9. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND AUDIT

9.1 Existing Legislation and Procedures

9.1.1 An Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO), enacted in 1998, requires certain projects to have an environmental impact assessment. To commence construction of the project, the proponent is required to obtain a permit.

9.1.2 There are provisions within the Ordinance for a Technical Memorandum (TM), which will allow EM&A requirements to be imposed as conditions in environmental permits. The Technical Memorandum specifies detailed requirements for the EM&A manual.

9.1.3 Current procedures reflect administrative requirement put forward by EPD during the EIA process. Detailed monitoring and audit requirements have been defined by EPD in the “Generic Environmental Monitoring and Audit Manual, May 1996”. This includes information on environmental mitigation measures, monitoring locations and parameters, action and limit levels, measurement frequency, event/action plans, site environmental audits, project programme, organisation structure of the EM&A team, complaints response procedures and requirements for reporting.

9.1.4 Recently, EPD has also issued “the Environmental Monitoring and Audit Guidelines for Development Projects in Hong Kong” (the Guidelines) to provide a framework for preparation of an EM&A manual. The Guidelines set out EM&A programme/procedures for all stages of a project development, from design to operation. It also provides a wide coverage of environmental management and organisational requirements.

9.2 Existing Environment and Baseline Monitoring

9.2.1 Descriptions for the existing environment and (where appropriate) monitoring data are contained in the preceding sections of this report. Further baseline monitoring will be specified in the EM&A Manual. The baseline monitoring parameters will include air quality and noise.

9.2.2 The proposed Roads D1, D8, D10 and extended Road P2 will all be formed on existing reclamation and thus no dredging nor reclamation activities will be required. Marine-based construction works involving non-displacement type bored piling will only be required for the piers supporting the elevated section of Road D10 across the proposed extension of the eastern drainage channel. The bored piling works are expected to result in minimal disturbance to the seabed and the excavation of sediment will be confined within the casing. The construction works are therefore not anticipated to result in any unacceptable impacts on marine water quality. Furthermore, the pile supports for the Road D10 elevated section would not form a barrier to leachate seepage from the TKO Stage 1 landfill and thus it is expected that there would not be any significant change to the leachate migration profile at the landfill. As such, monitoring of marine water quality during the construction and operation phases of the Project is not considered to be warranted.

9.3 Methodology Proposed and Specification of EM&A Programme

9.3.1 Site measurement of air quality and noise will be required during the construction phase. These measurements will ensure acceptable levels of environmental impact are maintained including protection of ecological features. The Study EM&A manual has been produced with reference to the TM under the EIAO, EPD’s Generic Environmental and Audit Manual as well as the EM&A Guidelines. It contains full details of the proposed baseline, compliance and post-project monitoring programme.

9.4 Environmental Performance Specifications and Action Plans

9.4.1 Based on the results of the quantitative assessments, environmental performance standards, specifications, action plans and implementation schedules for the mitigation measures are put forward in the EM&A manuals.

9.5 Environmental Audit Requirements and Procedures

9.5.1 It is recognised that audit of the site to check on implementation of specified mitigation measures is an essential part of pro-active EM&A. Pro-formas have been produced for site auditors to complete and are included in the EM&A manual.

9.5.2 The EM&A Manual also specifies the EM&A programme for this study including the following aspects:

· Air quality

· Noise (construction noise and traffic noise)

· Water quality (including leachate monitoring and contingency plan for potentially contaminated groundwater)

· Solid waste

· Landfill gas monitoring

· Landscape and visual.