16.1.1
This section further elaborates the requirements
of environmental monitoring and audit (EM&A) for the construction and
operation phases of the Project, based on the assessment results of the various
environmental issues. The objectives of
carrying out EM&A for the Project include the following:
·
Provide a database against which any short or
long term environmental impacts of the Project can be determined
·
Provide an early indication should any of the
environmental control measures or practices fail to achieve the acceptable
standards
·
Monitor the performance of the Project and the
effectiveness of mitigation measures;
·
Verify the environmental impacts predicted in
the EIA study
·
Determine project compliance with regulatory
requirements, standards and government policies
·
Take remedial action if unexpected problems or
unacceptable impacts arise
·
Provide data to enable an environmental audit.
16.1.2
The following sections summarise the
recommended EM&A requirements for the Project. Details of the specific requirements are provided in a
stand-alone EM&A Manual.
Construction
Phase
16.2.1
The construction work is controlled by
the Air Pollution Control (Construction Dust) Regulation, and mitigation measures such as frequency of watering on the work
site are required under the regulation to limit dust emission. Dust monitoring is required during
construction phase of the Project. Dust
monitoring and site audit requirement have been recommended in the EM&A
Manual to ensure that the mitigation measures are to be properly implemented.
Operational
Phase
16.2.2
No operation air quality would be
expected and therefore no monitoring and audit is required during operation
phase.
Construction
Phase
16.3.1
Construction noise impacts from this Project
are predicted at the identified NSRs. Appropriate mitigation measures would be
required in order to alleviate the noise impacts to meet the EIAO-TM criteria.
Noise monitoring during construction phase should be carried out to ensure such
mitigation measures would be implemented properly.
Operational
Phase
16.3.2
After completion of WCR, CBL &
Road P2 and the associated Road D4 Flyover, traffic noise monitoring should be
carried out at the NSRs in the vicinity of the recommended direct mitigation
measures at these roads. The purpose of
this monitoring is to ensure that the proposed mitigation measures are
effective to alleviate traffic noise impact.
The Civil Engineering and Development Department will be responsible for
the operational phase monitoring.
Qualified environmental team should be employed to carry out the
proposed monitoring. The parameters, monitoring equipment, locations and
procedures are presented in detail in the EM&A Manual.
16.3.3
Noise monitoring for WCR Eastern
Portal Ventilation Building is recommended to carry out to ensure that the
noise levels at closest NSRs meet the EIAO standard. Noise measurements shall be made in accordance with the
procedures outlined in the Technical Memorandum for the Assessment of Noise
from Places other than Domestic Premises, Public Places and Construction Sites,
and shall be conducted when the ventilation building is operating at its
maximum capacity. Further information
for fixed noise monitoring is addressed in the noise section of the EM&A
Manual.
Operational
Phase
16.4.1
It
is recommended to implement a 3-year post-project monitoring programme at Eastern Drainage Channel (EDC) to confirm the suitability of the
proposed recreation uses at EDC.
16.4.2
In any event of emergency sewage
bypass, the proposed recreation zone in EDC and Junk Bay will be closed. Water
quality monitoring should be carried out by DSD to determine when conditions
are suitable for re-opening of the EDC and Junk Bay for recreational purposes. Marine water quality parameters such as E. coli and DO should be monitored.
The EDC and Junk Bay should not be re-opened for water sports activities
until the water quality meets the relevant target objectives for secondary
contact recreation.
Construction Phase
16.4.3
Monitoring of the discharge quality of
effluent from land-based construction sites should be conducted by the relevant
contractor. Detailed effluent sampling
programme for water quality control during construction phase should be submitted
to EPD for approval prior to commencement of the construction works.
16.4.4
During the field trial of DCM, a water
quality monitoring programme should be implemented to confirm the water quality
impact before the full-scale implementation of DCM for seawall
construction.
16.4.5
Water quality monitoring should also
be carried out by the relevant contractor at selected stations before and
during the WCR reclamation activities.
Monitoring parameters should include turbidity, SS and DO. If monitoring results indicate that the
reclamation activities caused a significant impact to the sensitive receivers
even after implementation of the mitigation measures recommended in the EIA,
re-scheduling of construction programmes might need to be considered to slow
down construction activities (e.g. to reduce the number of plant) to minimise
the impacts.
16.4.6
A water quality monitoring programme
should be implemented during the field trial of DCM by the relevant contractor
to confirm the water quality impact before the full-scale implementation of DCM
for seawall construction. The extent of the monitoring programme would be
subject to the design and scale of the field trial to be determined during the
detailed design stage of the Project.
Details of the monitoring programme should be provided during the design
stage and submitted to EPD for endorsement before conducting the DCM field
trial.
16.5.1
Monitoring requirements for
terrestrial ecology are outlined in section 7.10 of the Report. In summary,
monitoring would include:
·
The implementation of all mitigation measures
described in Section 7.8 should be subject to regular audit.
·
Following transplantation, the health and
condition of individuals of the two plant species of conservation interest
affected by the proposed works (Small Persimmon, Diospyros vaccinioides
and Bamboo Orchid, Arundina chinensis) should be monitored.
·
Monitoring and audit of the mitigation measures
recommended for the Philippine Neon Goby would be implemented.
16.6.1
Monitoring requirements for marine ecology
are outlined in section 8.10 of the Report. In summary, monitoring would
include:
·
The implementation of all mitigation measures
and water quality monitoring and audit described in section 5 should be
implemented.
·
It is recommended that the feasibility of
transplanting potentially impacted hard corals from the reclamation area to
suitable nearby habitats be investigated during the detailed design stage of
the Project. If corals suitable for transplantation are identified during these
surveys, a detailed transplantation methodology (including monitoring of
transplanted corals) should be drafted during the detailed design stage of the
Project.
·
Medium value coral sites within Junk Bay should
be monitored during dredging works for Phase I of the WCR reclamation is
recommended. The EM&A would serve the purpose of protecting coral sites in
Junk Bay and ensuring the environmental acceptability of the Project.
·
Monitoring of re-colonisation of the WCR
reclamation rubble sea-wall should be implemented.
·
Implementation of measures to mitigate impacts
to Grassy Puffers.
16.7.1
Environmental monitoring and audit
programme designed for protection against unacceptable water quality impacts
will also serve to protect against unacceptable impacts to fisheries. Environmental monitoring and audit to assess
the impacts of the Project on commercial fisheries resources and operations is
deemed not necessary.
Construction
Phase
Baseline Review
16.8.1
A Baseline Review shall be undertaken
at the commencement of the construction contracts. The purpose of the review is:
·
To check the status of the landscape resources
within, and immediately adjacent to, the construction works sites and works
areas;
·
To determine whether any change has occurred to
the status of the landscape resources since the EIA;
·
To determine whether such change warrants a
change in the design of the landscape and visual mitigation measures; and
·
To recommend any changes to the design of the
landscape and visual measures.
Monitoring of Design, Construction and
Establishment Works
16.8.2
The design, implementation and
maintenance of landscape and visual mitigation measures shall be checked to
ensure that they are fully realised and that any potential conflicts between
the proposed landscape measures and any other project works and operational
requirements are resolved at the earliest possible date and without compromise
to the intention of the mitigation measures.
Design of Landscape and Visual Mitigation
Measures
16.8.3
The detailed design of the landscape
and visual mitigation measures shall be undertaken so as to ensure compliance
with the measures described in Sections 10.7 and 10.8, and to ensure compliance
with the intended aims of the measures, taking into account any changes to the
mitigation measures that may have been recommended as a result of the Baseline
Review or ongoing monitoring of the Design, Construction and Establishment
Works.
Site Supervision of Landscape Works
16.8.4
The implementation of the landscape
works during the Construction Phase and Establishment Works shall be supervised
by qualified Landscape Resident Site Staff who shall be a Registered Landscape
Architect, or a Professional Member of the Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects.
Operational
Phase
Monitoring of Landscape Establishment
16.8.5
All landscape and visual mitigation
measures shall be monitored during the first 10 years of the Operational Phase
to check that the intended mitigation effects are realised.
16.9.1
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 the recommended good waste management practices and EPD’s regulations and
requirements. The mitigation measures
recommended in Section 7 should form the basis of the site Waste Management
Plan to be developed by the Contractor at the construction stage.
16.9.2
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 on a quarterly basis thereafter.
In addition, the routine site inspections should check the
implementation of the recommended good site practices and other waste
management mitigation measures.
16.10.1
To ensure no damage to the temple, it
is recommended that monitoring of vibration impacts be conducted when the
construction works are less than 50m from the temple. All measures undertaken by the Contractor during the construction
phase in the vicinity of the Cha Kwo Ling Tin Hau Temple should be audited on a
regular basis to ensure compliance with the intended aims of the recommended
mitigation measures. Site inspections
should be undertaken at least once per month throughout the construction period
adjacent to the temple, to avoid any possible damage through on-site liaison with
the Contractor.
16.11.1
A landfill restoration monitoring
programme, conducted on a monthly basis, is part of the Restoration Contract
for TKO Stage I & Stage II/III Landfill and Sai Tso Wan Landfill. However,
landfill gas monitoring is still considered necessary during the construction
and operational phase in order to identify any migration between the landfill
and the site and to ensure the safety of the Contractor’s personnel.
16.11.2
During construction activities within
250m Consultation Zones of Sai Tso Wan Landfill, Tseung Kwan O Stage I Landfill
and Tseung Kwan O Stage II & III Landfill, portable gas detectors should be
used regularly to check the levels of methane, carbon dioxide and oxygen in
depressions, trenches, and excavations. The regular monitoring should be
undertaken at least for the beginning of each half working day (i.e. morning
and afternoon) for the entire period the excavation remains open.
16.11.3
During the operational phase,
atmosphere within utility manholes and chambers should be checked for methane,
carbon dioxide and oxygen prior to entry. The Code of Practice on Safety and
Health at Work in Confined Space should be strictly followed before entering
into the utility manholes and chambers.
Routine landfill gas surveillance exercise should also be undertaken by
the utility companies when there are inspection at the manholes and
chambers. Undertaken for the duration
of the site occupancy, or until such time that EPD agree that surveillance is
no longer required and this should be based on all the available monitoring
data for methane, carbon dioxide and oxygen.