1.1
Background
Information
1.1.1 On 18 April 2001, Highways Department (HyD) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region appointed Mouchel Asia Ltd, under Agreement No. CE 13/2001, to provide professional services in respect of the Improvement to Tung Chung Road between Lung Tseng Tau and Cheung Sha Investigation and Preliminary Design Assignment. The Project comprises the improvement of the existing Tung Chung Road between Lung Tseng Tau in North Lantau and Cheung Sha in South Lantau. The improved road should connect with the existing road in Lung Tseng Tau in the north and South Lantau Road in the vicinity of Cheung Sha in the south. The location of the “Broad Corridor for Alignment Options” for the Project as given in the Assignment Brief is shown in Figure 1.1.
1.1.2 The Assignment Brief requires the Consultants to:
¨ refine the preliminary alignment presented in the Assignment Brief with a view to improving the road gradients, road bends and minimising the environmental impacts and impacts on the Country Park;
¨ produce at least six alignment options with different horizontal or vertical alignments within the “Broad Corridor for Alignment Options”, including at least two underpass/ short tunnel options (not exceeding 600 m in length);
¨ make a comprehensive comparison of all the alignments, taking into account all relevant factors, and recommend a preferred alignment option and road connection detail with South Lantau Road; and
¨ investigate all possible future usage of the existing sections of Tung Chung Road made obsolete by the construction of the new road.
1.1.3 Based upon this, 4 northern and 4 southern alignment options have been considered and following a comprehensive option assessment process, the best overall solution selected. The selected alignment is shown in Figure 1.2.
1.1.4 The project is a designated project under Sections A.1 of Schedule 2 of the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO). As such the statutory procedures under the EIAO need to be followed and an environmental permit is required to be obtained prior to the commencement of construction. Thus, as part of this assignment, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been undertaken.
1.1.5 The EIA for the project has recommended comprehensive Environmental Monitoring and Audit requirements to be undertaken during the construction and operational stages of the project. This Report constitutes the Environmental Monitoring and Audit (EM&A) Manual for the proposed improved Tung Chung Road Project, providing details of the EM&A recommendations.
1.1.6
The Hong Kong SAR
Government’s applicable environmental regulations for noise, air quality,
ecology, water quality, landscape and visual resources and waste management and
heritage protection, the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines and
recommendations in the Improvement to Tung Chung Road between Lung Tseng Tau
and Cheung Sha EIA Report have served as guidance documents in the preparation
of this Manual. This EM&A Manual
fulfills the requirements of the Study Agreement, Clause 6.3.6.6, and follows
the approach recommended in EPD’s Generic EM&A Manual, Annex 21 of the
Technical Memorandum on the EIA Process and EM&A Guidelines for Development
Projects in Hong Kong.
1.2.1 The
Engineer’s Representative (ER) and the Contractor shall adopt Environmental
Policy Statements in accordance with the requirements of this Manual in order
to foster a sound EM&A programme to protect the environment. The following policy statements shall be
adopted:
¨
establish a
commitment to environmental excellence in all activities arising from the
development project;
¨
encourage the
adoption of environmental management principles to prevent potential impacts
and minimise adverse impacts; and
¨
commit to the
recommendations in the EIA study report and related EIA process requirements.
1.3.1
The
broad objective of this EM&A Manual is to define the procedures of the
EM&A programme for monitoring the environmental performance of the improved
Tung Chung Road project during design, construction and implementation. It
should be noted that the EM&A requirements detailed in this Manual are not
applicable to detailed ground investigation works which will be undertaken in
advance of the main construction works.
The detailed ground investigation will be undertaken in two stages about
one year before the main works commences, the first stage being undertaken by
the Term Contractor and the second phase will be tendered. As such, there will be no provision to
instigate the proposed EM&A activities at this time as the Environmental
Team and Independent Environmental Checker will not be in place until before
the main works contracts. However, the
mitigation measures recommended in the EIA for the GI apply and these will be
supervised by the detailed design consultants.
1.3.2
The
manual provides details of the environmental monitoring requirements arising
from the EIA including air, noise and water quality, as well as audit
recommendations for the noise, air, water quality, ecology, landscape and
visual, waste and cultural heritage. The purposes of the defined EM&A
programme are as follows:
¨
to ensure the
specified mitigation recommendations of the EIA are included in the design of
the project;
¨
to clarify and identify
sources of pollution, impact and nuisance arising from the works;
¨
to confirm
compliance with legal, contract specifications and EIA study recommendations;
¨
to provide an
early warning system for impact prevention;
¨
to provide a
database of environmental parameters against which to determine any short term
or long term environmental impacts;
¨
to propose timely,
cost-effective and viable solutions to actual or potential environmental
issues;
¨
to monitor
performance of the mitigation measures and to assess their effectiveness and,
whenever necessary, identify any further need for additional measures;
¨
to verify the EIA
predicted impacts;
¨
to collate
information and evidence for use in public, District Council and Government
consultation; and
¨
to audit environmental
performance.
1.3.2
EM&A procedures are
required during the design, construction and operational phases of the project
implementation and a summary of the requirements for each of the environmental
parameters is detailed in Table 1.1 below.
Table 1.1 Summary of EM&A Requirements
|
Parameter |
EM&A Phase |
||
|
Design Phase |
Construction Phase |
Operational Phase |
|
|
Air Quality |
|
U |
|
|
Noise |
|
U |
U |
|
Ecology |
U |
U |
U |
|
Water Quality |
|
U |
|
|
Landscape and
Visual |
U |
U |
U |
|
Waste |
|
U |
|
|
Cultural
Heritage |
|
U |
|
1.4 Scope of the EM&A Programme
1.4.1 The scope of the EM&A programme is to
undertake the following:
(i) Implement
monitoring and audit activities for each environmental parameter as follows:
Dust: a) Establish baseline dust levels at specified locations and review these levels on a regular basis.
b) Implement construction dust impact monitoring programme.
Noise: a) Establish baseline noise, levels at specified locations and review these levels on a regular basis.
b) Implement construction noise impact monitoring programme.
c) Implement an operational noise impact monitoring programme.
Ecology: a) Implement
design phase audit for ecological transplantation specifications and design
integrated ecological mitigation measures.
b)
Implement baseline survey to establish existing ecological
conditions.
c)
Implement construction phase audit requirements for ecology
resources.
d)
Implement operational phase audit requirements for restoration and
transplantation activities.
Water Quality: a) Establish
baseline water quality levels at specified locations and review these levels on
a regular basis.
b) Implement construction water quality impact
monitoring programme.
Landscape a) Design
detailed landscape specifications.
and Visual b) Implement
baseline survey to establish/confirm
existing
landscape and visual conditions.
c) Implement
construction phase audit requirements for landscape and visual resources.
d) Implement
operational phase audit requirements for landscape and visual aspects.
Waste a) Implement
construction phase audit requirements for waste aspects.
Heritage a) Implement walkover survey to confirm existing conditions.
b) Implement construction phase audit
requirements for historical resources.
(ii) Liaison
and provision of advice to construction site staff on the purposes and
implementation of the EM&A programme.
(iii) Identify
and resolve environmental issues that may arise from the project.
(iv) Check
and quantify the Contractor’s overall performance, implement Event/Action Plans
and recommend and implement remedial actions to mitigate adverse environmental
effects as identified by the EM&A programme and EIA.
(v)
Conduct monthly
reviews of monitored impact data during the construction phase and bi-monthly
reviews during the operational phase as the basis for assessing compliance with
defined criteria and ensuring that necessary mitigation measures are
identified, designed and implemented and to undertake additional ad hoc
monitoring and audit as required by particular circumstances.
(vi) 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.
(vii) Manage
and liaise with other individuals or parties concerning any relevant
environmental issues.
(viii) Audit
the effectiveness of the Environmental Management System (EMS) practices and
procedures and implement any changes as appropriate.
(ix) Conduct
regular site audits of 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.
(x) Submit
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.
1.4.2 Thus, this EM&A Manual provides the
following information:
(i) Description of the project.
(ii) Identification and recommendations for
monitoring requirements for all phases of development, including:
C identification of sensitive receivers;
C monitoring locations;
C monitoring parameters and frequencies;
C monitoring equipment to be used;
C programmes for baseline monitoring and
impact monitoring; and
C data management of monitoring results.
(iii) The organisation management structure,
and procedures for auditing of the Project and implementation of mitigation
measures that are recommended for the Project.
(iv) The environmental quality performance
limits for compliance auditing for each of the recommended monitoring
parameters to ensure compliance with relevant environmental quality objectives,
statutory or planning standards.
(v) Organisation and management structure,
and procedures for reviewing the design submissions, monitoring results and auditing
the compliance of the monitoring data with the environmental quality
performance limits, contractual and regulatory requirements, and environmental
policies and standards.
(vi) Event and Action plans for impact and
compliance procedures.
(vii) Complaints handling, liaison and
consultation procedures.
(viii) Interim notification of exceedances,
reporting procedures, report formats and reporting frequency including
periodical quarterly summary reports and annual reviews to cover all
construction, post-Project and operational phases of the development.
(ix) Implementation schedules, summarising all
recommended mitigation measures.
1.4.3 This Manual is considered to be a working
document and should be reviewed periodically and revised once substantial
changes have been made.
1.5.1 For the purpose of this EM&A Manual,
the Highways Department of the Hong Kong SAR Government is referred to as the
“Employer” and the Project “Engineer” defined as the Engineer’s Representative
(ER), who will be responsible for the supervision of the construction of the
Project.
1.5.2 The specifications for certain ecological
and landscape mitigation measures recommended by the EIA will be required to be
designed during the detailed design phase of the project. These items will include:
¨
transplantation
of the shrub Pavetta
hongkongensis, orchids Acampe rigida and Liparis
viridiflora and tree Artocarpus hypargyreus;
¨
special
design of new culverts and culvert inlet and outlets for streams 19 and
21(Figure 6.1) and culvert inlet and outlets for Stream
18;
¨
translocation
of Hong Kong Newt, Lesser Spiny Frog and Romer’s Tree Frog from streams 15, 18,
19 and 21;
¨
scheduling
of works in streams 15, 18, 19 and 21 to avoid the period
April to June which is the key breeding period for fish, amphibians and odonates;
¨
translocation
of Romer’s Tree Frog between Lung Tseng Tau and Shek Mun Kap;
¨
provision
of water filled pots as habitats for the
Romer's Tree Frog between Lung Tseng Tau and Shek Mun Kap;
¨
translocation
of isolated population of Beijiang Thick-lipped Barb in
Stream 15 to tributary of Tung Chung Stream;
¨
provision
of slope surfaces at step channels for aquatic fauna to move up and down stream
at the existing bridge at stream 15;
¨
provision
of escape routes from drainage channels for amphibians;
¨
provision
of wildlife tunnels for faunal transfer; and
¨
landscape
design drawings.
1.5.3
In respect of the design phase EM&A, the Consultant
commissioned to undertake the Design and Construction Assignment will be
required to designate an auditor(s) to undertake an environmental audit of the
design of these measures in order to ensure that the recommendations of the EIA
have been fully and properly specified.
The design audit shall be undertaken as and when the relevant design
aspects are produced and the Consultant will be required to prepare a Design
Audit Report at the end of the detailed design which will confirm that the
requirements of the EIA have been fully taken into account in the project
design. The Consultant shall use
suitably qualified staff to undertake the audit requirements to the approval of
the EPD, the AFCD and the PlanD/LPU as appropriate. A flow chart of the design phase EM&A procedures is shown in
Figure 1.3.
1.5.4
During the construction and operational phases of the project, an
Environmental Specialist (ES) is to be employed by the Contractor. He shall ensure the Contractor’s compliance
with the project’s environmental performance requirements during construction
and undertake the post construction EM&A works and his responsibilities
will include field measurements, sampling, analysis of monitoring results,
reporting and auditing. The ES shall be
approved by the ER and the Director of Environmental Protection (EPD) and shall
be competent and shall have at least 7 years relevant environmental monitoring
and audit experience on projects of a similar scale and nature.
1.5.5 The ES will require suitably qualified
support staff (the Environmental Team, (ET)) to carrying out the EM&A
programme. Both the ES and members of
the ET shall be independent and shall not be in any way connected to the
Contractor’s company. Due to the
specialist nature of some of the EM&A works required for this project, the
ET should comprise professionals proficient to undertake the tasks
involved. Thus, the ET should include
personnel experienced in noise, dust and water quality monitoring and
supervision of waste management.
1.5.5
Accordingly, a qualified ecologist(s), with a minimum of 5 years post
qualification experience and two years practical experience in ecological
remediation and relocation works, will be required as part of the ET to audit
the transplantation of key species as recommended by the EIA. The ecologist(s) should have suitable
experience in the areas to be audited.
In addition, a Registered Landscape Architect, as defined by the
Landscape Architect’s Registration Board, will be required on the ET to monitor
and audit the landscaping installation works and assist in the audit of the
ecological transplantation works.
1.5.7 In respect of the archaeological baseline
field investigation and supervision works, a suitably qualified person, to the
satisfaction of the AMO, shall be included in the ET to undertake this
specialist task. The qualified archaeologist should possess professional
qualifications such as an academic degree in archaeology, relevant experience
in field archaeology at a supervision level and be familiar with the
archaeology of Hong Kong and/or South China.
The qualified archaeologists will also be required to obtained a license
from the AMO prior to undertaking the baseline survey and supervision works.
The responsibilities of the specialists will be to prepare and agree the survey
methodologies with the AMO and prepare baseline reports of the results making
recommendation for any further investigation or supervision. During the construction activities, the
specialists will over see the construction works, notify the Contractor, the
AMO, the EPD and the ER of any findings and develop appropriate mitigation
measures.
1.5.8
The overall duties of ES and the team are as follows:
¨
Sampling, analysis
and statistical evaluation of monitoring parameters with reference to the EIA
study recommendations and requirements in respect of noise, dust and water
quality.
¨
Environmental site
surveillance.
¨
Audit of
compliance with environmental protection and pollution prevention and control
regulations.
¨
Monitor the
implementation of environmental mitigation measures.
¨
Monitor compliance
with the environmental protection clauses/specifications in the Contract.
¨
Review
construction programme and comment as necessary.
¨
Review
construction methodology and comment as necessary.
¨
Complaint
investigation, evaluation and identification of corrective measures.
¨
Audit of the EMS
and recommend and implement any changes as appropriate.
¨
Liaison with the
Independent Checker (Environment) (IC(E)) on all environmental performance
matters.
¨
Advice to the
Contractor on environmental improvement, awareness, enhancement matter, etc.,
on site.
¨
Timely submission
of the designated EM&A reports to the ER, the IC(E), the DEP, the AFD, the
AMO and PlanD/LPU as appropriate.
1.5.9 In addition to the ES, an Independent
Checker (Environment) (IC(E)) shall be resident on site to advise the ER on
environmental issues related to the project.
The role of the Checker shall be independent from the management of
construction works, but the Checker shall be empowered to audit the environmental
performance of the construction activities and operational mitigation. The IC(E) shall have project management
experience in addition to the requirements of the ES specified in Section 1.5.4
and the appointment of the IC(E) will be subject to the approval of the ER and
the EPD. The IC(E) may require
specialist support staff in order to properly carry out his duties which shall
include the following:
¨
Review and audit
all aspects of the EM&A programme.
¨
Validate and
confirm the accuracy of monitoring results, monitoring equipment, monitoring
locations, monitoring procedures and locations of sensitive receivers.
¨
Carry out random
sample check and audit on monitoring data and sampling procedures, etc.
¨
Conduct random
site inspection.
¨
Audit the EIA
recommendations and requirements against the status of implementation of
environmental protection measures on site.
¨
Review the
effectiveness of environmental mitigation measures and project environmental
performance.
¨
Audit the
Contractor’s construction methodology and agree the least impact alternative in
consultation with the ES and the Contractor.
¨
Check complaint
cases and the effectiveness of corrective measures.
¨
Review EM&A
report submitted by the ES.
¨
Feedback audit
results to ES by signing off relevant EM&A proformas.
1.5.10 An organisation chart showing the lines of
communication between the key parties with respect to the EM&A works is
provided on Figure 1.4. Both the ES and
IC(E) shall be retained for the
duration of the EM&A works which will span both the construction phase and
one year into the operational phase of the project. The operational EM&A works will be the responsibility of the
Contractor and will be undertaken in parallel to the maintenance period after
the completion of construction.
1.6.1 To clarify the terminology for impact
monitoring and audit, key definitions are specified below and are used
throughout this Manual.
1.6.2
Monitoring refers to the systematic collection of data through a
series of repetitive measurements. The stages of monitoring are defined in this
document as follows:
(i) Baseline Monitoring refers to the
measurement of parameters, such as noise and air quality impact parameters,
during a representative pre-project period for the purpose of determining the
nature and ranges of natural variation and to establish, where appropriate, the
nature of change.
(ii)
Impact Monitoring involves the measurement of environmental impact
parameters, such as noise and air quality, during Project construction and
implementation so as to detect changes in these parameters which can be
attributed to the Project.
1.6.3 Audit is a term that infers the
verification of a practice and certification of data. The types of audit are
defined below:
(i)
Compliance audit is defined as follows:
¨
the process of
verification that all or selected parameters measured by a noise or air quality
impact monitoring programme or levels of an operation are in compliance with
regulatory requirements and internal policies and standards; and
¨
the determination
of the degree and scope of any necessary remediation in the event of exceedance
of compliance.
(ii) Post Project Audit is carried out after
the implementation and commissioning of a Project.
1.6.4 For the purpose of noise, air and water
quality impact monitoring and audit, the Action and Limit Levels are defined as
follows:
(i) The Action Level is the level defined in which there is an indication of a deteriorating ambient level for which a typical response could be an increase in the monitoring frequency.
(ii) The Limit Level is the level beyond the appropriate remedial pollution control ordinances, noise and air quality impact objectives or Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines established by the EPD for a particular project, such that the works should not proceed without appropriate remedial action, including a critical review of plant and work methods.