9
CONCLUSION
9.1
Introduction
9.1.1
This EIA Report has provided an assessment of
the potential environmental impacts associated with the construction and
operation of the development on the proposed CWB & IECL Project based on
the latest information available. The
key environmental outcomes arising from this EIA are:
• the existing air sensitive receivers
from Sheung Wan to
• as no adverse operational air quality
impacts at the existing and planned air sensitive receivers from Sheung Wan to
• the existing noise sensitive receivers
from Sheung Wan to Causeway Bay, including Korea Centre, Causeway Centre,
Elizabeth House, Riviera Mansion, Mayson Garden Building, Belle House and
Victoria Centre will be protected from adverse construction noise impact by the
recommended noise mitigation and control measures (Section 4.7) during construction phase; and
• the
recommended noise mitigation measures will be effectively alleviate the road
traffic noise impacts arising from the proposed new roads on the existing
residential noise sensitive receivers at
9.1.2
The Implementation Schedules of the
recommendations are presented in Section 10.
The principal findings of this Report are summarised below.
9.2
Air Quality Impact
Construction Phase
9.2.1
During construction phase, adverse dust impacts
are predicted at the ASRs from Sheung Wan to
CWB & IECL project (excluding
works entrusted to TDD), managed by HyD:
• strictly limit the truck speed on site
to below 10 km per hour and water spraying to keep the haul roads in wet
condition;
• twice daily watering of the work site with active operations when
the weather and the work site are dry;
• watering during excavation and material handling;
• provision of vehicle wheel and body
washing facilities at the exit points of the site, combined with cleaning of
public roads where necessary; and
• tarpaulin covering of all dusty
vehicle loads transported to, from and between site locations.
CWB entrusted works,
managed by TDD under WDII project:
• strictly limit the truck
speed on site to below 10 km per hour and water spraying to keep the haul roads
in wet condition;
• twice daily watering of
the work site with active operations when the weather and the work site are
dry;
• watering during
excavation and material handling;
• provision of vehicle wheel and body washing
facilities at the exit points of the site, combined with cleaning of public
roads where necessary; and
• tarpaulin covering of all dusty vehicle
loads transported to, from and between site locations.
strictly limit the truck speed on site to below 10
km per hour and water spraying to keep the haul roads in wet condition;
·twice
daily watering of the work site with active operations when the weather and the
work site are dry.;
·watering during excavation and material handling;
·provision
of vehicle wheel and body washing facilities at the exit points of the site,
combined with cleaning of public roads where necessary; and
·tarpaulin
covering of all dusty vehicle loads transported to, from and between site
locations.
CWB entrusted works, managed
by TDD under CRIII project:
• strictly limit the truck
speed on site to below 10 km per hour and water spraying to keep the haul roads
in wet condition;
• twice daily watering of
the work site with active operations when the weather and the work site are
dry;
• watering during
excavation and material handling;
• provision of vehicle wheel and body washing
facilities at the exit points of the site, combined with cleaning of public
roads where necessary; and
• tarpaulin covering of all dusty vehicle
loads transported to, from and between site locations.
·
strictly limit the truck
speed on site to below 10 km per hour and water spraying to keep the haul roads
in wet condition;
·
twice daily watering of the work site with active
operations when the weather and the work site are dry.;
·
watering during excavation
and material handling;
·
provision of vehicle wheel
and body washing facilities at the exit points of the site, combined with
cleaning of public roads where necessary; and
·
tarpaulin covering of all
dusty vehicle loads transported to, from and between site locations.
9.2.2
With the above mitigation measures, good site
practices and comprehensive dust monitoring and audit, no adverse cumulative
construction dust impact is predicted at the air sensitive areas.
Operational Phase
9.2.3
The dispersion of NO2, RSP and CO
arising from the background pollutant levels within and adjacent to the CWB
& IECL, vehicle emissions from open road networks, tunnel portal and
ventilation building emissions from the CWB & IECL, tunnel portal emissions
from the Cross Harbour Tunnel, and portal emissions from the existing
underpasses and the planned deckovers was modelled.
9.2.4
With the proposed tunnel portals and
ventilation building emissions as well as the design of the ventilation
buildings for the CWB & IECL, no adverse cumulative air quality impact is
predicted at the air sensitive receivers.
Therefore, no mitigation measures are required.
9.2.5
For the air pollution within the tunnel section
of the CWB & IECL, monitoring of tunnel air quality should be required to
ensure the acceptability of the tunnel air quality criteria.
9.3
Noise Impact
Construction Phase
9.3.1
This assessment has
predicted the construction noise impacts associated with the construction works
of the proposed Project and other concurrent projects including the CRIII, the
WDII and the Causeway Bay Flyover. With
the use of silenced equipment, movable noise barriers, reduction in the number
of some PMEs and PMEs percentage on-time for some construction tasks at some
specific locations, the predicted noise levels of all residential
representative NSRs and the open arena of Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
would comply with the EIAO-TM construction noise criteria. Noise exceedances are still predicted at two
performing art centres (Art Centre and HKCEC Extension). However, these NSRs are equipped with
central air-conditioning system and good noise insulation facilities. Since they do not rely on openable windows
for ventilation, adverse noise impacts are therefore not expected at these NSRs
and further mitigation measures for these NSRs will not be required. Exceedance of the noise criterion is also
predicted at Peoples’ Liberation Army Headquarters, dominantly due to
construction noise from CRIII project.
However, movable noise barrier will be adopted during CRIII construction
and the PLA Headquarters are equipped with air conditioning. Therefore, no adverse noise impact is
expected on the concerned receivers. A
construction noise EM&A is recommended to check compliance with the noise
criteria.
Operational Phase
9.3.2
The potential road traffic noise impacts have
been assessed for the worst-case traffic flows in 2027. Most of the noise sensitive receivers are
predicted to exceed the EIAO-TM traffic noise criteria. Direct mitigation measures such as vertical
barriers, cantilevered barriers and semi-enclosure have been proposed on the
‘New’ roads to alleviate the traffic noise impacts. With the implementation of all recommended practicable direct
mitigation measures, exceedances are still predicted at most of the NSRs
dominantly due to existing roads except the Victoria Centre. As all direct mitigation measures are
exhausted, eligibility assessment for the provision of indirect technical
remedies has been undertaken for these NSRs as well as other NSRs.
9.3.3
According to the eligibility assessment
results, no NSRs are eligible for the consideration of indirect technical
remedies in the form of window insulation and air-conditioning since none of
them could fulfil all of the eligibility criteria.
9.3.4
Assessment has been undertaken for fixed plant
noise arising from the proposed ventilation building. The predicted ventilation
shaft noise levels at the NSRs in the vicinity of ventilation buildings would
comply with the EIAO-TM if silencers are provided at all exhaust fans for the
proposed three ventilation buildings and included in the design
specification. With the consideration
of cumulative ventilation shaft noise impacts from NHKIL ventilation building,
no exceedance of EIAO-TM is expected at the representative NSRs as the noise
level generated from NHKIL ventilation building should comply with the EIAO-TM
and NCO requirement.
9.4
Water Quality Impact
9.4.1
As no reclamation will be undertaken directly
for the CWB & IECL, the primary concern with regard to water quality will
be the control of runoff during construction.
This could potentially contain elevated concentrations of SS, and could
impact upon the flushing and cooling water intakes located along the Victoria
Harbour waterfront, identified as potential sensitive receivers. However, the potential water quality impacts
could be controlled to comply with the WPCO standards by implementing the
recommended mitigation measures. No
unacceptable residual water quality impact is anticipated.
9.4.2
Mitigation measures with adequate maintenance
are also recommended to remove oil and grease from the road runoff during
operation. No unacceptable residual
water quality is expected.
9.5
Construction Waste Management and
Disposal
9.5.1
Provided that waste arisings from the
construction of the CWB & IECL are handled, transported and disposed of
using approved methods as recommended in Section 6.7, and that no solid or
liquid wastes enter nearby marine waters, no unacceptable environmental impacts
are envisioned. In most cases, the
inert C&D material can be reused within the project or at reclamation or
public filling areas, whilst the non-inert C&D material will be disposed of
to landfill.
9.5.2
The mitigation measures recommended in this EIA
Report should be incorporated into contract specifications to ensure that
environmental nuisance does not arise from the storage, transport and disposal
of various types of waste arising from the construction of the CWB & IECL. These recommendations should form the basis
of the site Waste Management Plan to be developed by the Contractor at the
construction stage.
9.6
Landscape and Visual Impact
Construction Phase
The potential significant residual impacts during the construction phase
will be:
Landscape Impacts
9.6.1
Moderate adverse impacts occur through
vegetation removal at the eastern and western above ground sections of the CWB
& IECL. Significant adverse impacts
will occur through close proximity to the construction works at Royal Hong Kong
Yacht Club (RHKYC), Police Officers’ Club (POC), Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter
and Promenade; their quality of recreation use will be significantly affected.
Visual
Impacts
9.6.2
Significant adverse impacts along the majority
of the CWB & IECL length from buildings with a harbour outlook, especially
in Causeway Bay, Tin Hau and Tai Hang districts. Moderate / significant adverse impacts on near or adjoining open
space and recreation areas such as the Victoria Park, RHKYC, POC, and Causeway
Bay Typhoon Shelter and Promenade.
Moderate adverse impacts on VSR’s with distant views from Tsim Sha Tsui
waterfront.
Operational Phase
9.6.3
Residual impacts in operation phase are taken
at Year 10 when planting is assumed to have been matured providing screening
effect. The potential significant
residual impacts during the operational phase will be:
Landscape Impacts
9.6.4
Significant adverse impacts at RHKYC and
Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter and moderate / significant adverse at the future
WDII waterfront open space due to the dominance of the elevated IECL and its
associated noise abatements. Moderate
adverse impacts will be incurred at the POC, and Victoria Park and Victoria
Park Road due to the dominance of the elevated IEC structures.
Visual Impacts
9.6.5
Significant to moderate / significant adverse
impacts on VSRs are generally in the Tin Hau, Tai Hang, Causeway Bay and Wan
Chai districts where numerous residential and hotel buildings have clear views
of the IEC. The Central area will have
one significant adverse impact VSR – the residential units at Shun Tak
Centre. Airport Railway Hong Kong
Station Northern Site Development will have a moderate / significant adverse
impact due to the West Ventilation Building having similar height as the
development’s future outdoor terrace. Moderate
/ significant adverse impact also occurs at the RHKYC, the POC, the Causeway
Bay Typhoon Shelter and Promenade, future waterfront open space within WDII,
and future waterfront related commercial and leisure uses within WDII due to
the close view of the elevated IECL.
9.6.6
Overall in the context of Annex 10 of the
EIAO-TM, the landscape and visual impacts are acceptable with mitigation
measures during the construction and operational phases of the Project. The proposed mitigation measures for the
tunnel and above ground sections are summarised in Table 7.5.
9.6.7
Residential
receivers at Riviera Mansion, Prospect Mansion, Miami Mansion, Highland
Mansion, Marco Polo Mansion, Victoria Park Mansion, Chesterfield Mansion
(VSR51) with significant adverse visual impact are in a location where the
total height of the proposed elevated IECL and the associated 5.5 m high
vertical noise barrier and 5.5 m high with 2 m cantilevered noise barrier will
become an imposing feature to the residential flats facing the harbour. The Project will pose
a key concern on the issue of visual impact to this localised area in Causeway
Bay. Other VSR’s categorised with
significant adverse impacts are Gloucester Road 160-233 (VSRVSR44), Elizabeth
House (VSR45), Top Glory Tower/Hoi Kung Court/Hoi To court/Hoi Dee Court
(VSR47), Belle House, Gordon House (VSR61), Mayson Garden Building (VSR62),
Victoria Court (VSR63), Viking Court (VSR64), Triumph Court (VSR65), Park
Towers (VSR66), King’s Road 2-14 (VSR67), and Harbour Heights (VSR72). The mitigation measures proposed at these
areas within the Project have limited potential to reduce the scale of the
impact. Future developments and landscape proposals undertaken within adjoining
projects at the Wan Chai Development Phase II project area may alleviate some
adverse impacts by offering a high quality alternative view.
9.7
Overall Conclusion
9.7.1
The findings of this EIA have provided
information on the nature and extent of environmental impacts arising from the
construction and operation of the Project.
The EIA has, where appropriate, identified mitigation measures to ensure
compliance with environmental legislation and standards.
9.7.2
Overall, the EIA Report for the development of
CWB & IECL has predicted that the Project will comply with environmental
standards and legislation after the proposed construction and operational stage
mitigation measures are implemented.
This EIA has also demonstrated the general acceptability of the residual
impacts from the Project and the protection of the population and
environmentally sensitive resources.
Environmental monitoring and audit mechanisms have been recommended
before and during construction and operation, where necessary, to verify the
accuracy of the EIA predictions and the effectiveness of recommended mitigation
measures.