Introduction
11.1
This section further elaborates the requirements of EM&A
for the construction and operation of the Project, based on the assessment
results of various environmental issues. The following sections summarise the
recommended EM&A requirements. Details of the EM&A programme are
presented in an EM&A Manual, which are released as a separate document.
Air Quality Impact
11.2
Construction of the sewer alignments, pumping stations and STW
would inevitably lead to dust (TSP) emissions, mainly from excavation haulage
and material handling. It was predicted
that the dust generated would exceed the hourly and daily criteria of 500 mg m-3
and 260 mg
m-3, respectively, at some ASRs.
11.3
Mitigation measures have been proposed. With the implementation of the proposed dust
suppression measure, good site practice and comprehensive dust monitoring and
audit, the TSP levels at all ASRs would comply with the dust criteria.
11.4
Dust monitoring requirements are recommended in the EM&A
Manual to ensure the efficacy of the control measures.
Noise Impact
11.5
Construction noise impacts from this Project were expected at
NSRs identified in this EIA.
Appropriate mitigation measures would be required in order to alleviate
the impacts to meet the EIAO-TM criteria.
Noise monitoring during construction phase will have to be carried out
to ensure that such mitigation measures will be implemented properly.
11.6
The construction activities would be carried out during
daytime (between 0700 and 1900 hours). If
there is construction work undertaken in restricted hours, measurements will be
carried out for following periods:
·
between 1900 and 2300 hours;
·
between 2300 and 0700 hours of next
day; and
·
between 0700 and 1900 hours on Sunday
or public holidays.
11.7
Noise measurement should be undertaken at all monitoring
station for a 30-minute period during the daytime and a 5-minute period during
restricted hours when the noisiest activities are being carried out. Type 1 sound level meters, which comply with
the International Electrochemical Commission (Publications 651:1979 and
804:1985), must be used for carrying out the noise measurement.
11.8
To establish the prevailing background noise level, one Leq
(30 minutes) measurement, obtained between 0700 and 1900 hours of a normal
weekdays, and three consecutive Leq (5 minutes) measurements, obtained from
each monitoring period (between 1900 and 2300 hours; and between 2300 and 0700
hours), are required.
11.9
Baseline monitoring to establish the background noise
environment will be required and should be carried out for at least 14
consecutive days prior to the commencement of the Project. During the construction phase impact
monitoring will be required in order to assess whether operations on site are
in compliance with construction noise criteria stipulated in EIAO-TM.
Water Quality Impact
11.10 Monitoring
and auditing for marine water quality was considered necessary during the
dredging activities of the proposed Project to ensure that the released SS
concentrations from the dredging activities would not adversely affect the
sensitive receivers. This monitoring
programme would be required to ensure the implementation of the recommended
water quality mitigation measures and to assess the effectiveness of these
measures during the construction works.
If monitoring results indicate that the dredging activities have
exceeded the predicted elevated SS concentrations even after the implementation
of the recommended mitigation measures, the construction program should be
carefully reviewed to slow down production rates. Since exceedances of TIN WQO limit were predicted during the
operation of the Project, water quality monitoring at least during the first 12
months after the commissioning of the STW would be required. Details of the water quality monitoring
procedures are given in the stand-alone EM&A Manual.
Solid Waste Management
11.11 Waste
management will be the contractor’s responsibility to ensure that all wastes
produced during the construction of the Project are handled, stored and disposed
of in accordance with good waste management practices and EPD’s regulations and
requirements. The mitigation measures
recommended should form the basis of the site waste management plan to be
developed by the Contractor at the detailed design stage.
11.12 It
is recommended that the waste arisings generated during the construction
activities should be audited periodically to determine if wastes are being
managed in accordance with approved procedures and the site Waste Management
Plan. The audits should look at all
aspects of waste management including waste generation, storage, recycling,
transport and disposal. An appropriate
audit programme would be to undertake a first audit near the commencement of
the construction works, and then to audit monthly thereafter.
Ecological Impact
11.13 An
assessment for ecological impacts has been conducted (Section 8). Based on the latest information available,
no unacceptable impacts on terrestrial and marine ecology arising from the
construction and operation of the project would be anticipated. Hence, ecological monitoring and audit was
considered not necessary.
Fisheries Impact
11.14 Measurements
of SS and other relevant water quality parameters should be undertaken during
the construction phase of the Project.
These parameters are relevant to the mariculture operations and to the
subtidal habitats. These parameters
would be best measured within the water quality part of an EM&A programme
rather than within a fisheries programme.
Landscape
& Visual Impact
11.15 Mitigation
measures have been recommended to the potential landscape and visual impacts
associated with the Project during construction and operation phase. The recommended mitigation measures should
be included into the Contract Document where the Contractor is responsible for
their implementation as recommended in the EIA Study. During the site environmental audit inspections, the Environmental
Team and Independent Environmental Checker should be responsible for ensuring
that landscape and visual mitigation measures are fully implemented by the
Contractor, as per the approved construction programme.
Environmental Complaints
11.16
Complaints shall be referred to the ET Leader for action. The ET Leader shall undertake the following
procedures upon receipt of any complaint:
(i) log complaint and date of receipt onto the
complaint database and inform the IC(E) immediately;
(ii)
investigate the complaint to determine its validity,
and assess whether the source of the problem is due to works activities;
(iii)
identify mitigation measures in consultation with the
IC(E) if a complaint is valid and due to works;
(iv) advise
the Contractor if mitigation measures are required;
(v) review
the Contractor's response to identified mitigation measures, and the updated
situation;
(vi) if
the complaint is transferred from the EPD, submit interim report to the EPD on
status of the complaint investigation and follow-up action within the time
frame assigned by the EPD;
(vii) undertake
additional monitoring and audit to verify the situation if necessary, and
review that circumstances leading to the complaint do not recur;
(viii) report investigation results and subsequent
actions to complainant (if the source of complaint is EPD, the results should
be reported within the timeframe assigned by the EPD); and
(ix)
record the complaint, investigation, the subsequent actions
and the results in the monthly EM&A reports.
11.17 In
order to facilitate the public’s communication with the ER, a site telephone
number shall be provided during the construction of the Project.