12.1
This section further elaborates the
requirements of environmental monitoring and audit (EM&A) for the
construction and operation phases of the Project, based on the assessment
results of the various environmental issues.
The objectives of carrying out EM&A for the Project include the
following:
· provide a
database against which any short or long term environmental impacts of the
Project can be determined;
· provide an early
indication should any of the environmental control measures or practices fail
to achieve the acceptable standards;
· monitor the
performance of the Project and the effectiveness of mitigation measures;
· verify the
environmental impacts predicted in the Environmental Study;
· determine project
compliance with regulatory requirements, standards and government policies;
· take remedial
action if unexpected problems or unacceptable impacts arise; and
· provide data to
enable an environmental audit.
12.2
The following section summarises the
recommended EM&A requirements for the Project. Details of the specific requirements are provided in a
stand-alone EM&A Manual.
12.3
Construction noise impacts from this
Project were predicted at the NSRs identified in this EIA. Practicable mitigation measures were
recommended to alleviate the potential impacts to meet the EIAO-TM
criteria. Noise monitoring during
construction phase should be carried out to ensure such mitigation measures
will be implemented properly.
12.4
The construction activities will be carried
out during daytime (between 0700 and 1900 hours). If there is construction work undertaken in restricted hours,
measurements should be carried out for the following periods:
·
Between 1900 and 2300 hours;
·
Between 2300 and 0700 hours of next
day; and
·
Between 0700 and 1900 hours on Sunday
or public holidays.
12.5
Noise measurement should be undertaken
at all monitoring station for a 30-minute period during the daytime and a
5-minute period during restricted hours when the noisiest activities are being
carried out. Type 1 sound level meters,
which comply with the International Electrochemical Commission, must be used
for carrying out the noise measurement.
12.6
Ad hoc noise monitoring should also be
carried out if necessary. To establish
the prevailing background noise level, one Leq (30 minutes) measurement,
obtained between 0700 and 1900 hours of a normal weekday, and three consecutive
Leq (5 minutes) measurements, obtained from each monitoring period (between
1900 and 2300 hours; and between 2300 and 0700 hours), are required.
12.7
Baseline monitoring to establish the
background noise environment will be required and should be carried out for at
least 14 consecutive days prior to the commencement of the Project. During the construction phase, impact
monitoring will be required in order to assess whether operations on-site are
in compliance with the construction noise criteria stipulated in the EIAO-TM.
12.8
Road traffic noise monitoring should
be carried out after the completion of the Project. The purpose of this monitoring is to ensure that the proposed
mitigation measure is effective. A
qualified environmental team should be employed to carry out the proposed
monitoring. The parameters, monitoring
equipment, locations and procedures are presented in detail in the EM&A
Manual.
12.10
The water quality assessment has
concluded that the identified water quality impacts could be minimized by
implementing the recommended mitigation measures for the construction works,
such as control measures on runoff and drainage from the works areas to minimise
construction run-off and proper site management and
good housekeeping practices. No
unacceptable residual water quality impact was expected. Any effluent discharges from the site would
be required to comply with the terms and conditions of a discharge licence,
issued by EPD, under the WPCO.
12.11
It was recommended that regular site
inspections be undertaken to inspect the construction activities and works
areas in order to ensure the recommended mitigation measures are properly
implemented. In addition, a specific
water quality EM&A programme was recommended during the site clearance and
formation of the at-grade road sections for slip roads E and F and for Bridge A
and the local widening of the existing Castle Peak Road, in view of these
construction works being located in the vicinity of the San Tin River.
12.12
Waste management will be the
contractor’s responsibility to ensure that all wastes produced during the
construction of the Project are handled, stored and disposed of in accordance
with the recommended good waste management practices and EPD’s regulations and
requirements. The mitigation measures
recommended in Section 6 should form the basis of the site Waste Management
Plan to be developed by the Contractor at the construction stage.
12.13
It is recommended that the waste
arising generated during the construction activities should be audited
periodically to determine if wastes are being managed in accordance with
approved procedures and the site Waste Management Plan. The audits should look at all aspects of
waste management including waste generation, storage, recycling, transport and
disposal. An appropriate audit
programme would be to undertake a first audit near the commencement of the
construction works, and then to audit on a quarterly basis thereafter. In addition, the routine site inspections
should check the implementation of the recommended good site practices and
other waste management mitigation measures.
12.14
The ecological assessment concluded
that only minor and acceptable impacts would result from the proposed works.
Therefore, aside from auditing the implementation of mitigation measures
recommended in Sections 7, no specific ecological EM&A programme would be
required.
12.15
Assessment of potential impacts on
fisheries concluded that no direct or indirect impacts on fish pond operations
or resources would be expected. There
were no fish ponds along or in close proximity to the alignment of the proposed
works, and therefore no requirement for fisheries specific mitigation measures.
12.16
The assessment of potential impact on
cultural heritage concluded that there would be no adverse impacts to any of
the recorded built heritage features and graves within the Assessment Area. As such, monitoring and audit would not be
required during the construction phase of the Project.
12.17
The implementation and maintenance of
the landscape compensatory planting measures is a key aspect and should be
checked to ensure that the proposal are fully realised. It is recommended that
detail design, implementation, and operational maintenance of all the proposed
landscape and visual mitigation measure are included within the EM&A. In
the design stage EM&A will consist of auditing the detailed landscape
design. Construction and operational stage EM&A will comprise audit of the
tree transplanting, compensatory planting and planting establishment in the
form of site inspection.
Baseline
monitoring
12.18
Baseline monitoring for the landscape
and visual resources will comprise a vegetation survey. An assessment of the landscape character
will be made against which future change can be monitored. The landscape
resources unit and element of particular concern are to be noted.
Construction
and Operational stage Audit
12.19
A competent Landscape Architect should
be employed for the implementation of landscape construction works particularly
during site clearance operations when the proposed tree felling, transplanting
will take place and subsequent maintenance operations during the 12 month
establishment period during the operational stage
12.20
All measures undertaken by both the
contractor and the landscape contractor during the construction stage and the
first year of the operational stage shall be audited by a Landscape Architect,
as a member of the Environmental Team. This
shall be completed on a regular basis to ensure compliance with the intended
aims of the EIA. Site inspections
should be undertaken at least once every two weeks throughout the construction
period and once every two months during the first year of the operational
stage.
12.21
The requirements for EM&A with
respect to land contamination, if necessary, would be determined upon
completion of all relevant land contamination assessment works.