16.          SUMMARY OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL OUTCOMES

Environmental Outcomes

16.1        The major environmentally sensitive areas within the study area include the existing urban districts in Hung Hom, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay and Admiralty areas, the seawater intakes at the waterfront of the Victoria Harbour and coral communities.  With the implementation of the proposed environmental control and mitigation measures, the environmentally sensitive receivers within the Study Area would be protected from adverse environmental impacts arising from the proposed Project.  A summary of the key environmental outcomes arising from the EIA Study and environmental benefits of the environmental protection measures recommended are presented in Table 16.1 below.

Table 16.1         Summary of Key Environmental Outcomes / Benefits

Area/Issue

Environmental Outcomes / Benefits and Mitigation Measures

The Project

The Project comprises the following key elements:

·                  An approximately 6km extension of the East Rail Line including a rail harbour crossing from Hung Hom to Admiralty on Hong Kong Island;

·                  A new Exhibition Station (EXH) located near the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC);

·                  An integrated Admiralty Station (ADM) for the existing urban lines, the future SCL and South Island Line (East) (SIL(E));

·                  Ventilation building, ventilation shafts, smoke extraction facilities and other associated works of the Project; and

·                  Demolition of the existing Kowloon Freight Building at south of Hung Hom Station (HUH) to facilitate the construction of the Project.

Apart from the above key elements, barging facilities, supporting works areas and access roads will be required to support the construction of the Project. The design and construction of the ADM including associated structures for the Project will be carried out by the SIL(E) whilst the construction of the overrun tunnel beyond ADM and minor building works will be carried out under the Project.

Environmental/Social Benefits of the Project

·                  Providing a fast, reliable and convenient mode of transport running through the northern New Territories, Kowloon and Hong Kong Island.

·                  Redistribution of railway passenger flows to relieve the congestion on existing railway lines and connecting the new development areas in Kai Tak with Hong Kong Island.

·                  Relieving road-based public transport and alleviation of traffic congestion in existing developed areas, especially the demand on Hung Hom Cross Harbour Tunnel, by conducing a modal shift in passengers’ travel behaviours to a more environmentally-friendly public transport option in terms of energy conservation.

·                  Increasing public transport patronage and reducing overall road traffic volumes, hence bringing improvements in air quality, noise pollution from existing road networks, on-road safety and the overall quality of the ambient environment.

·                  Able to maintain visual quality, landscape character and land amenity as most of the rail line is underground while providing convenient access to the public.

·                  Promoting enjoyment of the harbour and promenade in Tsim Sha Tsui East and Wanchai Waterfront areas by providing direct link to the harbour front area, and thus generating more possibilities for the planning and development of leisure and tourism in these areas.

·                  Creating numerous new employment opportunities from the construction and operation of the Project.

Environmentally Friendly Design Considered and Recommended to Avoid Environmental Problems

·                  The Project alignment has been selected to minimise the extent and duration of construction activities within the CBTS such that environmental impacts and disturbances to the users and sensitive receivers could be minimised.

·                  The entire track of the Project has been designed underground to minimise the potential impacts to nearby sensitive receivers. Suitable trackform has been proposed to minimise any potential ground-borne train noise impacts to the nearby structures.

·                  Different alternatives of the sequence of construction works have been thoroughly scrutinized and determined with the aim to minimise the extent of cumulative environmental impacts due to interfacing with other concurrent projects.

·                  Locations and design of ventilation buildings/ventilation shafts have been carefully selected to minimise the impacts on sensitive receivers. Forms and shapes of ventilation buildings/ventilation shafts have been designed for proper provision at different areas. Total footprint and height of the ventilation buildings have also been downsized as far as practicable to minimise visual impacts. Greening measures have been incorporated in the design as far as practicable.

·                  Acoustic design specification for ventilation buildings and ventilation shafts has been identified such that the fixed source noise impact can be kept within the acceptable level.

·                  Considerations have been given in the design to avoid the potential impact on the LCSD Registered Old and Valuable Trees.

·                  All the affected trees are common species with medium to high, and would be protected in accordance with ETWB TCW 3/2006.

·                  Subjected to further agreement with CEDD, spoil generated from the Project may be transported by barges to other projects such as Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB), Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities (HKBCF) or Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link (TMCLKL) for reuse or as a last resort to the Mainland (Taishan) for disposal.

·                  The amount of charge for drill and blast operation will be controlled to minimise the potential vibration impact on heritage buildings.

Population and Environmentally Sensitive Areas Protected

·                  With the adoption of environmentally friendly design mentioned above, major environmentally sensitive receivers would be protected.

·                  Most of the works areas are located far from residential buildings. The areas and locations have been optimized such that resumption of land can be kept to minimal. Location of ventilation buildings/ventilation shafts will also be used as works sites and/or construction shafts during construction phase to minimise the works areas as well as disturbance to the public and environment. 

Cultural Heritage  

Environmental benefits of environmental protection measures recommended:

Given sufficient setback distance between Kellett Island Site of Archaeological Interest and the Project works areas, and the lack of archaeological potential site identified within works areas, no adverse impact on terrestrial archaeological remains is envisaged during construction phase. Therefore, mitigation measures for terrestrial archaeology would not be needed. 

 

The seabed within the proposed marine works area has already been disturbed by past reclamation and regular maintenance dredging works, and thus the marine archaeological potential within the proposed marine works area is not envisaged. Impact on marine archaeology is not anticipated. 

 

Considering sufficient buffer distances between built heritages and the proposed works area, together with appropriate mitigation measures, there would be insignificant visual and vibration impacts during construction and operation phases.  With the implementation of recommended mitigation measures for landscape and visual impact including erection of decorative screen hoardings at works areas and adoption of sympathetic design in aboveground structures, the potential visual impacts on heritage resources would be minimised.

 

Compensation areas included:

N/A

 

Population and environmentally sensitive receivers protected:

Kellett Island Site of Archaeological Interest, the only declared monument, and identified historic/graded buildings within the Study Area

 

Ecology  

Environmental benefits of environmental protection measures recommended:

The proposed footprint of the IMT casting basin at Shek O and its associated infrastructure has been adjusted to avoid the loss of coral species. 

Mitigation measures to control water quality, including the use of silt curtains, closed grab dredger(s), and reduction of dredging rate, would be adopted to confine sediment plume within the proposed dredging area and to minimise indirect impact to the nearby subtidal and intertidal flora and fauna. 

Implementation of mitigation measures at land-based works areas,   such as removal of the pollutants before discharging into storm drains and paving the section of construction road between the wheel washing bay and the public road, could minimise the contamination of wastewater discharge, accidental chemical spillage and construction site-off to the receiving water bodies.

 

Compensation areas included:

N/A

 

Population and environmentally sensitive receivers protected:

Victoria Harbour, Tai Tam Bay within the Study Area

 

Fisheries impact  

Environmental benefits of environmental protection measures recommended:

The mitigation measures to control water quality, including the use of effective site drainage on land-based construction sites and installation of silt curtain surrounding the dredging point, use of closed grab dredger and reduction of dredging rate, would be adopted to protect fisheries resources.

 

Silt curtain would be deployed at near-shore to fence off fish from entering the lethal zone during provisional underwater blasting to isolate the impact on fisheries resources outside the lethal zone.

 

The top surfaces of the protective armour rock layer would be kept within 250mm of the specified surface under the Hong Kong Government General Specification for Civil Engineering Works.  Measures such as removing the rock or breaking the rock into pieces would be implemented if not comply.

 

Compensation areas included:

N/A

 

Population and environmentally sensitive receivers protected:

Victoria Harbour and Tai Tam Bay within the Study Area

 

Landscape and visual

Environmental benefits of environmental protection measures recommended:

The potential landscape and visual impacts have been minimised through careful consideration of alternatives, minimization of works areas, incorporation of aesthetic external designs and landscape treatments of proposed aboveground structures which include Hong Kong Park Ventilation Building (HKB), railways facilities associated with EXH and Admiralty Station (ADM), Emergency Access Point (EAP), South Ventilation Shafts, Plant Rooms and Emergency Access (SOV) and North Ventilation Building, Plant Rooms and Emergency Access (NOV). 

 

The current and planned land uses in the vicinity of the Project have been taken into account during the railway development.  In general, the proposed Project would fit in well with the current and future planning setting and would not conflict with statutory town plans of the areas.

 

Approximately 930 existing trees would be affected by the proposed works, of which approximately 240 will be transplanted and 690 trees will be felled. Compensation for felled trees in accordance with TWB TC(W) No. 3/2006 and would be planted within proposed landscape areas as far as practicable. 

 

Aesthetically pleasing design will be provided to the proposed entrances, plant buildings, ventilation buildings, structures, shafts and associated engineering facilities so as to blend in the structures to the adjacent landscape and visual context.  In addition, extensive green roof system to NOV, SOV and the east of EXH will be introduced. With implementation of the proposed mitigation measures, potential visual impact to the adjacent visually sensitive receivers (VSRs) would be minimised.

 

The overall landscape and visual impact associated with the construction and operation of the Project are considered acceptable with the proposed mitigation measures in place.

 

Compensation areas included:

There would not be any permanent or partly loss of public open space and amenity area.  Reinstatement of amenity and open spaces temporarily affected by the proposed works during construction on like to like basis to the satisfaction of Government Departments.

 

Population and environmentally sensitive receivers protected:

Landscape resources, landscape character areas and VSRs identified within the Study Area. 

 

Construction Dust

Environmental benefits of environmental protection measures recommended:

Those air sensitive receivers (ASRs) located near the construction sites would be protected through the implementation of practicable dust suppression measures, including watering on active works areas, exposed areas and paved haul roads, enclosing the unloading process at barging point and dust suppression measures specified in Air Pollution Control (Construction Dust) Regulation.

 

With the implementation of the recommended dust mitigation measures, the predicted TSP concentration at all ASRs would comply with the EIAO-TM hourly TSP criterion (500 µg/m3), AQO daily TSP criterion (260 µg/m3) and AQO annual TSP criterion (80 µg/m3).

 

Compensation areas included:

N/A

 

Population and environmentally sensitive receivers protected:

ASRs within the Study Area, including residential and commercial buildings located within Hung Hom, Causeway Bay, Wan Chai and Admiralty districts.

 

Airborne Noise

Environmental benefits of environmental protection measures recommended:

Construction Phase

All noise sensitive receivers (NSRs) located near the construction sites would be protected from construction noise arising from the Project itself through the implementation of recommended noise mitigation measures including good site practices, quieter plant, movable noise barrier and noise insulating fabric.

 

Residual cumulative construction noise impacts at EX1 (about 120 dwellings) were predicted as a result of noise contributions from the Project and the concurrent WDII & CWB projects. With the exhaustion of all practicable mitigation measures, the residual cumulative impact would be minimised to 1 dB(A) in a short duration of non-persistent 2 months.

 

Operational Phase

No adverse operation residual noise impact is envisaged provided that the fixed plants are properly designed to meet the maximum allowable sound power levels (SWLs) recommended in this EIA Report.

 

Compensation areas included:

N/A

 

Population and environmentally sensitive receivers protected:

NSRs within the Study Area, including residential use, commercial use, educational use, hostel, commercial/service apartment, and performing arts centre located within Hung Hom, Causeway Bay, Wan Chai and Admiralty.

 

Ground-borne Noise

Environmental benefits of environmental protection measures recommended:

The predicted construction ground-borne noise levels at all representative NSRs would comply with the noise criteria.  Adverse ground-borne construction noise impact due to the use of tunnel boring machine (TBM) and powered mechanical equipment (PME) would not be envisaged.

 

Ground-borne noise levels have been predicted based on the best available future operation parameters/assumptions. With direct fixation track, the predicted ground-borne noise criteria at all NSRs would comply with the adopted noise criteria.  The cumulative impact with SIL(E) at NSRs was predicted to be more than 20dB(A) below the adopted noise criteria, making an insignificant contribution to the ground-borne noise for the Project.

 

Compensation areas included:

N/A

 

Population and environmentally sensitive receivers protected:

NSRs within the Study Area, including residential use, commercial use, educational use, hostel, commercial/service apartment, and performing arts centre located within Hung Hum, Causeway Bay, Wan Chai and Admiralty.

 

Water quality  

Environmental benefits of environmental protection measures recommended:

Marine-based Construction

The assessment has evaluated the potential impacts caused by marine construction works on water quality due to the elevation of suspended sediments concentrations, depletion of dissolved oxygen and increases in contaminants concentration. The worst-case scenarios during the marine construction period, taking into account the cumulative effects from other concurrent marine works in the Victoria Harbour have been assessed.  It is predicted that, with the implementation of the recommended mitigation measures, there would be no unacceptable water quality impacts arising from the Project related construction works and due to the cumulative effects from other concurrent marine construction activities. A marine water quality monitoring and audit programme will be implemented to ensure the effectiveness of the proposed water quality mitigation measures.

 

Land-based Construction

The key issue from the land-based construction activities would be the potential for release of sediment-laden water from surface works areas, open cut excavation, tunnelling works and discharge of construction site effluent. Impacts can be controlled to comply with statutory standards by implementing mitigation measures such as on-site drainage and sediment traps to control run-off. 

 

Operation Phase

The  main  operational  impacts  from  the  Project  would  come  from  tunnel/station  run-off  and  effluent  discharges  from  the  stations  and  maintenance  activities,  which could  be   minimised  through implementing adequate mitigation measures.

 

Compensation areas included:

N/A

 

Population and environmentally sensitive receivers protected:

Water sensitive receivers in Victoria Harbour and Tai Tam Bay as well as other nearby water bodies within the Study Area

 

 

Waste management implication

Environmental benefits of environmental protection measures recommended:

Implementation of the proposed waste control and mitigation measures would avoid the potential water quality, dust, odour, and noise impacts associated with handling, transportation and disposal of the identified wastes arising from the construction phase of the Project.

 

It is estimated that approximately 1,097,000m3 of inert C&D materials  would be generated from the project, which are proposed to be reused at other concurrent projects or would be disposed at PFRFs. About 30,000m3 of non-inert C&D materials would be generated and disposed of at landfill.

 

Methods to minimise the volume of sediment generated have been explored and implemented. The total volume of dredged/ excavated sediment generated from the Project is estimated to be approximately 841,800 m3. Based on the results of the chemical and biological screening, approximately 315,000m3 sediment is suitable for Type 1 – Open Sea Disposal, 14,000m3 sediment is suitable for Type 1 – Open Sea Disposal (Dedicated Sites), 496,300m3 sediment requires Type 2 – Confined Marine Disposal and 16,500m3 sediment requires Type 3 – Special Treatment/Disposal in accordance with ETWB TC(W) No. 34/2002. The final disposal sites for the sediments will be determined by the Marine Fill Committee (MFC) and a dumping licence will be obtained from EPD prior to the commencement of the dredging/ excavation works.

 

With the implementation of the recommended mitigation measures and in accordance with the requirements of ETWB TC(W) No. 34/2002, no adverse environment impacts would be expected.

 

Compensation areas included:

N/A

 

Population and environmentally sensitive receivers protected:

Water quality, air, and noise sensitive receivers in the vicinities of Project sites, the waste transportation routes and the waste disposal site(s).

 

Land contamination

 

Environmental benefits of environmental protection measures recommended:

Based on site appraisals in respect of land contamination, including a desk-top review on historical/current land uses and site inspections, potentially contaminated sites within the Project areas were identified. 

 

Site Investigation (SI) has been conducted at three accessible sites at the current stage.  A total of 19 soil and 1 groundwater samples have been tested for contamination. No exceedances of the adopted RBRG guidelines were identified.

 

Site ID 2-15 (Aboveground diesel storage tanks at Wan Chai Swimming Pool, area approx. 10 m2) was inaccessible and SI would be carried out in the next stage.  Based on the desktop review and site inspections, and with the implementation of mitigation measures proposed in this EIA report, the potential for land to be contaminated as a result of the construction and general operations of the Project is expected to be minimal and land contamination problems (if present) would be surmountable.

.

Compensation areas included:

N/A

 

Population and environmentally sensitive receivers protected:

Onsite construction workers during the construction phase and future users/occupants of the areas.

 

Hazard to life

Environmental benefits of environmental protection measures recommended:

As there is no overnight storage of explosives, a Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) of the storage and transport of explosives is not required as per Section 3.4.9.2 of the EIA Study Brief No. ESB-193/2008 (EIA SB).

 

However, underwater blasting works may be required when bedrock or large boulders are encountered during the IMT tunnel construction. As required by Section 3.4.9.1 of the EIA SB the statutory /licensing requirements with respect to explosives under the Dangerous Goods Ordinance (Cap. 295) have been described and any guidelines and/or advice obtained from relevant departments/ authorities have been documented.

 

As required by Section 3.4.9.3 of the EIA SB, following a consultation with the China Gas Company Limited (HKCG) and a review of the relevant Ordinance, Code of Practice and other HKCG requirements, a number of protective measures have been identified to avoid and minimise the hazard to life issues in relation to fuel gas safety during the construction phase of the Project.

 

Compensation areas included:

N/A

 

Population and environmentally sensitive receivers protected:

The HKCG submarine gas pipeline between Hung Hom and Kellet Island across the Victoria Harbour.

 

 

Summary of Measures Taken for Minimisation of Environmental Impacts

16.2        The various chapters of this EIA Report have presented the measures to minimise the potential environmental impacts associated the Project in the planning, design, construction and operation stages. The key measures to minimise the environmental impacts are summarised below for easy reference and they are not exhaustive. For details, please refer to the relevant chapters as appropriate.

Selection of the Project Scheme

16.3        Various options and alternatives of project design and construction methods have been reviewed and considered in the course of development and selection of the preferred scheme for the SCL, taking into account of engineering feasibility, site constraints, programme and environmental aspects. The selected alignment is regarded as the most appropriate and balanced scheme, which can minimise the potential environmental impacts associated with the Project and achieve the needs of the SCL project and benefit to the public:

·                  The Project alignment has been selected to minimise the extent and duration of construction activities within the CBTS such that environmental impacts and disturbances to the users and sensitive receivers could be minimised.

·                  The entire track of the Project has been designed underground to minimise the potential impacts to nearby sensitive receivers. Suitable trackform has been proposed to minimise any potential ground-borne train noise impacts to the nearby structures.

·                  Locations and design of ventilation buildings/ventilation shafts have been carefully selected to minimise the impacts on sensitive receivers. Forms and shapes of ventilation buildings/ventilation shafts have been designed for proper provision at different areas. Total footprint and height of the ventilation buildings have also been downsized as far as practicable to minimise visual impacts. Greening measures have been incorporated in the design as far as practicable.

·                  Acoustic design specification for ventilation buildings and ventilation shafts has been identified such that the fixed source noise impact can be kept within the acceptable level.

·                  Considerations have been given in the design to avoid the potential impact on the LCSD Registered Old and Valuable Trees. All the affected trees are common species with medium to high and would be protected in accordance with ETWB TCW 3/2006.

·                  The protective armour rock layer covering the surface of the finished IMT would largely be kept at a level below the existing Cross Harbour Tunnel to minimise the potential impact to fishing operations in Victoria Harbour. 

Mitigation Measures for Environmental Impacts

16.4        Key mitigation measures specified for various environmental aspects are summarised below.

Cultural Heritage

·                  Erection of decorative screen hoardings for the proposed works areas and adoption of sympathetic design in aboveground structures to avoid and minimise the potential visual impacts on built heritage resources arising from the Project during construction phase.

Ecological Impact

Construction Phase

·                  The proposed footprint of the IMT casting basin at Shek O and its associated infrastructure has been adjusted to avoid the loss of coral species.

·                  No dredging would be required for the construction of the casting basin and thereby indirect impacts on surrounding ecology would be minimised.

·                  Implementation of water quality control mitigation measures, such as installation of silt curtains, use of closed grab dredger and reduction of dredging rate to minimise the potential water quality impact on marine ecological resources.

Fisheries Impact

Construction Phase

·                  Implementation of water quality control mitigation measures, such as installation of silt curtains, use of closed grab dredger and reduction of dredging rate to minimise the potential water quality impact on fisheries resources.

·                  Implementation of silt curtains at near-shore to minimise damage on any fisheries resource by fencing off fish from entering the lethal zone in the course of underwater blasting, if necessary. 

Landscape and Visual Impact

Construction Phase

·                  Trees unavoidably affected by the works will be transplanted as far as possible in accordance with ETWB TC(W) 3/2006 – Tree Preservation.

·                  Compensatory tree planting will be provided in accordance with ETWB TC(W) 3/2006 – Tree Preservation to compensate for felled trees and maintained until end of the establishment period.

·                  Compensatory shrub planting will be provided to compensate for the loss of shrub planting in amenity areas.

·                  Night-time lighting glare will be controlled to minimise the potential visual impact.

·                  Decorative screen hoarding will be erected such that it will be compatible with the surrounding setting.

·                  Facilities on work sites will be managed to give control on the height and disposition/arrangement of all facilities on the works site to minimise visual impact to adjacent VSRs.

·                  All hard and soft landscape areas disturbed temporarily during construction will be reinstated on like-to-like basis to the satisfaction of the relevant Government Departments.

Operation Phase

·                  Aesthetically pleasing design as regard to the form, material and finishes will be incorporated to MTR Entrance, plant buildings, ventilation shafts and associated engineering facilities and HKB so as to blend in the structures to the adjacent landscape and visual context. 

·                  Tree planting will be incorporated to provide screening to plant buildings and ventilation shafts and associated engineering facilities. 

·                  Green roof will be proposed to NOV, SOV and plant buildings to the east of the EXH to enhance the landscape quality of the structures and mitigate any potential visual impact on adjacent VSRs.

·                  Climbers will be incorporated to the ventilation buildings to soften the structure.

·                  Landscaped mound is proposed to screen the EXH ventilation shafts. 

·                  Vertical greening will be incorporated on the facade of EXH plant building along Convention Avenue.

Construction Dust 

·         Watering on the active works areas, exposed areas and paved haul roads to reduce dust emission.

·         Enclosing the unloading process at barging point to reduce dust emission.

·         Dust suppression measures stipulated in the Air Pollution Control (Construction Dust) Regulation and good site practices would be carried out to further minimise construction dust impact

Airborne Noise

Construction Phase

·            Noise mitigation measures, including good site practices, adoption of quieter plant, use of movable noise barriers and noise insulating fabric, were recommended to minimise the noise impacts during construction phase. 

Operation Phase

·            Proper selection of plant and provision of acoustic treatment to meet the maximum allowable sound power levels (SWLs) for fixed plant noise sources.

Ground-borne Noise

·         Suitable trackform has been proposed to minimise the potential ground-borne noise impacts on the nearby noise sensitive receivers during operation phase.

Water Quality

Construction Phase

·            Recommended mitigation measures for minimising the potential water quality impact due to the proposed marine works include:

-     Temporary seawalls will first be formed to enclose each phase of the temporary reclamation.  Installation of diaphragm wall on temporary reclamation as well as any bulk filling will proceed behind the completed seawall.

-     During construction of the temporary reclamation, temporary seawall will be partially constructed to protect the nearby seawater intakes from further dredging activities.

-     Use of closed grab dredger for dredging works.

-     Installation of silt screens at the cooling and flushing water intakes.

-     Deployment of silt curtains to fully enclose the closed grab dredger during any operation.

-     Bulk filling along the IMT tunnel will be carried out after the bulk dredging works are completed.

-     Operate no more than two dredgers for dredging within the CBTS at any time for the tunnel construction works, with the combined dredging rate for all concurrent dredging works to be undertaken within the CBTS not exceeding 6,000 m3 per day throughout the entire construction period.

-     Operate no more than one closed grab dredger at the same time for IMT and SCL2 construction (temporary reclamation outside CBTS), with dredging/filling rate in open harbour area for IMT/SCL2 construction not exceeding 2,500 m3 per day, i.e. 156 m3 per hour (concurrently with other dredging / filling activities in the Victoria Harbour) / 4,500 m3 per day, i.e. 281 m3 per hour (with no other concurrent dredging / filling activities in the Victoria Harbour).

-     Dredging works for SCL2 will not be carried out concurrently with the dredging / filling works for IMT. 

·            Water quality deterioration due to land-based construction works would be minimised through implementing adequate mitigation measures and site practices in ProPECC PN 1/94 “Construction Site Drainage”, such as sand/silt removal facilities, provision of cover for stockpiles to minimise site runoff and proper site drainage. 

Operation Phase

·            Track drainage channels discharge will pass through oil/grit interceptors/chambers to remove oil, grease and sediment before discharging into public storm drainage / foul sewerage systems.

·            The silt traps and oil interceptors will be cleaned and maintained regularly.

·            Oily contents of the oil interceptors will be transferred to an appropriate disposal facility, or to be collected for reuse, if possible.

·            Connection of domestic sewage generated from the Project will be diverted to the foul sewer.   All the discharge should comply with the requirements stipulated in the TM-DSS.

·            For handling, treatment and disposal of other operational stage effluent, the practices outlined in ProPECC PN 5/93 will be adopted where applicable.

Waste Management

Construction Phase

·            The construction methodology has been formulated to minimise the amount of C&D material that would need to be transported off site.  The use of bored tunnel at some section will also help reducing the amount of C&D material to be generated.  The opportunity for re-using inert C&D material has been fully considered and implemented where practicable. 

·            Recommended mitigation measures and good site practices outlined in ETWB TCW No. 19/2005 on waste management will be implemented.

·            Chemical waste will be handled, stored and disposed of in accordance with the Waste Disposal (Chemical Waste) (General) Regulations.

·            The excavated Type 3 sediments will be sealed in geosynthetic containers and, at the disposal site, the containers will be dropped into the designated contaminated mud pit where they will be covered by further mud disposal and later by the mud pit capping, thereby meeting the requirements for fully confined mud disposal. 

Operation Phase

·            Follow Code of Practice on the Packaging, Labelling and Storage of Chemical Waste in handling of chemical waste.

·            Disposal of non-recyclable chemical waste at appropriate facilities like Chemical Waste Treatment Centre (CWTC) at Tsing Yi.  

·            Employ licensed waste collectors for the collection of general refuse and industrial waste.

Land Contamination

Construction Phase

·            No land contamination was identified based on Stage 1 site investigation (SI). Notwithstanding this, as precautionary measures, visual inspection will be undertaken during construction activities that disturb soil. If soil materials suspected to be contaminated are encountered during excavation, sampling and testing will be undertaken to verify the presence of contamination. 

·            SI for the potentially contaminated site with no SI conducted during Stage 1 SI due to site constraint will be conducted after decommissioning of existing buildings and access has been granted.

Hazard to Life

Fuel Gas Safety

·            The IMT alignment has been optimised as far as possible to avoid the need for rock excavation. In the areas that require some blasting works, the appropriate procedures and protective measures would be implemented to ensure that a safe blasting operation has been carried out and ground vibrations at sensitive receivers are within allowable limits. 

·            Sediment dredging within the planned IMT works area should be conducted prior to underwater blasting to minimise entrainment of suspended solids. Where conditions allow for reducing the powder factor and drill depth, the necessary explosives quantities could be reduced to minimise impact to the surrounding environment or sensitive receivers. 

·            General recommendations for an emergency response plan and communication procedures in agreement with HKCG to ensure fuel gas safety during construction. Please refer to Hazard to Life chapter for further details of recommended mitigation measures.

Blasting Activities

·            Blasting activities should be supervised and audited by competent site staff to ensure strict compliance with the blasting permit conditions. General recommendations address development of procedures for security, working conditions, and contingencies to ensure safe blasting works.

·            Recommended mitigation measures for minimising the potential impact due to marine transport of explosives will be implemented.

·            General recommendations provided for Contractors Licensed Vessel including responsibilities for the captain and crew to ensure the safe handling and transport of explosives. Please refer to Hazard to Life chapter for further details of recommended mitigation measures.

Environmental Monitoring and Auditing

16.5        In addition to the mitigation measures as described above (see more details in the Environmental Mitigation Implementation Schedule), a compressive environmental monitoring and auditing programme would be implemented to cover various aspects of concern. An independent environmental checker would also be employed to ensure that all the necessary mitigation measures are implemented in a timely and orderly manner.

Overall

16.6        Mitigation measures and good site practices to minimise the environmental impacts were recommended throughout the impact assessments of cultural heritage, ecology, fisheries, landscape and visual, construction dust, noise, water quality, waste management, land contamination and hazard to life.  These measures were consolidated in an Implementation Schedule which specifies the responsibility, methodology and timing of implementation, such that effective and appropriate implementation of the measures can be assured.