage to ensure proper disposal and avoidance of fly tipping. The environmental team shall audit the implementation of the trip ticket system for solid waste disposal by:

· random site inspections of vehicles leaving and entering the site;

· auditing of waste disposal records to ensure that the number of trucks leaving the site corresponds with the number of delivery’s at the landfill.

xiii. Due to the size of this project and the amount of waste requiring disposal it is proposed that a recording system is implemented to assess the effectiveness of waste reduction, recycling and disposal. The waste documentation should incorporate the following:

· waste management objectives as stated in the “Environmental Management Plan” at the outset of the project;

· results of project waste management audits;

· records of waste disposal by category of waste;

· records of truck movements required in waste disposal operations; and

· evaluation of the effectiveness of waste management in terms of reduction, recycling and re-use.

9.4 Waste Disposal Plan

9.4.1 Disposal Method and Route

All excavated material would be moved by truck from the respective holding areas throughout the site to the barging point in Hung Hom Bay. Spoil from the tunnel contract and the majority of the station contract will be moved using Routes A and B, as shown on Figure 9.1 while the subway excavation (Area 6) will utilise Route C.

The following table presents the average hourly trucks using key sections of the road network:

Table 9.2 Waste Disposal Transportation Evaluation

^{Section of Road}	^{Transportation Requirement}
	Hourly Trucks	Daily PCUs
Nathan Rd - Middle Rd to Salisbury Rd	51	1,020
Salisbury Rd - Middle Rd to Chatham Rd	102	2,040
Salisbury Rd - Chatham Rd to Mody Lane	121	2,420
Salisbury Rd - Mody Lane to Hung Hom Bypass	147	2,940
Mody Lane - Salisbury Rd to Mody Rd	27	540
Mody Rd - Nathan Rd to Chatham Rd	4	80

9.4.2 Conclusions

Transport by road requires a large vehicle fleet and will result in some 254 daily vehicular kilometres. In addition, the impact of traffic during a potential incident along one of the designated routes is likely to represent the worst case in terms of attributed additional traffic queue length. The entire works are very susceptible to delays caused by traffic incidents and where the rate of spoil removal is critical to the ongoing excavation, any substantial delay could result in a suspension of the entire works.

The truck movements themselves can be accommodated on the existing road network, based on the existing road capacity, however, the actual circulation of traffic will require further study at detailed design to ensure that the risk of traffic jams is minimised.

10. Archaeology and cultural Heritage

10.1 Geological and Topographical Setting

The basic geology of the Kowloon Peninsula consists of medium grained granite with some fine-grained granite outcrops. Early photographs and maps show the flat, low-lying land behind the beach of Tsim Sha Tsui Bay, punctuated with three hills, including Signal Hill (a large hillock, with a maximum elevation of 39.9m PD). Site investigation reports reveal 0.90 to 3.5m of fill or colluvium on top of weathered in situ soil.

The coastline and topography of Kowloon Peninsula have changed considerably since the year 1900. Major reclamations were undertaken in the years of 1904, 1924, 1945 and 1982 (Figure 10.1.) to the east of the peninsula and in Tsim Sha Tsui Bay. The methods used in the pre-war reclamations are unknown. It can be seen from bore hole data that fill in the study area ranges from a depth of 6 to 10m, overlying marine sands. Bore hole BH 8, located in Middle Road (Figure 10.2 ) contained cultural material in the form of brick and china fragments mixed with shell fragments in a gravel matrix at -1.80 to -3.70m. The material from the boreholes was not available for examination and thus, cannot be described in detail. The latter depth marks the lowest fill deposit in this bore hole. This, along with the fact that marine sands here are described as being shell filled, denotes the likely possibility that this deposit marks the stratigraphic division between the original landform and reclamation fill. Appendix K for Archaeological Setting is being finalized and will be incorporated in the final version.

10.2 Baseline Conditions

Site survey undertaken as part of this EIA has identified a number of potential archaelogical sites, buildings, sites and objects of known archaeological, cultural and historic interest within the project area including:

^·^{potential
prehistoric archaeological sites;}

^·^{potential
historical archaeological sites;}

^·^{Signal
Hill Tower;}

^·^{two
pre-World War II structures located downhill and west of the Tower;}

^·^{a
series of objects of cultural and historical importance on the Hill itself;}

^·^{two
historic, masonry retaining walls on the south side of the Hill; and}

^·^{several
vernacular buildings and culturally significant objects of the early 20th
century, located along or near Mody Road.}

10.2.1 Potential Prehistoric Archaeological Sites

According to the Archaeological Setting, two types of archaeological deposits may exist beneath the study area namely prehistoric and historic archaeological sites. There are no recorded prehistoric archaeological sites within the study area. Preliminary assessment of the potential for archaeological resources has shown that a sandbar, often associated with prehistoric sites, lies within the study area; early photographs and maps place it somewhere in the area of Mody and Peking Roads (Figure 10.3 ). Although the bay and large alluvial plain would suggest the potential for prehistoric occupation, extensive development will have modified and disturbed any original deposits to an unknown extent. The likelihood of in-situ prehistoric archaeological deposits being revealed within the lower levels of the study area is therefore low, but not to be entirely discounted.

10.2.2 Potential Historical Archaeological Sites

Research has identified buildings in the Tsim Sha Tsui area and features of the 19^th and early 20^th century landscape. Some of these features are known or believed to have been situated within the study area and structural and other remains of them may be unearthed during excavations for the planned works. The exact location of others may be immediately outside the relevant area or be unknown; however, they serve to indicate the extent to which the Kowloon Peninsula, and Tsim Sha Tsui in particular, were occupied in the years preceding modern development.

^·^{Tsim
Sha Tsui Battery}

Tsim Sha Tsui (Jianshazui or Changying) Battery was constructed on a coastal knoll on the southern tip of the Kowloon Peninsula in the 20^th year of the Dao Guang reign (1840) in the Qing dynasty. Its function was protection against piracy. The walls of the battery were 3.33m in height, with battlements on all sides. Gun ports were constructed underneath. Inside were offices, barracks, temples and gunpowder magazines (Figure 10.4 ). It was manned by a lieutenant and 75 soldiers.

The battery was abandoned in January of the 21^st year of the Dao Guang reign (1841) due to the difficulty of reinforcing such an isolated location. In March of the same year it was occupied by British forces and in May it was demolished and the bricks shipped to Hong Kong Island for use in construction of Fort Victoria on Kellet Island.

The exact location of the battery is unknown; however, it is described as being at the foot of Tsim Sha Tsui Hill (Figure 10.5 ), to have been rectangular in shape and to have faced directly on to foreign ships. (Lau 1995: 19).

^·^{Kwun
Chung (Guanchong or Lam Chung) Fort}

This fort was similarly built on a coastal hill at the southern end of Kowloon Peninsula, and was of similar dimensions. Its construction dates to the same year, 1840. It was manned by a captain and a sergeant with a garrison of 130 soldiers. With Tsim Sha Tsui Battery it had a total of 56 cannon ( Figure 10.6 ).

The Kwun Chung Fort was evacuated in January 1841, at the same time as the Tsim Sha Tsui Battery, due to its remoteness; in May of 1841 during the Opium War it was bombarded by British forces.

^·^{Whitfield
Barracks}

The Whitfield Barracks were situated on the present site of Kowloon Park. The buildings parallel with Haiphong Road belong to this complex built in 1861 by Major General Whitfield after the cession of Kowloon Peninsula. The barracks were called stables by locals because the army kept horses there; it was also referred to as Mo Lo Barracks, a reference to the fact that the soldiers were predominantly Indian (Leung 1993).

^·^{Signal
Hill Tower}

The Tower is located on Signal Hill (previously known as Blackhead Point) immediately to the north of the proposed Tsim Sha Tsui Station site. The tower appears on the AMO's list of historic buildings as Grade 2 (AMO Ref: 770006). It was rebuilt in 1907 to house the time-ball which had previously been located at the Marine Police Headquarters nearby (Figure 10.7 ). An additional storey was added to the structure in 1927 and borehole data indicates the existence of an air-raid shelter on the northern side of the hill.

^·^{Tsim
Sha Tsui Village}

The location of Tsim Sha Tsui village is marked on maps as early as 1863 (Empson 1992: 133 - Figure 10.9); a group of structures set in fields extending south from what is now Observatory Hill. Lau (1995 : 5) refers to the murder of a Chinese villager at Tsim Sha Tsui Tsuen by a British soldier in 1839, and an ensuing diplomatic incident.

^·^{Cho
Pai Tsuen Village}

This village lay just to the north of the study area (Figure 10.8 ). All incense produced in Lek Yuen Po up to San On district and also all porcelain manufactured at Tai Po Wun Yiu passed through this village en route to export by sea. A pier in Tsim Sha Tsui, called Heung Po Tau, was used for the export of both of these products (Lau 1995 : 12).

^·^{Agricultural
fields}

Period maps and photographs show wide areas of agricultural land extending across the Kowloon peninsula, and associated temporary buildings and structures (Figure 10.8 ).

^·^{Piers
and Wharves}

A number of piers and wharves around the base of Signal Hill are illustrated on maps of the 19^th C (Figure 10.9 )

^·^{Original
beach coastline}

The original coastline of Tsim Sha Tsui Bay comprised a deep sandy bay between the two rocky headlands of Tsim Sha Tsui and Signal Hills (Figures 10.9 and 10.11 ). Maps and photographs show it to have been a low sand bar backed by the flat plain of the Kowloon Peninsula. A stream entered the bay at its eastern end, just below Signal Hill. The beach formation and the land immediately behind may well have been the site of prehistoric and/or early historic occupation.

^·^{Unidentified
structures on the beach of Tsim Sha Tsui Bay}

A photograph dated to the 1860s (Hacker 1997), taken from Signal Hill looking westward, shows a large structure on the beach (Figure 10.3 ). It consists of a rectangular walled compound with substantial gates, enclosing a double-roofed building and an area of what appears to be gardens. Immediately to the north of this enclosure another building can be see with a conventional shed roof.

^·^Reclamations

Some of the more prominent historical features of the study area are the reclamations which were constructed from the end of the 19^th century (Figure 10.10 ). The reclamations have intrinsic value as they testify to the methods and technologies in use at this time. The early reclamations have seawalls built with granitic blocks and filled with sand and soil (Hudson 1970 : 160-166). The lack of information available about these early reclamations highlights the need for information retrieval.

Historical records refer to the use of housing debris as part of the fill of reclamations, for example, in the Bonham Strand Reclamation and Kai Tak Runway. The remains of piers and quays, which were destroyed during the reclamation process, may also have been used as fill. The possibility exists that such structural debris may be found in the KCRC excavations.

Tsim Sha Tsui Bay was reclaimed substantially by 1904, when it occurs on maps and in written sources. Further reclamation took place recently in 1982. Hung Hom Bay was also reclaimed in 1904, 1924, 1945 and substantially in 1964.

Evidence of the historical buildings and structures discussed above may be discovered during the construction associated with the rail project, either as in situ foundations or as building debris.

10.2.3 Existing Conditions of Signal Hill and Its Sites of Cultural Heritage

Signal Hill is located in southern Kowloon facing Victoria Harbour, bounded on the west by Middle Road and Minden Row, on the east by Chatham Road South, on the north by Minden Avenue and on the south by a park that faces Salisbury Road. The hill is approximately 40 metres high and measures approximately 110 metres from east to west, and 80 metres from north to south. There are steep slopes on three sides of the hill, all except on the west where the current entrance to the hill is located, adjacent to a refuse collection point on Minden Row, north of the Mariner’s Club. On the south side of the hill there are two, massive, historic retaining walls, each constructed using large, dressed granite, ashlar blocks (see Figure 10.12). The larger retaining wall, rising from grade to a height of approximately 20 metres, begins at the eastern edge of the Mariner’s Club and extends to the hill’s southeast corner. It thus forms the northern boundary of the park. At the base of the hill’s southeast corner a more recently constructed, less elevated stone wall extends around the hill on its eastern side.

The second retaining wall on the hill’s steep southern side near the summit is semicircular in shape, extends approximately 5 metres from the summit’s edge and is associated with the site’s former battery, which faces the New World Hotel and Victoria Harbour. At the wall’s eastern and western extremities the wall rises approximately 2 metres from grade and at its midpoint is 8-10 metres tall. A modern steel fence extends the full length of the southern edge of the hill, preventing access to the dangerous steep slope. A view of the Signal Hill Garden as shown in Figure 10.13 is on the right hand side of the Mariner’s Club.

The hill contains several non-contributing resources that date from the early 1980s when the hill was re-landscaped by the Urban Council. These include several park benches; low concrete retaining walls; a series of concrete walkways and steps that extend from the hill’s northwest base; two concrete utility structures; and an open concrete pavilion with a Chinese-style, tiled, hipped roof.

More significantly, on top of the hill and sloping to the west there are also several structures, sites and objects of cultural interest, see Figure 10.14. Besides the retaining walls noted above, these include:

i. the Signal Hill Tower;

ii. two pre-World War II brick structures west and downhill of the Tower;

iii. four concrete gun emplacements within the arc of the former battery;

iv. an historic iron winch, uncovered and located behind a modern steel fence to the east of the Tower;

v. several other significant remnants (e.g., bolts, anchors and concrete slabs) associated with the masts, guide wires and hoisting operations that historically occurred at the site;

vi. two stone cubes inscribed with “W.D.L. 64”, indicating evidence of the site’s historic status as “War Department Lands”; and

vii. several remains of foundations, as well as brick and concrete rubble from demolished, historic outbuildings.

Signal Hill Tower

This was originally constructed in 1907 as a roughly square, three-storey, 18-meter-high, red brick structure using English bond. The structure has elaborately chamfered corners, thus changing its shape to a polygon. The exterior elevations are accentuated by dressed granite, neo-classical details at the structure’s base, in a string course between the ground floor and first floor, in two upper-storey cornices and around the segmentally-arched entrance door and several wood-framed windows (see Figure 10.15). In 1927, to enhance the structure’s visibility from the nearby harbour, an additional storey was added to the original mass, extending its height 20 feet and surmounting it with a low concrete dome and mast. A portion of that mast survives and it is via an exterior steel ladder extending from a window on the east. The bricks used in the addition matched the original ones and therefore the fourth storey does not have the appearance of being a later addition. The interior of the Tower has historic concrete-framed floors between all three levels, and there is a steel spiral stair, with historic iron railings, that connects all floors.

Pre-World War II Brick Structures

The two, brick, pre-World War II structures are roughly rectangular in shape and are aligned north-south at the base of a slope west of the Tower (Figure 10.16). The more southern, one-storey structure rests on a concrete foundation, is painted yellow and has a slightly pitched, rolled asphalt roof. It is currently being used as an office for the Landscape Team of the garden. The structure has an open arcade along its west elevation, created by 7 brick piers and a steel truss covered with galvanized metal. Several iron-framed, hinged windows with concrete sills and lintels pierce the eastern and southern elevations, and there are remnants of a flagpole at the centre of the base of the southern elevation.

The two structures are separated by a space of approximately 5 metres, over which there is a corrugated roof supported by several concrete piers that connects the two buildings. Concrete steps also link the two structures. The more northern, two-storey, unpainted brick structure (now used primarily as a public toilet) has had a more recent brick addition attached to its southern façade. The now-flat roof has been altered with a brick parapet. Although the structures now have different massing and complexions, it is possible that they were built at roughly the same time, by virtue of similar brick bonding, concrete sills and lintels, and brick buttressing on their eastern elevations.

Concrete Gun Emplacements

The four concrete cannon emplacements in the southern battery are sloped to permit guns to be rolled onto their flat bases. The Signal Hill Battery is shown in Figure 10.17.

Historic Iron Winch

The iron winch (Figure 10.18 ) which has been painted white is located in a fenced-in area to the east of the Tower has exposed gears, but lacks its full complement of parts.

Historic Remnants Associated with Hoisting Operations

There are at least five objects that seem to relate to the masts and hoisting functions formerly performed at the site. One is a series of 9 iron bolts anchored to the ground in a chain-like fashion and protected by a deteriorating, low, concrete and granite retaining wall (Figure 10.19 ). These historic objects are located approximately 5 metres northwest of the above-mentioned winch, and immediately south of a modern concrete gutter. The four other objects are polygonal, smooth concrete blocks, each of which has either a circular bolt or the remains of that bolt, that presumably were used to hold wires or ropes for hoisting signals at the site. One is located approximately 15 metres southwest of the yellow pre-World War II structure, a second is approximately 10 metres south of that structure, a third is between the Tower and the more northern pre-World War II structure (Figure 10.20 ), and a fourth is found west of that structure.

Cube-shaped Stone Blocks

The two granite blocks inscribed with “W.D.L. 64” are located southeast of the yellow pre-World War II structure. One of these blocks appears to be granite with a more legible inscription (Figure 10.21), is at the base of a retaining wall located approximately 5-10 metres southeast of the yellow building’s corner. Another, dressed from a different kind of hard stone, is approximately 5 metres further south, on a small rise and under a modern steel handrail adjacent to a concrete path.

Remains of Foundations

In several locations there are remains of foundations, bricks, concrete and one stone lintel that are probably associated with former structures on the site (Figure 10.22 ). When these were demolished and the site re-landscaped in the early 1980s, most of these remains were covered over and remain relatively obscure. Three of these remnants can be seen on a small rise located immediately south of the Tower’s entrance. Brick and concrete rubble is found in an area between a one-storey utility structure and the battery, as well as south of the yellow pre-World War II structure. The stone lintel is serving as a backdrop for two large plants on a rise approximately 20 metres south of that yellow structure.

Possible Undiscovered Cultural Heritage Resources

There is a relatively slim possibility that historic tunnels might exist at some location on the hill. Indeed gun emplacements are known to have been located at the foot of Signal Hill from at least the 1860s. Although such batteries generally were constructed in association with underground casements/munition stores, they are likely to have been destroyed by development activity over the past century. It has been confirmed that some geotechnical investigations were conducted to determine whether such tunnels existed, and the results were negative. However, there is a slim possibility that some tunnelling might have been conducted at Signal Hill similar to, but probably not as extensive as what exists at the Marine Police Headquarters.

10.2.4 Existing Conditions of Adjacent Sites within the Study Area

Along Mody Road there are at least five, mid-rise (4-6 stories tall), urban vernacular structures that reflect important cultural and economic qualities of this portion of Tsim Sha Tsui (see Figure 10.29 for a plan of these structures):

i. a 5-storey, round-cornered structure at the southwest corner of Mody Road and Cornwall Avenue (Figure 10.23 );

ii. a 4-storey structure with open balconies at the northeast corner of Mody Road and Minden Row (Figure 10.24 );

iii. a 5-storey structure at no. 23-27 Mody Road, on the northern side of the street (Figure 10.25 );

iv. a 6-storey, round-cornered structure adjacent to (3), at 29 Mody Road, on the southwest corner of Hanoi Road (Figure 10.26 ); and

v. a 4-storey structure at the southwest corner of Mody Road and Blenheim Avenue (Figure 10.27 ).

They are excellent examples of mid-20th century, multi-functional, concrete architecture in Hong Kong, reflecting Modernist-style tendencies and contributing to a varied and lively streetscape in this portion of Kowloon.

In addition to the structures themselves, there are historic objects such as advertising signs cantilevered over the street that relate to important cultural activities in, and impart important local qualities to the area. Two noteworthy examples of these signs are:

i. a hand-painted sign associated with the Peninsula Apartments and Nita Fashions, at 16 Mody Road (Figure 10.28 ); and

ii. a neon sign at 23-27 Mody Road, associated with Maison Jorgette (refers to Figure 10.25 ).

However, all the above buildings except 18 Mody Road will be demolished for redevelopment by the Land Development Corporation. Further assessment of the impact is beyond the scope of this EIA.

10.2.5 Potential Cultural Heritage Significance of Signal Hill

Signal Hill possesses a potential cultural significance which derives from its historic, scientific, architectural, aesthetic and social qualities or values.

Historical Synopsis

Signal Hill, also known in English as Blackhead's Hill and in Chinese as Tai Pau Mai, has been a significant landscape feature of southern Kowloon for centuries⁷. Maps and photographs from as early as the 1840s, such as Figure 10.30 , suggest that the hill, nearly 40 metres high, was one of three or four higher elevations at the headlands of southern Kowloon. The southern base of the hill had "an extensive deep water frontage⁸."

There is no evidence of the hill's being used as a settlement prior to British occupation. In fact, locating a residential settlement on such a high elevation would have run contrary to traditional Chinese geomantic practices. Instead, the site was probably first used as a military site (see Figure 10.31), possibly by the Chinese but, certainly by the British Government even before the 1860 lease of Kowloon Peninsula (see Figure 10.32 ) outlined in the Convention of Peking. The Kowloon East Battery was built at the base of Signal Hill in ca. 1842, complementing Tsim Sha Tsui Battery, the larger British military presence on Tsim Sha Tsui Hill, where the Marine Police Headquarters is now located (Grade 1 Declared Monument, AMO Ref. 770010)⁹. Plans and maps of the area from the 1860s further attest to Signal Hill's military function as a battery, although since the site was not mentioned in any of the 1854 improvements to British military locations coincident with Britain's war with Russia, it is possible that the battery had ceased to function by then. The Signal Hill site was one of several in Kowloon during the later 19th century that represented jurisdictional struggles, literal turf battles, between the British War Department, which viewed Kowloon as one large cantonment possibility, and the colonial Government, which "wanted to lay out Kowloon in plots for building and recreation to ease existing pressure on Hong Kong Island". At some point between 1860 and 1887 the site was granted to the War Department as Lot #11¹⁰.

In 1903 the site was given an additional use as an elevated place where two masts were erected (see Figure 10.33), one for wind and tidal movements (also serving as a typhoon signal) and the other to indicate the national flag of ships entering the harbour¹¹. Between 1903 and 1906 the Government decided to erect a time-ball tower on the Hill to replace the one at the Marine Police Headquarters (1884). In 1906 tunnelling work started and the tower was completed in 1907¹².

Almost immediately after construction, a retaining wall was built, cutting part of the hill in association with the construction of a major road (now known as Chatham Road South) and with the impending, even more significant construction of the KCR rail-lines and station¹³. As new, taller buildings continued to be built around the site in the 1910s and as the 1922 Town Planning Scheme was implemented soon thereafter, bringing with it construction that affected Signal Hill Tower's visibility, an extra storey and a dome were added to the tower in 1927¹⁴. Because of technological improvements, radio time service was considered more effective and it replaced the time-ball method. The time-ball device ceased to operate on 30 June 1933.

During World War II the Signal Hill Tower was used as a temporary ammunition store¹⁵. By 1958 the Radio Monitoring Unit moved to a new station at Nga Tau Kok and at approximately the same time the War Department surrendered its claim to Signal Hill, which the Government then considered releasing for development¹⁶. However, in the 1960s this proposal, never formally instituted, was probably thwarted by urban planners working in the Planning Office because they were conscious of the historical value of the Signal Hill Tower and wanted to keep the Hill as a variation to the more commonplace flat land in southern Kowloon that had been obtained from reclamation, particularly in 1904, 1924 and 1945. In 1971 portions of the original Kowloon Observatory adjacent to the Tower were demolished, but in 1978 the Urban Council decided to rehabilitate the tower (without restoring its time signal system) and re-landscaped the site as a public garden¹⁷.

Military Historical Significance

(a) Prior to British colonisation of Hong Kong in the 1840s, Signal Hill occupied a strategic location used by Chinese for both military and marine functions. Before the Opium War, the Chinese Commissioner Lin Zexu had already recognized that high points in Tsim Sha Tsui would be crucial to stop the attack of foreign armies. In June 1841 he therefore commissioned the construction of two forts in Tsim Sha Tsui and Kwun Chung¹⁸.

Areas along the coast of Tsim Sha Tsui were closely related to Sino-British wars in the 19th century. A map of Kowloon in 1860 (see Figure 10.34 ) indicates that there were about five forts located along the coastline of the southern Kowloon Peninsula; Signal Hill was probably one of them.

The forts were either destroyed by the British army soon after the Opium Wars or were demolished in the course of subsequent urban development¹⁹. Therefore, the site's significance is in part associated with the Opium War, one of the most crucial events associated with Hong Kong's history. The site constitutes one of the SAR's surviving relics that attest to 19th century military struggles between the Chinese and British Governments related to the colonial possession of Hong Kong.

(b) The site's military historical significance is heightened by its geographical and historical association with the Marine Police Headquarters, 3000 feet distant from, and on an axis with Signal Hill along and beyond Middle Road.

Not only was the Headquarters a military complement to Signal Hill, but it was the location of Hong Kong's first time-ball tower, which operated from January 1885 until Signal Hill Tower's completion in 1907.

(c) The site's military significance is further strengthened by its historical role in World War II, when ammunition was stored in the tower and when, possibly, anti-aircraft guns were located at the south side of the hill. The concrete gun emplacements facing the Harbour held the last guns there: four British 25-pound cannons used for ceremonial salute²⁰.

Scientific Significance

(a) Signal Hill's Time-ball System

Signal Hill Tower was erected to replace a similarly configured tower at the nearby Marine Police Headquarters (see Figure 10.42). The fundamental reason for both towers was to calibrate time in the Hong Kong colony, which some business executives considered necessary for shipping purposes. In 1877 several influential shipmasters requested that the Government construct a Royal Observatory, which was completed in 1884 on Mount Elgin, Kowloon; now a Grade 1 Declared Monument. Also in 1877, to standardize ships' chronometer, the same group urged that a time-ball be dropped from an elevation aboard a naval vessel in the harbour²¹. In the 1860s at a key location in Victoria on Hong Kong Island, a prominent clock tower had been erected that served a similar standardizing purpose for those on land, but this tower was not visible from the middle of the harbour. By 1882 a red ball was being dropped at 1 p.m. daily from a tall mast of a harbour vessel, but in 1884 when the Marine Police Headquarters was built, the design included a circular tower surmounted by a mast and a large, hollow copper ball that could be dropped from the top of that mast, replacing the less permanent naval mast and descending ball²². The Marine Police Headquarters was also where typhoon signals were hoisted from highly visible masts, but in 1903 the Government decided to move those masts to Signal Hill and by 1906 the Government also decided to transfer the time-ball function to the newly planned Signal Hill Tower. The time-ball apparatus was moved from the Marine Police Headquarters on 7 December 1907 and the first time-ball signal was dropped at 1 p.m. on 8 January 1908; the last was on 30 June 1933²³.

There were four key elements in the time-ball apparatus: (a) a hollow copper ball, which fitted over (b) an 18-foot mast that was secured at the Tower's rooftop but which had either a wire or rope attached to a (c) hoist, located in the top floor of the Tower, that was aided in its raising and lowering functions by (d) an air cylinder, placed on the middle (first) floor of the structure to cushion the ball's descent²⁴. Presumably after 1927, when 20 feet were added to the Tower's height, this system functioned somewhat differently, but exact details remain unknown. Although there is no conclusive proof, it is possible that the circular-shaped erosion in the concrete flooring of the Tower's middle level was caused by the air cylinder's placement there.

As a prominent timepiece in southern Kowloon, Signal Hill Tower helped bring a western standard of time to a Chinese society that lived with other senses of time. Signal Hill Tower, then, was yet another means of delivering the colonists' version of order. By training Chinese residents to abide by western time measures, the colonial administration was assisting industrialists in their pursuit of commercial and industrial activities²⁵. Signal Hill Tower, then, played a key role in this importation of western scientific principles to Hong Kong. It was a prelude not only to radio service time after 1933, but also to the clock tower erected between 1913 and 1916 by the KCRC at its first rail terminus in Tsim Sha Tsui (now demolished). Figure 10.35 shows the Signal Hill and Clock Tower, KCR Station.

(b) Signal Hill's Significance as a Meteorological Site

Signal Hill Tower was not only a calibration device for time keeping; it was also a fixed reference point in space, at Latitude 22 degrees, 17'51".9, Longitude 114 degrees, 10'29".2, as specified by colonial meteorologists in March 1908 who used the Royal Observatory Anemometer Mast ²⁶. This was important because the Signal Hill Tower was a place where "weather signals [were] exhibited day and night" and where typhoon warnings, in particular, could be transmitted from the Royal Observatory (located further north in Kowloon) to vessels in Victoria Harbour. The signals were stored in the ground-floor level of the Tower, from whence they could be moved efficiently in time of need. Historic and aerial photographs show that in addition to the Tower itself, several low-rise structures were erected south and west of the Tower within a few years of its construction. These probably served auxiliary functions, but most details associated with them remain obscure (see Figure 10.36 ). Some of these structures were demolished in the early 1970s, while two of them remain, west and downhill of the Tower. Therefore, Signal Hill Tower was not an island unto itself. Instead, it maintained an important scientific link with other facilities in Kowloon, on the one hand because of its time-ball function with the Marine Police Headquarters, and on the other hand because of its meteorological function with the Royal Observatory.

Architectural Significance

Signal Hill Tower derives its architectural significance on the basis of its uniqueness in its cultural context, its stylistic associations with larger architectural movements abroad and its technological qualities.

(a) Uniqueness in its cultural context - Although Signal Hill Tower was partially based upon a nearby precedent at the Marine Police Headquarters, that precedent was subsequently demolished. No other time-ball towers were erected in Hong Kong. There are indications that at one time a small number of other treaty port cities along the China coast also had time-calibrating towers for marine use, but no similar surviving structures²⁷ were found at the time this EIA was being undertaken.

(b) Stylistic associations with larger architectural movements - Through its materials, massing and style, Signal Hill Tower sent two kinds of architectural signals: that it hailed from a western, predominantly British architectural tradition and that it was stylistically up-to-date. The architect of the Tower remains unknown, although it is likely that it was designed by a British architect in the Public Works Department, whose Director of Public Works, Mr. William Chatham, had worked in Hong Kong since 1890, became Director of the P.W.D. three years later, and worked in the territory until at least 1917²⁸. Whoever designed the Tower based its design upon the building type of an observatory which, in the western tradition, became especially significant in the late 17th century when Claude Perrault designed the Observatoire in Paris (1667-72), one portion of which was a polygonal, three-storey tower surmounted by a dome and containing an interior circular staircase. The architect of Signal Hill Tower incorporated similar features in his design.

Several European cities modelled their observatories after the Observatoire, including Greenwich (1675-6), Berlin (1700-11) and St. Petersburg (1718-34). During the 18th century almost all European "observatories were built within fortified cities, designed as towers with generally small and transportable instruments usually accommodated on the top floor²⁹." As mentioned above, Signal Hill was previously a fortified site and the instruments for the time ball had been transported from the Marine Police Headquarters and were partially accommodated on the top floor.

One of the most influential British observatories of the 18th century was the Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford, designed by James Wyatt in 1773 and completed in 1794. Wyatt (1746-1813) "was one of the most creative English architects of his generation, and in his hands the Radcliffe Observatory (now part of Green College) was transformed into one of the major monuments of English neoclassicism³⁰." Wyatt patterned his octagonal tower after the Hellenistic Tower of the Winds in Athens (2nd century BC), which had been recently illustrated in Stuart and Revett's very popular Antiquities of Athens (1762). Wyatt used neoclassical elements to adorn the Observatory's facades and placed a spiral staircase in the interior. Whoever designed Signal Hill Tower (see Figure 10.37) would have certainly been familiar with the Radcliffe Observatory, and the similarity of the Tower's polygonal shape, neoclassical detailing and interior staircase to the Radcliffe Observatory suggest a plausible, if not-yet-substantiated connection.

The Signal Hill Tower, like several other surviving Hong Kong monuments of that period, is an Edwardian-style structure set within the context of complex artistic trends in contemporary Britain (1890-1914), where the popularity of the Arts and Crafts Movement was juxtaposed with a popular revival of English Baroque architecture (sometimes termed "Wrenaissance"). As one historian has noted, "there is certainly no convenient list of characteristics that can be ascribed to all of the period's practitioners³¹." Nonetheless, one of the dominant stylistic characteristics of the period was a tendency to use brickwork as the backdrop for neoclassical-style, masonry detailing, such as H. Fuller Clark's Boulting & Sons Offices, London (1903); Reginald Blomfield's Moundsmere Manor, Hampshire (1908); or Sir Ernest George's Royal Academy of Music, London (1911). Somewhat exaggerated, neoclassical-style, sculptural treatments were also popular³². The architect(s) of the Signal Hill Tower used similar artistic devices in his/their Hong Kong design.

(c) Technological qualities - As mentioned above, Signal Hill Tower is a brick structure with dressed stone ornamentation. However, its interior concrete framing heightens its significance because this concrete reflects a popular contemporary tendency to use an up-to-date, structural technology with more eclectic exterior façade treatments³³. The Tower exhibits two variants of concrete framing, one with rectilinear framing elements (e.g., between the ground and first floors, and in the flooring of the upper storey), and the other reflecting a slightly arched structure (e.g., between the first and second floors). Historians have noted that there were several, popular, European, concrete framing systems being developed at the time the Tower was built³⁴. One of the most widespread was the Hennebique system, which was marketed worldwide by 1910. It has not been proved conclusively that the Tower used a Hennebique system, but it is clear that the architect(s) of the Tower was/were very familiar with contemporary structural technologies. This is an excellent local example of the dispersion of this concrete technology. More recently, Hong Kong has become world-renowned for its architectural and engineering dexterity in the use of massive concrete frames; Signal Tower is in some respects an unsuspecting predecessor to these much more recognized qualities associated with Hong Kong’s architecture. Figure 10.38 is a view of the interior of the Tower.

Aesthetic and Social Significance

Cultural heritage is shared by society as a whole. However, there is no clear definition of social value in either the EIAO or the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance. The Burra Charter (Australia) defines social value as embracing the qualities for which a place has become a focus of spiritual, political, national or other cultural sentiment for either a majority or minority group³⁵. Signal Hill should be regarded as a place of social value because of its associations with various events related to the early colonial history of Hong Kong. Despite the fact that the traditional or historic connections with the past is better known by older generations, the public at large may still have an opportunity to learn about the social value of the site via better interpretation and/or heritage education.

Unlike the clock tower near the Cultural Centre, Signal Hill Tower is now obscured by many, nearby, higher-rise towers that largely serve commercial uses. However, this does not disqualify structures and objects related to the Signal Hill and other sites holding cultural significance in the Study Area from being distinctive, aesthetically- and socially-valuable features of Hong Kong. The Hill is one of the few original landscapes that exist more or less as they did before the arrival of the British. Even though the Hill has been altered on its southern face for road construction in the 1910s, it still retains most of its original natural landscape. In fact, the value of Signal Hill as a special landscape feature in an urban district experiencing intense development pressure and massive reclamation was acknowledged by the Planning Office (now Department) in the 1960s, when the Office objected to proposals that land on Signal Hill be used for development. A viewshed of Signal Hill Garden is shown in Figure 10.39 .

Aside from being a natural landscape in the midst of flat, reclaimed land that’s been intensely built upon, Signal Hill is also an accessible public place where one of Hong Kong’s most significant features, Victoria Harbour, can be seen from a higher elevation in a natural setting. Signal Hill functions as a resting and gathering place for those who seek relief from the surrounding urban bustle. For example, the Hill is favoured by many tai chi enthusiasts³⁶.

10.2.6 Other Potential Culturally Significant Sites in the Study Area

Tsim Sha Tsui experienced intense development immediately after World War II. Several textile merchants located factories in this area. Buildings were constructed whose upper stories were both residential and industrial, and whose ground level spaces served commercial functions. Godowns were also located south of the Signal Hill, such as the large Holt’s Wharf structures (see Figure 10.40) between the former KCR tracks and the harbour that were demolished to give way to the New World Hotel and related commercial spaces.

Although no remains of the godowns survive, there are several examples of industrial/residential structures both in and near the Mody Road portion of the Study Area. Most of these are now dwarfed in scale by more recently constructed, higher-rise commercial structures with curtain walls, such as those found on Middle Road in the Study Area (see Figure 10.41 ).

10.3 Assessment of Impacts

The TMEIA, Annex 10 presents the criteria for evaluation of impacts to sites of cultural heritage in general as :

i. The general presumption in favour of the protection and conservation of all sites of cultural heritage because they provide an essential, finite and irreplaceable link between the past and the future and are points of reference and identity for culture and tradition.

ii. Adverse impacts on sites of cultural heritage shall be kept to the absolute minimum.

Regarding archaeological sites, the Criteria for Cultural Heritage Impact Assessments states that it is good practice to recognise a site early in the planning stage and to preserve it in situ by avoidance. If this is not possible mitigation must be proposed.

In order to assess the degree and nature of impacts which the planned works may have on potential archaeological deposits it was necessary to overlay map data:

^·^{original
coastline and topography from early maps}

^·^{geological
maps and information collated from sub-surface investigations in the study area}

^·^{maps
of reclamation stages}

^·^{map
of known and/or approximate locations of historical features}

^·^{maps
of planned engineering works}

Table 10.1 The Intersection of these Maps with Highlighted Areas of Archaeological Focus

^Works	^Location	^{Impacted Geomorphology}	^{Impacted Reclamations}	^{Archaeological Potential}	^{Recommended Field Evaluation Methodology}
1. Above ground rail	Hung Hom Station to cross-harbour tunnel	Marine sand	Entirely on reclamation (1964)	None	None required
2. Tunnel sections of rail	Along Salisbury Rd. to TST East Station	Marine sand	Reclamation (1964)	None	None required
			Reclamation (1924)	Possible re-use of architectural material as fill	Monitoring of fill; no underlying deposit expected
3. Overruns	Along Middle Rd.	Granite coastline Marine sand intertidal Stream bed	Most of Middle Rd. on reclamation (1904)	Possible re-use of architectural material as fill Possible in situ deposits along former coastline	Monitoring of fill; and removal of underlying deposits
4. Station	Middle Road Childrens Playground & Wing On Plaza Garden	Decomposing and in situ granite; underlying marine sands		Possible in situ deposits	Testing of areas to be cut
5. Access tunnel	Along Blenheim and Mody Rds.	Granite hillslope and lowland Granite coastline Marine sand intertidal Stream bed	West end of Mody Rd. on reclamation (1904)	Possible re-use of architectural material in fill Possible in situ deposits in original landforms	Monitoring of fill and removal of underlying deposits
6. Entrances	Mody/Hanoi Rd. and at Cornwall Rd.	Granite hillslope and lowland		Possible re-use of architectural material as fill Possible in situ deposits in original landforms	Monitoring of fill; and removal of underlying deposits

As presented in Table 10.1 the areas of archaeological interest within the study area are the following:

^·^{Areas
where 1924 and 1904 reclamation will be impacted}

^·^{Areas
where original coastline will be impacted}

^·^{Areas
where original hill and plain landscape features will be impacted}

Figure 10.11 illustrates the specific locations where potential for archaeological deposits exists. These are confined to Signal Hill itself and the areas immediately adjacent. The remaining sections of the alignment are in areas of later reclamation and therefore of no archaeological interest.

Construction of the rail extension and associated works will have no direct impact on any known archaeological resources and will not require cutting of Signal Hill. For excavation works and cut and cover tunnelling, it is accepted by the AMO that preservation in situ of any archaeological finds, whether prehistoric or historical, would not be feasible. However, preservation by record would be required. This would entail identification and detailed recording prior to removal. The standard methodology employed to achieve this within an urban development context is detailed below and consists of monitoring the excavation process and retrieving data where appropriate.

A programme will be required to be integrated into the engineering works schedule, comprising two elements:

1. Monitoring of material as it is excavated during engineering works

2. Retrieval of material from any underlying deposits of original landform revealed by excavation

10.3.1 Monitoring Programme

It is recommended that a programme of monitoring be used to systematically observe the excavations associated with construction. As presented in Table 10.1, the areas where this will be required include :

^·^{Area
of pre-1924 reclamation to the east of Signal Hill}

^·^{Area
of pre-1924 reclamation and original landforms along Middle Road}

^·^{Areas
of pre-1924 reclamation and original landforms along Mody and Blenheim Roads
and their intersections with Hanoi and Cornwall Roads}

This programme should be undertaken by a qualified archaeological consultant, to be contracted separately for this phase of works. The monitoring process will require a minimum of two archaeologists to be present on the works site when an area assessed as having archaeological potential is undergoing works. The area of archaeological interest consists of all strata below the present road surface and pavement down to levels of decomposing rock or rock head. It is unrealistic to carry out these monitoring procedures for 100% of the site, considering the scale of works. Hence, an appropriate sampling procedure must be developed by the contracted archaeologists, taking into account both the resources available for the archaeological monitoring and time constraints.

The monitoring process itself should entail observation and recording of the stratigraphy and contents of the excavations as they are removed by machinery during the normal course of the engineering works. The archaeologists should be allowed access to the excavated material for physical examination and sample collection, as required. These procedures will not interfere with the progress of the works. Liaison will be required between the archaeologists and the site engineers.

In the event that any archaeological material is identified by the monitoring archaeologists during the engineering works, the archaeologists will require access to the excavation area for an expeditious retrieval of the archaeological material and recording of any relevant archaeological features. The following retrieval methodology has been designed to maximise the amount of recoverable archaeological information, whilst minimizing any delay to the engineering programme.

10.3.2 Retrieval Programme

A retrieval methodology is outlined below to be employed in the event that original landscape features or architectural features come to light during excavation. If such features are revealed cessation of works will be required while a written, drawn and photographic record is undertaken. Environmental samples will be taken and all artefacts will be retrieved for further study. Interruption to the engineering schedule will be minimal. The period of cessation of works would depend on the material concerned, although every effort will be made to minimise the interruption to the programme.

In order to increase efficiency and minimize delay, it is recommended that a set of Guidelines be prepared by the archaeological consultants in conjunction with the AMO before the project begins. These guidelines should define the nature and degree of recording and retrieval required for the different categories of archaeological material likely to be encountered. It must be noted that archaeological monitoring of engineering works in urban areas has never been applied in Hong Kong, thus, the AMO is dedicated to retrieving the maximum amount of information possible about archaeological deposits located in urban contexts. This type of monitoring programme has been successfully integrated into engineering projects in numerous countries over many years. There are, hence, a large number of methods and practices that can be adopted and adapted for use locally. Thus, with a set of AMO approved guidelines and methodology in place before works begin, the archaeological criteria will be able to be satisfied with an absolute minimum of delays to the engineering schedule. A report on the study programme and findings will be prepared to AMO standards

If such features are revealed cessation of works will be required while a written, drawn and photographic record is undertaken. Environmental samples will be taken and all artefacts will be retrieved for further study. Interruption to the engineering schedule will be minimal. The period of cessation of works would depend on the amount and type of archaeological material concerned, although every effort will be made to minimize the interruption to the programme.

10.3.3 Potential Sources of Impacts

There is minimal potential for impacts on identified cultural heritage resources in the Study Area, since the scheme avoids any cutting of Signal Hill. However, there is some potential for impacts on archaeological resources potentially uncovered by the construction works.

10.3.4 Impact Prediction and Evaluation

The survey has identified several sources of concern for sites of cultural heritage in the Study Area. As-yet-undiscovered resources, such as the remains of the ca. 1842-54 battery or tunnels that might exist under the hill, could also be adversely affected. Direct physical damage to artefacts could result from the proposed tunnelling under Signal Hill for the creation of pedestrian passageways to facilitate access to the proposed station. However, foundations, walls and the surface of Signal Hill would not be impacted by the construction of bored tunnels.

Other kinds of physical damage could occur because of proposed blasting activities on or near the south side of the hill. The large masonry blocks associated with the retaining walls and battery are particularly at risk in this regard, but other resources could also potentially be affected, for example, by falling debris or vibrational effects.

Physical damage could occur to a myriad of cultural heritage structures, sites or objects noted above, that are not now either recognized, protected, or interpreted appropriately. These could include moving resources from their original location (thus weakening their integrity), inadvertently trampling or compacting resources, or exposing resources to heightened levels of dust, debris and/or other aspects of pollution.

This rail extension will facilitate mass-transit transportation for many Hong Kong people. However, when buses, taxis or private vehicles are inevitably drawn to the site, and when thousands of people daily pass through the area (albeit in covered tunnels for the most part), there are potential risks to cultural resources that could easily experience substantially greater use.

There is a likelihood that there will be a substantial alteration of culturally valued viewsheds, such as those from Signal Hill Tower to Victoria Harbour, or conversely from vantage points looking toward the culturally significant site, which could occur as a result of the proposed construction.

This significant site of cultural heritage risks losing its integrity due to the cumulative effect of the redevelopment of the area by Land Development Corporation and the proposed railway extension . In part this is because the "hill" aspect of Signal Hill might lose its meaning in the context of a possible chain of developments associated with the station's construction. Similar contextual concerns relate to the sites of cultural interest in the Study Area lying outside the boundaries of Signal Hill itself. If historic and other signs that contribute to a particular sense of place along and near Mody Road are encouraged to be removed and not replaced, then the neighbourhood north of Signal Hill risks being dramatically changed from a visual standpoint.

The key word in the preceding paragraph is "context", because what is at issue in terms of the impacts to the site's integrity is how the visual context of the site and its surroundings will be altered.

10.4 Recommended Mitigation

It is recommended that the following mitigation measures should be considered in consultation with the various interested parties.

10.4.1 Minimizing Impacts

Controls on Tunnelling Works Through Signal Hill

Structural engineers will station monitoring equipment on Signal Hill for the duration of the contract to ensure that there is no structural damage to the tower and associated artefacts.

Minimize the Amount of Blasting

Blasting is tightly controlled under the Mines and Quarries Division (M&Q) of the Civil Engineering Department (CED). The M&Q require a blasting assessment to be carried out by qualified blasting specialists. Following this assessment the recommended controls will become contract conditions to be enforced on-site.

Minimize Damage to Structures and Objects on Signal Hill during Construction

Protective shields should be placed around the small historic objects on Signal Hill, including the winch and historic stone blocks, which are located within the Signal Hill Garden, as well as protective scaffolding with a cover around Signal Hill Tower itself, to mitigate against any unforeseen damage during construction.

Signal Hill Tower, Old Office and Toilet Block - Prior to commencement of construction work on-site, protective scaffolding shall be erected around/within the buildings as necessary, in order to prevent any major movement of the structure, as directed by a Registered Structural Engineer.

10.4.2 Rectifying and Compensating for Impacts

Incorporate a Heritage Education Component into the Station Design

If the station's construction proceeds as planned, then Tsim Sha Tsui will again be transformed by a major infrastructure intervention, one of several that have dramatically altered the landscape of southern Kowloon. In fact, for nearly 100 years the KCRC has played a major role in Tsim Sha Tsui's transformation, from the construction of the original Tsim Sha Tsui station in the early 20th century to its demolition in the 1970s. It would be possible to feature in the station a more educational explanation of these and other changes. This would be a wonderful opportunity for KCRC to explore the history of Tsim Sha Tsui in a creative manner, while also rectifying some of the adverse impacts of the station's construction. An oral history component to this venture could be included, with local residents sharing their memories of the site and its context.

In order to partially replace lost public areas due to the project, the existing disused footpaths on the north slope of the site above Minden Road could be upgraded and made safety for use by the public.

Restore Some Historic Functions to the Signal Hill Site

It has been 67 years since the time ball descended from the top of the Tower, but it might be a rectifying contribution to the site if the project led to a decision to restore the time ball mechanism, complete with mast, air cylinder and copper ball; reconstruct the masts that once hoisted signals; and rejuvenate and/or replace the bolts that held the wires or ropes. Re-enactments might be not only of interest to locals, but also to tourists. Even if full restorations were not desirable, the Signal Hill site is in woeful need of better interpretative signs, activities and incentives to connect it more meaningfully with people associated with its cultural context.

11. Landscape and Visual Issues

11.1 Existing Landscape and Visual Context

11.1.1 General Landscape Context

The Project site is linear and runs along the southern edge of the Kowloon peninsula from Hung Hom Station to Nathan Road. To the east of the site is the Hong Kong Coliseum and the International Mailing Centre, beyond which are the ongoing development areas of Hung Hom. Immediately west of the Station is the toll plaza for the Cross Harbour Tunnel. As the alignment proceeds along Salisbury Road it is bounded by the series of hotels and commercial buildings to the north and Victoria Harbour to the south. Beyond the row of hotels is the commercial centre of Tsim Sha Tsui East.

As the alignment passes Wing On Plaza, it straightens out into the Station structure aligned along Salisbury Road and adjacent to the Wing On Gardens and Middle Road Children’s Playground with Signal Hill to the north and the New World Centre to the south. Beyond this point the alignment runs in an overrun tunnel along Salisbury Road ending short of the junction with Nathan Road.

The general landscape character of the site can be summarised as commercial high-rise urban areas with public open space and a waterfront location. Due to the nature of the scheme, particularly with regard to its location within a major commercial and tourist area of Kowloon, this report describes the elements of the overall urban landscape character in detail. Aerial views of the Eastern and Western parts of the Study Area are given in Figures 11.1 and 11.2 respectively.

11.1.2 Detail Landscape Context/Character Area (refer to Figures 11.3a-11.3c )

For the purposes of this report, due to the nature of the scheme, this detailed description of the existing landscape context will follow the site and alignment from Hung Hom Station to Nathan Road.

Hung Hom Wan (Contractor’s works area)

The landscape of this area is one of reclaimed land characterised by a flat expanse of open featureless landscape severed by a number of large infrastructure projects including the extension to the Hung Hom Road. The area is bounded on the northern edge by a mixture of high and medium rise development such as the Willow Mansion Development. On the western and southern boundaries are the large scale developments of Hung Hom Station Freightyard, Hong Kong Coliseum and the International Mail Centre. The sea defences that trace the outline of this newly reclaimed land form the southern boundary. Views south open out into the Harbour area and extend to Hong Kong Island. There is little existing vegetation within this area. This is an area of relatively poor quality landscape and would have a moderate sensitivity to change.

Hung Hom Station to Salisbury Road (Worksite 2 -Tunnel)

This section of the alignment starts at the southern edge of Hung Hom Station southwards, passing the International Mail Centre (IMC) before turning south-west along Salisbury Road towards Wing On Plaza.

The alignment passes between the IMC, to the east, and Salisbury Road, the Cross Harbour Tunnel and Hing Chong Road to the west. Large areas of amenity planting are located between these roads and the associated slip road on top of the Tunnel. The existing vegetation is mainly open grass areas, but includes small groups of tree and shrub planting. There are few trees within this area and none within the proposed area of excavation. These trees have been graded during the tree survey as having poor amenity value.

In the context of the Bypass construction, this area is of low landscape quality and sensitivity due to the extent of existing infrastructure. However, the planted amenity areas provide relief from the overall harshness. The overall landscape quality and sensitivity is low. Figure 11.2 presents an aerial view of the eastern end of the Study Area, showing the alignment in relation to built up urban areas and also Victoria Harbour.

Ho Man Tin (Traction Sub Station)

Figure 11.4 show the existing views of the KCRC compound to be utilised for the new traction sub station. The site is situated in cutting being physically contained to the south by steep, partially vegetated rock cut slopes and to the north by equally steep shotcrete slopes. This area is visually dominated by large infrastructure projects such as the existing road viaducts to the south of the proposed development site that are visually dominant features, and the KCRC tracks along the northern boundary. The mature woodland planting associated with the Hung Hom Interchange to the south of the site forms an important landscape resource within the area.

The main land use on the development site is open storage that further detracts from the existing landscape character and its perceived quality. This is an area of poor landscape character with a low level of perceived landscape quality, features which lend it a low sensitivity to change.

Salisbury Road to Wing On Plaza Garden (Worksite 4 - Tunnel)

South-west of Hong Chong Road the alignment follows Salisbury Road on the eastbound side. Salisbury Road runs parallel to the Harbour and is bounded on its northern side by a row of modern, glass-fronted, high rise hotels and commercial buildings. Between the buildings and the road is a large planting strip, approximately 5m wide, which is predominantly grass but also has an avenue of young trees. The road has a planted central median with shrubs along its eastern part and an avenue of trees and palms along the western section. There are 49 trees within the Study Area, 30 of which would be within the proposed area of excavation. Five of these trees were graded as being of high amenity value, 42 as being of medium value and 2 as being of low value. None of the trees surveyed in this area were either Champion trees or protected by the Cap 96 – Forestry regulations.

To the south of Salisbury Road is the Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade. This is an important recreational facility in the area, particularly considering the proximity of the hotels. The promenade included within this section of the alignment is approximately 600m long. A 2m wide roadside planting strip is present comprising primarily grass, together with a narrow shrub bed and approximately 30 semi-mature trees. Between this planting strip and the waterfront is the promenade comprising a 5m wide pavement and 5m wide planting strip. These beds are primarily grass but also contain several semi-mature trees in each. Two large footbridges cross Salisbury Road allowing pedestrian access connecting Mody Road and the hotels to the promenade.

This promenade, due to its recreational purpose, location and the presence of large areas of planting, including semi-mature trees, is of high landscape quality and sensitivity.

Wing On Plaza Garden (Worksite 5 - Station)

The building footprint for the station concourse extends from the Shangri-La Hotel past Wing On Plaza, under Wing On Plaza Garden and Chatham Road South to Middle Road Children’s Playground. To the north of the site are the older mixed commercial / residential areas of Tsim Sha Tsui, while to the south is Salisbury Road and the modern New World Centre.

Wing On Plaza Garden is an important local open space comprising a formal garden with a series of activity spaces, such as tai chi gardens, sitting out areas and a children’s play area, connected with a footpath system. A subway with a large entrance in Wing On Plaza Garden connects the Garden with Middle Road Children’s Playground under Chatham Road South. Large amounts of mature tree planting within and around the gardens create a strong planting framework to the open space and provide an important landscape buffer as relief to the surrounding high rise urban character of East Tsim Sha Tsui.

There are approximately 116 trees within this area, of which 61 would be felled and a further 51 transplanted. None of the trees surveyed in this area were Champion trees, however, two of the trees (604 and 605) are protected by the CAP 96 – Forestry Regulations and will be retained.

Middle Road Children’s Playground (Worksite 5A - Station)

Middle Road Children’s Playground is opposite to Wing On Garden Plaza on the western side of Chatham Road South. The Playground is an important open space in Tsim Sha Tsui providing sitting out areas, shade structures and play equipment within a setting that includes mature trees and shrubs. A Champion tree is located in the south-west corner of the Middle Road Children’s Playground adjacent to the junction of Middle Road and Salisbury Road. This tree is however, scheduled to be protected during the construction phase and incorporated into the final landscape master plan. A footbridge connects Middle Road Children’s Playground to the New World Centre. This footbridge will be removed prior to works by the current owners.

Salisbury Road (Worksite 5A - Station and Salisbury Road Underpass)

The station also occupied part of Salisbury Road in front of Middle Road Children’s Playground, Wing On Plaza Garden. It shows the similar works area with the Salisbury Road Underpass project.

Mody Road / Blenheim Avenue (Worksite 7 - Subway)

Within this section is the subway access which extends from the northern side of Signal Hill Garden along Blenheim Avenue before turning west along Mody Road up to Nathan Road. These roads are bounded by high-rise commercial / residential buildings including the Holiday Inn Hotel. There are no trees along these roads.

This section of the site is of low landscape quality due its harsh urban character, lack of important landscape elements and long term tolerance to change.

The existing landscape character and typical views of the Study Area are illustrated in photographic images - see Figures 11.5-11.11.

Middle Road (Worksite 6 - Subway / Station Entrance)

This is an approximately 12m wide road bounded on both sides by high-rise commercial buildings including the Sheraton Hotel and Oterprise Square. No trees or important landscape features and located along his road.

This section has a low landscape quality and sensitivity due to its harsh urban character, lack of important landscape elements.

11.1.3 Tree Survey and Evaluation

A detailed document titled the Tree Felling Application and Compensatory Planting Proposal based on the Middle Road alignment scheme was completed by KCRC in November 1999 which serves as an Application for Tree Felling. This document incorporated an update of the Detailed Tree Survey Report and Compensatory Landscape Proposal previously completed (in December and November 1998 respectively) in Contract HGSA-002. Further update on the Tree Assessment Schedule (see Appendix L1) has been undertaken based on the Salisbury Road alignment scheme for this EIA study. The major difference is that 94 trees on Signal Hill will now be retained and hence unaffected by the Project. This schedule provides details of each tree: its identification number, name, size (height, girth and spread), estimated root structure, form, health, amenity value, survival rate after transplanting, special remarks and a recommendation for each tree. However, the actual number of tree felling and transplanting will be agreed with Lands Department and Leisure & Cultural Services Department under the Tree Felling Application prior to commencement of the works. A set of survey plans indicating the location of each tree is also provided in Appendix L2.

A total of 1052 trees have been identified within, or just outside the Study Area, of these 8 are dead and it was recommended that these be felled for safety reasons, irrespective of whether they would be affected by the works leaving 1044 trees. In evaluating how many of these trees would be affected by the construction works for the purposes of this study the proposed scheme was separated into two components:

1. The railway works areas (which encompasses a total of 950 trees); and

2. The highway works area at the junction of Salisbury Road and Chatham Road entrusted to KCRC (which encompasses a total of 102 trees).

Of the 1044 trees, 480 will be unaffected and 462 trees will be affected by the proposed railway works and 102 will be affected by the highways works. Of the 462 trees affected by the railway works 24 trees are pruned (root and branch) and retained in their current positions, 233 trees are transplanted and 205 trees are felled. Of the 102 trees affected by highways works 74 trees are transplanted and 28 trees are felled.

In total the number of trees to be retained on site after reinstatement (including “retain + prune”) is 504, the number of trees transplanted is 307, and the number of trees felled is 233. More detailed proposals are described by area in Table 11.1. The total number of trees after construction is completed will be about 1200 due to the new compensatory planting of trees.

Table 11.1 Tree Survey Results

^Location	^Retain	^{Retain & Prune}	^Transplant	^Fell	^{Dead Fell}	^Total
Railway related works
Signal Hill Garden	276	0	0	0	7	283
Middle Road Children’s Playground	9	0	129	31	1	170
Wing On Plaza Garden	4	0	51	61	0	116
Urban Council Centenary Garden	80	0	1	60	0	141
Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade	11	0	18	0	0	29
Hung Hom Station Podium	19	0	0	0	0	19
Roadside Planting Areas	81	24	34	53	0	192
Sub-total	480	24	233	205	8	950
Salisbury Road Highways works
Middle Road Children’s Playground	0	0	18	16	0	34
Roadside Planting Areas	0	0	56	12	0	68
Sub-total	0	0	74	28	0	102
All HDD-300 works (Railway and Highways)
Signal Hill Garden	276	0	0	0	7	283
Middle Road Children’s Playground	9	0	147	47	1	204
Wing On Plaza Garden	4	0	51	61	0	116
Urban Council Centenary Garden	80	0	1	60	0	141
Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade	11	0	18	0	0	29
Hung Hom Station Podium	19	0	0	0	0	19
Roadside Planting Areas	81	24	90	65	0	260
Total	480	24	307	233	8	1052

The selection of specimens suitable for transplanting was based on a combination of factors including location, species, form, health and amenity value of the tree; the ease and cost of transplanting; and the predicted survival rate.

The survey report also highlighted the following:

i. There are two Champion Trees within the Study Area, refer to Figure 11.12 and 11.13 , tree number 250 – Ficus microcarpa and tree number 251 – Ficus virens; and a further two in close proximity to the study area boundary, tree number 248 – Phoenix dactylifera and tree number 249 – Ficus microcarpa. None of these would be affected by the proposed works, however tree number 251 would be within the works construction area at Middle Road Children’s Playground and so great care would need to be paid to the protection of this tree during the construction phase. Special tree protection measures have been identified in the Tree Felling Application and these will be included in the construction contracts to ensure that all necessary care is given to this tree.

ii. There are 7 trees in the Study Area that are protected under Cap 96 – Forestry Regulations. These include 5 Lagerstroemia indica and 2 Ailanthus fordii, none of which would be affected by the proposed works.

KCRC have minimised the total overall tree loss through changes to the scheme design. Information on the Compensatory Planting Proposal and Tree Protection Measures has been included below to follow on from the Tree Survey details. It is possible that the final number of trees lost may be reduced further by application of sensitive design principles as the detailed design progresses.

11.1.4 Compensatory Planting Proposals

The compensatory planting proposals are a key requirement of the Tree Felling Application which is undertaken separately to the EIA. A detailed tree felling and compensatory plan should be submitted to appropriate authorities for approval prior to construction of the proposed ETS.

Although the overall area of planting will be reduced after the station and underpass are constructed, the number of trees will in fact increase with an estimated post construction total of about 1075 new trees and 504 retained trees (compared with the original 1052). The proposed new trees by location are shown in Table 11.2.

Table 11.2 Proposed New Trees by Location

^Location	^{Number of Proposed New Trees}
Middle Road Children’s Playground	218
Wing On Plaza Garden	238
Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade	239
Roadside (including Salisbury Road Underpass)	349
KCRC areas	3
IMC areas	19
Mariner’s Club	9
Total	1075

Based on Compensatory Planting Plans prepared after MS2

Furthermore, an improved quality of both the planting areas and overall landscape will be a key compensatory feature. The objectives of the compensatory planting design are as follows:

^·^{to
improve the overall quality of existing vegetation;}

^·^{to
fully compensate lost greenery with new and upgraded soft landscape areas;}

^·^{to
create a bold and robust vegetative setting, using colour, texture and form to
provide interest;}

^·^{to
respond to the local context, and provide continuity to the established soft
landscapes within the neighbourhood;}

^·^{to
use large trees (at least heavy standard) to create instant effect;}

^·^{to
maximise the use of trees with seasonal interest;}

^·^{to
spatially define the activity areas through structure planting;}

^·^{to
reduce the visual impact of Signal Hill retaining wall, station structure,
elevated roads and at grade tunnel box with dense, tiered, planting of trees,
shrubs, creepers and climbers;}

^·^{to
use palms and shrubs in an unifying arrangement around station and park
entrances;}

^·^{to
use trees, hedge planting, shrubs and climbers around vent buildings and
transformer rooms to soften the residual visual impact of these structures.}

Trees will be planted in bold statements within large planters at the regarded Salisbury/Hong Chong/Science Museum Road interchange, to establish a strong green buffer between two major elements: (i), the above-grade tunnel box and vent building, and the Hung Hom Bypass to the south-east; and (ii), hotels Nikko and Grand Stanford Harbour View to the north-west.

Trees and shrubs will also be planted at a more intimate level along the pedestrian footpath proposed to connect the KCRC Hung Hom station and Coliseum to the East Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade. This planting will provide screening from the roads, as well as shade over the walkway. Along the East Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade amenity planting will be restored to maintain continuity from the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade. Large avenue trees with understorey planting are introduced within the central median and along both sides of Salisbury Road to create a landscape setting that responds to both the scale of the built environment and the scale of the human environment.

Within Wing On Plaza Garden structure planting will be re-created around the western and southern boundaries of the site to reduce adjacent traffic noise and to define the open space within. Existing ornamental species such as Crataeva religiosa and Delonix regia, that are to remain, are the basis for species selection, as they contribute to the high quality of the existing landscape. In order to reflect the character of the new garden, more colours will be added to the park by the use of flowering trees.

The station structure will be designed so that a minimum of two-metre soil depth is provided on the top in planting areas. This will ensure that large trees can be accommodated throughout Middle Road Children’s Playground. Structure planting will be re-created along the perimeter of the site to reduce adjacent traffic noise, define the open space within, and reduce the visibility of the building facade from Salisbury Road. Along the edge of the landscape ramps and steps, climbers will be planted at the base, and creepers at the top, to soften the hard edge of these structures.

The provision of shade is one of the most important amenities in passive open spaces. Areas such as tai chi courts, the children’s playground, sitting benches, etc. will be shaded by fast growing trees of broad canopies and seasonal interest, such as Pterocarpus indicus, Crataeva religiosa and Delonix regia. These trees will also be planted on both sides of pathways, ramps and steps, to create a pleasant roof-like tree canopy.

Middle Road Children’s Playground, Wing On Plaza Garden, the Urban Council Centenary Garden together with East Tsim Sha Tsui promenade form a network of open space system in Tsim Sha Tsui. A theme of tropical planting is widely applied within this network. The compensatory planting will be applied using this basic framework but reinforced with more seasonal colours. Besides the selection of trees with conspicuous flowers at specimen locations, shrubs and climber species selection will also focus on visual interest. Plants such as Ixora, Allamanda, and Bouganvillea will be used to enhance the tropical theme of the open space network.

The proposed planting tree types are divided into specimen trees, street trees, canopy trees, woodland trees and buffer trees. Specimen trees are trees of very good individual form, with seasonal foliage and flower variations. These trees are set at prominent locations such that their individual beauty can be appreciated. Canopy trees provide shade next to paved areas. They generally have broad form and dense crown. Buffer trees are fast growing with dense, sometimes columnar in shape, crowns. They provide quick screening to adjacent areas. Woodland trees are used at Signal Hill Garden. They are native species similar to, and compatible with, adjacent trees. Street trees are evergreen species with a tidy, relatively narrow crown. They also have seasonal foliage and flower variations.

11.1.5 Tree Protection

To ensure proper protection of existing trees, particularly those of special value and those very close to proposed construction works, has been a subject of detail review during the preparation of the two previous landscape documents: Detailed Tree Survey Report (December 1998) and Compensatory Landscape Proposal (November 1998). Various Government departments have also commented on aspects of tree protection following receipt of the two above documents. These comments have been addressed by KCRC, where appropriate, in the Particular Specification for landscape soft works. A number of other issues will also be implemented as follows:

Evaluation of Monetary Value for Trees

LCSD have requested that a penalty system be inserted into the construction contracts whereby the contractor’s damage of trees is penalised with a sum of money. This serves to deter contractors’ negligence and ensure proper maintenance and protection of trees under his care. The Detailed Design Consultant has derived a system of evaluation of monetary values, this is given in Appendix L3. The following Special Condition of Contract relates to this issue and will be added to all construction contracts:

SCC 28 Penalty for Damage toTrees

The Contractor shall agree to pay the Employer the money value for trees that are evaluated in “Evaluation of Money Values in Trees” or agree the Employer to set off the same against the payment due to or become due to the Contractor under contract should the Contractor cause damage within either the contract period or the establishment period to the tree retained, pruned and/or transplanted, leading to its injury or death. The Contractor shall, in additional to paying the money value, repair or replace the tree damaged or dead at his own cost.

Advance Contract for Tree Transplanting Works

The tree transplanting works shall be carried out as an advance contract. This ensures that all due attention is focused on the proper preparation and workmanship of tree transplanting without compromises due to conflict with other construction works, and that maximum time is allowed for the preparation of trees before removal from the ground.

Supervision of Tree Transplanting Works

Tree transplanting should be supervised by site staff with suitable landscape and/or horticultural qualifications.

Construction Works Close to Existing Trees to be Retained

Special requirements will be inserted into the particular specification, to create stringent, but necessary, preconditions for any construction works around existing trees.

11.2 Sources of Impact

The construction of the rail extension will cause landscape impacts due to following :

^·^{disturbance
and loss of existing vegetation including mature trees;}

^·^{disturbance
and temporary loss of public open space;}

^·^{disruption
to existing pedestrian circulation; and}

^·^{modifications
to the local topography.}

These sources of impact will occur during both the construction phase of the scheme and due to the permanent above ground works.

11.2.1 Construction Phase Impact

The construction will be a phased operation commencing late in the year 2000 and reaching completion towards the end of the year 2004. However, the construction activity will not be constant for all areas over the entire four year period, so the predicted impacts will occur at defined locations at specific periods in the construction programme.

Hung Hom Wan

The main visible construction activity would occur between December 2000 and November 2003. The main visible construction impacts would include the following:

i. The storage of materials and machinery;

ii. The installation of site offices and huts;

iii. Truck movements and loading of excavated spoil to waiting barges; and

iv. The movement of machinery and materials to and from the main working areas.

No existing vegetation would be lost during the use of this site as a temporary contractor’s work area and storage facility.

The overall landscape impact due to the construction activity on site would be slight adverse.

Hung Hom to Salisbury Road (Worksite 2 - Tunnel)

The main visible construction activity would occur between October 2000 and September 2003 for this area of the site. The main construction impacts would arise from the following:

^·^{Construction
of the cut and cover tunnel along the length of Salisbury Road;}

^·^{Construction
of the ventilation building adjacent to International Mail Centre.}

The landscape character of Salisbury Road, particularly that of the pedestrian promenade would, during the construction period, undergo a slight adverse impact. This impact would be compounded by the loss of a number of road side trees.

An area of amenity planting would be lost due to the construction of this part of the proposed scheme, although this loss is only temporary in nature and KCRC in liaison with LCSD would commence replanting at the earliest opportunity, anticipated to be the third and forth years of the construction works.

The overall landscape impact during construction for this section of the alignment would be slight adverse.

Ho Man Tin (Traction Sub Station)

The main visible construction activity would occur between December 2002 and November 2003. The construction impacts would arise from the following:

^·^{Site
clearance of the existing open storage area and the demolition of existing
structures; and}

^·^{Construction
of the proposed Traction Sub Station complex.}

The construction of the proposed Sub Station complex would lead to a temporary

degradation of the existing landscape character and its perceived quality, although this predicted adverse impact would be largely mitigated by the existing landscape which has a low sensitivity to further change and so is able to accommodate development without significant further degradation. In this context the proposed construction activity would have a negligible level of landscape impact.

Salisbury Road to Wing On Plaza Garden (Worksite 4 - Tunnel)

This section of the tunnel will be constructed using a cut and cover method and will result in disturbance to the ground level landscape along the entire section. This will cause disturbance to the entire landscape along Salisbury Road and result in the following:

^·^{Loss
of central median planting, including trees and shrubs, along Salisbury Road;}

^·^{Loss
of roadside planting and mature trees; and}

^·^{Disruption
to, but no permanent severance of pedestrian circulation.}

The construction of the proposed cut and cover tunnel, and the diversion of traffic on Salisbury Road would lead to the loss of much of the existing planting in this area. Public access would be restricted during the construction works. The pedestrian circulation between the promenade area and Mody Road would be affected by the removal of the existing pedestrian footbridge adjacent to the Grand Stanford Harbour View Hotel. The other existing footbridge would also be relocated due to the alignment of the proposed box tunnel under the promenade. This would have an adverse impact on pedestrian access to the promenade area.

Tree and shrub planting within the central median of Salisbury Road would be temporarily removed to allow the proposed traffic diversions during the installation of the cut and cover tunnel. The planting strip along the northern edge of Salisbury Road and the narrow strip delineating the promenade would be lost due to the proposed excavations and the use of the northern area for a contractor’s working area.

This would lead to a temporary degradation of the existing high landscape quality of Salisbury Road. The construction proposals would lead to a significant adverse landscape impact for this area for the duration of the above ground works. However, it is recognised that once the initial excavation is completed, the construction will proceed below ground level under temporary decking, significantly reducing the overall landscape and visual impact.

Wing On Plaza Garden (Worksite 5 - Station)

The main visible construction activity in this area would occur between October 2000 and June 2003. The main impacts would arise from the following activities:

^·^{The
construction of a ETS station entrance and to the connection to the Mody Road
Subway.}

^·^{The
construction of vent shafts and underground plant room; and}

^·^{The
construction of CLP transformers.}

The proposed construction works would result in the temporary loss of the Garden for public recreation (approximately 9,375m²), including the playground area to the north, sitting areas and the tai chi garden.

Overall the proposed construction would necessitate the temporary closure of the Garden and cause a temporary, but significant adverse impact to the existing landscape character of this area.

Middle Road Playground (Worksite 5A - Station)

The main visible construction activity in this area would occur during the period October 2000 to January 2004. The main construction impacts would be due to the following:

^·^{The
removal of existing mature vegetation during the site clearance; and}

^·^{The
extensive excavations and construction activity for the underground East Tsim
Sha Tsui Station and it’s above ground landscaped podium.}

The proposed works would not impinge upon Signal Hill. Stabilisation works to the existing slope may be required. There are however, some 170 trees within the playground, 129 of which would be transplanted and a further 31 felled. The construction of the proposed scheme would leave the two Champion Trees, numbers 250 and 251, on the site intact, although number 251 would require protection during the construction period.

During the construction period the Middle Road Playground would be closed leading to a temporary loss of 9,750m² of public open space. The proposed mitigation does not include for the provision of alternative open space and play facilities during the construction period, as no feasible alternatives have been identified.

During the construction period there would be some disturbance to pedestrian circulation around the site however, all pedestrian access routes would be maintained through the use of temporary diversions.

Overall there would be a significant adverse landscape impact, in this area during the construction period.

Salisbury Road (Worksite 5A - Station and Salisbury Road Underpass)

The main visible construction activity in this area would occur between October 2000 and December 2001. No significant landscape elements will be affected although there would be some disruption to pedestrian circulation. However, access along the roadside footpaths will be maintained. The impact here is in fact comparable to the existing situation resulting from construction of a pedestrian interchange subway under Salisbury Road.

The overall landscape impact during the construction period would be moderate adverse due to the level of disturbance envisaged to the landscape character of this area. These impacts would however be temporary in nature and would be reversed part way through the construction period when works will proceed under surface decking.

Mody Road / Blenheim Avenue to Nathan Road (Worksite 7 - Subway)

The main visible construction activity in this area would occur between October 2000 and December 2003. The main construction impacts would arise from the following:

^·^{The
construction of the pedestrian interchange subway between Nathan Road and
Chatham Road;}

^·^{The
construction of the proposed subway entrances adjacent to Bristol Avenue,
Cornwall Avenue, Hanoi Road, on Mody Road and at the Chatham Road end of the
proposed subway;}

^·^{The
excavation of the Blenheim Avenue pedestrian interchange subway using cut and
cover tunnelling methods;}

^·^{The
relocation of the MTR vent shaft at the junction of Nathan Road and Mody Road;
and}

^·^{The
construction of the proposed vent shaft and plant room north of Wing On Plaza
Garden.}

The overall landscape impact for the construction activity in this area would be moderate adverse. No important landscape features will be affected although there will be disruption to the pedestrian circulation. In this context it should be noted that the LDC redevelopment in Mody Road / Hanoi Road / Bristol Avenue / Cornwall Avenue will have demolished many of the existing buildings potentially sensitive to this project.

11.2.2 Summary of Construction Phase Landscape Impacts

Overall the landscape impacts during the construction phase will occur due to the extent of disturbance to local important open spaces and loss of vegetation, including mature trees. Although temporary the localised impacts are significant and remove key areas of open space for more than three years.

11.3 Existing Visual Context

11.3.1 Visual Envelope

Due to the nature of the scheme, with much of it being a tunnel constructed by a cut and cover method, the visual envelope will vary between the construction and operation phases. In order to ensure detailed coverage of the visually sensitive receivers (VSRs) the worst case scenario will be considered, which is during the construction phase.

In general, the visual envelope is confined to the north by the adjacent high-rise buildings along the entire site. The only exceptions to this are at Hung Hom Station, where there is a view corridor from the north due to the presence of the CHT toll plaza, the view corridor from the north along Chatham Road South and the narrow gaps between the buildings. To the east the views are screened by the IMC and Hung Hom Station itself. To the west views are generally screened and only possible along Salisbury and Mody Roads. From the south only distant views are possible from Causeway Bay waterfront and at an angle from Wan Chai and North Point, however access to the waterfront is limited in these locations. Distant views are also possible from the Harbour.

Visibility contours were not considered appropriate to this assessment because the visual envelope is dictated on the whole by the adjacent buildings many of which are high and medium rise. These provide a definite cut off restricting the gradation of visibility that would normally be associated with contours.

11.3.2 Existing Visually Sensitive Receivers and Their Views (refer to Figures 11.14a -11.14c)

As indicated above, the visual envelope is restricted on the Kowloon side to VSRs in close proximity to the site. The VSRs and their views are summarised in Table 11.3.

Table 11.3 Visually Sensitive Receivers and Their Existing Views

^{Visually Sensitive Receiver}	^{VSR type}	^{Existing View}	^{Quality/ Sensitivity}
Ho Man Tin
a. Valley Road Estate	Residential	Area has a low level of landscape character	low
b. British Military Hospital	Hospital	Area has a low level of landscape character	low
Hung Hom Wan
1. Hung Hom Bay Centre	Visitors / staff	This area has a low level of landscape quality being recently reclaimed, severed by new infrastructure projects and awaiting development. Area of reclaimed land	Low
2. Willow Mansions	Residential	This area has a low level of landscape quality being recently reclaimed, severed by new infrastructure projects and awaiting development. Area of reclaimed land	Low
3. Palm Mansions	Residential	This area has a low level of landscape quality being recently reclaimed, severed by new infrastructure projects and awaiting development. Area of reclaimed land	Low
4. Lily Mansions	Residential	This area has a low level of landscape quality being recently reclaimed, severed by new infrastructure projects and awaiting development. Area of reclaimed land	Low
5. Hung Hom Ferry Port	Passengers / staff	This area has a low level of landscape quality being recently reclaimed, severed by new infrastructure projects and awaiting development. Area of reclaimed land	Low
Hung Hom Station to Wing On Plaza
6. Hung Hom Station	Commuters and Station Staff	South along Salisbury Road containing infrastructure and Hung Hom viaduct. Transitory VSRs with low sensitivity	Low
7. Hong Kong Coliseum	Visitors	Building has no windows so views from outdoor entrance area only. Views are west to local roads and high-rise buildings	Low
8. International Mail Centre (IMC)	IMC Staff	Views west to local high-rise buildings. Workers with low sensitivity	Low
9. Hung Hom Bypass users	Vehicular	Views west along Salisbury Road with high-rise buildings to the North and Harbour to the south. Transitory VSRs with low sensitivity	Low
10. Fire Services Headquarters Building	Staff	View east over Cross Harbour toll plaza to IMC, Coliseum and Hung Hom Station	Low
11. Pak Shui Yuen	Residential	Views east over Cross Harbour toll plaza to IMC, Coliseum and Hung Hom Station. Residential VSRs with higher sensitivity	Medium
12. Hong Kong Polytechnic Staff Residence	Residential	Views south along view corridor over toll plaza, towards harbour. Sensitivity reduced due to distance from works	Medium
13. Hotel Nikko	Hotel	Open views south over harbour	High
14. Harbour View Holiday Inn	Hotel	Open Views south over harbour	High
15. Urban Council Centenary Garden	Public Open Space	Open views south over harbour	High
16. Empire Centre	Commercial	Open views south over harbour	High
17. Royal Garden Hotel (part)	Hotel	Partial vies south towards harbour	Medium
18. Tsim Sha Tsui Centre	Commercial	Open views south over harbour	High
19. Houston Centre (part)	Commercial	Partial views south toward harbour	Medium
20. Shangri-La Hotel	Hotel	Open views south over harbour	High
21. Wing On Plaza	Commercial	Open views south over harbour	High
22. Salisbury Road users	Vehicular/ Pedestrian	Views south over road towards harbour. Transitory nature reduces sensitivity	Low
23. Victoria Harbour Boat Traffic	Boat Traffic	Views north to high-rise TST harbour frontage. Transitory nature reduces sensitivity	Medium
24. New World Centre (east part)	Commercial	Views north-east along Salisbury Road with harbour to south	High
25. Causeway Bay	Mixed	Views north over harbour to high-rise TST waterfront. Sensitivity reduced due to distance to works and degree of alternative views	Medium
26. Wanchai	Mixed	Views north over harbour to high-rise TST waterfront. Sensitivity reduced due to distance to works and degree of alternative views	Medium
27. North Point	Mixed	Views north over harbour to high-rise TST waterfront. Sensitivity reduced due to distance to works and degree of alternative views	Medium
Wing On Plaza to Middle Road Childrens Playground
28. Wing On Plaza	Commercial	Views east over local open spaces to other high-rise commercial buildings	Medium
29. New World Hotel	Hotel	Views north over Middle Road Children’s Playground to Signal Hill and high rise buildings	High
30. Signal Hill Garden	Public Open Space	Elevated views south over Playground to New World Centre with view corridor south east to harbour. High sensitivity due to public open space	High
31. Wing Pu Building	Industrial	Elevated views north over Blackhead Point to New World Centre	Low
32. Chun Wah Building	Industrial	Elevated views north over Blackhead Point to New World Centre	Low
33. Guangdong Textile Centre	Industrial	Elevated views north over Blackhead Point to New World Centre	Low
34. Minden Row buildings	Residential	Elevated views south over Signal Hill to New World Centre	High
35. Mariner’s Club	Private	Lower views south-east over Playground to New World Centre	Medium
36. Hermes House	Commercial	Partial views east over Playground and along view corridor to harbour	Low
37. Sheraton Hotel	Hotel	Views east over Playground and south over Salisbury Road works.	Medium
38. Chatham Road South users	Vehicular/ Pedestrian	Views south towards New World Centre. Transitory nature reduces sensitivity	Low
39. Salisbury Road users	Vehicular/ Pedestrian	Views north toward Playground and Signal Hill. Sensitivity reduced by transitory nature	Low
Salisbury Road to Nathan Road
40. Hermes House	Commercial	Views south enclosed by Sheraton Hotel	Low
41. Far East Mansion	Commercial	Views south enclosed by Sheraton Hotel	Low
42. Ambassador Hotel	Hotel	Views south enclosed by Sheraton Hotel. Higher sensitivity due to nature of VSR	Medium
43. Kowloon Hotel	Hotel	Narrow view over Nathan Road along Mody Road	Medium
44. Peninsula Hotel	Hotel	Narrow view over Nathan Road and works in Salisbury Road	Medium
45. Sheraton Hotel	Hotel	Views south over the Salisbury Road cut and cover construction works	Medium
46. Salisbury Road Pedestrians	Pedestrian	Open views from southern side	Medium
47. Blenheim Avenue buildings west side	Commercial/ Residential	Views east enclosed by buildings opposite	Low
48. Guangdong Textile Centre	Commercial/ Industrial	Views west enclosed by building opposite	Low
49. Minden House	Commercial	Views east enclosed by buildings opposite	Low
50. Lyton Building	Commercial	Views east enclosed by buildings opposite	Low
51. Ocean View Court	Commercial	Views south and east enclosed by buildings opposite	Low
52. Mody Road nos. 18-30	Commercial/ Residential	Views north enclosed by buildings opposite	Medium
53. Mody Road nos. 17-29	Commercial/ Residential	Views south enclosed by buildings opposite	Medium
54. Mody Road nos. 1-11	Commercial/ Residential	Views south enclosed by buildings opposite	Medium
55. Peninsula Apartments	Residential	Views north enclosed by buildings	Medium
56. Holiday Inn Hotel	Hotel	Views north enclosed by Mirador	Medium
57. Mirador	Commercial	Views south enclosed by Holiday Inn Hotel	Low
58. Mody Road Pedestrians	Pedestrian	Enclosed views along Mody Road	Low
59. Connecting road pedestrians	Pedestrian	Enclosed views south towards Mody Road	Low
60. Hyatt Regency Hong Kong	Hotel	Narrow view along Mody Road	Medium
61. Nathan Road Pedestrians	Pedestrian	Narrow view along Mody Road	Medium

The main group of VSRs are the hotels and commercial buildings along the Salisbury Road section which have open views south over the Harbour. To the west of this section the views are generally enclosed by the density of high-rise buildings.

11.4 Landscape planning (Refer to Figures 11.15 - 11.17 )

In general, the Project will be constructed within already developed areas, comprising primarily a mix of commercial development and open space. From a planning perspective, the project will not directly affect the existing commercial developments and will primarily affect the local open space. In particular, it will cause the following:

i. disturbance to the Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade open space during the construction of the cut and cover tunnel;

ii. disturbance to the Wing On Plaza Garden open space during the construction works as this area will be excavated for the Tsim Sha Tsui East Station;

iii. disturbance to the open space at Middle Road Children’s Playground due to the construction of the above ground structures for the station; and

iv. disturbance to the planned development sites on the reclamation in Hung Hom, as these sites will be used as contractor compounds.

The TST east Promenade and Wing On Plaza Garden open spaces will be reprovisioned as landscaped open spaces on completion of works and would not, therefore, suffer any long term impacts. The Middle Road Children’s Playground would be partially occupied by the above ground structure of the ETS. However, the proposals would create a decked landscape which would facilitate reprovisioning of the open space lost during construction creating a new design for the playground.

The proposed station would, in the context of the commercial character of TST, provide the convenient infrastructure linkage, which the commercial areas require. The works will result in a loss of only 1,500m² of open space at Middle Road Children’s Playground, although the topography will change with the reformed deck at +15mPD. This will shield practically all views of the base of Signal Hill and hence the landscape context for Signal Hill and Signal Hill Tower which has been unchanged for 100 years, will be radically altered.

11.5 Assessment of Visual Impacts

11.5.1 Construction Phase Impacts

The sources of visual impact during the construction phase will arise from the following :

^·^{construction
of an underground station with station entrances and ventilation structures
above ground;}

^·^{construction
of cut and cover railway tunnels and the above ground section at Hung Hom;}

^·^{construction
of the pedestrian interchange subway;}

^·^{construction
of the ventilation shafts;}

^·^{disturbance
to existing vegetation, including mature trees resulting in loss of screening
and vegetated visual buffers;}

^·^{disruption
to areas of open space, open views and view corridors;}

^·^{construction
materials and plant;}

^·^{material
stockpiling;}

^·^{temporary
parking, site accommodation and work areas;}

^·^{works
traffic, particularly related to construction spoil disposal; and}

^·^{indirect
effect of traffic diversions.}

Table 11.4 summarises the visual impacts on the VSRs.

Table 11.4 Construction Phase Visual Impacts

^{Visually Sensitive Receiver}	^{Quality/ Sensitivity}	^Distance	^{Visual Impact}	^{Degree of Impact}
Ho Man Tin
a. Valley Road Estate	low	800m+	Existing view unaffected	Negligible
b. British Military Hospital	low	800m+	Existing view unaffected	Negligible
Hung Hom Wan
1. Hung Hom Bay Centre	Low	300m	Existing degraded views little effected by the introduction of the proposed temporary working areas.	Negligible to slight adverse
2. Willow Mansion	Low	315m	Existing degraded views little effected by the introduction of the proposed temporary working areas.	Negligible to slight adverse
3. Palm Mansion	Low	365m	Existing degraded views little effected by the introduction of the proposed temporary working areas.	Negligible to slight adverse
4. Lily Mansions	Low	400m	Existing degraded views little effected by the introduction of the proposed temporary working areas.	Negligible to slight adverse
5.Hung Hom Ferry Port	Low	520m	Existing degraded views little effected by the introduction of the proposed temporary working areas.	Negligible to slight adverse
Hung Hom to Salisbury Road
6. Hung Hom Station	Low	50m	Loss of local vegetation and general construction works. Introduction of rail track, and ventilation shaft. Views already degraded by Hung Hom Bypass/ Salisbury Road underpass.	Slight adverse
7. Hong Kong Coliseum	Low	50m	Loss of local vegetation and general construction works. Introduction of rail track and ventilation shaft. Views already degraded by Hung Hom Bypass/ Salisbury Road underpass.	Slight adverse
8. International Mail Centre (IMC)	Low	30m	Loss of local vegetation and general construction works. Introduction of rail track and ventilation shaft. Views already degraded by Hung Hom Bypass/ Salisbury Road underpass.	Slight adverse
9. Hung Hom Bypass users	Low	30m	Loss of vegetation along Salisbury Road and general construction works. Introduction of rail track and ventilation shaft. Views already degraded by Hung Hom Bypass/ Salisbury Road underpass.	Slight adverse
10. Fire Services Headquarters Building	Low	30m	Loss of local vegetation and general construction works. Introduction of rail track and ventilation shaft. Views already degraded by Hung Hom Bypass/ Salisbury Road underpass.	Slight adverse
11. Pak Shui Yuen	Medium	50m	Loss of local vegetation and general construction works. Introduction of rail track and ventilation shaft. However, only angled view are affected. Views already degraded by Hung Hom Bypass/ Salisbury Road underpass.	Slight adverse
12. Hong Kong Polytechnic Staff Residence	Medium	200m	General construction works. Introduction of rail track and ventilation shaft. Views already degraded by Hung Hom Bypass/ Salisbury Road underpass.	Slight adverse
13. Hotel Nikko	High	30m	Disruption of views to harbour, loss of vegetation and promenade and visual intrusion downwards from hotel rooms. Views already degraded by Hung Hom Bypass/ Salisbury Road underpass.	Significant adverse
14. Harbour View Holiday Inn	High	35m	Disruption of views to harbour, loss of vegetation and promenade and visual intrusion downwards from hotel rooms. View already degraded by Hung Hom Bypass/ Salisbury Road underpass.	Significant adverse
15. Urban Council Centenary Garden	High	10m	Disruption of views to harbour, loss of vegetation and promenade and visual intrusion downwards from hotel rooms.	Significant adverse
16. Empire Centre	High	35m	Disruption of views to harbour, loss of vegetation and promenade and visual intrusion downwards from hotel rooms.	Significant adverse
17. Royal Garden Hotel	High	35m	Disruption of views to harbour, loss of vegetation and and visual intrusion downwards from hotel rooms.	Significant adverse
18. Tsim Sha Tsui Centre	High	35m	Disruption of views to harbour, loss of vegetation and promenade and visual intrusion downwards from hotel rooms.	Significant adverse
19. Houston Hotel	High	35m	Disruption of views to harbour, loss of vegetation and promenade and visual intrusion downwards from hotel rooms.	Significant adverse
20.Shangri-La Hotel	High	35m	Disruption of views to harbour, loss of vegetation and promenade and visual intrusion downwards from hotel rooms.	Significant adverse
21. Wing On Plaza	High	5m	Disruption of views to harbour, loss of vegetation and promenade and visual intrusion downwards from upper levels. Introduction of ventilation shaft.	Significant adverse
22. Salisbury Road users	Low	5m+	Loss of vegetation and promenade. Screening of harbour views.	Moderate adverse
23. Victoria Harbour Boat Traffic	Medium	100m+	Loss of promenade and vegetation. Alternative views available.	Moderate Adverse
24. New World Centre (east part)	High	60m+	Loss of promenade and vegetation. General construction works. Introduction of ventilation shaft.	Significant adverse
25. Causeway Bay	Medium	1400m+	From a distance visual intrusion will be due to loss of trees. Scale of works small compared to overall view. Wide alternative views available.	Slight adverse
26. Wanchai	Medium	1600m+	From a distance visual intrusion will be due to loss of trees. Scale of works small compared to overall view. Wide alternative views available.	Slight adverse
27. North Point	Medium	1600m+	From a distance visual intrusion will be due to loss of trees. Scale of works small compared to overall view. Wide alternative views available.	Slight adverse
Wing On Plaza to Middle Road Childrens Playground
28. Wing On Plaza	Medium	5m+	Construction works in Wing On Garden and Middle Road Children’s Playground.	Significant adverse
29. New World Hotel	High	50m+	Construction works in Wing On Garden and Middle Road Children’s Playground General Introduction of Station building, pedestrian entrance and ventilation shaft. General construction works.	Significant adverse
30. Signal Hill Garden	High	30m+	Views to works in Wing On Garden and Middle Road Children’s Playground. Introduction of Station building, pedestrian entrance and ventilation shaft.	Significant adverse
31. Wing Pu Building	Low	10m+	Temporary loss of Wing On Garden and Middle Road Children’s Playground open space and vegetation. Introduction of Station building, pedestrian entrance and ventilation shaft. General construction works.	Moderate adverse
32. Chun Wah Building	Low	50m+	Temporary loss of Wing On Garden and Middle Road Children’s Playground open space and vegetation. Introduction of Station building, pedestrian entrance and ventilation shaft. General construction works.	Moderate adverse
33. Guangdong Textile Centre	Low	65m+	Temporary loss of Wing On Garden and Middle Road Children’s Playground open space and vegetation. Introduction of Station building, pedestrian entrance and ventilation shaft. General construction works.	Moderate adverse
34. Minden Row buildings	High	80m+	Restricted views of works in Wing On Garden and Middle Road Children’s Playground.	Moderate adverse
35. Mariner’s Club	Medium	5m	Close views of works in Middle Road Children’s Playground. Introduction of Station building and ventilation shaft. Note: Mariner’s Club may be redeveloped.	Moderate adverse
36. Hermes House	Low	5m	Restricted views of works Middle Road Children’s Playground.	Moderate adverse
37. Sheraton Hotel	Medium	25m	Primarily relates to views of the cut and cover construction works to the south in Salisbury Road.	Moderate adverse
38. Chatham Road South users	Low	5m+	Loss of Wing On Garden and Middle Road Children’s Playground open space and vegetation. Introduction of Station building, pedestrian entrance and ventilation shaft. General construction works.	Moderate adverse
39. Salisbury Road users	Low	5m+	Construction works along the full length from Hung Hom to Nathan Road.	Moderate adverse
40. Far East Mansion	Low	5m+	Intrusion at lowest levels and only when viewed downwards.	Slight adverse
41. Ambassador Hotel	Medium	5m+	Intrusion at lowest levels and only when viewed downwards.	Moderate adverse
42. Kowloon Hotel	Medium	200m+	Restricted views of the works in Middle Road Childrens Playground.	Slight adverse
43. Peninsula Hotel	Medium	10m+	Intrusion looking along the general construction works on Salisbury Road and Subway at Middle Road.	Significant adverse
44. Blenheim Avenue buildings west side	Low	5m+	Intrusion at lowest levels and only when viewed downwards.	Slight adverse
45. Guangdong Textile Centre	Low	Adjacent	Intrusion at lowest levels and only when viewed downwards.	Slight adverse
46. Minden House	Low	Adjacent	Intrusion at lowest levels and only when viewed downwards.	Slight adverse
47. Lyton Building	Low	Adjacent	Intrusion at lowest levels and only when viewed downwards.	Slight adverse
48. Ocean View Court	Low	Adjacent	Intrusion at lowest levels and only when viewed downwards.	Slight adverse
49. Mody Road nos. 18-30	Medium	Adjacent	Intrusion due to construction works, ventilation shaft and pedestrian entrances at lowest levels and only when viewed downwards.	Moderate adverse
50. Mody Road nos. 17-19	Medium	Adjacent	Intrusion due to construction works, ventilation shaft and pedestrian entrances at lowest levels and only when viewed downwards.	Moderate adverse
51. Mody Road nos. 1-11	Medium	Adjacent	Intrusion due to construction works, ventilation shaft and pedestrian entrances at lowest levels and only when viewed downwards.	Moderate adverse
52. Peninsula Apartments	Medium	Adjacent	Intrusion due to construction works, ventilation shaft and pedestrian entrances at lowest levels and only when viewed downwards.	Moderate adverse
53. Holiday Inn Hotel	Medium	Adjacent	Intrusion due to construction works, ventilation shaft and pedestrian entrances at lowest levels and only when viewed downwards.	Moderate adverse
54. Mirador	Low	Adjacent	Intrusion due to construction works, ventilation shaft and pedestrian entrances at lowest levels and only when viewed downwards.	Slight adverse
55. Mody Road Pedestrians	Low	Adjacent	Very high visual intrusion due to proximity of the construction works, ventilation shaft, pedestrian entrances and additional enclosure of views.	Significant adverse
56. Hyatt Regency Hong Kong	Medium	30m	Intrusion looking along the general construction works on Mody Road	Slight adverse
57. Nathan Road Pedestrians	Medium	5m	Intrusion looking along the general construction works on Mody Road and Salisbury Road.	Slight adverse
58. Pedestrians, TST East Promenade	High	Adjacent	Very high visual intrusion due to proximity of the construction works and additional enclosure of views.	Significant adverse

11.5.2 Summary of Construction Phase Visual Impacts

The assessment identifies the key VSRs affected are the hotels and commercial buildings along Salisbury Road and adjacent to Signal Hill, together with pedestrians in Mody and Salisbury Roads. Due to the loss of open space and the scale of the works the magnitude of the construction phase visual impact is considered to be significant.

11.5.3 Mitigation Measures

The landscape mitigation measures proposed for the scheme are described under two headings the first are those proposed for the construction period. The second are those proposed as compensatory and enhancement measures, which form part of the landscape proposals for the reinstatement of the site following the construction period. The following section lists the general principles that would be adhered to for the site mitigation proposals. This is followed by more specific mitigation measures on a site by site basis for the construction period.

11.5.4 General Principles for Landscape Mitigation Measures (During the Construction Period)

The Protection of Existing Vegetation

As identified in the Tree Survey, subject to later design changes, a number of trees would be retained including Champion Tree Number 251. Tree protection measures would be written into the contract documents with the following provisions:

i. The use of sturdy 1.8 metre protective fencing to be located at the edge of the tree canopy and not around the trunk;

ii. Prohibition of the storage of materials, the movement of construction vehicles and the washing of equipment including concrete mixers beneath the tree canopy;

iii. Daily watering and the keeping of a record sheet to be designed and approved by the detailed design consultants and LCSD respectively and to be available for LCSD inspection; and

iv. A tree condition update shall be included in the monthly EM&A Report.

These provisions would be monitored on site.

Tree Pruning

The potential of retaining some trees identified in the Tree Survey report, subject to later design changes, in their current positions will be greatly enhanced when these trees are root pruned to allow construction work to be carried out nearby. These trees would be close to proposed excavations and due to their size or form this course of action could be preferable to transplanting them. The root pruning would be mirrored by appropriate crown thinning to enhance the likely survival of the trees.

Tree Transplanting

Trees identified for transplanting would be moved to locations identified by LCSD, preferably to existing park areas in close proximity to existing trees. The Tree Survey Report recommends that these trees not be moved to a temporary holding nursery during the construction period. Discussions have been held with LCSD and the detailed design team, to date locations have been agreed for 242 trees. Details are provided in the KCRC Tree Transplanting Proposal which is included in the Tree Felling Application and Compensatory Planting Proposal, Contract No. HDD-300, Ove Arup and Partners, November 1999.

Screening the Visual and Landscape Impacts of the Construction Works

The erection of hoarding around the works would mitigate much of the adverse visual impact arising from low level views of the construction works. The design of hoardings would not only screen the works, but could also form a visually cohesive and aesthetically attractive feature. A thematic design relating to the construction work in progress or something more abstract would add interest. Additional hoarding would be required along the waterfront to screen views from the Harbour and Hong Kong Island, although these would be mitigated to an extent by the viewing distances involved. The provision of interpretation boards is recommended to inform all interested parties on the type of works being undertaken and the likely time scale to completion. These boards would have portals through the hoarding where practical, allowing the public visual access to the works.

11.5.5 Site Specific Construction Phase Mitigation Proposals

Ho Man Tin (Traction Substation)

i. Hoarding of working areas.

ii. Careful design of the proposed site working areas to reduce where possible unnecessary landscape and adverse visual impacts, this would include the design of site lighting to avoid light spillage and glare.

iii. Good site management to ensure that the orderly storage of materials and machinery.

iv. The maintenance of pedestrian access where possible through the careful design of construction activity or through the provision of temporary footpath routes. This includes the existing pedestrian walkway leading from the Hong Kong Coliseum to the footpath over the IMC access road and on to the waterfront.

Hung Hom Wan (Contractor’s works area)

i. Hoarding of working areas.

iii. Good site management to ensure that the orderly storage of materials and machinery.

iv. Hung Hom to Salisbury Road (Worksite 2 - Tunnel)

v. Hoarding of working areas.

vi. Careful design of the proposed site working areas to reduce where possible unnecessary landscape and adverse visual impacts, this would include the design of site lighting to avoid light spillage and glare.

vii. Good site management to ensure orderly storage of materials and machinery.

viii. The maintenance of pedestrian access where possible through the careful design of construction activity or through the provision of temporary footpath routes. This includes the existing pedestrian walkway leading from the Hong Kong Coliseum to the footpath over the IMC access road and on to the waterfront.

Salisbury Road to Wing On Place Garden (Worksite 4 - Tunnel)

i. Hoarding of working areas particularly those adjacent to the promenade.

iii. Good site management to ensure that the orderly storage of materials and machinery.

iv. Controlled working hours to reduce where possible unnecessary impacts during evening hours and at weekends particularly to the hotels and commercial premises, which line the waterfront.

v. The maintenance of pedestrian access where possible through the careful design of construction activity or through the provision of temporary footpath routes. This would include the existing pedestrian walkway along the promenade, which is an important recreational resource for the area. Alternative access routes would be provided to mitigate the loss of the public footbridges to the Grand Stanford Harbour View Hotel and the footbridge that connects the promenade with Mody Road.

vi. The protection of existing vegetation which is to be retained particularly at the southern and northern ends of the promenade where there are there is a narrow planting strip with a number of semi-mature trees identified in the tree survey as being worthy of retention.

vii. The protection of hard paved areas from construction activity particularly those on the promenade, which are to be retained.

Wing On Plaza Garden (Worksite 5 - Station)

i. Hoarding of working areas particularly those adjacent to retained public open space within the gardens.

iii. Good site management to ensure that the orderly storage of materials and machinery.

iv. Monitoring of construction activity to minimise adverse visual and landscape impacts.

v. The maintenance of pedestrian access where possible through the careful design of construction activity or through the provision of temporary footpath routes to allow the continued use of the remaining areas of this important recreational resource. This would include the existing pedestrian access routes from Chatham Road South and the users of the subway from the New World Hotel.

vi. The protection of existing vegetation which is to be retained particularly at the northern end of the Gardens where a number of mature trees are in the works area or in close proximity to it. Many of the semi-mature trees in this area were identified in the tree survey as being worthy of retention.

vii. The protection of hard paved areas from construction activity particularly those within the gardens that would continue to be open to the public.

viii. Middle Road Children’s Playground (Worksite 5A - Station)

ix. Hoarding of working areas.

x. Careful design of the proposed site working areas to reduce where possible unnecessary landscape and adverse visual impacts, this would include the design of site lighting to avoid light spillage and glare.

xi. Good site management to ensure the orderly storage of materials and machinery.

xii. Controlled working hours to reduce where possible unnecessary impacts during evening hours and at weekends particularly to the adjacent residential property, hotels and commercial premises.

xiii. Monitoring of construction activity to minimise adverse visual and landscape impacts.

xiv. The maintenance of pedestrian access where possible through the careful design of construction activity or through the provision of temporary footpath routes to allow the continued use of the remaining areas of this important recreational resource.

xv. The protection of existing vegetation which is to be retained particularly at the southern part of the site adjacent to Salisbury Road in the roadside strip and northern end of the Gardens where a large number of mature trees are in the works area or in close proximity to it. Also within this area is the Champion tree No.251 Ficus microcarpa, which would be protected from the works throughout the entire construction period.

xvi. The transplantation of trees identified during the tree survey.

xvii.The pruning of both roots and branches of trees identified as being worthy of retention, which are in close proximity to the proposed works.

Salisbury Road (Worksite 5A - Station and Salisbury Road Underpass)

i. Hoarding of working areas particularly screening views from the roadside pavements along Salisbury Road where public access would be maintained.

ii. Careful design of the proposed site working areas to reduce where possible unnecessary landscape and visual impacts, this would include the design of site lighting to avoid light spillage and glare.

iii. Good site management to ensure that the orderly storage of materials and machinery.

iv. Controlled working hours to reduce where possible unnecessary impacts during evening hours and at weekends particularly to the adjacent promenade and the New World Hotel.

v. Monitoring of construction activity to minimise adverse visual and landscape impacts.

vi. The maintenance of pedestrian access where possible through the careful design of construction activity or through the provision of temporary footpath routes to allow continued access along both sides of Salisbury Road.

vii. The protection of hard paved areas from construction activity particularly those on the street pavements.

Mody Road / Blenheim Avenue (Worksite 7 - Subway)

i. Hoarding of working areas particularly screening views from the roadside pavements along Blenheim Avenue and Mody Road where public access would be maintained. This is important for the route of the cut and cover tunnel and the entrance / vent structures.

iii. Good site management to ensure that the orderly storage of materials and machinery.

iv. Controlled working hours to reduce where possible unnecessary impacts during evening hours and at weekends particularly to the adjacent residential properties such as Mirador Mansions and Ocean View Court, the Holiday Inn Hotel and nearby commercial premises.

v. Monitoring of construction activity to minimise adverse visual and landscape impacts.

vii. The protection of hard paved areas from construction activity particularly those on the street pavements.

Middle Road (Worksite 6 - Subway / Station entrance)

iii. Good site management to ensure that the orderly storage of materials and machinery.

v. Monitoring of construction activity to minimise adverse visual and landscape impacts.

vii. The protection of hard paved areas from construction activity particularly those on the street pavements.

11.5.6 Operational Phase Compensatory Landscape Mitigation Measures

The Compensatory Landscape Mitigation Measures are those proposals for the reinstatement and where possible enhancement of the existing and proposed landscape. The proposed measures are described in terms of general principles followed by a site-specific description.

Operational Phase (General Landscape Mitigation Principles)

The design principles outlined below form the basis of the mitigation measures to be employed throughout the proposed scheme, minimising adverse landscape and visual impacts, and acting as a catalyst for the creation of beneficial impacts.

i. Existing facilities affected by the proposals would, where possible, be improved.

ii. There would be a significant loss of existing vegetation as a result of the construction works although every effort would be made to retain mature trees insitu in the first instance and where this is not possible to transplant the best of the remaining trees. The proposed redesign of the reprovisioned public spaces would, where practicable, incorporate existing mature tree planting. The loss of existing vegetation would be fully compensated by the new soft landscape works.

iii. Where the requirement for transplanting would be unavoidable the preparation works would commence at the earliest opportunity.

iv. All areas of disturbed vegetation would be reinstated at the earliest opportunity using semi-mature trees and mass planting of large sized shrubs, where possible, to create a more instant effect.

v. The sites of ancillary structures such as vent shafts would, where possible, be selected to minimise landscape and visual intrusion. Dense and tall shrub planting will be used to screen vent shafts from key views.

vi. Selection of the proposed railway alignment has, where practicable been responsive to the existing environment. For example, by avoiding Signal Hill a site with cultural and historic importance, and a grade 2 Listed Historic Structure.

vii. The landscape adjacent to retaining structures, elevated roads and at tunnel portals would be carefully designed to integrate them visually into the existing landscape. Planting would be used to soften the hard edges of engineered structures and reduce their residual impacts in the local landscape.

viii. Soft landscape proposals would be used where the situation allows bold and robust colour, texture and form to provide an interesting visual environment. Planting themes would where required be responsive to site context and provide continuity with existing landscape themes. This may be expressed in the choice of tree species or the colour of foliage. Shade trees shall be planted along paths and pathments for provision of proper shade and a more comfortable environment.

ix. The external appearance of above ground structures would be carefully detailed to ensure either visual integration into the local landscape or follow the design concept laid down for the main station superstructure depending on the location. The form and surface detailing of the station and vent structures have been carefully designed to reduce their apparent visual mass. Local materials would be used to minimise visual intrusion.

x. Station entrances and forecourts would be left uncluttered allowing uninterrupted freedom of movement and circulation for passenger safety and ease of access.

11.5.7 Operational Phase (Site Specific Mitigation Principles)

Hung Hom Wan (Contractors works area)

The main mitigation measure for the temporary working areas would be to return them to their existing condition at the earliest opportunity in the construction programme.

Hung Hom to Salisbury Road (Worksite 2 - Tunnel)

The above ground section of the railway extends from the Hung Hom Station to the CHT. The landscape proposals would comprise the restoration of the elevated footbridge leading from Hung Hom Station to the IMC building and then extending on to the promenade area. The use of raised planters in conjunction with new paving, at the elevated slip road to Salisbury Road, adjacent to the promenade would create a visually and physically smoother transition between Hung Hom Station and the promenade. The elevated walkway associated with the Hung Hom Bypass would also improve the general aesthetic appeal of the area, whilst allowing views across the Harbour to Hong Kong Island.

The planting of trees, shrubs and climbing plants in raised planters within the regraded land around the CHT Portal and under the Hung Hom Bypass adjacent to Salisbury Road would reduce the potential visual impact caused by the retaining wall and retaining structures. It would also visually soften the local landscape character of this area.

Ho Man Tin(Traction Sub Station)

The requirement or opportunity for landscape mitigation on the proposed traction sub station development site would be limited to an extent by the existing visual and physical enclosure which will screen views of the development, and the available space.

However tree and shrub planting is proposed for the southern boundary of the development site and lining the proposed access road connecting the site with Chatham Road North. In terms of the hard landscape proposals these would consist of block paving adjacent to the China Light and Power Sub Station and crushed gravel on the southern side of the proposed access road. The post construction view is presented as Figure 11.4 which also shows the proposed Traction Sub Station complex with the proposed landscape mitigation measures in place 10 to 15 years after the opening year.

Salisbury Road to Wing On Plaza Garden (Worksite 4 - Tunnel)

The reinstatement and enhancement of the promenade along the waterfront of Salisbury Road is considered an important landscape space. The promenade would be refurbished to make good any disturbance or damage caused by the construction of the railway proposals. The planted strip which separates the road from the promenade would be reinstated and form the setting for a large water feature based on a dragon theme. The restoration of the amenity planting along the East Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade and within the central median of Salisbury Road would do much to reinstate the landscape quality of this area.

In addition to these reinstatement works the construction of viewing platforms and seating areas along the length of the promenade would greatly enhance the experience that pedestrians would gain from visiting this area.

Wing On Plaza Garden (Worksite 5 - Station)

The main objectives of the landscape design proposals for this area would be to reinstate as many of the existing facilities as possible, guiding pedestrians to the station entrance while providing separation between them and other users of the park and generally recreating the same high quality landscape found in the existing garden.

The main part of the garden would be reconstructed over the subterranean eastern section of the proposed station. The operation of the proposed station entrance in the northern part of the park will channel passengers away from park area.

As a positive impact of the works a more dynamic design approach has been adopted for the redesign of the garden. This new approach would include the following;

i. use of new vertical elements to create different spatial characters.

ii. the use of new hard and soft landscape treatments.

iii. the introduction of a water feature which will provide a central focal point for the garden and some compensation for the water features lost during the construction of the railway structures.

The temporary area in the northern section of the park devoted to children’s play would become a permanent feature. This would consolidate the currently fragmented play provision in a safe, screened zone with physical separation from the road and main station entrance in the form of fencing structures softened by planting.

Within the southwest corner of the garden a hard paved informal area would be created to replace the plaza which is currently adjacent to Wing On Plaza. This space would be able to accommodate activities such as tai chi. Semi-mature trees would be planted in a formal grid to give definition to the space. A series of shaded seating areas would also be constructed along the southern elevation of the proposed eastern station entrance to provide a social gathering space for people; this area would be separate from the more frenetic communal areas.

The vent structures and transformer buildings proposed for the garden would be clearly visible to users of the garden and the surrounding area. The choice of building material would be carefully considered and would be responsive to the local landscape context, however the use of modern finishes such as brushed aluminium in combination with the proposed granite ashlar cladding of the main east station superstructure would seem appropriate considering the location and nature of the design. The planting of climbing plants against the base of these two structures would soften their appearance and visually integrate them into the landscape of the gardens. Dense and tall planting would be utilised around the two vent structures for effective screening. An ancillary room associated with the station, located along the western perimeter of the garden would be partially screened by tall planting.

Structure planting would be reintroduced on the western and south-eastern boundaries of the site to reduce the obtrusive nature of the vehicular activity on the roads beyond and would form enclosing elements for the garden helping to create a sense of place. Existing ornamental tree species such as Crataeva religiosa and Delonix regia would form the basis for the tree planting in the garden being introduced as semi-mature stock in order to create a more instantaneous effect. Following the proposed new design approach to the garden more colour would be introduced in the form of foliage and flowering plants. The planting of shade trees and flowering shrubs would also emphasise the proposed station entrance without visually detracting from the landscape character of the garden. This planting would also aim to provide a similar visual experience to that proposed for the western station entrance on the site of the Middle Road Children’s Playground.

The direct pedestrian route parallel to Salisbury Road and along the south eastern perimeter of the site would be reinstated to link up with the subway under Chatham Road.

Middle Road Children’s Playground (Worksite 5A - Station)

The general aims of the landscape proposals for this area would be to reinstate as many of the existing facilities as possible, to minimise damage to the existing trees, to recreate a green space with a higher landscape quality than that which currently exists and to preserve the area’s historic features. Another aim of the design would be to improve the usage of the area for pedestrians and train passengers.

The station would occupy a large proportion of the area of the existing playground. There would be three access points into the station, from the eastern and western perimeters of the area and one from Salisbury Road. The main station superstructure would be clad in granite ashlar which would provide a high quality finish emphasising the modernity of the form of the station while using a traditional hard wearing material. The granite would weather better in the Hong Kong climate than the more commonly used fair faced concrete. The use of metal finishes on the vent and entrance structures would also be in keeping with modern station design and the use of a natural stone cladding.

New facilities such as shaded seating areas and toilets would be provided in the redesigned playground, the Urban Council’s views would be sought on the selection of play equipment. One large playground would be created within the proposed park, one on the eastern side and the other on the western side. Each play area would have a greater variety of play equipment than currently exists, incorporating safe surfaces and have shaded seating areas for adult supervision.

The station design allows opportunities for tree planting. A 2 metre depth of planting medium will be incorporated into the landscaped deck, facilitating the planting of trees and palms in this area. The basis for the proposed planting scheme would be through the use of species such as Spargodea companulata, Bauhinia blakeana and Callistemon viminalis. Shade trees and flowering shrubs would be used to emphasise the park and station entrances. Structure planting would be established along the perimeter to mitigate views of the proposed scheme from Salisbury Road and from surrounding buildings.

Other than the station superstructure the proposed vent shaft buildings would also require mitigation. This would be in the form of a soft landscape treatment to reduce their residual impacts. It would involve the planting of semi-mature trees alongside the air vent shaft and hedgerow planting against the exhaust side of the vent shaft.

The selection of species for the planting areas would be informed by the local context. Structure planting would be used to spatially define areas. Tree and shrub planting would also be used to emphasise the access down to Middle Road. It would also reduce the residual visual and landscape impacts of the proposed scheme on the local area.

Mody Road / Blenheim Avenue (Worksite 7 - Subway) and
Middle Road (Worksite 6 - Subway / Station entrance)

The close proximity of existing buildings and the lack of available open space would limit the design opportunities for this area. The proposed vent and entrances structures would be carefully located to minimise landscape and visual intrusion. The reinstatement of the road surface and disturbed areas along, Blenheim Avenue, Mody Road and Middle Road would be considered as an opportunity to enhance the local streetscape of the area with feature paving and street tree planting.

11.5.8 Tree Transplanting

As the affected trees are recognised as an important natural asset and part of the heritage of Hong Kong, great effort should be made to minimise tree loss and to transplant as many affected trees as possible. With the exception of safety reasons and lack of practical access for machinery for transplanting operations, KCRC have committed to transplanting all trees of medium-to-high amenity value, estimated to be some 233 trees for railway related works and 74 trees for Salisbury Road highways works respectively.

The following transplanting locations have been agreed with the LCSD. The proposed locations for transplanted trees are shown in Table 11.5 and their location plans are in Appendix L4.

Table 11.5 Proposed Location for Transplanted Trees

^Location	^{Number of Transplanted Trees}
Eastern District - Hang Fa Chuen Playground	34
Eastern District - Lei Yue Mun Park	18
Wanchai District - Gloucester Road Amenity Plot	19
Wanchai District - Causeway Bay Sports Ground	2
Wanchai District - Wanchai Gap Park	2
Wanchai District - Stubbs Road Garden	6
Southern District - South Bay Beach	20
Southern District - Repulse Bay	29
Yau Tsim District - West Kowloon Expressway South Section	9
Yau Tsim District - Kowloon Park	65
Kowloon City District - Junction Road Park	13
Kowloon City District - Station Lane	2
Kowloon City District - Sung Wong Toi Playground	5
Sham Shui Po District - Lai Chi Kok Temporary Recreation Ground	60
Yau Tsim District - Centenary Garden	11
Yau Tsim District - Mody Road Garden	12
Total	307

Although those trees required to be transplanted cannot be guaranteed 100% survival, it is considered that the survival rate after transplanting will be high. This is due to the landscape expertise and experience of KCRC’s landscape consultants and the assistance to be provided by LCSD. To ensure a high survival rate, all trees required to be transplanted will be transplanted directly without using temporary holding nurseries. This will assist in avoiding damage to the transplanted tree during the course of the removal and relocation operation. Apart from this, KCRC will also seek advice from landscape experts including those from LCSD regarding the transplanting details so that a high survival rate can be ensured.

11.6 Residual Impact (refer to Figures 11.18a-11.18c )

11.6.1 Residual (Operational Phase) Landscape Impact

Subsequent to implementation and establishment of the compensatory landscape works residual landscape impact is predicted as described in Table 11.6 below:

Table 11.6 Summary of Mitigation Measures and Residual Impacts

^{Landscape Impact}	^{Degree of Impact}	^{Mitigation Measure}	^{Residual Impact}	^{Degree of Residual Impact}
Loss of amenity planting at Salisbury and Hong Chong Roads	Moderate adverse	Reprovisioning of planting including large trees and shrubs	None	None
Loss of TST East Promenade, including public open space and mature trees	Significant adverse	Reprovisioning of promenade on at least a like for like basis	None	None Potentially beneficial
Loss of Trees	Significant adverse	Comprehensive replanting programme for landscape restoration.	An increase in the number of trees will result after project completion.	Acceptable with Mitigation
Loss of public open space	Significant adverse	Creation of landscape plaza entrance to new Station including compensatory tree planting.	Loss of public open space and recreation facilities Estimated as 1,500m²	Acceptable with Mitigation
Loss of Middle Road Children’s Playground including recreational activities and mature tree planting	Significant adverse	Reinstatement of the Park at approximately +12m.	Playground is reduced in size.	Acceptable with mitigation measures
Disturbance to Mody Road, Blenheim Avenue and Minden Row	Slight adverse	Reprovisioning of road and potential for new streetscape including feature paving, street furniture and street trees	None with potential for upgrade to streetscape	Potentially beneficial

11.6.2 Residual (Operational Phase) Visual Impact

As much of the scheme involves the construction of a cut and cover tunnel and will affect many of the key VSRs during construction only, the actual residual visual impacts are minor. Table 11.7 summarises the mitigation measures and the residual visual impacts. Due to the nature of the scheme many of the VSRs affected during the construction works will not suffer any residual visual impact in the long term as certain landscape elements will be replaced on an at least like for like basis, e.g. the reprovisioning of TST East Promenade. Thus, the magnitude of change in terms of the landscape and visual context is minor and considered to be acceptable.

Table 11.7 Summary of Mitigation Measures and Residual Visual Impacts

^{Visually Sensitive Receiver}		^{Degree of Impact}	^{Mitigation Measure}		^{Residual Visual Impact}	^{Degree of Residual Impact}
Hung Hom Wan
VSR nos. 1 to 5	Slight adverse			Return site to former condition	None	Acceptable
Hung Hom Station to Wing On Plaza
VSR nos. 6 to 12	Slight adverse		Compensatory tree and shrub planting in roadside amenity areas		Introduction of rail track and ventilation shaft	Acceptable with mitigation measures
VSR nos. 13 to 25	Generally significant adverse		Reprovisioning of promenade on, at least, a like for like basis including planting of large trees		Introduction of ventilation shaft south of Wing On Plaza	Acceptable with mitigation measures
VSR nos. 26 to 28	Low adverse		Reprovisioning of promenade on at least a like for like basis including planting of large trees		Introduction of ventilation shaft south of Wing On Plaza	Acceptable with mitigation measures
Wing On Plaza to Middle Road Childrens Playground
29. Wing On Plaza	Significant adverse		Reprovisioning of playground on station deck at + 12-14 mPD		Introduction of Station building, ventilation shaft, pedestrian entrance and permanent change in topography	Visual Impact Acceptable with mitigation, (note: there are other issues such as historical significance of views to and from Signal Hill)
30. New World Hotel	Significant adverse		Reprovisioning of playground on station landscape deck, reprovisioned Wing On Plaza Garden		Introduction of Station building, ventilation shaft, pedestrian entrances	Acceptable with mitigation measures
31. Wing Pu Building	Moderate adverse		Reprovisioning of playground on station landscape deck, reprovisioned Wing On Plaza Garden		Introduction of Station building, ventilation shaft, pedestrian entrances	Acceptable with mitigation measures
32. Chun Wah Building	Moderate adverse		Reprovisioning of playground on station landscape deck, reprovisioned Wing On Plaza Garden		Introduction of station building with podium landscape, ventilation shaft, pedestrian entrances	Acceptable with mitigation measures
33. Guangdong Textile Centre	Moderate adverse		Reprovisioning of playground on station landscape deck, reprovisioned Wing On Plaza Garden		Introduction of Station building with podium landscape, ventilation shaft, pedestrian	Acceptable with mitigation measures
34. Minden Row buildings	Significant adverse		Reprovisioning of playground on station landscape deck, reprovisioned Wing On Plaza Garden		Introduction of Station building with podium landscape, ventilation shaft, pedestrian entrances	Acceptable with mitigation measures
35. Mariner’s Club	Moderate adverse		Reprovisioning of Playground on landscape deck,		Obstructing low level views from the Mariner’s Club	Acceptable with mitigation measures
36. Hermes House	Moderate adverse		Reprovisioning of playground on station landscape deck, reprovisioned Wing On Plaza Garden		Introduction of Station building, ventilation shaft, pedestrian entrances	Acceptable with mitigation measures
38. Chatham Road South users	Moderate adverse		Reprovisioning of playground on station landscape deck, reprovisioned Wing On Plaza Garden		Introduction of Station building, ventilation shaft, pedestrian entrances	Acceptable with mitigation measures
39. Salisbury Road users	Moderate adverse		Reprovisioning of playground on station landscape deck, reprovisioned Wing On Plaza Garden		Introduction of Station building, ventilation shaft, pedestrian entrances, change in the views of Signal Hill	Acceptable with mitigation measures

Figure 11.19a and 11.19b provide photo montages of the scheme post construction as viewed from Hotel Nikko. There is no significant residual impact in this area.

Figure 11.20 provide a photomontage of the proposed reinstatement and enhancement of the landscape on Salisbury Road. There is no significant residual impact in this area.

Figure 11.21 provide a photo montage of the Post Construction Wing On Plaza Garden. Wing On Plaza Garden is reinstated to a condition equivalent to or enhanced from that pre-construction. The Middle Road Children’s Playground is also replanted as per the original condition, however, the profile has been significantly changed.

Figure 11.22 illustrates the existing view of Middle Road Children’s Playground and Signal Hill and a photomontage of the post construction view is provided in Figure 11.23 . The view represents post construction at a time when the replanted trees and shrubs are established. The majority of the station will be landscaped with the exception of the station entrance and vent shaft.

Figure 11.24 shows the existing Signal Hill and Middle Road Children’s Playground as viewed from the New World Hotel Car Park. The post construction view is presented in photomontage in Figure 11.25 .

The actual layout within the reprovisioned Middle Road Children’s Playground can be seen from even higher level views, for example from the high floors of the New World Hotel. This existing view is presented in Figure 11.26 and Figure 11.27 provides the post construction photomontage.

Figure 11.28 provides an additional view requested by Planning Department, from the pedestrian footbridge on Salisbury Road. Figure 11.29 provides the post construction photo montage and show very little overall change in the landscape.

Figure 11.30 shows the existing view from Nathan Road looking towards the Middle Road Children’s Playground. The post construction view is presented in Figure 11.31 and shows the elevated reprovisioned park area.

A pedestrian level view from the hotel Nikko is illustrated in Figure 11.32 and in post construction photomontage in Figure 11.33. The ground level is raised to accommodate tunnelling above the CHT, however, the overall landscape character is largely unchanged.

11.6.3 Implementation, Management and Maintenance of Landscape Works

Agreement and approval, including precise delineation of boundaries, etc., of the implementation, management and maintenance agencies for the project will be sought from all relevant authorities during the detail design stages of the project. The basic implementation, management and maintenance of the landscape works is outlined in Table 11.6. This is based on WBTC 18/94 Management and Maintenance of both Natural Vegetation and Landscape Works.

Table 11.8 Implementation, Management and Maintenance of Landscape Works

^{Landscape Item}	^{Implementation}	^{Management Department}	^{Maintenance Department}
Amenity Area adjacent to Salisbury Road / Science Museum Road junction
All works within KCRC reserve	KCRC	KCRC	KCRC
Roadside softworks	KCRC	LCSD	LCSD
Roadside hardworks	KCRC	HyD	HyD
Salisbury Road, including Tsim Sha Tsui East TSTE Promenade
Salisbury Roadside softworks	KCRC	LCSD	LCSD
Salisbury Roadside hardworks	KCRC	HyD	HyD
TSTE Promenade public open space softworks	KCRC	LCSD	LCSD
TSTE Promenade public open space hardworks	KCRC	LCSD	ASD for LCSD
Wing On Plaza Garden
Public open space softworks	KCRC	LCSD	LCSD
Public open space hardworks	KCRC	LCSD	ASD for LCSD
Mody Road
Roadside softworks	KCRC	LCSD	LCSD
Roadside hardworks	KCRC	HyD	HyD
Urban Council Centenary Garden
Public open space softworks	KCRC	LCSD	LCSD
Public open space hardworks	KCRC	LCSD	ASD for LCSD
Middle Road Children’s Playground
Playground softworks	KCRC	LCSD	LCSD
Playground hardworks	KCRC	LCSD	ASD for LCSD
Bristol Avenue, Cornwall Avenue, Blenheim Avenue, Hanoi Road, Minden Avenue and Salisbury Road
Roadside hardworks	KCRC	HyD	HyD

KCRC will seek the concerned Government Department and PUC endorsement of the master landscape plans for the respective reprovisioned parks/gardens in due course before commencement of works.

11.6.4 Summary

This section of the report has described the landscape and visual impacts that would accrue due to the proposed construction and operation of the East Rail Extension and new ETS. The predicted impacts have been divided into three main aspects for both landscape character / quality and visual impacts, these are the construction phase impacts, the operational phase impacts and the residual impacts after mitigation.

The primary and most significant adverse impacts to landscape character / quality and visual amenity would occur during the construction phase due to the use of the proposed cut and cover construction methods for what is essentially a subterranean project. The level of these impacts would also be determined by the sensitivity of the existing landscape / views to change and the close proximity of many of the Visually Sensitive Receptors. Overall the impact on landscape character and its perceived quality would range between slight adverse for the temporary working areas at Hung Hom Wan and the area between Hung Hom and Salisbury Road; moderate adverse between Blenheim Avenue and Nathan Road, and between Salisbury Road and Nathan Road; and significant adverse impacts to the landscape on Wing On Plaza Garden and Middle Road Childrens Playground. These impacts, although significant are temporary in nature (in the worst-case the temporary time period would be up to four years) and would respond to the proposed operational mitigation measures and compensatory landscape proposals.

During the operational phase the proposed compensatory landscape proposals would do much to mitigate the predicted adverse impacts highlighted during the construction phase assessment. The residual impacts after mitigation would leave a number of potentially beneficial impacts such as the reprovisioning of planting on Salisbury and Hong Chong Roads, the additional works on the TST East Promenade and the proposed streetscape improvements to Blenheim Avenue and Mody Road. Other works such as the main station superstructure on the Middle Road Children’s Playground site and the redesign of the Wing On Plaza Garden would be acceptable with the proposed mitigation measures in place. This is in accordance with Annex 10 of the TMEIA, “if there will be some adverse effects, but these can be eliminated, reduced or offset to a large extent by specific measures”. The key issue is that the landscape character and setting for Signal Hill will have changed. The importance of this is not solely a landscape and visual impact issue, but also concerns planning, cultural heritage and historical importance.

Therefore although the adverse construction impacts would be large and difficult to mitigate they would be temporary in nature, once completed the proposals would in landscape terms at least reinstate the existing landscape features lost during the construction period and in some cases have a beneficial impact. The overall residual landscape and visual evaluation concludes that the impacts are acceptable with mitigation measures.

11.7 Land Use

During the construction of the ETS the Middle Road Children’s Playground (Area 9,750m²) and Wing On Plaza Garden (Area 9,375m²), would be temporarily utilised for the construction works. It is also anticipated that some areas of the TST promenade will be used for construction works area or be unsafe for pedestrian movement. However, pedestrian access along the promenade would be maintained at all times. The estimated area of promenade used for construction purposes is 2,500m².

Thus, the temporary loss of public open space is in the order of 21,625m².

Following completion of the construction works the public open space within the two parks would be reinstated. Limited loss of public space is predicted for Wing On Plaza Garden. The Middle Road Children’s Playground will be reinstated on a raised podium above the station structure. In achieving this there will be some areas permanently occupied by the station structure and an overall reduction in public open space. The exact loss is subject to detailed design, but is predicted to be in the order of 1,500m².

There will be no loss of public open space on the TST promenade.

^Term	^Description
Very high risk	There is a high probability that severe harm could arise to a designated receptor from an identified hazard at the site without appropriate remedial action.
High risk	Harm is likely to arise to a designated receptor from an identified hazard at the site without appropriate remedial action.
Moderate risk	It is possible that without appropriate remedial action harm could arise to a designated receptor but it is relatively unlikely that any such harm would be severe.
Low risk	It is possible that harm could arise to a designated receptor from an identified hazard but it is likely that at worst, this harm if realised would normally be mild.
Negligible risk	The presence of an identified hazard does not give rise to the potential to cause significant harm to a designated receptor.

^{Noise Sensitive Receivers}		^{Relevant Worksites}	^{Shortest distance from notional point}⁽¹⁾^{of worksite (m)}
N1	Pak Sui Yuen	2	94
N2	No. 5-7 Chatham Road	5	47
N3	Star Mansion	5A	90
N4	Far East Mansion	5A	102
		6 / 6S	11
N5	Minden Apartment	7 / 7B	53
N6^†	Minden House	7 / 7N	5
N7*	No. 30 Mody Road	7 / 7E	5
N8*	No. 18 Mody Road	7 / 7D	7
N9	Peninsula Apartment	7 / 7C	6
N10	Mirador Mansion	7 / 7A	6
N13	Ocean View Court - Western facade	7 / 7G	6
N14	Ocean View Court - Eastern facade	7 / 7H	6
N16^†	Lyton Building	7 / 7M	5

^{Noise Sources}	^{Nearest NSR}	^{Shortest Distance (m)}
Vent Shaft 1	Mirador Mansion (N10)	6
Vent Shaft 5	No. 5-7 Chatham Road (N2)	60
Vent Shaft 8	No. 5-7 Chatham Road (N2)	53
Vent Shaft 6	Pak Sui Yuen (N1)	115
Vent Shaft 7	Ocean Views Court (N13)	6
Traction Substation	Shun Man House (N17)	155
Train Noise	Pak Sui Yuen (N1)	112

^{Noise Sensitive Receivers}		^{Approximate shortest offset distance from the underground structure wall of the alignment (m)}
VSR 1	Shangri-La Hotel	17
VSR 2	Wing On Plaza	2
VSR 3	Mariner’s Club	12
VSR 4	New World Hotel	36
VSR 5	Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel	4

^NSRs	^N1	^N2	^N3	^N4	^N4	^N5	^N6	^N7	^N8	^N9	^N10	^N13	^N14
^{Work Site}
^Activity	²	⁵	^5A	^5A	⁶	⁷	⁷	⁷	⁷	⁷	⁷	⁷	7
Site Preparation	81	78	71	82	90	80	100	84	97	99	98	99	99
Regrading/Formation	71	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Demolition	71	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Excavation (Drill & Blast)	-	-	78	89	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Station Construction	73	79	73	84	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Grouting	-	80	-	-	92	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Concreting	78	-	69	80	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Sheet Piling - Oscillating	-	77	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Bored Piling
- Excavation	-	-	-	-	-	81	101	85	98	100	99	100	100
-Concreting	-	-	-	-	-	82	102	86	99	101	100	101	101
Diaphragm Walling
- Walling	-	78	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
- Concreting	-	74	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
- Breaking	-	84	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Road Decking	-	78	-	-	90	80	100	84	97	99	98	99	99
Excavation (at surface)	-	84	-	-	90	77	97	81	94	96	95	96	96
Tunnel/Subway Box Construction
- Formation	-	76	-	-	88	78	98	82	95	97	96	97	97
- Concreting	-	77	-	-	87	78	98	82	95	97	96	97	97
Backfilling	-	80	61	72	90	77	97	81	94	96	95	96	96
Road Reinstatement	-	79	-	-	91	78	98	82	95	97	96	97	97

^{Downwind distance from blasting site (m)}	^{Hourly TSP level* (}^m^g/m3)
10	87
15	87
20	87
25	96
30	140
35	217
40	282
45	315
50	323
100	236
200	145

1. Introduction

1.4 Scheme Transportation Benefits

1.5.1 Objectives

1.5.2 Scope

1.6 EIA Report Structure

2. project description

2.1.1 Introduction

2.1.2 Review of Planning and Development Control Framework

2.1.3 Alignment Constraints

2.1.4 Alignment Description

2.2.1 Contract HCC-300 - East Tsim Sha Tsui Station

2.2.2 Contract HCC-301 - Hung Hom to Tsim Sha Tsui Tunnels

2.2.3 Contract HCC - 302 - Subways

2.2.4 Contract HCC 400 - Hung Hom Station and Homantin Substation

2.2.5 Landscape Design

2.4.1 Construction Works Areas

2.4.2 Tunnel Construction Methods

3. ENVIRONMENTAL Legislation and Standards

3.2.1 Construction Phase

3.2.2 Operational Phase

3.3.1 Air Pollution Control Ordinance

3.3.2 Air Pollution Control (Construction Dust) Regulation

3.4.1 Water Pollution Control Ordinance (WPCO)

3.4.2 Technical Memorandum on Standards for Effluents Discharged into Drainage and Sewerage Systems, Inland and Coastal Waters

3.4.3 Construction Site Drainage Guidelines

3.6 Waste Management

3.6.1 Waste Disposal Ordinance

3.6.2 Waste Disposal (Chemical Waste) ( General) Regulation

3.6.3 Land (Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance

3.6.4 Public Cleansing and Prevention of Nuisance by-Laws

3.6.5 Other Relevant Documents and Guidelines

3.7 Archaeology and Cultural Heritage

3.7.1 EIA Ordinance

3.7.2 Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance (Cap 53)

3.7.3 Criteria for Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment (CCHIA).

3.7.4 Assessing cultural significance: applying commonly accepted, professional criteria and standards

3.7.5 International Standards

3.7.6 U.S. Standard

3.7.7 Australian Standard

3.8 Landscape and Visual Issues

4. ASSESSMENT SCOPE and METHODOLOGY

4.2.1 Spatial Scope

4.2.2 Temporal Scope

4.4.1 Construction Phase

4.4.2 Blasting

4.4.3 Operational Phase

4.5.1 Construction Phase

4.5.2 Operational Phase

4.6 Water Quality

4.6.1 Spatial Scope

4.6.2 Construction Phase

4.6.3 Operational Phase

4.7.1 Methodology

4.7.2 Current Land Use

4.7.3 Historic Land Use

4.7.4 Geology

4.7.5 Groundwater

4.7.6 Surface / Coastal Waters

4.8 Waste Management

4.8.1 Assessment Factors

4.8.2 Prediction and Evaluation of Impacts

4.8.3 Public Fill

4.8.4 Construction and Demolition Waste

4.8.5 Marine Sediment

4.8.6 Chemical Waste

4.8.7 General Refuse

4.9 Archaeology and Cultural Heritage

4.9.1 Data Collection

4.9.2 Detailed Field Evaluation and Watching Brief Programme

4.9.3 Assessment of Archaeological Potential

4.9.4 Assessment of Potential Impacts on Archaeological Resources and Sites of Cultural Heritage

4.9.5 Mitigation Measures

4.10 Landscape and Visual Issues

4.10.1 Landscape Impact Assessment

4.10.2 Visual Impact Assessment

4.10.3 Mitigation Measures

4.10.4 Residual Impact

5. Noise Assessment

5.2.1 Potential Sources of Impact

5.2.2 Impacts Prediction and Evaluation