This Section presents a summary of the key
conclusions of this EIA associated with the construction and operation of the
proposed LNG terminal at Black Point. The
purpose of the assessment was to thoroughly evaluate the Black
Point LNG terminal and
associated facilities in terms of predicted impacts to key environmental
sensitive receivers and to determine whether this option can meet the
requirements of the EIAO-TM.
18.2
Consideration of
Alternatives
This EIA Study has examined a series of Alternatives
as follows:
·
Consideration
of Alternative Site Locations (Part 1,
Section 4);
·
Consideration
of Different Layouts and Design Options (Part
2, Section 2.1);
·
Consideration
of Alternative Construction Methods (Part
2, Section 2.2);
18.2.1
Consideration of Alternative Site
Locations
CAPCO conducted a preliminary evaluation of the
options for a LNG receiving terminal in Hong Kong which included Gravity Based
Structure, Floating Storage Regasification Unit, Artificial Island and a
Coastal Location. The assessment
concluded that a coastal location was the only viable option for a receiving
terminal in Hong Kong that could reliably supply natural gas to the Black Point
Power Station.
An alternative site location study was conducted to
determine the most suitable coastal site(s) in Hong Kong for the LNG
terminal. A phased approach to the
screening and assessment of sites within Hong Kong was utilised. The results of this Hong Kong wide site
location study indicated that two sites were worthy of further analysis based
on their relative performance against a series of other shortlisted sites in
relation to environmental, risk, planning, social, marine traffic and engineering
criteria. The two preferred sites
were South Soko Island, at the location of the former detention centre, and
Black Point, on the headland adjacent to the existing power station (BPPS).
18.2.2
Consideration of Different Layouts and
Design Options
An assessment of different layouts and design options
was conducted to investigate not only the environmental considerations of each
preliminary layout and design options, but to include an examination of the
engineering aspects for various layouts.
Of the three selected layouts, both the engineering and environmental
assessments have identified layout Option
1 – Base Case as the most preferable for the construction and operation of
the Black Point terminal. This
option achieves the best balance between reclamation and excavation
quantities. The location of the two
LNG tanks in the Black Point headland also reduces the potential for impacts to
landscape and visual sensitive receivers.
In addition, the engineering consequences and subsequent environmental
impacts are considered to be lower for this layout option.
The Base Case Layout has thus been taken forward as
the preferred layout for the Black Point terminal in the EIA.
18.2.3
Consideration of Alternative Construction
Methods
·
Reclamation: Two
construction options have been considered, the Fully Dredged Option and the
Partially Dredged Option. It is
considered, that whilst there may be benefits from the Fully Dredged Option
from a schedule perspective, the benefits associated with potentially less on
site dredging and offsite disposal mean that the Partially Dredged Option
should be taken forward as the preferred construction method for the
reclamation.
·
Seawalls: In
addition to the conventional method of carrying out full dredging of the marine
deposits before filling up for the seawall, two other alternatives have been
considered: a ground improvement
technique (i.e., Deep Cement Mixing to enhance the strength of the marine
deposits before filling up for the seawall) and a long counter fill on the
seaward side of the seawall (which would provide toe stability against slip
failure during construction). The
assessment concludes that neither of the alternative methods is preferred over
the conventional method of dredging beneath the seawall.
·
Jetty: For the
construction of the LNG Jetty, two alternatives for the installation of marine
piles have been assessed. These are
bored or percussive piling methods.
The assessment proposed that either method would be suitable for the
construction of the LNG Jetty as part of the Black Point terminal.
·
Approach Channel and
The potential impacts to air quality caused
by construction and operational activities of the LNG terminal at Black Point
have been assessed in Section 4 of
this EIA Report. The impacts have been identified and assessed to
be in compliance with the criteria and guidelines stated in the EIAO – TM Annexes 4 and 12
respectively.
Air Sensitive Receivers (ASRs) have been identified and the potential impacts arising from the
construction and operation phases (including cumulative operation impacts with
BPPS and CPPS) of the LNG terminal to these ASRs have been evaluated. From the assessment it emerges that dust generated from the
construction activities and gaseous emissions from construction plant are the
potential concerns during the construction phase, whilst air emissions from LNG
terminal equipment and LNG carrier are the principal concern during the
operational phase.
Potential dust nuisance from dust generating
activities and gaseous emission from construction plant during construction of
the LNG terminal have been considered.
With the implementation of standard mitigation measures, no adverse
impact is anticipated. The gaseous
emissions from the construction plant are also minimal and no adverse impact to
the ASRs is anticipated.
During the operation of the LNG terminal, air
emissions from submerged combustion vaporisers (SCVs),
LNG carrier generators (during LNG unloading) and pipeline gas heaters are
potential sources of air quality impacts.
As a conservative assumption, it was assumed that the SCVs, the LNG carrier generators and pipeline gas heaters
were operating continuously. Even
with this set of assumptions, the modelling indicated that the air quality
impacts are low and well within the respective criteria at the identified ASR.
The potential impacts of noise caused by
construction and operational activities of the LNG terminal at Black Point have
been assessed in Section 5 of this EIA Report. The impacts have been
identified and assessed to be in compliance with the criteria and guidelines
stated in the EIAO – TM Annexes 5 and 13 respectively.
Noise sensitive receivers (NSRs)
have been identified and the potential impacts arising from the construction
and operational phases have been evaluated. In both cases, the noise assessment was
conducted using a conservative approach assuming each work activity operates
simultaneously in the construction phase and without attenuations due to foliage of trees and
shrubs, ground effects and buildings during the operation phase assessment.
The nearest NSR has been identified as the village
house at Lung Kwu Sheung
Tan (N1) which is located at approximately 1.6 km away from the site. No planned NSR is identified within 2 km
from the site. The predicted
construction noise levels at N1 are within the stipulated noise criterion of 75
dB(A). In
view of the insignificant construction noise impact, mitigation measures are
not required during the construction phase.
Based on the most
conservative case, the noise
levels generated from the equipment at the LNG terminal have been
predicted. Due to the large
separation distance between the NSR and the noise source, the predicted
operational noise level is within the daytime and night-time noise
criteria. Therefore mitigation measures
are not anticipated to be required during the operational phase.
In
view of the insignificant noise impact in both construction and operational
phases, noise monitoring is not considered to be necessary.
The potential impacts to water quality
caused by construction and operational activities of the LNG terminal at Black
Point have been assessed in Section 6
of this EIA Report. The impacts have been
identified and assessed to be in compliance with the criteria and guidelines
stated in the EIAO – TM Annexes 6 and 14 respectively.
Sensitive
receivers potentially affected by construction and operational activities of
the LNG terminal have been identified and the potential impacts have been
evaluated. The key sensitive
receivers include the Indo-pacific Humpback Dolphin habitat
of NW Lantau Island, the Sha
Chau and Lung Kwu Chau Marine Park, commercial fisheries spawning habitat of Noorthern Lantau, fish culture
zones, ecologically sensitive areas (mangroves, horseshoe crab habitat, seagrass beds and intertidal
mudflats), beaches (gazetted and non – gazetted) and water intakes.
The assessment has included the potential impacts
caused by marine works (i.e. dredging and reclamation) on the water quality due
to the increases of suspended sediments concentrations, potential decreases of
dissolved oxygen and increases of nutrients concentration, as well as those
caused by operational activities such as the alteration of the hydrodynamic
regime, discharges of cooled water and antifoulants.
Water
quality and hydrodynamic models have been used to simulate
the variation in suspended sediments concentration during the construction phase and the impacts due to
cooled water discharges during the operation phase.
Potential impacts arising from the proposed
dredging works are predicted to be largely confined to the specific works
areas. Modelling results indicate
that the SS elevations as a result of dredging (grab dredging and TSHD) are expected to be compliant
with the WQO and tolerance criterion at all sensitive receivers in both
seasons. The predicted elevations
of suspended sediment concentrations during the construction phase are
transient in nature and not predicted to cause adverse impacts to water quality
at the sensitive receivers.
During the operation phase, adverse impacts to water
quality are not expected to occur as the area affected by the cooled water
discharge is extremely small and in the direct vicinity of the discharge
point.
Unacceptable
impacts to water quality sensitive receivers have been avoided through the
adoption of mitigation measures including the siting
of the LNG terminal and the associated facilities away from water quality
sensitive receivers, the selection of acceptable working rates for the marine
works, construction operational mitigations (i.e. dredging operational
measures) and appropriate on-site land based construction activities. No mitigation measures are required
during the operational phase.
No projects are planned to be constructed in
sufficient proximity to the Project to cause cumulative effects and hence,
cumulative impacts are not expected to occur.
Water
quality monitoring and auditing is recommended for the construction phase and
the specific monitoring requirements are detailed in the Environmental Monitoring and Audit Manual (EM&A Manual) associated with this EIA Report. As no unacceptable impacts have been
predicted to occur during the operation of the LNG terminal at Black Poiint, monitoring of impacts to marine water quality
during the operational phase is not considered necessary. It is noted that discharges from the
site will require a license under the WPCO
which stipulates regular effluent monitoring as part of the license conditions.
The potential impacts to waste management
caused by construction and operational activities of the LNG terminal at Black
Point have been assessed in Section 7
of this EIA Report. The impacts have been identified
and assessed to be in compliance with the criteria and guidelines stated in the
EIAO – TM Annexes 7 and 15 respectively.
The key potential impacts during the construction
phase are related to wastes generated from site clearance, site formation,
blasting, dredging, reclamation, seawall construction,
filling and concreting. The
storage, handling, collection, transport, disposal and/or re-utilisation of
these materials and their associated environmental impacts have been the
primary focus of the assessment.
During the construction phase it is
estimated that a total of approximately 3.15 Mm3 of marine sediment
will be dredged. It is estimated
that about 87 % of the sediments are uncontaminated and could be disposed of at
open sea disposal sites. A
considerable amount of excavated rock (approximately 0.77 Mm3 ) and
soil (approximately 0.22 Mm3) will be generated from the site
formation works, which will be used, as far as practical, as fill material for
the reclamation and seawall construction.
The excavated rock and soil will be stored temporarily off-site.
Other wastes produced during the construction phase
are of small quantity and will be disposed of accordingly to their nature,
avoiding any potential adverse impact.
The potential environmental impacts associated with the storage,
handling, collection, transport and disposal of waste produced during
operational activities have been estimated to be not significant and will
therefore meet the criteria specified in the EIAO-TM.
Unacceptable
impacts as a result of the waste produced during the construction phase have
been avoided through the adoption of specific mitigation measures and in particular through the establishment
and implementation of a Waste Management Plan (WMP).
In order to ensure that the construction
Contractor(s) has implemented the recommendations of the EIA Report, regular
site audits will be conducted of the waste streams, to determine if wastes are
being managed in accordance with the approved procedures and the site WMP. An appropriate audit programme will be
undertaken with the first audit conducted at the commencement of the
construction works. Routine weekly
site inspections will also include waste management issues.
The potential impacts to terrestrial
ecology caused by construction and operational activities of the LNG terminal
at Black Point have been assessed in Section
8 of this EIA Report. The impacts have been
identified and assessed to be in compliance with the criteria and guidelines
stated in the EIAO – TM Annexes 8 and 16 respectively. The
potential direct and indirect impacts to terrestrial ecology assessed include loss of habitats, disturbance to
wildlife, disturbance to ecologically sensitive areas and pollution.
Ecologically sensitive terrestrial species and
habitats have been identified and the potential impacts arising from the
construction and operation phases of the LNG terminal have been evaluated. The terrestrial ecological resources
recorded within the Study Area include plantation, shrubland,
shrubby grassland, stream/channel, orchard and developed areas, with their
associated wildlife. Of these
habitats, shrubland located at the western part of
the headland is of moderate ecological importance, shrubland
located at the southern part of the headland and the stream are low to moderate
in ecological importance, while the remaining habitats are of low or negligible
ecological importance.
The impact on natural habitats is considered to be
low to moderate, and no adverse residual impact is expected after the
implementation of the proposed mitigation measures, comprising appropriate
construction practices, reinstatement of affected areas of shrubland
(temporary haul road), transplantation of Pitcher Plants and Bamboo Orchids and
compensatory and enhancement
planting of shrubland (approximately 0.7 and 6 ha respectively). Environmental monitoring and audit
measures in the form of regular checks will be undertaken.
During the operation phase of the LNG terminal at
Black Point adverse impacts to terrestrial ecological resources are not
expected to occur.
The potential impacts to marine ecology
caused by construction and operational activities of the LNG terminal at Black
Point have been assessed in Section 9
of this EIA Report. The impacts have been
identified and assessed to be in compliance with the criteria and guidelines
stated in the EIAO – TM Annexes 8 and 16 respectively. The
potential direct and indirect impacts to marine ecology assessed include loss of habitats, disturbance to
wildlife, disturbance to ecologically sensitive areas and pollution.
Ecologically sensitive receivers have been identified
and the potential impacts arising from the construction and operation phases of
the LNG terminal to these have been evaluated. The sensitive receivers include the
Indo-pacific Humpback Dolphin (Sousa chinensis) habitat of NW Lantau,
the Sha Chau and
The results of the Water Quality modelling activities completed in Section 6 indicate that the impacts
arising from the marine works will be transient and confined to the works area
and compliant with the assessment criteria. It is therefore estimated that there
will be no unacceptable impacts to the marine ecology (including marine
mammals) of the Study Area as a result of the LNG terminal’s construction
activities.
Potential operational phase adverse impacts to marine
ecological resources are not expected to occur. Unacceptable impacts from discharges of
cooled water and antifoulants are not anticipated to
occur as the effects from these discharges will be localised to the direct
vicinity of the outfall.
Unacceptable
impacts to marine ecology sensitive receivers have been avoided through the
adoption of mitigation measures including the provision of rubble mound/armour rock seawalls on
the edges of the reclamations to facilitate colonisation by intertidal
and subtidal organisms, restrictions on vessel speed
and the use of exclusion zones during marine percussive piling work for the
construction of the jetty. The
mitigation measures designed to mitigate impacts to water quality to acceptable
levels (compliance with assessment criteria) are also expected to mitigate impacts
to marine ecological resources.
Monitoring and audit activities designed to detect
and mitigate any unacceptable impacts to water quality will serve to protect
against unacceptable impacts to marine ecological resources. The water quality monitoring programme
will provide management actions and supplemental mitigation measures to be
employed should impacts arise, thereby ensuring the environmental acceptability
of the project.
Despite these measures a marine mammal EM&A
programme has been developed. The
EM&A Manual provides details of the marine mammals monitoring to be
undertaken to ensure that the mitigation measures recommended in the EIA for
the protection of marine mammals are carried out as specified and are
effective.
Operational phase impacts are not expected to occur
to marine ecological resources, thus no marine ecology specific operational
phase monitoring is considered necessary.
The potential impacts to commercial fisheries
caused by construction and operational activities of the LNG terminal at Black
Point have been assessed in Section 10
of this EIA Report. The impacts have been
identified and assessed to be in compliance with the criteria and guidelines
stated in the EIAO – TM Annexes 9 and 17 respectively. The
potential direct and indirect impacts to commercial fisheries assessed include the potential loss of fishing
grounds and impact to oyster farming.
Fisheries sensitive receivers have been identified
and the potential impacts arising from the construction and operation phases of
the LNG terminal have been evaluated.
Potential impacts to fisheries resources and fishing operations, as well
as impacts to fish fry, may arise from the permanent loss of habitat due to
reclamation, disturbances to benthic habitats on which the fisheries resources
depend for food, or through changes to key water quality parameters, as a
result of the marine works. The Water Quality modelling activities
completed in Section 6 indicate that
the impacts arising from the proposed marine works are predicted to be largely
confined to the specific works areas and the predicted elevations in suspended
sediment concentrations are not predicted to cause exceedances
of the assessment criterion over a large area. Adverse impacts to water quality are
thus not predicted and neither are consequential impacts to any fishing grounds
or species of importance to the fisheries.
Significant
operational phase impacts to fisheries resources and fishing operations are not
expected to occur. Entrainment of
fisheries resources will be reduced through the appropriate design of the
intake screens. Unacceptable
impacts from discharges of cooled water are not anticipated to occur as the
effects from these discharges will be localised to the lower layers of the
water column in direct vicinity of the outfall. Compliance with the relevant discharge
standards to control water quality impacts to within acceptable levels (Section 6) is also expected to control
impacts to fisheries resources.
No fisheries-specific mitigation measures are
required during the LNG terminal’s construction or operation activities. The construction of rubble mound
seawalls on the edges of the LNG terminal’s reclaimed land will however provide
habitat and shelter for juveniles or adult fisheries resources as ecological
assemblages colonise and grow on the boulders.
The water quality monitoring programme will provide
management actions and supplemental mitigation measures to be employed should
impacts arise, thereby ensuring the environmental acceptability of the
Project. As impacts to the
fisheries resources and fishing operations are small and of short duration, the
development and implementation of a monitoring and audit programme specifically
designed to assess the effects on commercial fisheries resources is not deemed
necessary.
18.10
Landscape and
Visual Impact
The potential impacts to the landscape
caused by the presence of the LNG terminal at Black Point have been assessed in
Section 11 of this EIA Report. The impacts have been
identified and assessed to be in compliance with the criteria and guidelines
stated in the EIAO – TM Annexes 9 and 17 respectively.
The assessment has covered a wide range of
potential landscape impacts including
the alteration of the landscape caused by the reclamation, the introduction of
the LNG terminal (including storage tanks, infrastructures and LNG carriers) in
Black Point headland’s natural landscape and the impacts on existing and
planned sensitive receivers during construction and operation of the LNG
terminal (including the glare impacts).
Compensatory planting of indigenous species will
mitigate the effects of the development on many of the Landscape Resources. The
effects on the rocky shoreline can be partially mitigated by the use of natural
rock in the reclamation areas. The overall residual impacts on the Landscape
Resources are assessed as slight-moderate.
There will be very limited views of the terminal from
most land based viewing locations and these impacts will range from negligible
to slight-moderate. The visual impacts will be larger for the ocean
based VSR’s with moderate impacts from the
Ferry Lane and moderate-significant impacts from Lung Kwu Chau. However following
consideration of the lower user numbers in these areas and the analysis of the
residual impacts, the overall visual impact is assessed as slight-moderate.
Potential night time glow and visibility of maritime
and aviation lighting may be visible on clear nights from Lung Kwu Chau and the Ferry Lane
viewing locations. However given that significant lighting already exists at
Black Point Power Station and other nearby industrial facilities the additional
night lighting from the proposed LNG terminal is considered acceptable.
The Landscape Character Impacts range from negligible
to moderate. After consideration of the residual impacts, the overall
Landscape Character impacts are assessed as slight.
According to the
Technical Memorandum on the Environmental Impact Assessment Process (EIAO-TM) the Landscape and Visual
Impacts are considered acceptable with
mitigation.
.
The potential impacts to cultural heritage caused
by construction and operational activities of the LNG terminal at Black Point
have been assessed in Section 12 of
this EIA Report. The impacts have been
identified and assessed to be in compliance with the criteria and guidelines
stated in the EIAO – TM Annexes 10 and 19 respectively. The
assessment has included a terrestrial and marine archaeological investigation
as well as a built heritage investigation.
Terrestrial
and marine cultural heritage resources have been identified and the potential impacts arising from
the construction and operation phases of the LNG terminal have been evaluated. The assessment identified three
terrestrial sites of low cultural resource value: two building structures at Terrace 1, a WWII cave at
Terrace 2 and a stone structure at Terrace 3.
Construction activities will impact these structures, however their loss
is considered acceptable due to their low cultural resource value and provided
that a recording is undertaken for the sites following AMO’s
requirements. Appropriate
mitigation measures comprising the preparation of photographic and cartographic
records prior to their removal will therefore be undertaken to preserve these
structures by record.
No marine archaeological
sites have been identified, thus, the proposed development imposes no marine
archaeological impact and no mitigation measures are considered necessary.
The assessment has evaluated the hazards to life
associated with the LNG terminal as well as the marine transit of LNG.
The results of the Marine Quantitative Risk Assessment of the transit of
the LNG carrier to Black Point indicated that individual risk is acceptable and the societal risk is as low as reasonably
practicable (ALARP) ([1]) as set out in HKSARG risk guidelines presented
in Annex 4 of the EIAO-TM.
The results of the Terminal Quantitative Risk Assessments of the LNG
terminal at Black Point indicated that individual and societal risk levels are
acceptable within the HKSARG risk
guidelines presented in Annex 4 of the EIAO-TM.
Access to the Black Point site today requires marine transit through busy harbour traffic, and along densely populated areas,
of:
· Western Hong Kong Island: Ap
Lei Chau, Cyberport;
· Ma Wan Island and Tsing
Ma Bridge;
· New Territories: Sham Tseng, Tsing
Lung Tau, Gold Coast, Tuen Mun.
LNG shipping has an outstanding safety record, with
over 60,000 LNG carrier voyages, covering more than 90 million miles, and over
40 years of operation without a failure or breach of containment system. This excellent safety record can be
attributed to the high technical standards employed in the design, construction
and operation of LNG facilities and carriers and also the physical properties of
LNG. In part, the safety record is
a result of the adoption worldwide of a series of standards, codes,
regulations, and operating procedures and practices. For example, these extra measures that
will be applied in Hong Kong include daylight only transit, use of two local
pilots in addition to the Ship's Master while transiting in Hong Kong, two
escort tugs at all times, and four tugs for escort including the tethering
astern of the carrier to one tug during turn navigation at Ma Wan.
The potential impacts to land contamination
caused by operational activities of the LNG terminal at Black Point have been
assessed in Section 14 of this EIA Report. The impacts have been
identified and assessed to be in compliance with the guidelines stated in the EIAO – TM Annexe 19. The assessment has included the
identification of the possible sources of contamination in the operational
phase and it outlines the appropriate operational practices, waste management
strategies and precautionary measures to be implemented on site for the
prevention of contamination problems.
Potential sources of land contamination during the
operation phase of the project were identified in the diesel
fuel loading/unloading and storage facilities (i.e.
vehicle tanking, emergency fire water pumps, power generation etc.) and the
process water used in the SCV back up
facility. Potential
contaminants include total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), volatile and
semi-volatile organic compound (VOCs/SVOCs).
A series
of measures will be implemented to prevent, contain and clean-up spills and
leaks during the operational phase of the LNG terminal, including: secondary containment for
fuel/lubricating oil/chemical/chemical waste storage areas, individual drainage
from lines/pumps/compressors etc. to the oil water separator, drain pans with
drain system to the oil water separator where needed, spill containment/clean
up equipment, and oil spill prevention training.
With the recommended
mitigation measures in place no land contamination or environmental concern
would be expected to arise and no adverse residual impacts are predicted. Appropriate measures to further reduce land
contamination risks have however been recommended. These include a design phase audit which
is recommended to ensure that the design of the Project includes the necessary
elements to manage any material that could lead to land contamination. Full details are presented in the EM&A Manual attached to the EIA Report.
18.14
Environmental
Monitoring and Audit (EM&A)
The construction and operation of the proposed Black
Point LNG terminal has been
demonstrated in this EIA Report to comply with the EIAO-TM requirements.
Actual impacts during the works will be monitored through a detailed Environmental
Monitoring and Audit (EM&A) programme.
Full details of the EM&A programme are presented in the EM&A Manual attached to this EIA
Report. This programme will provide
management actions and supplemental mitigation measures to be employed should
impacts arise, thereby ensuring the environmental acceptability of the
construction and operation of the Black Point LNG terminal.
No unacceptable residual impacts have been predicted
for the construction and operation of the
The marine risk for the transit of LNG carriers to
Black Point is in the As Low As reasonably Practicable (ALARP) region for some
areas of the marine transit of the LNG carrier but for all other aspects of the
Black Point EIA Report, the assessments and the residual impact have all been
shown to be acceptable within the relevant standards/criteria of the EIAO-TM
and the associated Annexes.
18.16
Environmentally
Responsible Designs
The EIA Study has facilitated the integration of
environmental considerations into the design process for the Project. One of the key environmental outcomes
has been the ability to plan, design and ultimately construct the
18.17
Environmental
Benefits of the Project
Implementation of the Project will make a
significant contribution to managing emissions of air pollutants in Hong Kong
and will secure sufficient and dependable supplies of clean fuel to meet future
Black Point Power Station needs.
Natural gas is acknowledged widely as a comparatively clean burning fuel
(encouraged in the 2005 Policy Address) as it emits virtually no particulates
and negligible SO2, as well as less NOx
and CO2 than other fossil fuels. Furthermore, locating the LNG terminal
in Hong Kong will allow development of the project under one single
jurisdiction with clear policy and regulations, thus enabling CAPCO to meet the
Hong Kong SAR Government’s emission targets earlier than alternative options outside
Hong Kong.