8.
Landscape Visual and Glare Impact Assessment
|
This
section outlines the landscape, visual and glare impacts associated with the
proposed Project in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment
Ordinance (EIAO). Both construction and
operation impacts are assessed in accordance with the requirements of the EIA
Study Brief section 3.4.9.
This
section presents the findings of the assessment of potential landscape, visual
and glare impacts of the proposed Project and is structured as follows:
Section 8.2: Provides discussions on existing environmental
legislation, standards, guidelines and criteria;
Section 8.3: Describes the assessment methodology adopted for
this EIA;
Section 8.4: Provides discussions on planning and development
control framework related to this Project;
Section 8.5: Provides a description on the existing landscape
and visual baseline conditions;
Section 8.6: Identify potential impact sources of this
Project;
Section 8.7: Describes the assessment of landscape impacts
due to the Project;
Section 8.8: Describes the assessment of visual and glare
impacts due to the Project
Section 8.9: Proposes potential mitigation measures to
address the identified impacts;
Section 8.10: Provides discussions on the residual impacts;
Section 8.11: Provides discussions on the cumulative impacts;
Section 8.12: Defines requirements of environmental
monitoring and auditing programme; and
Section 8.11: Summarises the key findings of this section.
Assessments
have been conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Study Brief and guidelines
as stated in Annexes 10 and 18 of the
Technical Memorandum on the Environmental
Impact Assessment Process and the EIAO Guidance Notes No. 8/2002. The
assessment area for the landscape impact assessment included areas within the
500m distance from the site boundary of the Project, while the assessment area
for visual and glare impact assessment is defined by the visual envelop of the
Project. Based on the assessment, no
unacceptable landscape, visual and glare impacts were identified. Details of
which are further elaborated in the following subsections.
Appropriate
mitigation measures have been recommended to avoid the potential adverse
impacts. In addition, cumulative impacts
have also been considered in the assessment in order to assess the overall
impacts of the works on the surrounding environment.
8.2
Environmental Legislation, Standards, Guidelines
and Criteria
The
following legislation, standards and guidelines are applicable to the
evaluation of landscape and visual impacts associated with the construction and
operation of the Project:
¡
EIA Study Brief ESB-198/2008;
¡
Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance
(Cap.499.S.16) and the Technical Memorandum on EIA process (EIAO-TM),
particularly Annexes 3, 10, 11, 18, 20 and 21;
¡
EIAO Guidance Note 8/2002;
¡
¡
Approved Tsing Yi Outline Zoning Plan No. S/TY/24;
¡
Draft
Kwai Chung Outline Zoning Plan No. S/KC/23;
¡
Approved
8.3.1
Limits of the Assessment Area
Landscape and visual and
glare impacts were assessed separately for the construction and operational
phases of the Project. The assessment methodology follows the EIA Study Brief
3.4.9.1 and is presented below.
As required in the EIA Study Brief 3.4.9.2,
the limit of the landscape impact study is 500m beyond the limit of the Works (Figure
8.1), while the assessment area for the visual
& glare impact study is defined by the visual envelop of the Project.
8.3.1.1
Landscape Impacts
The assessment of landscape impacts involved
the following procedures:
¡
Identification of the baseline landscape
resources and landscape character areas found within Assessment Area. This is achieved by site visit
(noting that the works site is predominantly marine based location) and desktop
study of topographical maps, information databases and aerial photographs;
¡
Assessment of the degree of sensitivity to
change of the landscape resources and character areas. This is influenced by a number of factors
including whether the resources / character areas are common or rare, whether
there are any statutory or regulatory limitations/requirements relating to the
resources, the quality of the resources, the maturity of the resources and the
ability of the resource to accommodate change.
The sensitivity of each landscape resource /
character area is classified as follows:
High: Important
landscape resource / character area of particularly distinctive character or
high importance, sensitive to relatively small changes.
Medium: Landscape
resource / character area of moderately valued landscape characteristics reasonably
tolerant to change.
Low: Landscape
resource / character area, the nature of which is largely tolerant to change.
¡ Identification
of potential sources of landscape impacts. These are the various
elements of the construction works and operation procedures that would generate
landscape impacts.
¡
Identification of the magnitude of landscape
impacts. The magnitude of the impact (or magnitude of change) depends
on a number of factors including:
-
the physical extent of the impact,
-
compatibility of the project with the
surrounding landscape,
-
duration of impacts i.e. whether it is temporary
(short, medium or long term), under construction and operation phases, and
-
reversibility of change
The magnitude of
landscape impacts is classified as follows:
Large: The
landscape resource or character area would suffer a major change
Intermediate: The landscape resources or character area would suffer a
moderate change
Small: The
landscape resources or character area would suffer slight or barely perceptible
change
Negligible: The
landscape resources or character area would suffer no discernible change
¡
Identification of potential landscape
mitigation measure - Mitigation
measures may take the form of:
-
Adopting alternative design or revisions to the
basic engineering or architectural designs to prevent and/or minimize adverse
impacts,
-
Remedial measures such as colour and textural
treatment of physical, engineering and building features,
-
Compensatory measures such as the implementation
of landscape design measures (e.g. tree planting, creation of new open space
etc.) to compensate for unavoidable adverse impacts and to attempt potentially
beneficial long term impacts.
¡
Predicted significance of landscape impacts
before and after the implementation of the mitigation measures - By
synthesizing the magnitude of the various impacts and the sensitivity of the
various landscape resources it is possible to categorize impacts in a logical,
well-reasoned and consistent fashion. Table 8.1 shows the rationale for dividing the degree
of significance into four thresholds, namely insubstantial, slight, moderate,
and substantial, depending on the combination of a
negligible-small-intermediate-large magnitude of impact and a low-medium-high
degree of sensitivity of landscape resources/character. The significant
thresholds are defined as follows:
Substantial: |
Negative / positive impact where the proposal would cause significant
deterioration or improvement in existing landscape quality |
Moderate: |
Negative / positive impact where the proposal would cause a noticeable
deterioration or improvement in existing landscape quality |
Slight: |
Negative / positive impact where the proposal would cause a barely
perceptible deterioration or improvement in existing landscape quality |
Insubstantial: |
No discernible change in the existing landscape quality |
Table
8.1: Relationship
between Receptor Sensitivity and Impact Magnitude in Defining Impact Significance
|
Large |
Moderate |
Moderate / Substantial |
Substantial |
Magnitude of
Impact |
Intermediate |
Slight / Moderate |
Moderate |
Moderate / Substantial |
Small |
Slight |
Slight / Moderate |
Moderate |
|
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
|
|
Low |
Medium |
High |
|
|
|
Receptor Sensitivity (of Landscape Resource, Landscape
Character Area) |
¡
Prediction of Acceptability of Impacts - An
overall assessment of the acceptability, or otherwise, of the landscape impacts
according to the five criteria set out in Annex 10 of the EIAO TM.
8.3.1.2
Visual & Glare Impacts
The assessment of
visual and glare impacts involved the following:
¡
Identification of Zones of Visual Influence
(ZVIs) during the construction and operation phase of the Project. This
is achieved by site visit and desktop study of topographic maps and
photographs, and preparation of cross-section to determine visibility of the
project from various locations.
¡
Identification of Visually sensitive
Receivers (VSRs) within the Zone of Visual Influence (ZVIs) at construction and
operation stages. These are the
people who would reside within, work within, play within, or travel through,
the ZVIs.
¡
Assessment of the degree of sensitivity to
change of the VSRs. Factors considered include:
-
the type of VSRs, which are
classified according to whether the person is at home, at work, at school, at
construction and operation stages. These
who view the impact from their homes are considered to be highly sensitive as
the attractiveness or otherwise of the outlook from their home will have a
substantial effect on their perception of the quality and acceptability of
their home environment and their general quality of life. Those who view the impact from their
workplace of and at school are considered to be only moderately sensitive as
the attractiveness or otherwise of the outlook will have a less important,
although still material, effect on their perception of their quality of
life. The degree to which this applies
depends on whether the workplace is industrial, retail or commercial. Those who view the impact whilst taking part
in an outdoor leisure activity may display varying sensitivity depending on the
type of leisure activity. Those who view
the impact whilst travelling on a public thoroughfare will also display varying
sensitivity depending on the speed of travel.
-
Other factors to be considered (as required in
the EIAO GN 8/2002) include the value and quality of existing views, the
availability and amenity of alternative views, the duration or frequency of
view, and the degree of visibility.
The sensitivity of
VSRs is classified as follows:
High: The
VSR is highly sensitive to any change in their viewing experience.
Medium: The
VSR is moderately sensitivity to any change in their viewing experience.
Low: The
VSR is only slightly sensitive to any change in their viewing experience.
¡
Identification of relative numbers of VSRs -
this is expressed in terms of whether there are very few, few,
many or very many VSRs in any one category of VSR.
¡
Identification of potential sources of
visual and glare impacts - these are the various elements of the
construction works and operational procedures that would generate
visual and glare impacts.
¡
Assessment of the potential magnitude of
visual and glare impacts. Factors considered include:
-
the compatibility with the surrounding
landscape,
-
the duration of the impact,
-
the reversibility of the impact,
-
the scale of the impact and distance of the
source of impact from the viewer, and
-
the blockage of view
The magnitude of
visual and glare impacts is classified as follows:
Large: The
VSRs would suffer a major change in their viewing experience
Intermediate: The VSRs would suffer a moderate change in their viewing
experience
Small: The
VSRs would suffer a small change in their viewing experience
Negligible: The
VSRs would suffer no discernible change in their viewing experience
¡
Identification of potential visual and glare
mitigation measures - These may take the form of adopting alternative
designs or revisions to the basic engineering and architectural design to
prevent and/or minimize adverse impacts.
A programme for the mitigation measures may be provided if
necessary. The agencies responsible for
the implementation, management and maintenance of the mitigation measures will
be identified.
¡
Prediction of the significance of visual and
glare impacts before and after the implementation of the mitigation measures -
by synthesizing the magnitude of the various visual impacts and the sensitivity
of the VSRs, and the numbers of VSRs that are affected, it is possible to
categorize the degree of significance of the impacts in a logical well-reasoned
and consistent fashion. The degree of significance
are divided into four thresholds, namely, insubstantial, slight, moderate and
substantial, depending on the combination of a
negligible-small-intermediate-large magnitude of impact and a low-medium-high
degree of sensitivity of VSRs.
The significance of
visual impacts is categorized as follows:
Substantial: Adverse / beneficial impact where the proposal would cause
significant deterioration or improvement in existing visual quality
Moderate: Adverse
/ beneficial impact where the proposal would cause noticeable deterioration or
improvement in existing visual quality
Slight: Adverse
/ beneficial impact where the proposal would cause barely perceptible
deterioration or improvement in existing visual quality
Insubstantial: No discernible change in the existing visual quality
¡
Prediction of acceptability of impacts -
an overall assessment of the acceptability, or otherwise, of the impacts
according to the five criteria set out in Annex 10 of the EIAO-TM.
8.4
Review of Planning and Development Control Framework
Following
the EIA Study Brief 3.4.9.1 and section 5 of Annex 18 of the EIAO-TM, the
proposed Project has been reviewed against the relevant Approved Tsing Yi
Outline Zoning Plan No.
S/TY/24, Draft Kwai Chung Outline
Zoning Plan No. S/KC/23 and Approved
The adjacent
area is predominantly zoned as “Industrial” and various “Other Specified Uses” annotated “Container Terminal”,
“Container Related Uses”, “Cargo Handling Area” and “Marine Related Uses”’.
No
part of the Project will be proposed through any landscape related zonings
(such as “Green Belt“, “Conservation Area“ and “Site of Special Scientific
Interest“), therefore the Project will not have any conflict with the landscape
setting of the area.
8.5
Landscape and Visual Baseline
8.5.1
Landscape Resources (LR)
The
baseline landscape resources identified within the Assessment Area, together
with their sensitivity to change, are described below. The locations of baseline landscape resources
are mapped and illustrated in Figures 8.2a-d.
LR1
–
Plantation within the Cheung Fai Road Promenade
comprising common ornamental species such as Ficus microcarpa, Hibiscus tiliaceus,
Chrysalidocarpus lutescens, Caryota mitis, Schefflera arboricola, Calliandra
haematocephala, Hymenocallis
littoralis and Monstera deliciosa etc.
The age range of those trees varies from young to mature
trees with typical heights between 3 and 6m. The
sensitivity of this LR is Medium.
LR2
– Trees at
There are approximately 40 trees comprising, besides
some common amenity, species such as Livistona chinensis, Cassia
surattensis, Bauhinia spp.
LR3
– Trees on slope of Cheung Ching Estate
The majority of trees are Acacia confusa and Casuarina equisetifolia species which are common exotic
species used
widely for
reforestation. Bridelia tomentosa, Macaranga
tanarius, Ficus hispida etc are widespread native
species commonly found on the slope.
Most of these trees are mature specimens with typical heights between 4 and 8m. More ornamental species are planted around the
playground under the slope, including small tree and shrub species such as Thevetia
peruviana,
LR4
– Trees on slope near Parking Space at Cheung Fai Road
There are dense population of Acacia
confuse planted
on the slope behind the parking space. Leucaena leucocephala is a weedy tree species aggregated to the right portion of
the slope. The
typical height of these mature trees is
around 4 to 7m. The sensitivity of this LR is Medium.
LR5
– Trees on slope near
The tree composition includes Acacia auriculiformis, Acacia confuse, Casuarina equisetifolia Leucaena leucocephala and Melia azedarach etc. They are semi-mature
to mature trees with typical height of between 4 and 9m. The
sensitivity of this LR is Medium.
LR6
– Trees on slope behind Rambler Crest
Most of the trees are common plantation species like Acacia auriculiformis, Acacia mangium, Acacia confusa, Casuarina equisetifolia and Eucalyptus robusta. As the area of LR6 was
found under site formation work (by
others), some of the trees had been removed and thus the
density of tree has been reduced. Typical height of
those semi-mature trees ranges 3-7m. The sensitivity of this LR is Medium.
LR7
– Swimming Pool of Rambler Crest
This is a long swimming pool
over 200m in
length and
about 12m
wide. It
serves as a major waterscape and recreational area for the residents of Rambler
Crest. The sensitivity of this landscape
resource is Low.
LR8
– Roadside Trees along
This LR consists of two slopes at both sides of
LR9
– Shrubland Mosaic near Kwai Tai Road
LR9 consists of man made slope and
natural slope terrain. Most of the ornamental shrub species are found within the planter
of man made slope which includes Allamanda
cathartica, Calliandra haematocephala, Hibiscus
rosa-sinensis. Some small native trees and shrubs Mallotus paniculatus Microcos paniculata, Ficus hispida, Ficus superba,
Rhus chinensis, Sapium discolour, Sterculia lanceolata were recorded at the
natural slope terrain. Trees recorded at this shrubland mosaic are typically of around 3-6m height, ranging from semi-mature
to mature. The sensitivity of this LR is Medium.
LR10
– Vegetation east of Kwai Yue Street
Vegetation is found mainly
located at the boundary slope of the open field which also serves as roadside streetscape for
LR11
–
Within the plantation
area, the vegetation comprises typical ornamental shrubs and trees. Hibiscus
rosa-sinensis, Ixora chinensis, Thevetia peruviana, Cinnamomum burmannii,
Livistona chinensis, Ficus benjamina are
the common examples. These trees are of semi-mature to mature stage with
typical height about 4-6m. The sensitivity of this LR is Medium.
LR12
– Rambler Channel
The
boundary of the Rambler Channel is
defined by the predominant artificial coastline of the container terminals. The
sensitivity of this LR is Low.
LR13
–
This landscape resource is
characterized by artificial turf with some amenity tree and palm species such as Caryota mitis, Chrysalidocarpus lutescens, Cinnamomum spp., Michelia x alba,
LR14
– Marine Water outside
LR14
is the offshore water outside
8.5.2
Landscape Character Area (LCA)
The
following landscape character areas are identified and described below, and their
locations are mapped and illustrated in Figures 8.3a-d.
LCA1
– Kwai Tsing Industrial Landscape
This
low-lying landscape comprises several container terminals and their associated
facilities. The heavy logistics activities create a significantly busy industrial
character. It has a Low sensitivity
to change.
LCA2
– Tsing Yi Mixed Urban Landscape
This character area
contains mainly residential housing and associated recreational facilities,
with a small industrial area
located at northern boundary of this LCA. It has Low sensitivity to change.
LCA3
– Kwai Chung Urban Fringe Landscape
This character area
comprises the open field area, vegetated man-made slope and hillside shrubland.
It is a character area of Medium
sensitivity to change.
LCA4
– Kwai Tsing Water Channel
This character area is the
coastal water lying between Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi. Half of the Rambler channel is enclosed by the container terminals and is characterized by busy
marine traffic (cargo shipping). It has
a Medium sensitivity to change.
LCA5
– Offshore Waters outside
This LCA is made up of offshore waters outside
8.5.1
Existing Visual Context
Visual
Envelope
The
visual envelop for the proposed dredging areas is shaped by the urban fringe
landscape along the coast of Western Kowloon and North-western Hong Kong
Island; and the upland landscape of Lantau and other out-lying islands to the
west and south. As required in the EIA Study Brief 3.4.9.2, the visual impact
assessment covered the areas of Ma Wan, Tsing Yi, Kwai Chung, Tsuen Wan,
Northeast Lantau and Northwestern part of
The
Zone of Visual Influence (ZVI) of the Project and key visually sensitive
receivers (VSRs) within the ZVI are identified and mapped in Figure 8.4a-b.
Visually
sensitive Receivers (VSRs)
Table 8.2 lists the
key VSRs found within the ZVIs. For ease of reference, each VSR is given an
identity number, which is used in all relevant tables and figures in this
report.
Table 8.2: Key
VSRs Identified within the ZVI
ID. No. |
Key Visually sensitive Receivers (VSRs) |
Type of VSRs |
Viewing Distance |
VSR1 |
Ha Kwai Chung Residential Area |
Residential |
1.5km |
VSR2 |
Kwai Chung Container Terminals |
Industrial / Commercial |
<10m |
VSR3 |
Tsuen Wan Urban Fringe |
Industrial / Commercial / Residential |
2.8km |
VSR4 |
Route 8 |
Travellers |
70m (vertical distance) |
VSR5 |
|
Industrial / Commercial / Residential |
4.2km |
VSR6 |
|
Residential |
3.9km |
VSR7 |
|
Travellers |
1.4km |
VSR8 |
Pok Fu Lam |
Residential |
1.7km |
VSR9 |
|
Residential |
2.2km |
VSR10 |
Peng Chau |
Residential |
5.6km |
VSR11 |
|
Residential |
7.1km |
VSR12 |
|
Travellers |
4.9km |
VSR13 |
Ma Wan |
Residential |
5.2km |
VSR14 |
Terminal 9 |
Industrial / Commercial |
<10m |
VSR15 |
Tsing Yi Residential Area |
Residential |
280m |
VSR16 |
Travellers across the Harbour |
Travellers |
6.1km |
8.6
Potential Sources of Landscape and Visual Impact
8.6.1
Construction Phase
Sources of impacts in the construction phase include:
¡
Presence of dredgers,
¡
Dredging activities, and
¡
Night lighting.
8.6.2
Operational phase
Sources of impacts in the operational phase would include:
¡
Maintenance dredging activities and the presence of dredgers; and
¡
Night lighting.
8.7
Landscape Impact Assessment
8.7.1
Impacts on Landscape Resources (LRs) and
Landscape Character Areas (LCAs)
As dredging activities will
only be carried out on the seabed, no conflicts with any
of the existing
landscape resources and landscape character areas during construction and
operational phases have been identified. The impact level is therefore considered
to be acceptable.
The assessment of impact on landscape
resources and landscape character areas during the construction phase and
operational phase is tabulated in Table 8.4.
8.8
Visual and Glare Impact Assessment
An
assessment of the potential significance of visual impacts during the
construction and operation phases as required in the EIA Study Brief 2.1 (vii),
before and after mitigation, is briefly described below, and listed in detail
in Table 8.5. This follows the
methodology outlined above and assumes that the appropriate mitigation measures
identified in Table 8.3
will be implemented.
8.8.1
Visual Impacts during Construction Phase
The
visual impacts on existing views during construction will be generated by the
physical presence of the operating dredgers and the associated dredging
activities.
According
to the proposed design, maximum number of dredger to be used will only be three
for the whole proposed dredging area. The dredger will be similar in dimension to those typical cargo
ships using these two fairways and other
Predicted
significance of residual impacts on the VSRs during construction phase is
mapped in Figure 8.5
and the details are presented in Table 8.5.
8.8.1.1
Glare impacts during Construction Phase
As
required in the EIA Study Brief 3.2.2 (viii), the potential glare impacts
during construction covered all the nearby residents in Tsing Yi, Kwai Chung,
Tsuen Wan,
According
to the EIAO-TM, glare is included as one of the potential visual impact source
which would cause uncomfortable eye feeling by direct or indirect light source.
Potential
glare sources include the night lighting associated with the dredgers. As
glare impact or uncomfortable eye feelings are subjective, the glare impact assessment adopted a
qualitative approach. Some typical light levels are presented below to give a point of reference when considering
the current situation.
¡
Major Sports Stadium 1000 to 2000 lux
e.g.
Hong Kong Stadium – 1400 lux, 2008 Beijing Olympics Equestrian Venue, Shatin –
1400 lux
¡
Sunny Day 30,000
to 50,000 lux
Lux
is a unit used to define illustration. 1 lux is equal to 1 lumen falling on an
area of 1 square metre. A lumen is the luminous flux emitted in a solid angle
of 1 steradian by a point source having a uniform intensity of 1 candela. The
data presented above related to the lighting levels at the receiving end.
The
proposed lighting for the dredging activities of the Project will be about 250
lux (illumination level at working plane on the dredgers), which is applicable
to both day-time and night-time dredging for 24-hour operation. The lighting
aims to provide the operator of the dredger adequate illustration at the
workplace. Only one lighting pole would be required for each dredger and the
orientation of light will point downward to the operating dredging arm of the
dredger and will not be pointing horizontally
and to any VSRs. Visa shields to the lights of dredgers will be provided to
avoid any potential spill light. Therefore direct glare impact from the light
source is not anticipated. Potential glare source would be the reflected light
from the working plane on the dredgers. As no mirrors or any other polished
materials will be installed on the working plane, reflectance of light will be
low. The resulted illumination level experienced by the VSRs will only be 5-20
lux.
Workers
of the adjacent container terminal (i.e. VSR2 and VSR14) will be the closest receivers
to the potential light source of dredgers of the Project. They will experience
an increase of 20 lux due to the Project. The ambient lux level currently
received by the workers at the container terminal is 30-80 lux (According to
the European Standard EN 12464-2:2007 (which also has the status of a British
Standard i.e. BS EN 12464-2:2007) – Lighting
of Work Places – Part 2: Outdoor Work Places, the lighting requirement for
cargo handling, loading and unloading is 30 lux). In general, an increase of
lux level not exceeding 30 lux will not consider as any type of nuisance glare.
As such, an increase of 20 lux experienced by the workers at container terminal
will therefore not result in adverse glare effect. As expected, other VSRs
furthest from the light source will experience much lower amounts of reflected
light or glare and an increase of average 5-10 lux is basically not noticeable
to all these VSRs.
The
proposed dredging works will not cause any glare nuisance, as no man-made light
sources are generated directly pointing to VSRs. Visa shields to lights of
dredgers will be provided, as well as no facilities or equipment installed with mirrors or any other polished
materials. Therefore no unacceptable light sources potentially causing
uncomfortable glare effects are anticipated.
8.8.2
Visual and Glare Impacts during Operational
Phase
Operational
impacts from the Project will occur only if maintenance dredging works are
undertaken. Maintenance dredging is
anticipated to be undertaken on an infrequent basis and on a lesser scale than
for the capital works dredging. However
the effects still need to be assessed.
In view of the acceptability of the impacts associated with the capital
works programme it may be surmised that the maintenance dredging impacts will
be similarly acceptable. Therefore,
no unacceptable visual and glare effects during the operational phase are anticipated.
The
rationale behind landscape mitigation measures is described in Section 8.3 including the feasibility
of mitigation measures in respect of funding, implementation phasing and their
management and maintenance. The recommended mitigation measures following the
EIA Study Brief 2.1 (vii) are listed below:
Landscape
Mitigation Measures
As the proposed Project
involves no land works, no conflicts with all existing landscape resources and
landscape character areas were anticipated. No specific mitigation measure is
required.
Visual
and Glare Mitigation Measures
Although
no adverse visual and glare effects were identified, some precautionary
measures are recommended to ensure the environmental performance in terms of
visual and glare nuisance.
The
proposed mitigation measures for the construction phase and operation phase of
the Project are listed in Table
8-3, together with an indication of Funding, Implementation and
Maintenance and relevant Authorities.
Table 8.3 Proposed Visual Mitigation Measures
Mitigation Measure |
Visual Mitigation Measures |
Funding Agency |
Implementation |
Maintenance Agency |
VM1 |
Lighting for Dredging Activities – proper site practice
for works lighting shall carefully consider the following to avoid light
pollution and glare to the surroundings: ¡ Visa
shields to the lights of dredgers shall be provided ¡ The
light source shall not point directly to any VSRs ¡ Lights
shall be switched off if they are not in use |
CEDD |
CEDD (through Contractor) |
CEDD (through Contractor) |
8.10
Residual Environmental Impact
Potential
residual impacts were assessed in accordance with the EIA Study Brief 2.1 (xi).
8.10.1 Residual
Landscape Impacts
No residual impacts on
existing landscape were anticipated in both construction and operational phase.
The impact level is therefore considered to be acceptable. The summary of the
impact assessment is presented in Table 8.4.
8.10.2 Residual
Visual and Glare Impacts
The
residual visual impacts during construction and operation phases are listed in Table 8.5 and
illustrated in Figure 8.5. The impact level is considered to be
acceptable, as no significant
visual effects caused by the Project were identified.
8.11.1 Potential
Cumulative Effects
Potential
cumulative effect was assessed as required in the EIA Study Brief 2.1 (xi).
Although there are some planned projects adjacent to the Project area as stated in Section
2.8 of the EIA report,
taking into account the insubstantial impact significance identified in Table 8.4 and Table 8.5, no adverse
cumulative effects are anticipated.
Table
8.4: Summary of Landscape Impact
ID No. |
Landscape Resource / |
Sensitivity to Change (Low, Medium, High) |
Magnitude of Change (Negligible, Small,
Intermediate, Large) |
Impact Significance without Mitigation (Insubstantial, Slight, Moderate, Substantial) |
Recommended Mitigation Measures |
||
Construction |
Operation |
Construction |
Operation |
||||
LR1 |
|
Medium |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Not
required |
LR2 |
Trees
at |
Medium |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Not
required |
LR3 |
Trees
on slope of Cheung Ching Estate |
Medium |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Not
required |
LR4 |
Trees on slope near Parking Space at |
Medium |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Not
required |
LR5 |
Trees
on slope along |
Medium |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Not
required |
LR6 |
Trees
on slope behind Rambler Crest |
Medium |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Not
required |
LR7 |
Swimming
Pool of Rambler Crest |
Low |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Not
required |
LR8 |
Roadside
Trees along |
Medium |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Not
required |
LR9 |
Shrubland
Mosaic near |
Medium |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Not
required |
LR10 |
Vegetation
east of |
Medium |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Not
required |
LR11 |
|
Medium |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Not
required |
LR12 |
Rambler
Channel |
Low |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Not
required |
LR13 |
|
Low |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Not
required |
LR14 |
Marine
water outside |
Low |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Not
required |
LCA1 |
Kwai
Tsing Industrial Landscape |
Low |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Not
required |
LCA2 |
Tsing
Yi Mixed Urban Landscape |
Low |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Not
required |
LCA3 |
Kwai
Chung Urban Fringe Landscape |
Medium |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Not
required |
LCA4 |
Kwai
Tsing Water Channel |
Medium |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Not
required |
LCA5 |
Offshore
Waters outside |
Medium |
Negligible |
Negligible |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Not
required |
Table
8.5: Summary of Visual and Glare Impact
Id No. |
Key Visually sensitive Receiver |
Receptor |
Magnitude of Impact |
Impact Significance without Mitigation Measures |
Recommended Mitigation Measures |
Residual Impact Significance with Mitigations |
|||
Construction |
Operation |
Construction |
Operation |
|
Construction |
Operation |
|||
VSR1 |
Ha Kwai Chung Residential Area |
High |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of 5-10 lux are not noticeable |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of 5-10 lux are not noticeable |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
VM1 (see Table 8.3) |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
VSR2 |
Kwai Chung Container Terminals |
Low |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of 20 lux are not noticeable |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of 20 lux are not noticeable |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
|
VSR3 |
Tsuen Wan Urban Fringe |
High |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of 5-10 lux are not noticeable |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of 5-10 lux are not noticeable |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
|
VSR4 |
Route 8 |
Medium |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of 5-10 lux are not noticeable |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of 5-10 lux are not noticeable |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
|
VSR5 |
|
High |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of less than 5 lux are not noticeable |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of less than 5 lux are not noticeable |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
|
VSR6 |
|
High |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of 5-10 lux are not noticeable |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of 5-10 lux are not noticeable |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
|
VSR7 |
|
Medium |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of 5-10 lux are not noticeable |
Negligible-
the presence of dredgers and increase of 5-10 lux are not noticeable |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
|
VSR8 |
Pok Fu Lam |
High |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of 5-10 lux are not noticeable |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of 5-10 lux are not noticeable |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
|
VSR9 |
|
High |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of less than 5 lux are not noticeable |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of less than 5 lux are not noticeable |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
|
VSR10 |
Peng Chau |
High |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of less than 5 lux are not noticeable |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of less than 5 lux are not noticeable |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
|
VSR11 |
|
High |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of less than 5 lux are not noticeable |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of less than 5 lux are not noticeable |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
|
VSR12 |
|
Medium |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of less than 5 lux are not noticeable |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of less than 5 lux are not noticeable |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
|
VSR13 |
Ma Wan |
High |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of 5-10 lux are not noticeable |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of 5-10 lux are not noticeable |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
|
VSR14 |
Terminal 9 |
Low |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of 20 lux are not noticeable |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of 20 lux are not noticeable |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
|
VSR15 |
Tsing Yi Residential Area |
High |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of 5-10 lux are not noticeable |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of 5-10 lux are not noticeable |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
|
VSR16 |
Travellers across the Harbour |
Medium |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of less than 5 lux are not noticeable |
Negligible -
the presence of dredgers and increase of less than 5 lux are not noticeable |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
Insubstantial |
8.12
Environmental Monitoring and Audit Requirement
This
section defines the Environmental Monitoring and Audit (EM&A) requirements
that have been recommended to ensure that the proposed mitigation measures are
effectively implemented, as required in the EIA Study Brief 2.1 (xiv). An implementation schedule for Landscape and
Visual Mitigation Measure is provided as Table 8.6.
Although
the proposed Project is not expected to cause any adverse landscape, visual and
glare impacts, an environmental monitoring and audit programme is recommended
to ensure the proper implementation of mitigation measures. Details are
discussed in the EM&A Manual.
The potential landscape,
visual and glare impacts arising from the construction and operational phase of
the Project have been assessed.
As dredging activities will
not involve any land based works, no conflicts with any existing landscape
resources and landscape character areas during construction and operational
phases are anticipated.
The proposed works only involve
seabed dredging, and will be with only a
small number of dredgers to be used compared with the busy maritime traffic traversing the exiting fairways, the level of visual impact is
anticipated to be acceptable. There will be no significant visual
effects caused by the implementation of the Project on identified VSRs during
the construction or operational
phases.
The
proposed dredging works is not anticipated to cause any glare nuisance, as
there is no man-made light sources that are generated and directly pointing to
VSRs. Besides, no facilities or
equipment is installed with mirrors or any other polished materials and visa
shields to lights of dredgers is to be provided. As such, no unacceptable glare
impacts which potentially causing uncomfortable glare effects is anticipated.
Although
no adverse visual and glare effects were identified, all the precautionary
measures including installation of visa shields to the lights of dredgers, avoidance
of light source directly pointing to VSRs and switching off the lights when
they are not in use shall be checked throughout the implementation of the
Project to ensure the environmental performance in terms of visual and glare
nuisance.
Table 8.6: Landscape and Visual Mitigation Measures
Implementation Schedule
Id No. |
Landscape and Visual |
Location |
Funding |
Implementation/ |
Relevant Standard |
Implementation Stage * |
Timing of |
Objectives of the Recommended |
||
D |
C |
O |
||||||||
VM1 |
Visa
shields to the lights of dredgers shall be provided The
light source shall not point directly to any VSRs; Lights
shall be switched off if they are not in use |
Dredgers |
CEDD |
CEDD
(through
Contractor) |
TM-EIA |
√ |
√ |
√ |
Throughout
design, construction and operation phases |
To
ensure no direct or indirect visual and glare nuisances are generated |
* Implementation
Stage: D = Design Stage; C = Construction Stage; O = Operation Stage