1 Introduction

1.1 Purpose of the Manual

This Environmental Monitoring and Audit (EM&A) Manual has been prepared by ERM as a supplementary document of the Agreement No. CE 31/99 Yuen Long and Kam Tin Sewerage and Sewerage Disposal Stage 1 Sewers, Rising Mains and Ancillary Pumping Stations Environment Impact Assessment and Traffic Impact Assessment - (Designated and Potentially Designated Elements (DE) Report).

The purpose of the EM&A Manual is to provide information, guidance and instruction to personnel charged with environmental duties and those responsible for undertaking environmental monitoring and auditing work during the construction and operational phases of Designated Elements and Potentially Designated Elements of the Project (EIA(DE) Study). It provides systematic procedures for the monitoring and auditing of potential environmental impacts that may arise from the works.

1.2 Background to the Study

The Study commenced in December 1999 having been commissioned by the Drainage Services Department (DSD). The Project is part of the Yuen Long and Kam Tin Sewerage and Sewage Disposal (YLKTSSD) scheme. The overall scheme provides for the phased development of the sewerage system to cater for the existing and additional developments in the NWNT area up to the year 2016. The scheme was recommended under the Review of Yuen Long and Kam Tin Sewerage and Sewage Treatment Requirements completed in January 1999 by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) (the Review Report). The Project area for this assignment is presented in Figure 1.2a.

As part of the Study requirements, this Project specific EM&A Manual has been prepared to provide further details of the specific EM&A requirements that have been recommended during the construction and operation of EIA(DE) Study. In particular, the requirements for ensuring compliance with the mitigation measures specified for noise, dust, water quality, waste management, land contamination, ecology, fisheries, cultural heritage and landscape and visual impacts are defined.

1.2.1 Proposed Works

The scope of this EIA Study includes the Designated and Potentially Designated Elements of the Project that includes the construction and operation of approximately 10km of trunk sewerage system with five sections of sewers/rising mains and seven associated pumping stations.

Under the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO), Environmental Permits (EPs) are issued prior to the construction of a Designated Project (DP). A DP is a project that is deemed to require a detailed environmental assessment prior to the approval from the Environmental Protection Department (EPD). A list of Designated and Potentially Designated Elements are listed in Table 1.2a, and are shown in Figure 1.2b. The alignment of the Project is largely along existing roads or maintenance access roads for the Kam Tin Main Drainage Channel.

Table 1.2a Designated and Potentially Designated Elements of the Project

Item	Locations
Designated Elements - The following items are regarded as Designated Projects by virtue of Item Q1 of the Schedule 2, Part I of the EIAO.
S4	Sewers/rising mains between Kam Tin sewage pumping station (KTPS) and Nam Sang Wai sewage pumping station (NSWPS) [2.8km 8km running along maintenance access road of Kam Tin MDC with one crossing beneath the MDC].
S6	Sewers/rising mains from NSWPS to Yuen Long sewage treatment works (YLSTWs) [3km running along maintenance access road of Kam Tin MDC with two crossings beneath the MDC].
Potentially Designated Elements - The following items could potentially become Designated Projects in the context of the ongoing “Planning and Development Study on North West New Territories”.
S1	Sewers/rising mains along Kam Tin Main Drainage Channel (MDC) from Shui Tsan Tin sewage pumping station (STTPS) to Ng Ka Tsuen sewage pumping station (NKTPS) [1.8km running along maintenance access road of Kam Tin MDC]. (by virtue of Item Q1 of the Schedule 2, Part 1 of the EIAO)
S2	Sewers/rising mains along Kam Tin MDC from Pang Ka Tsuen sewage pumping station (PKTPS) to KTPS [1.3km running along maintenance access road of Kam Tin MDC]. (by virtue of Item Q1 of the Schedule 2, Part 1 of the EIAO)
S5	Branch sewers/rising mains from Sha Po sewage pumping station (SPPS) to item S4 [1.2km running along maintenance access road of Kam Tin MDC and existing roads]. (by virtue of Item Q1 of the Schedule 2, Part 1 of the EIAO)
P1	Kam Tin Sewage Pumping Station (KTPS) [Design Flow = 37,409 m³ day^-1]. (by virtue of Item F3 (b) of the Schedule 2, Part 1 of the EIAO)
P2	Sha Po Sewage Pumping Station (SPPS) [Design Flow = 21,944 m³ day^-1]. (by virtue of Item F3 (b) of the Schedule 2, Part 1 of the EIAO)
P4	Shui Tsan Tin Sewage Pumping Station (STTPS) [Design Flow = 2,712 m³ day^-1]. (by virtue of Item F3 (b) of the Schedule 2, Part 1 of the EIAO)
P5	Ng Ka Tsuen Sewage Pumping Station (NKTPS) [Design Flow = 27,842 m³ day^-1]. (by virtue of Item F3 (b) of the Schedule 2, Part 1 of the EIAO)
The following are classified as potentially designated elements of the Project for the sake of assessment under this Study in the light of possible changing circumstances of the ongoing planning for the areas.
P3	Nam Sang Wai Sewage Pumping Station (NSWPS) [Design Flow = 68,702 m³ day^-1].
P6	Pang Ka Tsuen Sewage Pumping Station (PKTPS) [also known as Kam Tin San Tsuen Sewage Pumping Station] [Design Flow = 1,792 m³ day^-1].
P7	Leung Uk Tsuen Sewage Pumping Station (LUTPS) [Design Flow = 1,360m³ day^-1].

1.3 Project Construction

The construction of the Designated and Potentially Designated Elements will be carried out in two DSD works packages (1A-1T and 1B-1T), as presented in Table 1.3a.

Table 1.3a Construction Period

Package		Construction Period
*1A-1T Kam Tin Trunk Sewerage Phase 1*		Aug 2003 - Feb 2006
· (S2) Sewers/rising mains along Kam Tin MDC from PKTPS to KTPS.
· (S4) Sewers/rising mains between KTPS and NSWPS;
· (S5) Branch sewers/rising mains from SPPS to item S4.
· Part of (S3) Sewers/rising mains in the Kam Tin/Shek Kong areas upstream of Kam Tin Sewage Pumping Station
· (S7) Sewers in Au Tau Area
· (S6) Sewers/rising mains from NSWPS to YLSTWs;
· (P1) KTPS;
· (P2) SPPS;
· (P3) NSWPS;
*1B-1T Kam Tin Trunk Sewerage Phase 2*		Jun 2004 - Nov 2006
· (S1) Sewers/rising mains along Kam Tin MDC from STTPS to NKTPS.
· Part of (S3) Sewers/rising mains in the Kam Tin/Shek Kong areas upstream of Kam Tin Sewage Pumping Station
· (P4) STTPS;
· (P5) NKTPS;
· (P6) PKTPS;
· (P7) LUTPS;
*1A-2T Sewers/Rising Mains between Ha Tsuen SPS and San Wai STW*	Aug 2004 - Feb 2008
· (S8) Sewers/Rising Mains between Ha Tsuen SPS and San Wai STW

The construction works for the Designated Elements and Potentially Designated Elements (and hence the scope of this EIA Study) will fall under packages 1A-1T and 1B-1T (Items in bold).

The construction of pumping stations varies in duration from 12 to 24 months and will be undertaken simultaneously. The construction time for the sewers and rising mains varies from 24 to 36 months and the Temporary Traffic Measures recommended by Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) Study will also have implications for the construction programme. The normal working hours are from 7am to 7 pm, Monday to Saturday (except Public Holidays). No construction works outside the normal working hours are envisaged.

1.4 Study Area

The Project is located in the Sub-urban area of Yuen Long and Kam Tin. According to the definitions described in the Study Brief, study areas in relation to specific environmental aspects are as defined in Table 1.4a and are shown graphically in Figure 1.2b.

Table 1.4a Study Area for Specific Environmental Aspects

Environmental Aspects	Study Area
Construction dust impact	Within 500m of the Project boundary.
Noise impact	Within 300m of the Project boundary.
Water quality impact	Within 300m of the Project boundary.
Waste management	Within 500m of the Project boundary.
Land contamination	Area within Project boundaries
Ecological impact (both aquatic and terrestrial)	500m from either side and along the full stretch of the Project boundary and adjacent areas likely to be affected by the Project.
Fisheries impact	500m from either side and along the full stretch of the Project boundary and adjacent areas likely to be affected by the Project.
Cultural heritage	150m from either side and along the full stretch of the Project boundary and adjacent areas likely to be affected by the Project.
Landscape and visual impact	All areas within a 500m distance from the proposed Project for landscape impact assessment and a 8 km radius visual envelope for visual impact assessment.

1.5 Objectives of the Environmental Monitoring and Audit Programme

The construction and operational impacts resulting from the implementation of the Project are specified in the main content of the EIA (DE) - Final Report. The Report also specifies the mitigation measures that need to be implemented to ensure compliance with the required environmental criteria; these mitigation measures and their implementation requirements, are presented in an Implementation Schedule. In order to ensure that these mitigation measures are fully and effectively implemented, the EIA recommends that EM&A should be undertaken for air, noise, water, waste, land contamination, ecology, fisheries, cultural heritage and landscape and visual issues where appropriate.

This Manual provides details of those EM&A requirements that have been recommended to ensure compliance with the mitigation measures specified in the EIA (DE). As the Project comprises of Designated Elements (DP’s) and Potentially Designated Elements, this EM&A Manual has been compiled in such a manner so that each works package comprising of Designated and Potentially Designated Elements can be implemented independently of each other, as outlined in Table 1.3a. The main sections of this EM&A Manual provides a general account of the monitoring and audit requirements for all of the project elements, while the specific EM&A requirements for each of the two DSD works packages are defined in Annexes A and B and the Implementation Schedule in Annex E.

The main objectives of the EM&A programme are:

· to provide a database against which any short or long term environmental impacts of the project can be determined;

· to provide an early indication should any of the environmental control measures or practices fail to achieve the acceptable standards;

· to monitor the performance of the project and the effectiveness of mitigation measures;

· to verify the environmental impacts predicted in the EIA Study;

· to determine project compliance with regulatory requirements, standards and government policies;

· to take remedial action if unexpected problems or unacceptable impacts arise; and

· to provide data against which environmental audits may be undertaken.

1.6 The Scope of the Environmental Monitoring and Audit Programme

The scope of this EM&A programme is to:

· establish baseline noise, air and water quality levels at specified locations and review these baseline levels every six months;

· implement monitoring and inspection requirements for noise, air and water quality impact monitoring programmes;

· implement inspection and audit requirements for waste management, landscape and visual, ecology and fisheries issues;

· liaise with, and provide environmental advice (as requested or when otherwise necessary) to construction site staff on the comprehension and consequences of the environmental monitoring data;

· identify and resolve environmental issues and other functions as they may arise from the works;

· check and quantify the Contractor's overall environmental performance, implementation of Event and Action Plans (EAPs), and remedial actions taken to mitigate adverse environmental effects as they may arise from the works;

· conduct monthly reviews of monitored impact data as the basis for assessing compliance with the defined criteria and to ensure that necessary mitigation measures are identified and implemented, and to undertake additional ad hoc monitoring and auditing as required by special circumstances;

· evaluate and interpret all environmental monitoring data to provide an early indication should any of the environmental control measures or practices fail to achieve the acceptable standards, and to verify the environmental impacts predicted in the EIA;

· manage and liaise with other individuals or parties concerning other environmental issues deemed to be relevant to the construction process;

· conduct regular site inspections of a formal or informal nature to assess:

· the level of the Contractor's general environmental awareness,

· the Contractor's implementation of the recommendations in the EIA;

· the Contractor's performance as measured by the EM&A;

· the need for specific mitigation measures to be implemented or the continued usage of those previously agreed; and

· to advise the site staff of any identified potential environmental issues;

· submit monthly EM&A reports which summarise project monitoring and auditing data, with full interpretation illustrating the acceptability or otherwise of any environmental impacts and identification or assessment of the implementation status of agreed mitigation measures.

1.7 Structure of the EM&A Manu al

Following this introductory Section, the remainder of the Manual is set out as follows:

· Section 2 outlines the wider aspects of Environmental Management which should be employed during construction to minimise environmental impacts;

· Section 3 presents the organisation and structure of the Environmental Team, outlines the various parties involved in the EM&A process, the responsibilities and contact details of key individuals;

· Section 4 sets out the EM&A general requirements;

· Section 5 details the requirements for baseline and impact monitoring for air quality, and lists relevant monitoring equipment, compliance and EAPs;

· Section 6 details the requirements for baseline and impact monitoring for noise, and lists relevant monitoring equipment, compliance and Event and Action Plans (EAP);

· Section 7 details the requirements for baseline and impact monitoring for water quality, and lists relevant monitoring equipment, compliance and EAPs.

· Section 8 details the audit procedures with regard to waste management issues;

· Section 9 details the audit procedures with regard to land contamination issues;

· Section 10 details the audit procedures with regard to ecology issues;

· Section 11 details the audit procedures with regard to fisheries issues;

· Section 12 details the audit procedures with regard to cultural and heritage issues;

· Section 13 details the audit procedures with regard to landscape and visual issues;

· Section 14 describes the scope and frequency of site auditing;

· Section 15 details the EM&A reporting requirements;

· Annex A details the specific EM&A requirements for 1A-1T Kam Tin Truck Sewerage Phase 1 Works Contract;

· Annex B details the specific EM&A requirements for 1B-1T Kam Tin Truck Sewerage Phase 2 Works Contract;

· Annex C monitoring locations;

· Annex D Proforma for Construction Phase EM&A Programme; and

· Annex E Implementation Schedule.

The EM&A Manual is an evolving document that should be updated to maintain its relevance as the Project progresses. It is suggested that the first revision to the EM&A Manual takes place when the monitoring locations have been agreed with the Engineer, IEC and EPD, and when the proposed work processes and activities have been determined following any supplementary environmental reviews which may be required. The focus for these reviews of the EM&A Manual will be to ensure that the impacts predicted and the recommended mitigation measures remain consistent and appropriate to the manner in which the works are to be carried out.

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