3.The
Tuen Mun Sewerage Master Plan (TMSMP) Study completed in September
1993 identified a number of unsewered village clusters within
the Tuen Mun Master Plan study area. The lack of proper sewage
treatment in the area results in adverse water quality impact
to surrounding watercourses. The proposed Eastern Coastal
Sewerage Extension will improve the situation and provide
sewage collection and disposal for some of the unsewered villages.
4.The
four proposed sewage pumping stations located at Luen On San
Tsuen, Tai Lam Chung Tsuen, Tai Lam Valley and Castle Peak
Villas are classified as Designated Projects under F.3 of
Part I of Schedule 2 of the EIA Ordinance. The present EIA
addresses the overall environmental impacts arising from all
of the proposed works.
5.The
Director of Environmental Protection (DEP), in consultation
with relevant authorities, considers that the EIA report meets
the requirements of the EIA Study Brief and the Technical
Memorandum on Environmental Impact Assessment Process. Drainage
Services Department (DSD), the project proponent, has been
requested to initiate public consultation in accordance with
the requirements under the EIA Ordinance. Comments from the
ACE and the public will be taken into consideration before
DEP makes the final decision regarding the approval of the
EIA report.
Views
and Recommendations of EIA Subcommittee Members
6.Subcommittee
Members discussed the report at the meeting and were mainly
concerned about the potential construction noise impact of
the project.
7.In
that aspect, the project proponent undertook that appropriate
additional mitigation measures would be proposed and implemented
after detailed inspection of the site area. The proponent
was confident that in most cases the actual construction noise
level would be below 75 dB(A), much lower that the projection
of 1-19 dB(A) exceedance above the noise standards in the
EIA report. The only exception would be for the sensitive
receivers which were as close as just 1-2 m away from the
site and would unavoidably be subject to short-term residual
noise impacts despite various mitigation measures to be adopted.
However, it was expected that the affected residents would
be exposed to the noise impacts for only a total duration
of 2 to 4 hours for the whole project.
8.The
proponent expressed difficulties in specifying the appropriate
mitigation measures to be adopted for reducing the noise impacts
at that stage due to the changing circumstances during the
time gap of 4 to 5 years between the EIA study and the actual
implementation period of the project. They would however required
the contractor to submit a method statement in which the recommended
additional measures would be specified based on the on-site
situation for their endorsement before the commencement of
the works along narrow alleys.
9.The
Subcommittee agreed to recommend to the Council to endorse
the report with the condition that the proponent would submit
the method statement to DEP for endorsement before the commencement
of the works along narrow alleys.
Shenzhen
River Regulation Project Stage III
(ACE EIA Papers 6/2000)
10.The purpose of
regulating Shenzhen River is to increase its flood carrying
capacity to prevent the northern part of the New Territories
of Hong Kong Special Administration Region and the Lo Wu District
of Shenzhen City from flooding.
11.The project is
a Designated Project under Section A.2, Part I, Schedule 2
of the EIAO. The Shenzhen River Regulation Stage III works
involve deepening, widening and straightening of 4 km long
river channel upstream of Lo Wu Bridge. The Lo Wu Railway
Bridge, Lo Wu Old Footbridge and Man Kam To Bridge will be
disassembled and rebuilt to facilitate the widening of the
river channel.
12.DEP in consultation
with the relevant authorities considers that the report meets
the requirements of the EIA Study Brief and the Technical
Memorandum on Environmental Impact Assessment process provided
that all recommendations of the EIA report will be strictly
and conscientiously implemented and a stringent monitoring
and auditing programme will be adopted. DSD has been requested
to initiate public consultation in accordance with the requirements
under the EIAO. Comments from the ACE and the public will
be taken into consideration before DEP makes the final decision
regarding the approval of the EIA report.
Views and Recommendations
of EIA Subcommittee Members
13.Subcommittee
Members discussed the report at the meeting. The main concerns
were on the use of the regulated channel, cultural heritage,
spoil disposal arrangement, sedimentation rate and ecological
impact.
14.On the use of
the regulated channel of Shenzhen River, the proponent confirmed
that the sole purpose of the project was to alleviate the
flooding problem of the area concerned and there was no intention
to increase the navigation potential of the River through
the channel widening work.
15.On cultural heritage,
the proponent undertook that though it was infeasible to preserve
the Lo Wu Railway Bridge in-situ due to physical constraints,
the Bridge would be demolished and re-erected at an appropriate
location to be jointly decided by the Hong Kong SAR Government
and the Mainland authority. The heritage value of the Bridge
would be safeguarded by careful planning and implementation
of the whole exercise by an expert in that aspect to be employed.
16.On the disposal
arrangement of spoil, the proponent clarified that the option
of disposing most of the uncontaminated spoil at NeiLingDing
Marine Dumping Ground and the remaining at Nam Heng Middle
Valley as appropriate was preferred mainly due to its limited
environmental impacts and the efficient work schedule. The
project would be lengthened by 17 months if all uncontaminated
spoils were to be disposed of at NeiLingDing. The proposed
arrangement was also in line with the current practice and
those adopted in Stage I and II of the project. The proponent
however undertook to re-examine the recommended disposal option
with a view to reducing the amount of material to be filled
in Nam Hang by exploring other suitable local disposal sites.
The findings would be available before the next Council meeting
scheduled on 29 May 2000 to facilitate further discussion
at the meeting.
17.On the sedimentation
rate in the estuary resulted from the project, the proponent
clarified that no significant impact was predicted since the
Stage III regulating work would be 9 km away from the mouth
of the River. According to the latest findings reported by
the monitoring team up to mid 1999, the sedimentation rate
in the estuary was not significantly different from that before
the Stage I and II works started. To further monitor the situation,
the proponent agreed that a 2-year monitoring programme would
be conducted for the operation stage of the project in the
estuary.
18.On ecological
impact, the proponent confirmed that the necessary working
area for the implementation of the project and the habitat
affected in Nam Hang were already taken into account when
making the assessment in the report. It was agreed that the
proponent would produce a map showing the locations of the
affected ecological habitats and the proposed mitigation measures
for Members' reference.
19.The Subcommittee
Chairman proposed and Members agreed to recommend to the Council
to further discuss the disposal arrangement of spoil at Nam
Hang based on the information to be provided by the proponent
at the Council's next meeting to be held on 29 May 2000. Subject
to the discussion, the report would be recommended for the
Council's endorsement with the following conditions:
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