WEST KOWLOON RECLAMATION

CONTRACT NO. WK30

REMAINING ROADWORK STAGE 4

-         LINK ROADS G & L

 

FINAL EM&A MANUAL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

40th Floor Hopewell Centre

183 Queen’s Road East

Wanchai

Hong Kong

 

Telephone (852) 2828 5757

Fax (852) 2827 1823

 

 


CONTENTS

 

            Page No.

 

1.         INTRODUCTION                                                                                                   1 - 1

1.1        Purpose of the Manual                                                                                  1 - 1

1.2        Background                                                                                                  1 - 1

1.3        Environmental Monitoring and Audit Requirements                                          1 - 2

1.4        Project Organisation                                                                                      1 - 3

1.5        Construction Programme                                                                               1 - 4

2.         AIR QUALITY                                                                                                        2 - 1

2.1        Introduction                                                                                                  2 - 1

2.2        Air Quality Parameters                                                                                  2 - 1

2.3        Monitoring Equipment                                                                                    2 - 1

2.4        Laboratory Measurement / Analysis                                                               2 - 2

2.5        Monitoring Locations                                                                                     2 - 3

2.6        Baseline Monitoring                                                                                       2 - 4

2.7        Impact Monitoring                                                                                         2 - 5

2.8        Event and Action Plan for Air Quality                                                            2 - 5

2.9        Dust Mitigation Measures                                                                              2 - 8

3.         NOISE                                                                                                                     3 - 1

3.1        Introduction                                                                                                  3 - 1

3.2        Noise Parameters                                                                                         3 - 1

3.3        Monitoring Equipment                                                                                    3 - 1

3.4        Monitoring Locations                                                                                     3 - 1

3.5        Baseline Monitoring                                                                                       3 - 2

3.6        Impact Monitoring                                                                                         3 - 2

3.7        Event and Action Plan for Noise                                                                    3 - 3

3.8        Noise Mitigation Measures                                                                            3 - 5

4.         WASTE MANAGEMENT                                                                                       4 - 1

4.1        Introduction                                                                                                  4 - 1

4.2        Waste Mitigation Measures                                                                           4 - 1

5.         SITE ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT                                                                          5 - 1

5.1        Site Inspections                                                                                             5 - 1

5.2        Compliance with Legal and Contractual Requirements                                     5 - 2

5.3        Environmental Complaints                                                                              5 - 2

6.         REPORTING                                                                                                           6 - 1

6.1        General                                                                                                        6 - 1

6.2        Baseline Monitoring Report                                                                            6 - 1

6.3        EM&A Reports                                                                                            6 - 2

6.4        Data Keeping                                                                                               6 - 7

6.5        Interim Notifications of Environmental Quality Limit Exceedances                   6 - 7

7.         OPERATION PHASE EM&A                                                                                 7 - 1

7.1        Introduction                                                                                                  7 - 1

7.2        Operational Phase Noise Monitoring                                                               7 - 1

 


LIST OF TABLES

 

Table 1.1          Sensitive Receivers

Table 1.2          Cut and Fill Balance for Construction

 

Table 2.1          Dust Monitoring Stations

Table 2.2          Action and Limit Levels for Air Quality

Table 2.3          Event/Action Plan for Air Quality

 

Table 3.1          Noise Monitoring Stations

Table 3.2          Action and Limit Levels for Construction Noise

Table 3.3          Event/Action Plan for Construction Noise

 

 

LIST OF FIGURES

 

Figure 1.1         Project Boundary

Figure 1.2         Sensitive Receivers Locations

Figure 1.3         Project Organisation and Lines of Communication

Figure 1.4         Project Programme

 

Figure 5.1         Complaint Response Procedures

 

 

ANNEX

 

Annex A           Implementation Schedule

Annex B           Implementation Status Proforma

Annex C           Complaint Log

 

 

 


1.         INTRODUCTION

 

1.1       Purpose of the Manual

 

The purpose of this Environmental Monitoring and Audit (EM&A) Manual, hereafter referred to as the Manual, is to guide the setup of an EM&A programme to ensure compliance with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study recommendations, to assess the effectiveness of the recommended mitigation measures and to identify any further need for additional mitigation measures or remedial action.  This Manual outlines the monitoring and audit programme proposed for the West Kowloon Reclamation Contract WK30 Link Roads G&L.

 

This Manual contains the following:

 

a)        responsibilities of the Contractor, the Engineer or Engineer's Representative (ER) Independent Checker (Environmental) and Environmental Team (ET) with respect to the environmental monitoring and audit requirements during the course of the project;

 

b)        information on project organisation and programming of construction activities for the project;

 

c)        the hypotheses of potential impacts, the basis for and description of the broad approach underlying the environmental monitoring and audit programme;

 

d)        requirements with respect to the construction schedule and the necessary environmental monitoring and audit programme to track the varying environmental impacts;

 

e)        the specific questions and testable hypotheses that the monitoring programme is designed to answer;

 

f)         details of the methodologies to be adopted, including all field, laboratory and analytical procedures, and details on quality assurance and quality control programme;

 

g)        the rationale on which the environmental monitoring data will be evaluated and interpreted and the details  of the statistical procedures that will be used to interpret the data;

 

h)        definition of Action and Limit levels (AL Levels);

 

i)          establishment of Event and Action Plans;

 

j)          requirements for reviewing pollution sources and working procedures required in the event of non-compliance of the environmental criteria and complaints;

 

k)        requirements for presentation of environmental monitoring and audit data and appropriate reporting procedures; and

 

l)          requirements for review of EIA predictions and effectiveness of the environmental monitoring and audit programme.

 

For the purpose of this Manual, the "Engineer" shall refer to the Engineer as defined in the Contract and the Engineer's Representative (ER), in cases where the Engineer's powers have been delegated to the ER, in accordance with the Contract.  The ET leader, who shall be responsible for and in charge of the ET, shall refer to the person delegated the role of executing the environmental monitoring and audit requirements.

1.2       Background

 

The Territory Development Department has commissioned Mott MacDonald to undertake the Environmental Impact Assessment for Link Roads G&L.   The project site and boundary is shown in Figure 1.1.

 

The objectives of the EIA Study are as follows:

 

(i)                  to describe the proposed project and associated works together with the requirements for carrying out the proposed project;

 

(ii)                to identify and describe the elements of the community and environment likely to be affected by the proposed project and/or likely to cause adverse impacts to the proposed project, including both the natural and man-made environment;

 

(iii)               to identify and quantify emission sources and determine the significance of impacts on sensitive receivers and potential affected uses;

 

(iv)              to propose the provision of infrastructure or mitigation measures so as to minimize pollution, environment disturbance and nuisance during construction and operation of the project;

 

(v)                to identify, predict and evaluate the residual (i.e. after practicable mitigation) environmental impacts and the cumulative effects expected to arise during the construction and operation phases of the project in relation to the sensitive receivers and potential affected uses;

 

(vi)              to identify, assesses and specify methods, measures and standards, to be included in the detailed design, construction and operation of the project which are necessary to mitigate these environmental impacts and to reduce them to acceptable levels;

 

(vii)             to investigate the extent of side-effects of proposed mitigation measures that may lead to other forms of impacts;

 

(viii)           to identify constraints associated with the mitigation measures recommended in the EIA study;

 

(ix)              to design and specify the environmental monitoring and audit requirements, if required, to ensure the implementation and the effectiveness of the environmental protection and pollution control measures adopted; and

 

(x)                to identify, within the study area, any individual project(s) that fall under Schedule 2 of the EIA Ordinance; to ascertain whether the findings of this EIA study have adequately addressed the environmental impacts of those projects; and where necessary, to identify the outstanding issues that need to be addressed in any further detailed EIA studies.

 

1.3       Environmental Monitoring and Audit Requirements

 

In this Section, a summary of the EIA findings is presented, and the requirements and scope of the EM&A are discussed below.  Details of the recommended mitigation measures as implementation schedule are described in Annex A.

 


Air Quality

 

The construction work will inevitably lead to dust emissions, mainly from excavation, truck haulage and material handling.   It is predicted that the dust generated will exceed the hourly and daily criteria of 500 µgm-3 and 260  µgm-3 respectively at the some ASRs.  Dust control measures have therefore been recommended to minimise dust nuisance from the works.

 

Noise

 

Monitoring is required to ensure compliance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO) in providing feedback to the Contractors for the management of their operations.  It was recommended that noise monitoring be carried out as part of the EM&A programme during the construction period of Link roads G&L and for one year following the completion of construction in order to monitor road traffic noise levels.

 

Sensitive Receivers

 

Representative air and noise sensitive receivers, as defined in the Technical Memorandum on Environmental Impact Assessment have been identified in the EIA Assessment Report and are listed in Table 1.1.  Both the existing and planned receivers are included in the list.  The locations of these noise and sensitive receivers (NSR and ASR) are shown in Figure 1.2.

 

Table 1.1         Sensitive Receivers

 

 

Description

 

 

NSR

 

ASR

Mei Foo Sun Chuen, Phase 3 (Block 90)

Mei Foo Sun Chuen Phase 8 (Block 104)

Mei Foo Sun Chuen, Phase 8 (Block 112)

Mei Foo Sun Chuen, Phase 8 (Block 132)

Mei Foo Sun Chuen, Phase 8 (Block 128)

MF1

MF2

MF3

MF4

MF5

ASR8

ASR9

ASR10

ASR11

ASR12

ASR13

KMB Bus Depot CDA Site (Tower 1)

KMB Bus Depot CDA Site (Tower 2)

KMB Bus Depot CDA Site (Tower 3)

KMB1

KMB2

KMB3

ASR14

ASR15

ASR16

Site 10-Residential Blocks, Phase 1 (Block 3)

Site 10-Residential Blocks, Phase 1 (Block 4)

Site 10-Residential Blocks, Phase 2 (Block 5)

Site 10-Residential Blocks, Phase 2 (Block 6)

Site 10-Residential Blocks, Phase 2 (Block 7)

Site 10 – School

Playground

10S1

10S2

10S3

10S4

10S5

10S6

 

ASR1

ASR2

ASR3

ASR4

ASR5

ASR6

ASR7

 

1.4       Project Organisation

 

The project organisation and lines of communication with respect to environmental protection works is shown in Figure 1.3.

 

The Environmental Team (ET) shall not be in any way an associated body of the Contractor.  The ET leader shall have relevant professional qualifications, or have sufficient relevant EM&A experience subject to approval of the Engineer's Representative (ER) and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD).

 

Appropriate staff shall be included in the ET, under the supervision of the ET Leader, to fulfil the EM&A duties of the ET Leader specified in this manual.  Basically, the duties comprise the following:

 

a)        To monitor the various environmental parameters as required in EIA study final report;

 

b)        To investigate and audit the Contractors' equipment and work methodologies with respect to pollution control and environmental mitigation, and anticipate environmental issues for proactive action before problems arise;

 

c)        To audit and prepare audit reports on the environmental monitoring data and the site environmental conditions; and

 

d)        To report on the environmental monitoring and audit results to the Contractor, the ER, and the EPD or its delegate.

 

Appropriate resources shall also be allocated under the Contractor and the ER to fulfil their duties specified in this manual.

 

The Independent Checker (Environmental), IC(E), shall be an independent person or company with a minimum of 7 years EIA experience and proven track record in EM&A similar to the scope proposed in this Manual. 

 

1.5       Construction Programme

 

A preliminary project programme is shown in Figure 1.4

 

The major construction activities are excavation, road widening and paving/finishing.

 

It is expected that construction works will generally be carried out 12 hours a day (07:00 - 19:00 hrs). 

 

Table 1.2 presents the cut and fill balance for the materials generated from the construction of the Project.

 

Table 1.2         Cut and Fill Balance for Construction

 

Activity

 

Material Type

Likely time of arising

 

Estimated total volumes generated

Construction Phase

Ground preparatory works

Site clearance

Jul 01 - Aug 01

Coverage 58177m2

 

Demolition materials

Aug 01 - Dec 01

1000m3

Earthworks

Excavated materials

Aug 01 - Apr 02

1000m3

General works

Construction waste

Throughout construction period

1000m3

 

Chemical waste

Throughout construction period

max. 450 litre/month

 

General refuse (generated by site staff)

Throughout construction period

660kg/week

(assumes max of 100 staff and a 6 day week)


2.         AIR QUALITY

 

2.1       Introduction

 

In this section, the methodology, equipment, monitoring locations, criteria and protocols for the monitoring and audit of air quality impacts during the construction phase.   The impact of fugitive dust on ambient air pollution depends on the quantity, as well as the drift potential of the dust particles injected into the atmosphere.  Large dust particles will settle out near the source and particles that are 30 - 100 µm in diameter are likely to settle within a distance of 100 m  from the source depending on atmospheric turbulence.  The main dust impact will arise from the fine particles of a diameter less than 30 µm, measured as TSP, dispersed over great distance from the sources.  TSP levels shall, therefore, be monitored to evaluate the dust impact during the construction.  The objectives of TSP monitoring shall be:

 

·       to identify the extent of construction dust impacts on sensitive receiver;

 

·       to determine the effectiveness of mitigation measures to control dust from construction activities;

 

·       to recommend further mitigation measures if found to be necessary; and

 

·       to comply with AL Levels for air quality as defined in this Manual.

 

2.2       Air Quality Parameters

 

Monitoring and audit of the TSP levels shall be carried out by the ET to ensure that any deteriorating air quality could be readily detected and timely actions taken to rectify the situation.

 

1-hour and 24-hour TSP levels shall be measured to indicate the impacts of construction dust on air quality.  The TSP levels shall be measured by following the standard high volume sampling method as set out in the Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Chapter 1 (Part 50), Appendix B.  Upon approval of the ER, 1-hour TSP levels can be measured by direct reading methods which are capable of producing comparable results such as the high volume sampling method, to indicate short event impacts.

 

All relevant data including temperature, pressure, weather conditions, elapsed-time meter reading for the start and stop of the sampler, identification and weight of the filter paper, and other special phenomena and work progress of the concerned site etc. shall be recorded down in details.  A sample data sheet is shown in Annex A.

 

2.3       Monitoring Equipment

 

High volume sampler (HVS) in compliance with the following specifications shall be used for carrying out the 1-hr and 24-hr TSP monitoring:

 

a)        0.6 – 1.7 m3/min (20-60 SCFM) adjustable flow range;

b)        equipped with a timing/control device with +/- 5 minutes accuracy for 24 hours operation;

c)        installed with elapsed-time meter with +/- 2 minutes accuracy for 24 hours operation;

d)        capable of providing a minimum exposed area of 406 cm2 (63 in2);

e)        flow control accuracy: +/- 2.5% deviation over 24-hr sampling period;

f)         equipped with a shelter to protect the filter and sampler;

g)        incorporated with an electronic mass flow rate controller or other equivalent devices;

h)        equipped with a flow recorder for continuous monitoring;

i)          provided with a peaked roof inlet;

j)          incorporated with a manometer;

k)        able to hold and seal the filter paper to the sampler housing at horizontal position;

l)          easy to change the filter; and capable of operating continuously for 24-hr period.

 

The ET Leader is responsible for provision of the monitoring equipment.  He shall ensure that sufficient number of HVSs with an appropriate calibration kit are available for carrying out the baseline monitoring, regular impact monitoring and ad hoc monitoring.  The HVSs shall be equipped with an electronic mass flow controller and be calibrated against a traceable standard at regular intervals.  All the equipment, calibration kit, filter papers, etc. shall be clearly labelled.

 

Initial calibration of dust monitoring equipment shall be conducted upon installation and thereafter at bi-monthly intervals.  The transfer standard shall be traceable to the internationally recognised primary standard and be calibrated annually.  The calibration data shall be properly documented for future reference by the concerned parties such as the IC(E).  All the data shall be converted into standard temperature and pressure condition.

 

The flow-rate of the sampler before and after the sampling exercise with the filter in position shall be verified to be constant and be recorded down in the data sheet as mentioned in Annex A.

 

If the ET Leader proposes to use a direct reading dust meter to measure 1-hr TSP levels, he shall submit sufficient information to the IC(E) to prove that the instrument is capable of achieving a comparable result as that the HVS and may be used for the 1-hr sampling.  The instrument shall also be calibrated regularly, and the 1-hr sampling shall be determined periodically by HVS to check the validity and accuracy of the results measured by direct reading method.

 

In exceptional situations, the ET Leader may propose alternative methods to obtain representative wind data upon approval from the ER and agreement from IC(E).

 

2.4       Laboratory Measurement / Analysis

 

A clean laboratory with constant temperature and humidity control, and equipped with necessary measuring and conditioning instruments, to handle the dust samples collected, shall be available for sample analysis, and equipment calibration and maintenance.  The laboratory shall be HOKLAS accredited or other internationally accredited laboratory.

 


If a site laboratory is set up or a non-HOKLAS accredited laboratory is hired for carrying out the laboratory analysis, the laboratory equipment shall be approved by the ER in consultation with the  IC(E). Measurement performed by the laboratory shall be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the ER and the IC(E). IC(E) shall conduct regular audit to the measurement performed by the laboratory to ensure the accuracy of measurement results. The ET Leader shall be provide the ER with one copy of the Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Chapter 1 (Part 50), Appendix B for his reference.

 

Filter paper of size 8"x 10" shall be labelled before sampling.  It shall be a clean filter paper with no pin holes, and shall be conditioned in a humidity controlled chamber for over 24-hr and be pre-weighed before use for the sampling.

 

After sampling, the filter paper loaded with dust shall be kept in a clean and tightly sealed plastic bag.  The filter paper is then returned to the laboratory for reconditioning in the humidity controlled chamber followed by accurate weighing by an electronic balance with a readout down to 0.1 mg.  The balance shall be regularly calibrated against a traceable standard.

 

All the collected samples shall be kept in a good condition for 6 months before disposal.

 

2.5       Monitoring Locations

 

The dust monitoring locations are summarised in Table 2.1.  The status and locations of dust sensitive receivers may change after issuing this manual.  If such cases exist, the ET Leader shall propose updated monitoring locations and seek approval from ER and agreement from the IC(E).

 

Table 2.1         Dust Monitoring Stations

 

Location

Monitoring Station

Description

Mei Foo Sun Chuen Phase 8 (Block 112)

ASR 10

Residential

Mei Foo Sun Chuen Phase 8 (Block 128)

ASR 12

Residential

 

When alternative monitoring locations are proposed, the following criteria, as far as practicable, shall be followed:

 

a)        at the site boundary or such locations close to the major dust emission source;

 

b)        close to the sensitive receptors; and

 

c)        take into account the prevailing meteorological conditions.

 

The ET Leader shall agree with the ER in consultation with the IC(E) the position of the HVS for installation of the monitoring equipment.  When positioning the samplers, the following points shall be noted:

 

a)        a horizontal platform with appropriate support to secure the samplers against gusty wind shall be provided;

b)        no two samplers shall be placed less than 2 meter apart;

c)        the distance between the sampler and an obstacle, such as buildings, must be at least twice the height that the obstacle protrudes above the sampler;

 

d)        a minimum of 2 metres of separation from walls, parapets and penthouses is required for rooftop samplers;

 

e)        a minimum of 2 metre separation from any supporting structure, measured horizontally is required;

 

f)         no furnace or incinerator flue is nearby;

 

g)        airflow around the sampler is unrestricted;

 

h)        the sampler is more than 20 metres from the dripline;

 

i)          any wire fence and gate, to protect the sampler, shall not cause any obstruction during monitoring;

 

j)          permission must be obtained to set up the samplers and to obtain access to the monitoring stations; and

 

k)        a secured supply of electricity is needed to operate the samplers.

 

2.6       Baseline Monitoring

 

The ET Leader shall carry out baseline monitoring at all of the designated monitoring locations for at least 14 consecutive days prior to the commissioning of the construction works to obtain daily 24-hr TSP samples.  1-hr sampling shall also be carried out at least 3 times per day while the highest dust impact is expected. Before commencing the baseline monitoring, the ET leader shall inform the IC(E) of the baseline monitoring programme such that the IC(E) can conduct on-site audit to ensure accuracy of the baseline monitoring results.

 

During the baseline monitoring, there shall not be any construction or dust generation activities in the vicinity of the monitoring stations.

 

In case the baseline monitoring cannot be carried out at the designated monitoring locations during the baseline monitoring period, the ET Leader shall carry out the monitoring at alternative locations which can effectively represent the baseline conditions at the impact monitoring locations.  The alternative baseline monitoring locations shall be approved by the ER and agreed with the IC(E).

 

In exceptional case, when insufficient baseline monitoring data or questionable results are obtained, the ET Leader shall liaise with the IC(E) and EPD to agree on an appropriate set of data to be used as a baseline reference and submit to ER for approval. 

 

Ambient conditions may vary seasonally and shall be reviewed at three monthly intervals.  If the ET Leader considers that the ambient conditions have been changed and a repeat of the baseline monitoring is required to be carried out for obtaining the updated baseline levels, the monitoring shall be at times when the contractor's activities are not generating dust, at least in the proximity of the monitoring stations.  Should change in ambient conditions be determined, the baseline levels and, in turn, the air quality criteria, shall be revised.  The revised baseline levels and air quality criteria shall be agreed with the IC(E) and EPD.


2.7       Impact Monitoring

 

The ET Leader shall carry out impact monitoring during the course of the Works.  For regular impact monitoring, the sampling frequency of at least once in every six-days, shall be strictly observed at all the monitoring stations for 24-hr TSP monitoring.  For 1-hr TSP monitoring, the sampling frequency of at least three times in every six-days shall be undertaken when the highest dust impact occurs. Before commencing the baseline monitoring, the ET leader shall inform the IC(E) of the impact monitoring programme such that the IC(E) can conduct on-site audit to ensure accuracy of the impact monitoring results.

 

The specific time to start and stop the 24-hr TSP monitoring shall be clearly defined for each location and be strictly followed by the operator.

 

In case of non-compliance with the air quality criteria, more frequent monitoring exercise, as specified in the Action Plan in Section 2.8, shall be conducted within 24 hours after the result is obtained.  This additional monitoring shall be continued until the excessive dust emission or the deterioration in air quality is rectified.

 

2.8       Event and Action Plan for Air Quality

 

The baseline monitoring results form the basis for determining the air quality criteria for the impact monitoring.  The ET Leader shall compare the impact monitoring results with air quality criteria set up for 24-hour TSP and 1-hour TSP.  Table 2.2 shows the air quality criteria, namely Action and Limit (AL) Levels to be used.  Should non-compliance of the air quality criteria occurs, actions in accordance with the Action Plan in Table 2.3 shall be carried out.

 

Table 2.2         Action and Limit Levels for Air Quality

 

Parameters

Action

Limit

(µg/m³)

24 Hour TSP Level in µg/m³

For baseline level £ 200 µg/m³,

Action level = (Baseline level * 1.3 + Limit level)/2;

For baseline level > 200 µg/m³,

Action level = Limit Level

260

1 Hour TSP Level in µg/m³

For baseline level £ 384 µg/m³,

Action level = (Baseline level *1.3 + Limit level)/2

For baseline level > 384 µg/m³,

Action level = Limit Level

500


Table 2.3        Event/Action Plan for Air Quality

 

EVENT

ACTION

 

ET Leader

IC(E)

ER

CONTRACTOR

ACTION LEVEL

 

1.   Exceedance for one sample

 

1.    Identify source

2.    Inform IC(E) and ER

3.    Repeat measurement to confirm finding

4.   Increase monitoring frequency to daily

 

1.     Check monitoring data submitted   by ET

2.     Check Contractor's working method

1.    Notify Contractor

 

1.    Rectify any unacceptable practice

2.    Amend working methods if appropriate

2.   Exceedance for two or more consecutive samples

1.    Identify source

2.    Inform IC(E) and ER

3.    Repeat measurements to confirm findings

4.    Increase monitoring frequency to daily

5.    Discuss with IC(E) and Contractor on remedial actions

      required

6.    If exceedance continues, arrange meeting with IC(E) and ER

7.    If exceedance stops, cease additional monitoring

 

1.     Checking monitoring data submitted by ET

2.     Check Contractor's working method

3.     Discuss with ET and Contractor on possible remedial measures

4.     Advise the ER on the effectiveness of the proposed remedial measures

5.     Supervisor implementation of remedial measures

1.    Confirm receipt of notification of failure in writing

2.    Notify Contractor

3.    Ensure remedial measures properly implemented

1.    Submit proposals for remedial actions to IC(E) within 3 working days of notification

2.    Implement the agreed proposals

3.    Amend proposal if appropriate

 

 

 

 


EVENT

ACTION

 

ET Leader

IC(E)

ER

CONTRACTOR

LIMIT LEVEL

 

1.   Exceedance for one sample

 

1.    Identify source

2.    Inform ER and EPD

3.    Repeat measurement to confirm finding

4.    Increase monitoring frequency to daily

5.    Assess effectiveness of Contractor's remedial actions and keep IC(E), EPD and ER informed of the results

1.      Checking monitoring data submitted by ET

2.      Check Contractor's working method

3.      Discuss with ET and Contractor on possible remedial measures

4.      Advise the ER on the effectiveness of the proposed remedial measures

5.      Supervisor implementation of remedial measures

1.    Confirm receipt of notification of failure in writing

2.    Notify Contractor

3.    Ensure remedial measures properly implemented

1.    Take immediate action to avoid further exceedance

2.    Submit proposals for remedial actions to IC(E) within 3 working days of notification

3.    Implement the agreed proposals

4.    Amend proposal if appropriate

2.Exceedance for two or more consecutive samples         

1.    Notify IC(E), ER, Contractor and EPD

2.    Identify source

3.    Repeat measurement to confirm findings

4.    Increase monitoring frequency to daily

5.    Carry out analysis of Contractor's working procedures to determine possible mitigation to be implemented

6.    Arrange meeting with IC(E) and ER to discuss the remedial actions to be taken

7.    Assess effectiveness of Contractor's remedial actions and keep IC(E), EPD and ER informed of the results

8.    If exceedance stops, cease additional monitoring

1.      Discuss amongst ER, ET, and Contractor on the potential remedial actions

2.      Review Contractor's remedial actions whenever necessary to assure their effectiveness and advise the ER accordingly

3.      Supervise the implementation of remedial measures

 

1.    Confirm receipt of notification of failure in writing

2.    Notify Contractor

3.       In consultation with the IC(E), agree with the

          Contractor on the remedial measures to be implemented

4.       Ensure remedial measures properly implemented

5.    If exceedance continues, consider what portion of the work is responsible and instruct the Contractor to stop that portion of work until the exceedance is abated

1.    Take immediate action to avoid further exceedance

2.    Submit proposals for remedial actions to IC(E) within 3 working days of notification

3.    Implement the agreed proposals

4.    Resubmit proposals if problem still not under control

5.    Stop the relevant portion of works as determined by the ER until the exceedance is abated


2.9       Dust Mitigation Measures

 

The EIA report has recommended dust control and mitigation measures.  The Contractor shall be responsible for the design and implementation of these measures.

 

The dust control measures stipulated in the Air Pollution Control (Construction Dust) Regulation shall be incorporated in the Contract Specification and implemented to reduce dust impact to within the acceptable dust criteria of 500µgm-3 arising from the works.  Typical control measures are:

 

·       where breaking of rock/concrete is required, watering shall be implemented to suppress dust generation, water spray shall be used during the handling of excavated material at the site and at active cuts, tunnel construction works, excavation and fill sites where dust is likely to be created;

 

·       the heights from which excavated materials are dropped shall be controlled to a minimum practical height to limit fugitive dust generation from unloading;

 

·       all dusty materials shall be sprayed with water immediately prior to any loading, unloading or transfer operation so as to maintain the dusty materials wet:

·       any stockpiles of aggregate or spoil shall be covered and water applied;

 

·       vehicle travel on haul road shall reduced the speed to 20 kph,

 

·       every vehicle shall be washed to remove any dusty materials from its body and wheels before leaving a construction site;

 

·       the load on the vehicles shall be covered entirely by clean impervious sheeting to ensure that the dusty materials do not leak from the vehicle; and

 

·       the working area of any excavation shall be sprayed with water before, during and immediately after the operation so as to maintain the entire surface wet.


3.         NOISE

 

3.1       Introduction

 

The working hours for this Project are expected to be limited to daytime and no restricted hour construction work is anticipated.  The monitoring programme shall be carried out by the ET to ensure that the noise level of construction works complies with the criteria of the Noise Control Ordinance (NCO) and other adopted noise criteria.

 

3.2       Noise Parameters

 

The construction noise level shall be measured in terms of the A-weighted equivalent continuous sound pressure level (Leq) Leq(30 min) shall be used as the monitoring parameter for the time period between 0700-1900 hours on normal weekdays.  For all other time periods, Leq(5 min) shall be employed for comparison with the NCO criteria.

 

As supplementary information for data auditing, statistical results such as L10 and L90 shall also be obtained for reference.  A sample data record sheet is shown in Annex A for reference.

 

3.3       Monitoring Equipment

 

As referred to in the Technical Memorandum (TM) issued under the Noise Control Ordinance (NCO), sound level metres in compliance with the International Electrotechnical Commission Publications 651: 1979 (Type 1) and 804: 1985 (Type 1) specifications shall be used for carrying out the noise monitoring.  Immediately prior to and following each noise measurement the accuracy of the sound level metre shall be checked using an acoustic calibrator generating a known sound pressure level at a known frequency.  Measurements may be accepted as valid only if the calibration level from before and after the noise measurement agree to within 1.0 dB (A).

 

Noise measurements shall not be made in the presence of fog, rain, wind with a steady speed exceeding 5 ms-1 or wind with gusts exceeding 10 ms-1. The wind speed shall be checked with a portable wind speed meter capable of measuring the wind speed in m/s.

 

The ET Leader is responsible for the provision and maintenance of the monitoring equipment.  He shall ensure that sufficient noise measuring equipment and associated instrumentation are available for carrying out the baseline monitoring, regular impact monitoring and ad hoc monitoring.  All the equipment and associated instrumentation shall be clearly labelled.

 

3.4       Monitoring Locations

 

The noise monitoring locations are summarised in Table 3.1.  The status and locations of noise sensitive receivers may change after issuing this manual.  If such cases exist, the ET Leader shall propose updated monitoring locations and seek approval from ER, and agreement from the IC(E) and EPD of the proposal.

 

           


            Table 3.1         Noise Monitoring Stations

 

Location

Monitoring Station

Description

Mei Foo Sun Chuen Phase 8 (Block 112)

MF3

Residential

Mei Foo Sun Chuen Phase 8 (Block 128)

MF5

Residential

 

When alternative monitoring locations are proposed, the monitoring locations shall be chosen based on the following criteria:

 

a)        at locations close to the major site activities which are likely to have noise impacts;

 

b)        close to the noise sensitive receivers (N.B. For the purposes of this section, any domestic premises, hotel, hostel, temporary housing accommodation, hospital, medical clinic, educational institution, place of public worship, library, court of law, performing art centre shall be considered as a noise sensitive receiver); and

 

c)        for monitoring locations located in the vicinity of the sensitive receivers, care shall be taken to cause minimal disturbance to the occupants during monitoring.

 

The monitoring station shall normally be at a point 1m from the exterior of the sensitive receivers building facade and be at a position 1.2m above the ground.  If there is a problem with access to the normal monitoring position, an alternative position may be chosen, and a correction to the measurements shall be made.  For reference, a correction of +3dB(A) shall be made to the free field measurements.  The ET Leader shall agree with the IC(E) on the monitoring position and the corrections adopted.  Once the positions for the monitoring stations are chosen, the baseline monitoring and the impact monitoring shall be carried out at the same positions.

 

3.5       Baseline Monitoring

 

The ET Leader shall carry out baseline noise monitoring prior to the commencement of the construction works.  The baseline monitoring shall be carried out daily for a period of at least two weeks.  A schedule on the baseline monitoring shall be submitted to the ER for approval before the monitoring starts.

 

There shall not be any construction activities in the vicinity of the stations during the baseline monitoring.  Baseline monitoring measurements shall be evenly spread throughout the assessment period to be conducted at the some frequency and duration throughout all periods of the day for which works are anticipated to be constructed (eg. daytime, evening and nighttime).

 

In exceptional cases, when insufficient baseline monitoring data or questionable results are obtained, the ET Leader shall liaise with EPD to agree on an appropriate set of data to be used as a baseline reference and submit to the ER for approval.

 

3.6       Impact Monitoring

 

Noise monitoring shall be carried out, by the ET Leader, at all the designated monitoring stations.  The monitoring frequency shall depend on the scale of the construction activities.  The following is an initial guide on the regular monitoring frequency for each station on a per week basis when noise generating activities are underway:


a)    one set of measurements between 0700-1900 hours on normal weekdays;

 

b)    one set of measurements between 1900-2300 hours;

 

c)    one set of measurements between 2300-0700 hours of next day; and

 

d)    one set of measurements between 0700-1900 hours on holidays.

 

General construction work carried out during restricted hours is controlled by CNP system under the NCO.

 

For the measurements (b), (c) and (d) above, one set of measurements shall at least include 3 consecutive Leq(5 min) results.

 

In case of non-compliance with the construction noise criteria, more frequent monitoring as specified in the Action Plan in Section 3.7 shall be carried out.  This additional monitoring shall be continued until the recorded noise levels are rectified or proved to be irrelevant to the construction activities.

 

3.7       Event and Action Plan for Noise

 

The AL Levels for construction noise are defined in Table 3.2.  Should non-compliance of the criteria occurs, action in accordance with the Action Plan in Table 3.3, shall be carried out.

 

Table 3.2         Action and Limit Levels for Construction Noise

 

Time Period

Action

Limit

0700-1900 hrs on normal weekdays

 

 

 

When one documented complaint is received

75*  dB(A)

0700-2300 hrs on holidays; and 1900-2300 hrs on all other days

 

60/65/70**  dB(A)

2300-0700 hrs of next day

 

45/50/55**  dB(A)

 

*   Reduce to 70 dB(A) for schools and 65 dB(A) during school examination periods.

** To be selected based on Area Sensitivity Rating.

 


Table 3.3    Event/Action Plan for Construction Noise

 

EVENT

ACTION

 

 

 

 

ET Leader

IC(E)

ER

Contractor

Action Level

1.   Notify IC(E) and Contractor

2.   Carry out investigation

3.   Report the results of investigation to the IC(E) and Contractor

4.   Discuss with the Contractor and formulate remedial measures

5.   Increase monitoring frequency to check mitigation effectiveness

1.   Review the analysed results submitted by the ET

2.   Review the proposed remedial measures by the Contractor and advise the ER accordingly

3.   Supervise the implementation of remedial measures

 

1.   Confirm receipt of notification of failure in writing

2.   Notify Contractor

3.   Require Contractor to propose remedial measures for the analysed noise problem

4.   Ensure remedial measures are properly implemented

1.   Submit noise mitigation proposals to IC(E)

2.   Implement noise mitigation proposals

Limit Level

1.   Notify IC(E), ER, EPD and Contractor

2.   Identify source

3.   Repeat measurement to confirm findings

4.   Increase monitoring frequency

5.   Carry out analysis of Contractor's working procedures to determine possible mitigation to be implemented

6.   Inform IC(E), ER and EPD the causes & actions taken for the exceedances

7.   Assess effectiveness of Contractor's remedial actions and keep IC(E), EPD and ER informed of the results

8.   If exceedance stops, cease additional monitoring

1. Discuss amongst ER, ET, and Contractor on the potential remedial actions

2. Review Contractor's remedial actions whenever necessary to assure their effectiveness and advise the ER accordingly

3.  Supervise the implementation of remedial measures

1.    Confirm receipt of notification of failure in writing

2.    Notify Contractor

3.    Require Contractor to propose remedial measures for the analysed noise problem

4.    Ensure remedial measures are properly implemented

5.    If exceedance continues, consider what portion of the work is responsible and instruct the Contractor to stop that portion of work until the exceedance is abated

1.   Take immediate action to avoid further exceedance

2.   Submit proposals for remedial actions to IC(E) within 3 working days of notification

3.   Implement the agreed proposals

4.   Resubmit proposals if problem still not under control

5.   Stop the relevant portion of works as determined by the ER until the exceedance is abated

 



3.8       Noise Mitigation Measures

 

The EIA Report has recommended construction noise control and mitigation measures. The Contractor shall be responsible for the design and implementation of these measures.

 

Noise emissions from construction sites can be minimised through good site practice and selecting quiet plant. These methods are discussed in the following paragraphs.

 

Good Site Practice

 

Good site practice and noise management can considerably reduce the impact of construction site activities on nearby NSRs.  The following package of measures shall be followed during each phase of construction:

 

·       only well-maintained plant shall be operated on-site and plant shall be serviced regularly during the construction works;

 

·       machines and plant that may be in intermittent use shall be shut down between work periods or shall be throttled down to a minimum;

 

·       plant known to emit noise strongly in one direction, shall, where possible, be orientated to direct noise away from nearby NSRs;

 

·       mobile plant shall be sited as far away from NSRs as possible; and

 

·       material stockpiles and other structures shall be effectively utilised, where practicable, to screen noise from on-site construction activities.

 

Selecting Quieter Plant and Working Methods

 

The Contractor may be able to obtain particular models of plant that are quieter than standard types given in the GW-TM.  The benefits achievable for each of the measures proposed will depend on the details of the Contractors' chosen methods of working, and it is considered too restrictive to specify items of plant that a Contractor has to use during construction activities.  It is therefore both preferable and practical to specify an overall plant noise performance specification to apply to the total SWL of all plant on the site, so that the Contractor is allowed some flexibility to select plant to suit his needs. 

 

Use of Temporary and Movable Noise Barriers

 

Movable barriers could be very effective in providing noise screening from a particular plant.  It is anticipated that a 3m high movable noise barrier with a skid footing and a small cantilevered upper portion can be located within a few metres of plant.  It is estimated that movable noise barrier of this type, if carefully located, can produce at least 10 dB(A) screening for stationary plant and 5 dB(A) for mobile plant.

 

Reducing the Number of Plant Operating On-site Close to NSRs.

 

It shall be noted that various types of silenced equipment can be found in Hong Kong.  However, the EPD, when processing a CNP application, will apply the noise levels contained in the relevant statutory TM, unless the noise emission of a particular piece of equipment can be validated by certificate or demonstration.


If the above measures are not sufficient to restore the construction noise quality to an acceptable levels upon the advice of ET Leader, the Contractor shall liaise with the ET Leader on some other mitigation measures, propose to ER for approval, and carry out the mitigation measures.

 


4.         WASTE MANAGEMENT

 

4.1       Introduction

 

The Contractor is responsible for waste control within the construction site,  removal of waste material produced by the site and the implementation of any mitigation measures to minimise waste or redress problems arising from site waste.  The waste material may include any sewage, waste water or effluent containing sand, cement, silt or any other suspended or dissolved material flowing from the site into any storm sewer, sanitary sewer, or any waste matter or refuse deposited anywhere within the site or onto any adjoining land.

 

The proposed re-use, recycling, storage, collection, transport and disposal methods for various wastes which are recommended to avoid or minimise potential adverse impacts are detailed below.  Specifically, it is recommended that during the construction phase, the Contractor incorporate the recommendations into an on-site waste management plan.

 

The Contractor shall also pay attention to the Waste Disposal Ordinance and its subsidiary regulations, the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance and the Water Pollution Control Ordinance, and carry out the appropriate waste management work.  The relevant license/permit, such as the effluent discharge license, the chemical waste producer registration, etc. shall be obtained.  The Contractor shall refer to the relevant booklets issued by EPD when applying for the license/permit.

 

During the site inspections and the document review procedures as mentioned in Sections 4.1 and 4.2 of this manual, the ET Leader shall pay special attention to the issues relating to waste management, and check whether the Contractor has followed the relevant contract specifications and the procedures specified under the laws of Hong Kong.

 

4.2       Waste Mitigation Measures

 

This section sets out recycling, storage, transportation and disposal measures which are recommended to avoid or minimise potential adverse impacts associated with waste arising from the construction of Link Roads G&L.  The contractor shall incorporate these recommendations into a comprehensive on‑site waste management plan.  Such a management plan shall incorporate site specific factors, such as the designation of areas for the segregation and temporary storage of reusable and recyclable materials.

 

Waste Management Hierarchy

 

The various waste management options can be categorised in terms of preference from an environmental viewpoint.  The options considered to be more preferable have the least impacts and are more sustainable in the longer term.  Hence, the hierarchy is as follows:

 

·       avoidance and minimisation, ie not generating waste through changing or improving practices and design;

 

·       reuse of materials, thus avoiding disposal (generally with only limited reprocessing);

 

·       recovery and recycling, thus avoiding disposal (although reprocessing may be required); and

 

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

 


The Contractor shall consult the EPD on the final disposal of wastes.

 

This hierarchy shall be used to evaluate waste management options, thus allowing maximum waste reduction and often reducing costs.  Waste reduction measures shall be introduced at the design stage and carried through the construction activities, wherever possible, by careful purchasing control, reuse of formworks and good site management.  By reducing or eliminating over‑ordering of construction materials, waste is avoided and costs are reduced both in terms of purchasing of raw materials and in disposing of wastes.

 

Training and instruction of construction staff shall be given at the site to increase awareness and draw attention to waste management issues and the need to minimise waste generation.  The training requirement shall be included in the site waste management plan.

 

Storage, Collection and Transport of Waste

 

Permitted waste hauliers shall be used to collect and transport wastes to the appropriate disposal points.  The following measures to minimise adverse impacts shall be instigated:

 

·       handle and store wastes in a manner which ensures that they are held securely without loss or leakage, thereby minimising the potential for pollution;

 

·       use waste hauliers authorised or licensed to collect specific category of waste;

 

·       remove wastes in a timely manner;

 

·       maintain and clean waste storage areas regularly;

 

·       minimise windblown litter and dust during transportation by either covering trucks or transporting wastes in enclosed containers;

 

·       obtain the necessary waste disposal permits 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), the Crown Land Ordinance (Cap 28);

 

·       Dispose of waste at licensed waste disposal facilities;

 

·       Develop procedures such as a ticketing system to facilitate tracking of loads, particularly for chemical waste, and to ensure that illegal disposal of wastes does not occur; and

 

·       maintain records of the quantities of wastes generated, recycled and disposed.

 

Dust:

 

·       wetting the surface of the stockpiled soil with water to keep the surface wet especially during the dry season;

 

·       covering the stockpiled soil with sheets; and

 

·       enclosure of the stockpiling area.

 


Water Quality:

 

·       separating surface water drainage system for the stockpiling area;

 

·       installation of silt traps for the surface water drainage system; and

 

·       covering stockpiled material with tarpaulin during heavy rainstorm.

 

C&D Waste

 

In order to minimise waste arising and to keep environmental impacts within acceptable levels, the environmental control measures described below shall be adopted.

 

Careful design, planning and good site management can minimise over-ordering and generation of waste materials such as concrete, mortars and cement grouts. The design of formwork shall maximise the use of standard wooden panels so that high reuse levels can be achieved.  Alternatives such as steel formwork or plastic facing shall be considered to increase the potential for reuse.

 

The Contractor shall recycle the C&D material on‑site.  Proper segregation of wastes on site will increase the feasibility of certain components of the waste stream by the recycling contractors.  For example, concrete and masonry can be used as general fill and steel reinforcement bar can be used by scrap steel mills.  Different areas of the worksite shall be designated for such segregation and storage wherever site conditions permit. 

 

The handling and disposal of bentonite slurries shall be undertaken in accordance with ProPECC PN 1/94 on construction site drainage.

 

Construction and demolition wastes currently comprise approximately 35% of waste inputs to landfills.  To maximise landfill life, Government policy discourages the disposal of C&D wastes with more than 30% inert material (by weight) at landfill.  Inert C&D material are directed to reclamation areas, where they have the added benefit of offsetting the need for removal of materials from borrow areas for reclamation purposes.

 

Government has established a charging scheme for the disposal of waste to landfill.  When it is implemented, this will provide additional incentive to reduce the volume of waste generated and to ensure proper segregation of wastes to allow free disposal of inert material to public filling areas.

 

Chemical Waste

 

It should be stressed that the Contractor should be registered as a Chemical Waste producer if chemical wastes are generated.

 

Chemical waste that is produced, as defined by Schedule 1 of the Waste Disposal (Chemical Waste) (General) Regulation, shall be handled in accordance with the Code of Practice on the Packaging, Handling and Storage of Chemical Wastes as follows.

 

Containers used for the storage of chemical wastes shall:

 

·       be suitable for the substance they are holding, resistant to corrosion, maintained in a good condition, and securely closed;

 


·       have a capacity of less than 450 litres unless the specifications have been approved by the EPD; and

 

·       display a label in English and Chinese in accordance with instructions prescribed in Schedule 2 of the Regulations.

 

The storage area for chemical wastes shall:

 

·       be clearly labelled and used solely for the storage of chemical waste;

 

·       be enclosed on at least 3 sides;

 

·       have an impermeable floor and bunding, of capacity to accommodate 110% of the volume of the largest container or 20% by volume of the chemical waste stored in that area, whichever is the greatest;

 

·       have adequate ventilation;

 

·       be covered to prevent rainfall entering (water collected within the bund must be tested and disposed as chemical waste if necessary); and

 

·       be arranged so that incompatible materials are adequately separated.

 

Disposal of chemical waste shall:

 

·       be via a licensed waste collector; and

 

·       be to a facility licensed to receive chemical waste, such as the Chemical Waste Treatment Facility which also offers a chemical waste collection service and can supply the necessary storage containers; or

 

·       be to a reuser of the waste, under approval from the EPD.

 

The Centre for Environmental Technology operates a Waste Exchange Scheme which can assist in finding receivers or buyers for the small quantity of chemical waste to be generated from the project.

 

General Refuse

 

General refuse shall be stored in enclosed bins or compaction units separate from C&D and chemical wastes.  A reputable waste collector shall be employed by the contractor to remove general refuse from the site, separately from C&D and chemical wastes, on a daily or every second day basis to minimise odour, pest and litter impacts.  Burning of refuse on construction sites is prohibited by law.

 

General refuse is generated largely by food service activities on site, so reusable rather than disposable dishware shall be used if feasible.  Aluminium cans are often recovered from the waste stream by individual collectors if they are segregated or easily accessible, so separate labelled bins for their deposit shall be provided if feasible.

 

Office wastes can be reduced through recycling of paper if volumes are large enough to warrant collection.  Participation in a local collection scheme shall be considered if one is available.


5.         SITE ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT

 

5.1       Site Inspections

 

Site Inspections provide a direct means to trigger and enforce the specified environmental protection and pollution control measures.  They shall be undertaken routinely by the ET Leader to inspect the construction activities in order to ensure that appropriate environmental protection and pollution control mitigation measures are properly implemented.  With well defined pollution control and mitigation specifications and a well established site inspection, deficiency and action reporting system, the site inspection is one of the most effective tools to enforce the environmental protection requirements on the construction site.

 

The ET Leader is responsible for formulation of the environmental site inspection, deficiency and action reporting system, and for carrying out the site inspection works.  He shall submit a proposal on the site inspection, deficiency and action reporting procedures within 21 days of the construction contract commencement to the Contractor for agreement and to the ER for approval.

 

Regular site inspections shall be carried out at least once per week.  The areas of inspection shall not be limited to the pollution control and mitigation measures within the site; it shall also review the environmental situation outside the site area which is likely to be affected, directly or indirectly, by the site activities.  A copy of Implementation Status Proforma is shown in Annex B.  The ET Leader shall make reference to the following information in conducting the inspection:

 

a)        the EIA recommendations on environmental protection and pollution control mitigation measures;

 

b)        works progress and programme;

 

c)        individual works methodology proposals (which shall include proposal on associated pollution control measures);

 

d)        the contract specifications on environmental protection;

 

e)        the relevant environmental protection and pollution control laws; and

 

f)         previous site inspection results.

 

The Contractor shall update the ET Leader with all relevant information of the construction contract for him to carry out the site inspections.  The inspection results and its associated recommendations on improvements to the environmental protection and pollution control works shall be submitted to the IC(E) and the Contractor within 24 hours, for reference and for taking immediate action.  The Contractor shall follow the procedures and time-frame as stipulated in the environmental site inspection, deficiency and action reporting system formulated by the ET Leader to report on any remedial measures subsequent to the site inspections.

 

Ad hoc site inspections shall also be carried out if significant environmental problems are identified.  Inspections may also be required subsequent to receipt of an environmental complaint, or as part of the investigation work, as specified in the Action Plan for environmental monitoring and audit.

 


5.2       Compliance with Legal and Contractual Requirements

 

There are contractual environmental protection and pollution control requirements as well as environmental protection and pollution control laws in Hong Kong which the construction activities shall comply with.

 

In order that the works are in compliance with the contractual requirements, all the works method statements submitted by the Contractor to the ER for approval shall also be sent to the ET Leader for vetting to see whether sufficient environmental protection and pollution control measures have been included.

 

The ET Leader shall also review the progress and programme of the works to check that relevant environmental laws have not been violated, and that any foreseeable potential for violating the laws can be prevented. 

 

The Contractor shall regularly copy relevant documents to the ET Leader so that the checking work can be carried out.  The document shall at least include the updated Work Progress Reports, the updated Works Programme, the application letters for different license/permits under the environmental protection laws, and all the valid license/permit.  The site diary shall also be available for the ET Leader's inspection upon his request.

 

After reviewing the document, the ET Leader shall advise the ER and the Contractor of any non-compliance with the contractual and legislative requirements on environmental protection and pollution control for them to take follow-up actions.  If the ET Leader's review concludes that the current status on license/permit application and any environmental protection and pollution control preparation works may not cope with the works programme or may result in potential violation of environmental protection and pollution control requirements by the works in due course, he shall advise the Contractor and the ER accordingly.

 

Upon receipt of the advice, the Contractor shall undertake immediate action to remedy the situation.  The ER shall follow up to ensure that appropriate action has been taken by the Contractor in order that the environmental protection and pollution control requirements are fulfilled.

 

5.3       Environmental Complaints

 

Complaints shall be referred to the ET Leader for carrying out complaint investigation procedures.  The ET Leader shall undertake the following procedures upon receipt of complaint:

 

a)        log complaint and date of receipt onto the complaint database and inform the IC(E) immediately;

 

b)        investigate the complaint to determine its validity, and to assess whether the source of the problem is due to works activities;

 

c)        if a complaint is valid and due to works, identify mitigation measures;

 

d)        if mitigation measures are required, advise the Contractor accordingly;

 

e)        review the Contractor's response on the identified mitigation measures, and the updated situation;

 


f)         if the complaint is transferred from EPD, submit interim report to EPD on status of the complaint investigation and follow-up action within the time frame assigned by EPD;

 

g)        undertake additional monitoring and audit to verify the situation if necessary, and review that any valid reason for complaint does not recur;

 

h)        report the investigation results and the subsequent actions to the source of complaint for responding to complainant (If the source of complaint is EPD, the results shall be reported within the time frame assigned by EPD); and

 

i)          record the complaint, investigation, the subsequent actions and the results in the monthly EM&A reports.

 

During the complaint investigation work, the Contractor and ER shall cooperate with the ET Leader in providing all the necessary information and assistance for completion of the investigation.  If mitigation measures are identified in the investigation, the Contractor shall promptly carry out the mitigation.  The ER shall ensure that the measures have been carried out by the Contractor.  A copy of compliant log is shown in Annex C.

 

A flow chart of the complaint response procedures is shown in Figure 5.1.


6.         REPORTING

 

6.1       General

 

The reporting guidelines referred to in this section are based upon a paper based system, however, the same information can be provided by an electronic medium upon agreeing the format with the ER and EPD.  All the monitoring data (baseline and impact) shall also be submitted in diskettes in a format shown in Annex A.

 

6.2       Baseline Monitoring Report

 

The ET Leader shall prepare and submit a Baseline Environmental Monitoring Report within 10 working days of completion of the baseline monitoring.  Copies of the Baseline Environmental Monitoring Report shall be submitted to all parties; the Contractor, the IC(E), the ER and the EPD.  The format and content of the report, and the representation of the baseline monitoring data shall be in a format to the satisfaction of EPD and include, but not be limited to the following:

 

a)      up to half a page executive summary;

 

b)      brief project background information;

 

c)      drawings showing locations of the baseline monitoring stations;

 

d)      monitoring results (in both hard and diskette copies) together with the following information:

 

·       monitoring methodology;

·       name of laboratory and types of equipment used and calibration details;

·       parameters monitored;

·       monitoring locations (and depth);

·       monitoring date, time, frequency and duration;

·       QA/QC results and detection limits;

 

e)     details on influencing factors, including

 

·       major activities, if any, being carried out on the site during the period;

·       weather conditions during the period;

·       other factors which might affect the results.

 

f)  determination of the AL Levels for each monitoring parameter and statistical analysis of the baseline data; the analysis shall conclude if there is any significant difference between control and impact stations for the parameters monitored, and the following information shall be recorded:

 

·       graphical plots of monitored parameters in the month annotated against;

 

·       the major activities being carried out on site during the period;

 

g)    revisions for inclusion in the EM&A Manual; and

 

h)    comments and conclusions.


6.3       EM&A Reports

 

The results and findings of all EM&A work required in the Manual shall be recorded in the monthly EM&A reports prepared by the ET Leader.  The EM&A report shall be prepared, endorsed by IC(E) and submitted within 10 working days of the end of each reporting month, with the first report due in the month after construction commences.  Before submission of the first EM&A report, the ET Leader shall liaise with the parties on the exact number of copies and format of the monthly reports in both hard copy and electronic medium requirement.  The ET Leader shall review the number and location of monitoring stations and parameters to monitor every 6 months or on as needed basis in order to cater for the changes in surrounding environment and nature of works in progress.

 

First Monthly EM&A Report

 

The First Monthly EM&A Report shall include at least the following :

 

(a)   1-2 pages executive summary;

 

·       Breaches of AL levels;

·       Complaints Log;

·       Notifications of any summons and successful prosecutions;

·       Reporting Changes;

·       Future key issues.

 

(b)   Basic Project Information

 

·       Project organisations including key personnel contact names and telephone numbers;

·       Programme

·       Management structure; and

·       Works undertaken during the month;

 

(c)   Environmental Status

 

·       Work undertaken during the month with illustrations (such as location of works daily dredging/filling rates percentage fines in the fill material used);and

 

·       Drawing showing the project area, any environmental sensitive receivers and the locations of the monitoring and control stations.

 

(d)   Summary of EM&A requirements

 

·       All monitoring parameters;

·       AL Levels;

·       Event-Action Plans;

·       Environmental mitigation measures, as recommended in the project EIA Report;

·       Environmental requirements in contract documents;

 

(e)   Implementation Status

 

Advice on the implementation status of environmental protection and pollution control/mitigation measures, as recommended in the project EIA Report, summarised in the updated implementation schedule (in Annex A);


(f)    Monitoring Results

 

To provide monitoring results (in both hard and diskette copies) together with the following information:

 

·       Monitoring methodology

·       Name of laboratory and types of equipment used and calibration details

·       Parameters monitored

·       Monitoring locations (and depth)

·       Monitoring date, time, frequency, and duration;

·       Weather conditions during the period; and

·       Any other factors which might affect the monitoring results;

·       QA/QC results and detection limits

 

(g) Report on Non-compliance, Complaints, Notifications of Summons and Successful Prosecutions

 

·       Record of all noncompliance (exceedances) of the environmental quality performance limits (AL Levels);

 

·       Record of all complaints received (written or verbal) for each media, including locations and nature of complaints investigation, liaison and consultation undertaken, actions and follow-up procedures taken, results and summary;

 

·       Record of all notifications of summons and successful prosecutions for breaches of the current environmental protection/pollution control legislations, including locations and nature of the breaches, investigation, follow-up actions taken, results and summary;

 

·       Review of the reasons for and the implications of non-compliance, complaints, summons and prosecutions including review of pollution sources and working procedures; and

 

·       Description of the actions taken in the event of noncompliance and deficiency reporting and any follow-up procedures related to earlier noncompliance;

 

(h)  Others

 

·       An account of the future key issues as reviewed from the works programme and work method statements; and

 

·       Advice on the solid and liquid waste management status.

 

Subsequent Monthly EM&A Reports

 

The subsequent Monthly EM&A Reports shall include the following :

 

(a)   Executive Summary (1-2 pages)

·       Breaches of AL levels

·       Complaint Log

·       Notifications of any summons and successful prosecutions;

·       Future key issues

(b)   Environmental Status

·       Works undertaken during the month with illustrations including key personnel contact names and telephone number; and

 

·       Drawing showing the project area, any environmental sensitive receivers and the locations of the monitoring and control stations

 

(c)   Implementation Status

 

Advice on the implementation status of environmental protection and pollution control/mitigation measures including measures for ecological and visual impacts, as recommended in the EIA Report, summarised in the updated implementation schedule (see Annex A).

 

(d)   Monitoring Results

 

To provide monitoring results (in both hard and diskette copies) together with the following information:

 

·       Monitoring methodology

·       Name of laboratory and types of equipment used and calibration details

·       Parameters monitored

·       Monitoring locations (and depth);

·       Monitoring date, time, frequency, and duration;

·       Weather conditions during the period; and

·       Any other factors which might affect the monitoring results;

·       QA/QC results and detection limits

 

(e)   Report on Non-compliance, Complaints, Notifications of Summons and Successful Prosecutions

 

·       Record of all noncompliance (exceedances) of the environmental quality performance limits (AL Levels);

 

·       Record of all complaints received (written or verbal) for each media, including locations and nature of complaints investigation, liaison and consultation undertaken, actions and follow-up procedures taken, results and summary;

 

·       Record of all notifications of summons and successful prosecutions for breaches of the current environmental protection/pollution control legislations, including locations and nature of the breaches, investigation, follow-up actions taken, results and summary;

 

·       Review of the reasons for and the implications of non-compliance, complaints, summons and prosecutions including review of pollution sources and working procedures; and

 

·       a description of the actions taken in the event of noncompliance and deficiency reporting and any follow-up procedures related to earlier noncompliance;

 


(f)    Others

 

·       An account of the future key issues as reviewed from the works programme and work method statements; and

 

·       Advice on the solid and liquid waste management status.

 

(g)   Appendix

 

·       AL levels

 

·       Graphical plots of trends of monitored parameters at key stations over the past four reporting periods for representative monitoring stations annotated against the following:

 

i)     major activities being carried out on site during the period;

ii)    weather conditions during the period; and

iii)    any other factors which might affect the monitoring results

      

·       Monitoring schedule for the present and next reporting period

·       Cumulative statistics on complaints, notifications of summons and successful prosecutions

·       Outstanding issues and deficiencies

 

Quarterly EM&A Summary Reports

 

The Quarterly EM&A Summary Report which shall generally be around 5 pages (including about 3 of text and tables and 2 of figures) shall contain at least the following information. 

 

a)        up to half a page executive summary;

 

b)        basic project information including a synopsis of the project organisation, programme, contacts of key management, and a synopsis of work undertaken during the quarter;

 

c)        a brief summary of EM&A requirements including:

 

·           monitoring parameters;

·           environmental quality performance limits (AL Levels); and

·           environmental mitigation measures, as recommended in the EIA Report;

 

d)    advice on the implementation status of environmental protection and pollution control/mitigation measures, as recommended in the project EIA study report, summarised in the updated implementation schedule;

 

e)    drawings showing the project area, any environmental sensitive receivers and the locations of the monitoring and control stations;

 

f)     graphical plots of the trends of monitored parameters over the past 4 months (the last month of the previous quarter and the present quarter) for representative monitoring stations annotated against;

 

·           the major activities being carried out on site during the period;

·           weather conditions during the period; and

·           any other factors which might affect the monitoring results;

g)    advice on the solid and liquid waste management status;

 

h)    a summary of noncompliance (exceedances) of the environmental quality performance limits (AL Levels);

 

i)     an quarterly assessment of constructional impacts on water quality at the project site including but not limited to comparison of the difference between the quarterly mean and 1.3 times of the ambientment which is defined as 30% increase of the baseline data or EPD data of the related parameters by using appropriate statistical procedures.  Suggestion of appropriate mitigation measures if the quarterly assessment analytical results demonstrate that the quarterly mean is significantly higher than the liaison water quality times of the ambient mean (p < 0.05);

 

j)     a brief review of the reasons for and the implications of non-compliance including review of pollution sources and working procedures;

 

k)    a summary description of the actions taken in the event of non-compliance and any follow-up procedures related to earlier non-compliance;

 

l)     a summary record of all complaints received (written or verbal) for each media, liaison and consultation undertaken, actions and follow-up procedures taken;

 

m)   comments (e.g. effectiveness and efficiency of the mitigation measures), recommendations (e.g. any improvement in the EM&A programme) and conclusions for the quarter; and

 

n)    proponents' contacts and any hotline telephone number for the public to make enquiries.

 

Annual/Final EM&A Review Reports

 

The Annual/Final EM&A Report shall contain at least the following information:

 

a)    Executive Summary (1-2 pages);

 

b)    drawings showing the project area, any environmental sensitive receivers and the locations of the monitoring and control stations:

 

c)    basic project information including a synopsis of the project organization contacts of key management, and a synopsis of work undertaken during the course of the project or past twelve months;

 

d)    a brief summary of EM&A requirements including:

 

(i)      environmental mitigation measures, as recommended in the project EIA Report;

(ii)      environmental impact hypotheses tested;

(iii)     AL Levels;

(iv)     all monitoring parameters

(v)     Event-Action Plans;

 

e)    a summary of the implementation status of environmental protection and pollution control/mitigation measures as recommended in the project EIA study report summarized in the updated implementation schedule;


f)     graphical plots and the statistical analysis of the trends of monitored parameters over the course of the project, including the post project monitoring (for the past twelve months for annual report) for all monitoring stations against:

 

·       the major activities being carried out on site during the period;

·       weather conditions during the period; and

·       any other factors which might affect the monitoring results

 

g)    a summary of noncompliance (exceedances) of the environmental quality performance limits (AL Levels);

 

h)    a review of the reasons for and the implications of non-compliance including review of pollution sources and working procedures as appropriate;

 

i)     a description of the actions taken in the event of non-compliance;

 

j)     a summary record of all complaints received (written or verbal) for each media liaison and consultation undertaken, action and follow-up procedures taken;

 

k)    a summary record of notifications of summons and successful prosecutions for breaches of the current environmental protection pollution control legislations locations and nature of the breaches, investigation, follow-up actions taken and results;

 

l)     a review of the validity of EIA Report predictions and identification of shortcomings in EIA Report recommendations; and

 

m)   a review of the effectiveness and efficiency of the mitigation measures;

 

n)    a review of success of the EM&A programme to cost effectively identify deterioration and to initiate prompt effective mitigatory action when necessary.

 

6.4       Data Keeping

 

The site document such as the monitoring field records, laboratory analysis records, site inspection forms, etc. are not required to be included in the monthly EM&A reports for submission.  However, the document shall be well kept by the ET Leader and be ready for inspection upon request.  All relevant information shall be clearly and systematically recorded in the document.  The monitoring data shall also be recorded in magnetic media form, and the software copy can be available upon request.  The water quality data software format shall be agreed with EPD.   All the documents and data shall be kept for at least one year after completion of the construction contract.

 

6.5       Interim Notifications of Environmental Quality Limit Exceedances

 

With reference to Event/Action Plans in Tables 2.3 and 3.3, when the environmental quality limits are exceeded, the ET Leader shall immediately notify the ER and EPD, as appropriate.  The notification shall be followed up with advice to EPD on the results of the investigation, proposed action and success of the action taken, with any necessary follow-up proposals.  A sample template for the interim notifications is shown in   Annex A.

 


7.         OPERATION PHASE EM&A

 

7.1       Introduction

 

Operational noise is required for EM&A during operational phase.  The methodology, equipment, monitoring locations, criteria and protocols for the monitoring and audit are discussed as follows.

 

7.2       Operational Phase Noise Monitoring

 

Noise monitoring following construction of Link Roads G&L is recommended to verify the traffic noise prediction contained within the EIA Report. The Territory Development Department shall be responsible for the operational phase monitoring.  A qualified noise monitoring contractor or laboratory shall be employed to carried out the proposed monitoring.

 

7.2.1     Noise Parameter

 

The operational phase noise monitoring shall focus on traffic noise.  Noise level shall be measured in terms of L10 for the a.m. and p.m. peak traffic flow on normal weekdays once Link Roads G&L are operational.  In order to capture the actual peak hour traffic, noise monitoring is recommended to be conducted for a period of 1.5 hour.

 

7.2.2     Monitoring Equipment

 

Monitoring equipment to be used shall be the same as that specified in Section 3.3.  That is, sound level meters in compliance with the International Electrotechnical Commission Publications 651:1979 (Type 1) and 804:1985 (Type 1) specifications shall be used for carrying out the traf-fic noise monitoring.  Calibration procedures and other measurement conditions shall also be in the same as stated in Section 3.3.

 

7.2.3     Monitoring Locations

The noise monitoring locations is recommended at NSRs as indicated in Table 7.1.  However, the exact locations where the noise monitoring shall be conducted shall be confirmed in agreement with the EPD.

 

Table 7.1         Noise Monitoring Stations during Operational Phase


 


Location

Monitoring Station

Description

Mei Foo Sun Chuen Phase 8 (Block 112)

 

KMB Bus Depot CDA Site, Tower 1

 

Site 10, Residential Blocks, Phase 1, Block 3

MF3 – Top Level

 

KMB1 – Low Level

 

10S1 – Mid Level

Residential

 

Residential

 

Residential

 

 


7.2.4     Baseline Monitoring

 

Although there will be no traffic on Link Roads G & L before its official opening, baseline monitoring is necessary to define the background contribution from the major noise sources (viz West Kowloon Expressway, Route 9 and Lai Wai Interchange).

 

7.2.5     Impact Monitoring

 

Traffic noise monitoring shall be carried out at monitoring stations which will be subsequently agreed with EPD prior to Link Roads G & L being fully operational.  It is recommended that three noise measurements for 30 minutes each carried out by the ET at each selected representative noise monitoring station during two traffic peak hours (e.g. 08:00 to 09:30 and 17:30 to 18:00) should be obtained during the first year of the operation of Link Roads G & L (i.e. 2003).  The following is a guide on the traffic noise monitoring for each station when Link Roads G & L is operational.

 

·         one set of measurements at the morning traffic peak hour on normal weekdays (exact timing to be confirmed with Transport Department and agreed with EPD); and

 

·         one set of measurements at the evening traffic peak hour on normal weekdays (exact timing to be confirmed with Transport Department and agreed with EPD).

 

During the traffic noise monitoring, traffic counts should also be conducted so as to ensure the traffic noise of the peak periods are covered.

 

7.2.6     Comparison of Measured and Modelled Results

 

Measured noise level should be compared with the predicted noise levels using the counted traffic data at the time of measurement.

 

The IC(E) shall comment on the discrepancies, if any, and report to EPD for reference.  There will be no Event and Action Plan applicable to traffic noise monitoring during the operational phase.