1.1.1 A Permanent Aviation Fuel Facility (PAFF) is required to ensure a secure means to supply aviation fuel during the operational lifeline of the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). The PAFF will replace the existing temporary Aviation Fuel Receiving Facility adjacent to Sha Chau, as the existing facility does not have sufficient capacity. The PAFF must meet the capacity demand for the 2040 planning horizon of the airport and must be able to provide for strategic storage. The Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) is committed to provide a replacement facility, after which the Sha Chau facility will be used for emergency backup purposes only.
1.1.2 The proposed project is designated under Sections B.1, H.2 and L.4 of Schedule 2 of the EIAO and as such the statutory procedures under the EIAO need to be followed and an environmental permit is required prior to the commencement of construction.
1.1.3 The AAHK commissioned Mouchel Asia Limited under Contract M811, to provide professional environmental services in respect of assessing Tuen Mun Area 38 as the location for a PAFF and to proceed with obtaining an Environmental Permit for the PAFF based on the EIA Study Brief received from EPD.
1.1.4 In this report, the potential environmental impacts of the preferred PAFF option, sited at Tuen Mun Area 38, have been assessed in more detail in accordance with the statutory environmental assessment process prescribed under the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO).
1.1.5 Further details on the need for the project and the site selection process are provided in Section 2 of this report.
1.2 Purpose
and Objectives of this EIA Report
1.2.1 This EIA study has been prepared in accordance with the statutory requirements of the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance with a view to obtaining an Environmental Permit for the Project. The study has been carried out to address the specific requirements of EIA Study Brief No. ESB-072/2001 issued by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) in May 2001 and to comply with the relevant sections of the Technical Memorandum on EIA Process published by EPD.
1.2.2 The Study Brief defines the purpose of the EIA Study as being “to provide information on the nature and extent of the environmental impacts arising from the construction and operation of the Project and related activities that take place concurrently. This information will contribute to decisions by the Director of Environmental Protection on:
(i) the overall acceptability of any adverse environmental consequences that are likely to occur as a result of the Project;
(ii) the conditions and requirements for detailed design, construction and operation of the Project to mitigate against adverse environmental consequences wherever practicable; and
(iii) the acceptability of residual impacts after the proposed mitigation measures are implemented.”
1.2.3 In more detail, the specific objectives of this study are defined in the Study Brief are as follows:
(i) to describe the Project and associated works together with the requirements for carrying out the Project;
(ii) to identify and describe elements of community and environment likely to be affected by the Project and/or likely to cause adverse impacts to the Project, including natural and man-made environment and the associated environmental constraints;
(iii) to provide information on the consideration of alternatives to avoid and minimise the environmental impacts, in particular the Sha Chau and Lung Kwu Chau Marine Parks and the habitat of the Chinese White Dolphins at the North Lantau waters;
(iv) to identify and quantify emission sources and determine the significance of impacts on sensitive receivers and potential affected uses;
(v) to identify and quantify any potential landscape and visual impacts and to propose measures to mitigate these impacts;
(vi) to identify and quantify any potential impact to marine ecology and to propose measures to mitigate these impacts;
(vii) to identify any negative impacts on site of cultural heritage and to propose measures to mitigate these impacts;
(viii) to identify any negative impacts on fisheries and to propose measures to mitigate the impacts;
(ix) to identify the risk due to the transportation and storage of the aviation fuel and to propose measures to mitigate the impact;
(x) to propose the provision of mitigation measures so as to minimise pollution, environmental disturbance and nuisance during construction and operation of the Project;
(xi) to investigate the feasibility, effectiveness and implications of the proposed mitigation measures;
(xii) to identify, predict and evaluate the residual environmental impacts (i.e. after practicable mitigation) and the cumulative effects expected to arise during the construction and operation phases of the Project in relation to the sensitive receivers and potential affected uses;
(xiii) to identify, assess and specify methods, measures and standards, to be included in the detailed design, construction and operation of the Project which are necessary to mitigate the identified environmental impacts and cumulative effects and reduce them to acceptable levels;
(xiv) to investigate the extent of the secondary environmental impacts that may arise from the proposed mitigation measures and to identify constraints associated with the mitigation measures recommended in the EIA study, as well as the provision of any necessary modification; and
(xv) to design and specify environmental monitoring and audit requirements to ensure the effective implementation of the recommended environmental protection and pollution control measures.
1.3.1 The report is divided into the following sections:
(i) Section 2 provides a description of the alternatives considered in the selection of the preferred site and pipeline option for the proposed PAFF;
(ii) Section 3 outlines of the key elements of the Project and the assumptions used as the basis for the EIA;
(iii) Section 4 provides a description of the construction and operational air quality impacts for the facility and highlights mitigation requirements;
(iv) Section 5 details the construction and operational noise impacts for the alignment;
(v) Section 6 describes the water quality impacts during the construction and operational phases;
(vi) Section 7 provides details of the ecological impact assessment and includes the assessment of submarine noise on dolphins;
(vii) Section 8 outlines the construction and operation landscape and visual impact assessment;
(viii) Section 9 comprises the cultural heritage impact assessment of the alignment;
(ix) Section 10 presents the hazard to life assessment;
(x) Section 11 details the fuel spill risk assessment and the environmental hazards associated with such spills;
(xi) Section 12 provides an assessment of the potential impacts to fisheries;
(xii) Section 13 comprises the land contamination assessment;
(xiii) Section 14 details the waste management assessment;
(xiv) Section 15 outlines the recommended environmental monitoring and audit requirements; and
(xv) Section 16 presents a summary and conclusions, comprising the summary of environmental outcomes.