Report

LIST OF DRAWINGS
ST/R/S/HK/021	Location Plan
ST/R/S/HK/022	Tentative Layout Plan
ST/R/S/HK/031	Locations of Air Sensitive Receivers
ST/R/S/HK/032	Study Area for Air Quality Impact Assessment
ST/R/S/HK/041	Locations of Noise Sensitive Receivers
ST/R/S/HK/042	Locations of Fixed Noise Sources
ST/C/S/GN/D/2131	Existing Drainage and Sewerage Layout (Sheet 1 of 3)
ST/C/S/GN/D/2232	Existing Drainage and Sewerage Layout (Sheet 2 of 3)
ST/C/S/GN/D/2333	Existing Drainage and Sewerage Layout (Sheet 3 of 3)
ST/R/S/HK/051	Proposed Catchment Area for Low Flow Interceptor System at HKSI
ST/L/S/HK/101	Aerial Photograph of Study Area
ST/L/S/HK/110	Master Plan for Olympic Mode
ST/L/S/HK/112	Main Arena Plan
ST/L/S/HK/113	Stable Precinct Plan
ST/L/S/HK/114	Master Plan for Reinstated Work
ST/L/S/HK/210	Landscape Resources Plan
ST/L/S/HK/211	Photograph of Landscape Resources (Sheet 1 of 2)
ST/L/S/HK/212	Photograph of Landscape Resources (Sheet 2 of 2)
ST/L/S/HK/213	Tree Value Assessment Plan (Sheet 1 of 4)
ST/L/S/HK/214	Tree Value Assessment Plan (Sheet 2 of 4)
ST/L/S/HK/215	Tree Value Assessment Plan (Sheet 3 of 4)
ST/L/S/HK/216	Tree Value Assessment Plan (Sheet 4 of 4)
ST/L/S/HK/217	Photographs of Trees
ST/L/S/HK/218a	Tree Survey Plan (Sheet 1 of 4)
ST/L/S/HK/218b	Tree Survey Plan (Sheet 2 of 4)
ST/L/S/HK/218c	Tree Survey Plan (Sheet 3 of 4)
ST/L/S/HK/218d	Tree Survey Plan (Sheet 4 of 4)
ST/L/S/HK/220	Landscape Character Plan
ST/L/S/HK/221	Photographs of Landscape Character Areas (Sheet 1 of 2)
ST/L/S/HK/222	Photographs of Landscape Character Areas (Sheet 2 of 2)
ST/L/S/HK/230	Location of Visually Sensitive Receivers Plan
ST/L/S/HK/231	Views from VSRs (Sheet 1 of 2)
ST/L/S/HK/232	Views from VSRs (Sheet 2 of 2)
ST/L/S/HK/310	Summary of Unmitigated Impacts on Landscape Resources
ST/L/S/HK/320	Summary of Unmitigated Landscape Character Impacts
ST/L/S/HK/330	Summary of Unmitigated Impacts on VSRs
ST/L/S/HK/410	Master Plan for Olympic Mode (With Mitigation)
ST/L/S/HK/411	Master Plan for Reinstatement Mode (With Mitigation)
ST/L/S/HK/510	Summary of Residual Impacts on Landscape Resources
ST/L/S/HK/520	Summary of Residual Impacts on Landscape Character Areas
ST/L/S/HK/530	Summary of Residual Visual Impacts
ST/L/S/HK/541	Photomontage View from HKJC Staff Quarters
ST/L/S/HK/542	Photomontage View from Ravana Garden
ST/L/S/HK/543	Photomontage View from Existing Football Field

LIST OF APPENDIX
Appendix 2-1	Construction Plant Inventory
Appendix 3-1	Odour Patrol Report
Appendix 4-1	Sound Power Level of PMEs
Appendix 4-2	Location of Notional Sources and Distances to NSRs
Appendix 4-3	Results of Construction Noise Assessment (Unmitigated Scenario)
Appendix 4-4	Calculation of Maximum Sound Power Levels
Appendix 4-5	Predicated Crowd and PA Noise Level
Appendix 4-6	Summary of Mitigation Measures and Associated Noise Reduction
Appendix 4-7	Sound Power Levels for Quiet Plant
Appendix 4-8	Results of Construction Noise Assessment (Mitigated Scenario)
Appendix 6-1	BOCOG’s Environmental Protection Guidelines for Olympic Projects
Appendix 7-1	Tree Survey Schedule
Appendix 9-1	Environmental Mitigation Implementation Schedule

1. introduction

The Beijing Organising Committee for the Games of the 29^th Olympiad (BOCOG) made preliminary contacts with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSARG) at the end of 2004 to explore the possibility of relocating the 2008 Olympic Equestrian Events to Hong Kong to take advantage of the established international equine import and export protocol as well as the supporting facilities already in place. After discussion and forming of an understanding with the HKSARG, BOCOG then proposed to Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) and The International Olympic Committee (IOC) to relocate the equestrian events to Hong Kong. In July 2005, IOC has accepted BOCOG's proposal of staging the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian Events in Hong Kong. Unlike the common practices of Olympic events in most other countries where an Executive Order will be served to eliminate the need to go through legislative procedures for the planning, construction and operation of the venue for the events, Hong Kong chose to remain committed in following the legislative process to engage public participation, in particular the EIA public consultation among other established public communication channels. This requires a super-fast design and submission programme to enable the required approval will be in place without affecting the implementation of the project.

The venue for staging the Olympic equestrian events shall include enough stables to accommodate imported horses, a main arena with a seating capacity for 20 000, different types of training grounds (sand, grass and indoor), a cross country course, broadcasting compounds and facilities for participants of the competition. In accordance with the Green Olympic Games theme commitment of the BOCOG and given the very tight schedule of the Project, it has been decided to temporarily convert Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) into the core competition venues for dressage and show jumping and Hong Kong Golf Club (HKGC) for cross country ride. In addition, a part of the Penfold Park will be converted to provide supporting facilities including a bridale trail for training and a new stable for the horses.

Other than the HKSI site, both HKGC and Penfold Park sites are exempted Designated Project (DP). Within the HKSI site, the Main Arena has been identified as a DP ~~element~~ for the EIA study in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO). The project profile for HKSI site (the Project) was submitted on 17 October 2005 and the corresponding study brief was issued on 7 November 2005.

1.2 Purpose and Scope of the EIA Study

The purpose of this EIA Study is to provide information on the nature and extent of potential environmental impacts arising from the construction, operation and decommissioning of the Main Arena for the 2008 Olympic Equestrian Event, and to contribute to decisions on the overall acceptability of the Project, after the implementation of environmental mitigation measures.

In accordance with the item O7, Part 1, Schedule 2 of EIAO, the Main Arena for 20,000 spectators is a DP under the category of “an outdoor sporting facility with a capacity to accommodate more than 10,000 persons”. Other than the main arena, the rest of the facilities in the Project are not DPs~~on-Designated Element (non-DE)~~. Table 1-.1 gives an account of the DEP and non-DPE for the project.

Table 1-1: D~~esignated~~ P and ~~and~~ non-DP~~designated elements~~ of the project

~~Designated Element~~DP	~~No-designated Elements~~Non-DP
Main Arena for 20,000 spectators	Logistic Compound, Food & Merchandise, Spectator Entry & Broadcast Compound, Stable Complex (including a veterinary), Various Training Arenas

1.3 EIA Study Area

In accordance with Clause 3.4.1.2 of the Study Brief, the study area applied to air quality impact assessment is defined by a distance of 500m from the boundary of the Project, and it has extended to include major emission sources from concurrent projects, if any, that may have a bearing on the environmental acceptability of the Project.

In accordance with Clause 3.4.2.2(i) of the Study Brief, the study area applied to noise impact assessment has included all areas within 300m from the project boundary that may be potentially affected by the Project.

In accordance with Clause 3.4.3.2(iv) of the Study Brief, water systems and sensitive receivers due to changes induced by the Project have been studied and cumulative water quality impacts due to other projects, activities or pollution sources within a boundary of 300m from both sides along the identified water system(s) and sensitive receivers were included.

In accordance with Clause 3.4.5.2 and 3.4.5.3 of the Study Brief, the study area for visual impact assessment has encompassed the visual envelope of the Project while that for landscape impact assessment has included all areas within a 500m distance from the Project boundary.

1.4 The Approach

The EIA study has been prepared in accordance with the guidelines provided in Annex 11 of the TM-EIAO for the report contents and Annexes 12 to 19 for the impact assessments of various environmental issues. The general approaches and methodologies adopted for this Study are described below.

1.4.1 Description of the Environment

The characteristics of the existing environment were reviewed for identification and prediction of environmental impacts. Baseline surveys were conducted to determine the existing environmental conditions on the Project site and in any environs likely to be affected by the Project. The baseline conditions of the key issues as identified in the EIA Study Brief including air quality, noise, water quality and landscape & visual are described in the assessment.

1.4.2 Impact Prediction

The EIA Study was undertaken following the guidelines on assessment methodologies given in Annexes 12 to 19 of the TM-EIAO. Quantitative predicting tools were employed for the prediction of environmental impacts in respect of construction noise, operational noise and air quality. The predictions were conducted based on well-recognized methods such as the TM-GW for predicting construction noise.

The applied methodologies for the project had previously been adopted in other EIA studies. They have been generally accepted for use in predicting environmental impacts and for comparison of assessment results with the TM-EIAO requirements. Limitations are however envisaged of these methodologies. The accuracy of the prediction result will be affected by the degree of uncertainty in input data such as construction plant and air emission inventories. Quantitative uncertainties in the prediction should be considered when drawing conclusions from the assessment results. In carrying out the prediction, realistic worst-case assumptions have been made in order to provide a conservative assessment of environmental impacts.

1.4.3 Impact Evaluation

The predicted changes and effects as a result of the Project were evaluated with respect to the criteria described in Annexes 4 to 10 of the TM-EIAO, and were in quantitative terms as much as practicable.

1.4.4 Impact Mitigation

Mitigation measures have been identified and evaluated to avoid, minimize or remedy the impacts. Priority was given to avoidance of impacts as a primary means of mitigation. The effectiveness of mitigation measures was assessed and the residual environmental impacts identified. Evaluation of impact was made with respect to the criteria described in Annexes 4 to 10 of the TM-EIAO, in quantitative terms as far as practicable.

1.5 Structure of EIA Report

The structure of this EIA report is outlined below for easy reference:

Chapter	Title	Aims
1	Introduction	To provide project background, purpose and scope of the EIA study and to define the EIA study area
2	Description of the Project	To describe the project requirements, consideration of alternatives and major activities in the project
3	Air Quality Impact	To assess the potential air quality impact of the project and suggest mitigation measures
4	Noise Impact	To assess the potential noise impact of the project and suggest mitigation measures
5	Water Quality Impact	To assess the potential water quality impact of the project and suggest mitigation measures
6	Waste Management Implications	To assess the potential waste management implications of the project and suggest mitigation measures
7	Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment	To assess the potential landscape and visual impacts of the project and suggest mitigation measures
8	Summary of Environmental Outcome	To summarise the key environmental outcomes arising from the EIA study.
9	Environmental Monitoring and Auditing Requirements	To define the scope of the EM&A requirements for the Project
10	Environmental Management Plan	To describe the environmental protection strategy under the Environmental Management Plan
11	Conclusion	To conclude the assessment results of the EIA study

2. Description of the Project

2.1 General Description of the Project

The Project Proponent proposes to construct and operate a Main Arena with capacity to accommodate about 20,000 spectators and supporting back of house facilities for the Olympic Equestrian Events at HKSI.

The venues will be operational for one month during the main Olympic event, with the competition expected to last from between 10 to 14 days. 14 days after the Olympic Events, the Paralympic competition will be staged, which will last for a few days. The Paralympic Event is open to paid spectators estimated to be less than 10,000.

One year before the actual Olympic Events, the site will be occupied for the Test Event, which is used by all divisions of the Olympic Organising Committee to test their organisational capabilities for the Games and Event Management to trail the equine facilities and the footing (riding surface) of the Main Arena, Stables and Training Facilities. These mock up events are known as the ‘Test Event Mode’, and limited public access will be given.

The HKSI site is a government land leased to the HKSI for promoting sports education. The premises would be converted mainly to provide temporary facilities for the event. These would include restricted access supporting facilities of Dressage Training Arenas, Warm up Arena, Holding Arena, Stable Complex as well as a Main Arena. Only the Main Arena will be designed to accommodate more than 10,000 spectators. A summary of the temporary facilities is shown in Table 2.-1. Drawing No.: ST/R/S/HK/021 shows the location and extent of the project site at HKSI with the Main Arena highlighted. The layout of the facilities on the site is presented in Drawing No.: ST/R/S/HK/022.

Table 2.-1: Summary of temporary facilities.

Existing Facility	Future Facility	Addition / Modification / Alteration works	Remarks
Tennis Court	Logistic Compound, Food & Merchandise, Spectator Entry & Broadcast Compound	Modification	Temporary, non-sporting facilities
Stadium	Main Arena for 20,000 spectators	Modification	Temporary sporting facilities
Football Field	Stables (including veterinary)	Modification	Construction of an enclosed structures
Open Area	Warm up, dressage training and holding arenas	Modification	Temporary sporting facilities

2.2 Key Project Requirements

2.2.1 Description of Key Facilities and Access Arrangement

2.2.1.1 Main Arena (Designated Project)

The main arena is the venue for the Dressage and the Show Jumping competitions of the Olympic equestrian sport. The field will be of high quality, free draining sand footing and of size about 100m x 80m catering for both show jumping and dressage competition events. Temporary seating will be provided to accommodate 20,000 spectators. Broadcasting facilities will be located around the main arena to provide lighting, video capture, public address announcement, low level musical playback during competition.

It The Main Arena is a dDesignated Project~~esignated~~ ~~element of the Project~~ under the EIAO and will only be operational with the temporary seating for anticipated spectators during the Olympic and Paralympic Event periods. This assessment has been based on the assumptions that the Main Arena would only be used for equestrian events. ~~The area will be fenced off during the early works to demarcate its DP nature.~~

2.2.2 Other Facilities

2.2.2.1 Warm-up Arena

The warm-up arena is used for the competitors’ final warm-up before entering the main arena for competition performance and will be designed to identical ground and light conditions as the main arena. The field will be of high quality, free draining sand footing and of size about 90m x 45m. It The warm-up arena is a ~~non-designated element of the~~not part of the DP.

~~1.1.1.1~~ ~~Dressage Training Arena~~

~~The dressage training arena will serve for pre-event training. The field will be of high quality, free draining sand footing and of size about 60m x 20m.~~

~~It is a non-designated element of the Project under the EIAO.~~

~~1.1.1~~ ~~General Training Arena~~

There will be two general training arenas serving for pre-event training. One of the fields will be of high quality, free draining sand footing and the other will be of grass footing. Both will be of size about 100m x 50m.

~~They are both non-designated element of the Project under the EIAO.~~

2.2.2.2 Main Stable Complex

The main stable complex will contain approximately 216 units of about 3.6m x 3.6m air-conditioned stables in blocks of 54 boxes around a central courtyard. These blocks will include tack and feed storage rooms, laundries, toilets and day rooms with a 20m lunge ring located within each courtyard. Horse wash bays will be provided outside of each stable. Each horse wash bay will be equipped with facilities enabling the washing of 4 horses at the same time. Fodders and harness rooms will be provided in each stable with tools and clearing tools room for regular collecting and processing of horse fodder and manure. A purpose built ~~equine clinic~~equine clinic will be constructed at the venue to provide both diagnostic and minor ailment treatment services during the period. It The Main Stable Complex is ~~a non-designated element of the~~not part of the DP.

2.2.2.3 Sanitation Facilities

Portable toilets will be distributed throughout the Venue to meet the needs of over 20,000 spectators. Sewage will be connected to the public sewer network leading to the Shatin Sewage Treatment Plant.

2.2.2.4 Commercial and Catering Facilities

Other commercial and catering facilities include shops and storehouses, kiosks and stalls, catering facilities and temporary dining areas for spectators will be provided to meet the requirement of the spectators. All catering facility points will have close connection to processing areas for stock refilling and waste disposal.

2.2.3 Access Arrangement

During the Olympic and Paralympic Games, all categories of personnel other than ordinary spectators will arrive at dedicated coach stops or parking lots and will enter the different entrances with accreditation. Ordinary spectators will arrive at the venue by means of public transportation. Designated secure pathways will guide spectators from the transportation arrival and departure points to the ticketing and security checking points at the Main Arena.

2.3 Need for the Project

On the international level, although Hong Kong is a well-known world-class city for its energetic, vibrant and ever changing environment, it lacks a strong stimulant for raising the awareness of sports participation and advancement in the international arena. The opportunity for organising the entirety of Olympic Events in Hong Kong is distant and currently beyond the reach of the Hong Kong people due to the limitation on land resources, limited multi-event sporting organising experience and associated opportunity costs to cope with the requirements for the Olympic facilities establishments. The offering of a chance to participate in the 2008 Olympic Event is therefore an exciting opportunity for the entire population of Hong Kong to support. In addition, this event creates opportunities for demonstrating the vibrant and living style of the Hong Kong people, the world-class equine facilities at the HKJC and the nurturing of sporting potential in the city as a result. The Olympic Events is worldwide participation sporting event that will enhance the international image of Hong Kong as a world-class city.

On the national level, as a major city of China, it is an honour of the Hong Kong people to support Beijing on staging the Olympic Equestrian Events. Joining the rest of the other provinces eg Tianjing, Qingdao in organising some of the events, Hong Kong’s participation is a recognition of national pride and yet another opportunity for promotion sporting advancement in Hong Kong. The experience gained in organising the equestrian event will enhance Hong Kong’s ability and credibility on staging other international multi-sporting events, for examples, the coming East Asian Games and eventually fulfil the city’s ambition to hold the Asian Games and other world sporting events. This participation in organising the Olympic Equestrian events will also demonstrate the Hong Kong commitments and abilities to complete the project within such a limited time frame.

On a city level, Hong Kong’s recent advancement on sporting achievements to compete on world stage has been stimulated by the success of popular sportspersons including Lee Lai Shan on Olympic gold medal for wind surfing and Li Ching and Ko Lai Chak on Olympic silver medal for table tennis. This has proven the abilities of the Hong Kong athletes to compete on the world arena and provide excellent examples for supporting the continued growth of these sports as well as stimulating the diversification into other sporting kinds. The organisation of the Olympic Equestrian will further stimulates the desire and ambition of the Hong Kong athletes to work towards their dreams, in turn, evolving yet another dimension of the vibrant city of Hong Kong.

The need for the project is evident and the successful organisation of the event will mark another key milestone on the development of sports in the history of Hong Kong and provides a stimulant for its continued growth in the future.

2.4 Consideration of Alternatives

2.4.1 Consideration of Alternative Locations

2.4.1.1 Site Selection Criteria

The IOC's Olympic Games Study Commission issued a set of guidelines to host cities in July 2003. The guidelines place particular emphasis on 'legacy value'. To quote a key stipulation, "IOC wants to ensure that the host cities and their residents are left with the most positive legacy of venues, infrastructure, expertise and experience."

Its principles of venue selection and construction are:

· Use existing venues with refurbishment if needed; build a new venue only if there is a legacy need, ensuring flexible use if possible; if there is no legacy need, seek a temporary solution.

· Develop venues in clusters. Several stand-alone venues are much more expensive than clusters.

· Maximise temporary installation over permanent construction, especially where legacy requirement is less than the Games requirement.

· Develop venue design standards to prevent over-building, over-servicing and over-spending.

FEI has specific requirements on the size, capacity and numbers of arenas, training fields, warm-up areas and competition spaces, as well as accommodation for athletes, spectators, press, the Olympic family and VIPs. Requirements for event management and other logistical support are also specified.

The Main Arena is required to provide 20,000 seats and the cross-country venue at least 3,000 temporary seats. The Main Arena must have a minimum size of 100 x 80 metres to accommodate the Dressage and Show Jumping events, as well as the Dressage and Show Jumping sections of the Three-Day Event.

There are also strict requirements for providing both sand and grass training arenas, in addition to waterproof training facilities for use in bad weather.

For the cross-country section of the Three-Day Event, a training track of at least 800 metres in length is required.

A minimum of 300 stables also has to be provided, each 3.6 x 3.6 metres and laid out in blocks. In addition, accommodation is required for 300 accompanying grooms, as well as facilities for event management, hospitality and security.

Following discussions with the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) and the IOC, BOCOG has specified that the main equestrian venue must have a total area of 40 hectares. Further, BOCOG has requested the venues exceed minimum requirements to facilitate FEI's acceptance of the relocation proposal.

Accordingly, the evaluation of the various site options has been conducted on the basis of adherence to these principles.

2.4.1.2 Site Examined

Five potential options for staging the 2008 Olympic Equestrian Events have been examined, four existing premises and a range of Greenfield sites. The alternative site evaluations are discussed below.

Greenfield Sites

A number of possible greenfield sites for contructing the equestrian venues, notably the former Kai Tak airport, were studied. A major problem with all these sites was the requirement to provide supporting equine facilities including an equine hospital and testing laboratory close to the main competition venue. This would mean either relocating the Hong Kong Jockey Club's existing equine facilities at high associated cost, or building new facilities from scratch which would not only be costly, but would also fail to provide the required legacy value.

A particular problem with the Kai Tak option was a number of insurmountable working constraints due to other works taking place on this site. This would make it extremely difficult to ensure that the project could be finished on time.

From the environmental perspective, modification works to these greenfield sites would result in disturbance to the existing natural environment and landscape. Habitats for wildlife fauna and flora species, if any, would also be disturbed. Constructing the equestrian facility on a virgin land is therefore environmentally undesirable.

Kau Sai Chau Golf Course

The main difficulty with this option was its relative remoteness, with access available only by sea. There would be insufficient transportation and logistical support for horses, participants and spectators. In addition, there would also be considerable geographic and topographic constraints in designing the competition and training venues. The cost of relocating the existing equine support facilities would also be very high.

Although staging the events on this site would give minimal odour, noise and visual impacts to sensitive receivers, the remoteness of the site would give rise to other environmental impacts such as pollution emissions due to transportation of construction materials and the problem with handling sewage and surface runoff.

Happy Valley Race Course plus Infield

Although the Hong Kong Jockey Club already has a number of on-site supporting facilities at this venue, there were two main constraints. ~~Firstly, t~~The site is not large enough to meet the 40-hectare space requirement. There would be insufficient space to accommodate both the Dressage and Show Jumping events as well as training facilities. ~~Secondly and most critical, the site could not comply with horse separation requirements as stipulated by OIE.~~

Beas River Country Club

This site likewise has a number of existing equestrian facilities, including stabling, in place already. However, the total available space is only 22 hectares, well short of the 40-hectare requirement to accommodate the Dressage and Show Jumping events and associated training facilities.

Nevertheless, it is feasible for Beas River to be the venue for the cross-country section of the Three-Day Event if certain areas from the adjoining Hong Kong Golf Club could be incorporated into the site.

Penfold Park and HKSI

The Penfold Park site has the strong advantage of proximity to the Hong Kong Jockey Club's existing equine hospital and other supporting facilities. On its own, however, the site provides insufficient space to accommodate the Dressage and Show Jumping events as well as training facilities. ~~In addition, there would be insufficient separation from existing horse racing operations to comply with the horse separation requirements stipulated by OIE.~~ These constraints could be overcome by incorporating the adjacent land currently administered by the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI).

When compared with Happy Valley Racecourse, the Shatin Racecourse and HKSI are abutted by fewer residential developments, which means that the population size being potentially affected by the construction, operation and decommissioning of the project would be much smaller. The site could also be accessed easily by public transport such as Kowloon-Canton Railway, this would help to minimize the environmental impacts due to pollutant emissions from increased road traffic.

2.4.2 Selection of Preferred Scenario

After a comprehensive review and detailed inspection of a number of sites around Hong Kong the following preferred scenario on site selection has been made:

· The Core Venue for Dressage and Show Jumping: Shatin Racecourse incorporating the Hong Kong Sports Institute and Penfold Park

· The Cross Country Venue: Beas River Country Club and the Hong Kong Golf Club

The HKSI site was chosen because it has an excellent potential to be retrofitted and overlaid to become an Olympic Equestrian Venue with facilities. Conversion of the HKSI would represent a major cost saving exercise over a Greenfield Olympic Equestrian site and would demonstrate to the IOC, the FEI and all countries bidding for future Equestrian Event that it is possible to provide facilities at a reasonable cost, by adapting existing sporting venues. Less construction works are required to convert the existing HKSI to Core Venue than to build the facilities on a greenfield site. This would also lead to a minimization of pollution impact to the environment during construction phase.

The existing ambience and beauty of the HKSI site would be retained during the period of the Olympic and Paralympic Events. Upon completion of the Events, the existing facilities in HKSI would be reinstated.

2.4.3 Consideration of Alternative Project Layout

The constraints of the HKSI site land area means alternative project layout of the Main Arena is not feasible without affecting the arrangement of the supporting facilities and spectators access. A discussion of the reasoning of the project layout is given below.

2.4.3.1 Main Arena (~~Designated Element~~Designated Project)

It is proposed to convert the existing athletic ground at HKSI to the Main Arena for the Olympic Equestrian Event. The existing athletic ground is considered the most suitable location for constructing the main arena as its size is comparable to the size requirement as specified by FEI. Another credit of constructing the Main Arena at the proposed location is that it would involve the least amount of existing vegetation that needs to be removed given the similarity in size and nature between the existing and the planned use.

2.4.3.2 Main Stable Complex ~~(Non-designated Element~~)

It is proposed to site the Main Stable Complex at the lower right-hand corner of the HKSI site. By siting stable complex at the proposed location, a longest horizontal distance between the stables and the nearest sensitive receivers (i.e. HKJC Staff Quarters) could be achieved hence minimizing any potential odour impact due to the new stables to these receivers. In addition, the existing facilities on the proposed land for the Stable Complex are football fields, therefore no excessive demolition works are required and hence reducing the amount of C&D material generated.

2.4.4 Consideration of Alternative Construction Methods and Sequences of Works

Conventional construction methods and plant will be used for the construction works within HKSI. As the construction involves standard site formation/earthworks, pipe laying and concreting, the proposed construction methods are well established and efficient for the nature of the work activities. With the implementation of appropriate mitigation measures and good site management practices, they will not cause any adverse environmental impacts. A detailed description of the construction methodologies for the works is given in Section 2.7.

2.5 Site location and Site History

Located to the southwest of the Shatin Racecourse, the proposed site is currently the home of the Hong Kong Sports Institute, which was built on a reclaimed land by the Hong Kong Jockey Club in 1980, to advance the sporting achievements of Hong Kong athletes. The group of facilities was originally called The Jubilee Sports Centre (JSC) and was previously managed by the Jubilee Sports Centre Board. The JSCB became defunct following the renaming of the JSC as Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI) in April 1991. The HKSI was then managed by the Hong Kong Sports Development Board (HKSDB), which was established in April 1990. Subsequent to the dissolution of the HKSDB in October 2004, the Hong Kong Sports Institute Limited was established to take up the role of elite training and development in Hong Kong as well as to manage the HKSI facilities since then. The HKSI site contains a multitude of sporting facilities and infrastructure, including a large athletics field, indoor sporting halls, restaurants, accommodation, changing and meeting rooms etc, within an established park like environment. The site is currently zoned Government / Institution / Community and annotated on the latest approved Sha Tin OZP S/ST/20 gazetted on 8 August 2004.

2.6 Nature, scope and benefits of the Project

2.6.1 Nature of the Project

The nature of the Project is to provide an outdoor Main Arena with capacity to accommodate about 20,000 spectators and supporting facilities for the 2008 Olympic Equestrian Event.

2.6.2 Scope of the Project

The scope of the Project ~~includes the~~is to provide an outdoor ~~provision of the~~ Main Arena that can accommodate about 20,000 spectators for the Olympic Equestrian Events. In addition, associated facilities such as, a stable cComplex providing accommodations for about 216 horses, a sand wWarm-up Aarena, training arenas, a Bbroadcast cCompound, ~~Logistics~~ logistics ~~Compounds~~compounds, ~~Food~~food/~~Merchandise~~ merchandise ~~Area~~area, ~~Spectator~~ spectator ~~Entry~~ entry and ~~Spectator~~ spectator ~~Forecourt~~ forecourt will also be set up at the existing HKSI site.

2.6.3 Benefits of the Project

It is the pride of Hong Kong to share the joy and glory of the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the first time the Games to be held in China. The relocation of the 2008 Olympic equestrian events will help arouse the community’s interest in sports, enhancing Hong Kong’s status as a hub for important sporting events, international equestrian centre and an Asian metropolitan. Hong Kong can also enjoy the economic benefits brought about by horse-lovers who come to Hong Kong for the equestrian events.

Besides, the equestrian sport for the disabled in Hong Kong is well-established and is occupying a leading position in Asia. After the 2008 Olympic equestrian events, the expertise and facilities will be improved. By then, the equestrian sport for the disabled will be boosted further.

The Shatin Racecourse is well equipped with core supporting facilities (such as an equine hospital, some isolation stables, horse training grounds, laboratories, a feed storage area and a team of professional staff), which can provide efficient and cost effective back-up services for the Olympic equestrian events. This is the most important consideration for site selection and the fundamental reason for staging the equestrian events in the vicinity of such facilities.

A substantial saving in the cost of staging the equestrian events can be achieved by pooling together the existing resources and facilities of the HKSI and the Sha Tin Racecourse and by carrying out suitable conversion works to cater for the events. The cost will be much lower than that of constructing a new venue.

2.7 Size, Scale, Shape and Design of the Project

The size of the Project is approximately 140,000 m². The shape of the Project site is presented in Drawing No.: ST/R/S/HK/021.

2.8 Construction & Reinstatement Method/Activities and Operational Activities

2.8.1 Construction Activities and Methodologies

2.8.1.1 General Site Formation

Minor cut and filling of the existing topography will be carried out to provide the land formation for the arenas, access roads and the new stables. Standard mechanical excavators and dump trucks will undertake this work. As the HKSI has been formed on areas of reclamation using granular type fill and boulders there should be no significant rock excavation if any. Individual boulders encountered during the site formation will be removed from site with any voids filling with suitable fill material.

Runoff from open soil surfaces will be intercepted and conveyed through silt traps to prevent silt-laden runoff being washed downstream to sensitive stream courses.

Where possible there will be a balance of cut and fill from the general excavation undertaken for the site formation of the HKSI if this can be achieved within the constraints of the required finished ground levels. Excess material will be disposed of to a licensed Government landfill site.

2.8.1.2 Drainage, Sewerage and Utilities

Drainage, sewerage, and utility services will be installed underground by laying pipes, cables and ducts in trenches formed through open excavation. Access chambers will be provided at appropriate intervals along the specific ancillary service in accordance with the specific requirements of the relevant authorities and service providers. Chambers will be formed using either mass or reinforced concrete.

All excavations will be undertaken by mechanical means. Similar to the general site formation, rock excavation will not be required except for the removal of isolated boulders. In the case of large boulders are encountered, pneumatic drills may be used. Pipes, cables and ducts will be laid using slings. Once laid the trenches will be backfilled with suitable material. The sides of all trench excavations and any excavations for access and pumping chambers will be shored using trench sheeting. The trench sheeting will be driven into the ground using the hydraulic arm of the mechanical excavator.

Excavations will be kept dry through temporary pumping from sumps in the bottom of the excavation. Pumped water from excavations will be conveyed through silt traps.

2.8.1.3 Main Arena and Other Sand Arena

The various sand equine arenas will be constructed by laying layers of granular material on top of the formed area. Excavators, compactors and tractors with rakes will be used to place the sand on arenas. On completion of the Olympics the sand on the training and main arenas will be removed from site and disposed of to a Government landfill site.

2.8.1.4 Grass Arenas

Grass arenas will be constructed by forming the turf footing above the formation surface. The turf will be laid on a sand layer above the formation surface.

2.8.1.5 Horse Walkways

To better facilitate horses movements between the stables and arenas, horse walkways will be formed. These will consist of gravel tracks formed by spreading over the formation surface.

2.8.1.6 Roads

Road will be formed by laying and compacting a road sub-base followed by the road formation in layers to the finished concrete road surface.

2.8.1.7 High Masts Lights

High mast lights are required to illuminate the main and warm up arenas. It will be necessary to provide piled foundations for the main arena light masts. The piles will either be constructed using pre-bored H piles or bored mini-piles. Slurry waste from forming the holes for the piles will be collected and contained in tanks and then removed from site and disposed to a licensed public fill. The high mast lights will be retained for future use but the number of lamps will be reduced to achieve an illuminance level comparable to that of the existing racecourse.

2.8.1.8 Temporary Stadium Seating

The Equestrian Event is expected to attract up to 20,000 spectators in peak days of the event. To accommodate the spectators temporary seating will be hired from a specialist seating contractor. The seating will be assembled on site around the main arena with the seating footings placed on the existing ground surface and the frame erected using manual labour and lifting equipment.

2.8.1.9 Temporary Toilets

Temporary toilets will be provided for the spectators. The toilets will be housed in Portakabins, which will be fabricated off site and placed on site where required using lifting equipment. The temporary toilets will be connected to the public sewer system. The sewer pipe connections will be constructed as described under the drainage, sewerage and utilities section.

~~1.1.1.1~~ ~~Demolition of the Existing Golf Driving Range~~

The existing golf driving range will be removed to provide space for the future training arenas. The steel towers will be brought down by disconnecting the bolt connection manually and hung down by mobile crane for removal from the site. If possible, the steel towers will be reused for supporting the temporary lighting for the Olympic event. The existing tee station will be demolished by flame cutting the steel roof and breaking out the on grade concrete slab. The debris will be removed away by dump trucks.

2.8.1.10 New Stable Buildings

Four ~~numbers of~~ stable buildings will be built at the HKSI site. These stables are steel frame rest on reinforced concrete pad footing. Site formation work will be completed before the construction of these buildings. Reinforcement fixing and formwork cutting for the footings will be carried out on site. Concreting trucks will enter the site for concreting the footing. Most of the steel members will be pre-fabricated to minimise the welding works on site. As the buildings are only one or two storeys high, mobile crane will be adopt for transporting material within the site instead of using tower crane. After the construction of the structural frame, roofing, wall finishes, partitions and building services will be installed.

2.8.2 Operational Activities

There are three equestrian disciplines contested at the Olympics, with an individual and team event in each, making six events on the Olympic programme. The three disciplines are jumping, dressage, and Eventing. Jumping consists of negotiating a series of obstacles with the goal being not to disturb the fences. Dressage is a sort of ballet on horseback in which the rider guides the horse to perform certain intricate manoeuvres of stepping. Eventing combines the above two disciplines, and adds a third competition of riding a cross-country course on horseback.

Except the Cross-country event in Eventing, which will be held in a separate cross-country course, all individual and team competition events will be held at the Main Arena.

The 2008 Olympic Equestrian Event will be held in August 2008 and will last for about 2 weeks.

2.8.3 Reinstatement Activities and Methodologies

The areas for the Main Arena, logistics compound, spectator entry & broadcast compound and warm-up arena will be reinstated upon the completion of the Olympic and Paralympic Event. The sand footings for the arenas will be removed and sporting facilities will be reprovided on these areas. The temporary seats for the Main Arena would be dismantled.

2.9 Project Timetable and Phasing of the Project

The implementation of the Project is scheduled from July 2006 to January 2009. Table 2-2 gives the tentative project timetable and phasing. A detailed programme is presented in Appendix 2-1.

Table 2-2: Project timetable and phasing for the Project

Task	Start	Finish
Pre- Test Event Construction	July 2006	June 2007
Test Event	August 2007 (2 weeks)
Post Test Event Construction	September 2007	June 2008
Olympic Event	August 2008 (2 weeks)
Paralympic Event	September 2008
Reinstatement of HKSI	October 2008	January 2009

2.10 Related Projects

The 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian Events would be staged on 3 sites in Hong Kong. Apart from HKSI, the existing Penfold Park and Hong Kong Golf Club would also be converted to the Event Venues. Stables and training facilities will be provided on the Penfold Park site whereas HKGC will be converted for the Cross-country Event.

The projects at Penfold Park and HKGC were confirmed to be exempted DPs and statutory submissions under EIAO would not be required if the proposed works on these two sites do not constitute a material change.T~~he projects at Penfold Park and HKGC~~ ~~were confirmed to be exempted designated projects~~ ~~and statutory submissions under EIAO were not required~~.

Since the Penfold Park site is located adjacent to the Project site, cumulative impacts arising from the activities on the Penfold Park site during both construction and operational phases were assessed.

3. Air quality Impact

3.1 Introduction

This chapter presents the assessment of potential air quality impacts, which may arise during the construction, operation and reinstatement of the Project. Control meas

AHU	Air Handling Unit
ANL	Acceptable Noise Level
APCO	Air Pollution Control Ordinance
AQO	Air Quality Objectives
Arup	Ove Arup and Partners Hong Kong Ltd
ASR	Air Sensitive Receiver
BMP	Best Management Practice
BOCOG	The Beijing Organising Committee for the Games of the 29th Olympiad
BNL	Basic Noise Level
BOD₅	5-day Biochemical Oxygen Demand
C&D	Construction and Demolition
CR	Contractor Representative
CNP	Construction Noise Permit
DO	Dissolved Oxygen
DPE	Designated Project~~Element~~
EIA	Environmental Impact Assessment
EIAO	Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance
EM	Environmental Manager
EMP	Environmental Management Plan
EMIS	Environmental Mitigation Implementation Schedule
EM&A	Environmental Monitoring and Audit
E&M	Electrical and mechanical
EP	Environmental Permit
EPD	Environmental Protection Department
ER	Engineer’s Representative
ET	Environmental Team
ETWBTC	Environment, Transport and Works Bureau Technical Circular
FEI	Federation Equestre Internationale
HKGC	Hong Kong Golf Club
HKPSG	Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines
HKSARG	Hong Kong Special Administration Region Government
HKSI	Hong Kong Sports Institute
HVAC	Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning
IEC	Independent Environmental Checker
IOC	The International Olympic Committee
LCSD	Leisure and Cultural Services Department
MVAC	Mechanical Ventilation and Air-Conditioning
NCO	Noise Control Ordinance
NSRs	Noise Sensitive Receivers
M&E	Mechanical and Electrical
OZP	Outline Zoning Plan
PCW	Prescribed Construction Work
PlanD	Planning Department
PME	Powered Mechanical Equipment
ProPECC	Practice Note for Professional Persons
RE	Resident Engineer
SS	Suspended Solid
SWL	Sound Power Level
TCLP	Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure
TMs	Technical Memoranda
TM-GW	Technical Memorandum on Noise from Construction Work other than Percussive Piling
TM-DA	Technical Memorandum on Noise from Construction Work in Designated Areas
TM-EIAO	Technical Memorandum on Environmental Impact Assessment Process
TM-Places	Technical Memorandum on Noise from Places other than Domestic Premises, Public Places or Construction Sites
TM-PP	Technical Memorandum on Noise from Percussive Piling
TM-Water	Technical Memorandum on Standards for Effluents Discharged into Drainage and Sewerage Systems, Inland and Coastal Waters
TPH	Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon
TSP	Total Suspended Particulates
USEPA	United State Environmental Protection Agency
VSR	Visually Sensitive Receivers
WBTC	Works Branch Technical Circular
WDO	Waste Disposal Ordinance
WMP	Waste Management Plan
WPCO	Water Pollution Control Ordinance
WQO	Water Quality Objective
WSR	Water Sensitive Receiver