1.1.1.1
Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) of the Government of
the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region appointed Hyder Meinhardt Joint
Venture (HMJV) under Agreement No CE38/2008 (HY) on 31 July 2009 to provide professional
services in respect of Kai Tak Development – Trunk Road T2 and Infrastructure
at South Apron Investigation, Design and Construction. The date for
commencement of the Assignment was 31 July 2009.
1.1.1.2
The overall Kai Tak Development (KTD) was a designated project under
Schedule 3 of the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO). The Schedule 3 EIA Report for the overall Kai
Tak Development (EIAO Register No. AEIAR-130/2009) was carried out under the Kai
Tak Development Engineering Study (KTDES, Agreement No. CE35/2006(CE)) and was
approved under the EIAO on 4 March 2009 without condition. The Trunk Road T2 project (the Project) is a
designated project under Schedule 2 of the EIAO proposed in the KTD and broadly
assessed in the previous KTD Schedule 3 EIA.
The Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) submitted the
Project Profile (No. PP-379/2009) for application for an EIA study brief for
the Trunk Road T2 Project under the EIAO on 24 March 2009. Accordingly, an EIA Study Brief (ESB-203/2009)
for the Trunk Road T2 Project was issued on 30 April 2009 and included in this
Assignment.
1.2.1 Background
1.2.1.1 On 4 September 1998, the draft Kai Tak (North) and (South) Outline Zoning Plans (OZPs) covering the Kai Tak area were exhibited for public exhibition. A number of amendments to the OZPs were made over the years. On 26 August 2011, the draft Kai Tak OZP No. S/K22/3 covering mainly the urban design enhancement proposals, including the revised layout of the north part of Kai Tak City Centre to accommodate the Lung Tsun Stone Bridge Preservation Corridor and the relocation of roads away from the waterfronts of the Runway and South Apron areas to enhance accessibility, was exhibited for public inspection. On 4 September 2012, the Chief Executive in Council (CE in C), under the Town Planning Ordinance, approved the draft Kai Tak OZP, which was subsequently re-numbered as S/K22/4. On 14 September 2012, the approved Kai Tak OZP No. S/K22/4 was exhibited.
1.2.1.2
As a part of the strategic road
network within the KTD, Route 6 forms an
east west express link between
1.2.1.3 Based upon the Assignment and EIA Study Briefs, the Trunk Road T2 was planned to be a dual 2-lane highway of about 3.6 km connecting CKR and TKO-LTT. According to the Kai Tak Development Engineering Study (KTDES), about 2.6 km of the Trunk Road T2 would be in the form of tunnel and about 2.0 km of the tunnel would be placed under the seabed. However, since the issue of the Assignment Brief and EIA Study Brief (ESB-203/2009), there have been some developments with respect to the design of the Trunk Road T2 project as discussed below.
1.2.2
Interface with
1.2.2.1 During the design development process among the CKR, Trunk Road T2 and TKO-LTT projects, the interfaces between the projects have been refined such that there are following features in the design:
· The at-grade portion of Trunk Road T2, including the turn-around road, has been transferred to become part of the CKR project and will be assessed under the CKR EIA Report. This reduces the length of the Trunk Road T2 Project 3.6km to about 3.0km; and
· The eastern ventilation building for the Trunk Road T2 has been located within the Lam Tin Interchange and within the boundary for the TKO-LTT project. Notwithstanding, the emissions from the ventilation building are assessed as part of this Trunk Road T2 EIA.
1.2.2.2 Figure 1.1 attached identifies the agreed demarcation between the projects proponents of CKR, Trunk Road T2 and TKO-LTT, and the key elements of the Trunk Road T2 project which forms the basis of respective environmental impact assessments.
1.2.3 Construction Method
1.2.3.1 The EIA Study Brief (ESB-203/2009) for the Trunk Road T2 identified the construction method for the marine tunnel as being an Immersed Tube (IMT) tunnel and therefore, identified the following project scope:
· a dual two-lane trunk road of about 3.6km long with about 2.6km in the form of a tunnel;
· dredging for the installation of immersed tube tunnel and other marine works;
· temporary reclamation for construction of the tunnel (extent of temporary reclamation less than 5ha), temporary relocation of existing breakwaters of Kwun Tong Typhoon Shelter and reconstruction of sewage submarine outfall at the Kwun Tong Preliminary Treatment Works;
· ventilation and administration buildings and a traffic control and surveillance system; and
· associated civil, electrical, mechanical, landscaping and environmental protection and mitigation works.
1.2.3.2
However,
as one of the objectives of
the EIA (para. 2.1(iv) of the EIA Study Brief) and the specific requirement for the consideration
of alternative construction methods (Section 3.3.3 of the EIA Study Brief),
alternative construction methods to avoid or minimise
environmental impacts have been reviewed and the use of the Tunnel Boring Machine
(TBM) method has been subsequently identified as
being feasible and having significant potential environmental benefits, as
discussed in Section 2 of this EIA
Report. The works mentioned in the second and third
bullets of the project scope in Section
1.2.3.1 are deleted.
1.2.4 Scope of Project
1.2.4.1 Based on the developments in project interfaces and construction method mentioned in Sections 1.2.2.1 and 1.2.3.2 above, the scope of the Trunk Road T2 Project has been updated, as below:
· a dual two-lane trunk road of approximately 3.0km long with about 2.7km of the trunk road in form of tunnel;
· ventilation and administration buildings and a traffic control and surveillance system; and
· associated civil, electrical, mechanical, landscaping and environmental protection and mitigation works.
1.2.5 Programme
1.2.5.1
The Route
6 projects including CKR,
T2 and TKO-LTT are all planned to be
completed in 2020 and commissioning in 2021 to tally with each other. Construction of the Trunk Road T2 project
will commence at the end of 2015.
1.3 Environment Impact Assessment
1.3.1 Background
1.3.1.1 The Trunk Road T2 Project consists of designated project elements including Items A.1 and A.7, Part I under Schedule 2 of the EIAO. As reconstruction of the submarine outfall at the Kwun Tong Typhoon Shelter is not required under the TBM construction method and has been deleted from the project scope as mentioned above, the Trunk Road T2 project does not consist of designated project element in terms of Item F.6, Part I, Schedule 2 of the EIAO.
1.3.1.2 The purpose of this EIA study is to provide information on the nature and extent of environmental impacts arising from the construction and operation of the Project and related activities taking place concurrently. This information will contribute to decisions by the Director on:
(i) the overall acceptability of adverse environmental consequences that are likely to arise as a result of the Project and associated works;
(ii) the conditions and requirements for the 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.
1.3.1.3 The predicted changes and effects resulting from the proposed Project have been evaluated in accordance with the criteria given in the EIAO-TM, including beneficial or adverse; direct or indirect; short term or long term; reversible or irreversible and cumulative. It is noted that, as the project is localised and confined to study area in the Kai Tak area and Cha Kwo Ling, trans-boundary issues would not be relevant and have not been considered further.
1.3.2.1 The objectives of the EIA study as defined in the EIA Study Brief are as follows:
(i) to describe the Project, associated works, and option(s) of alignment together with the requirements for carrying out the Project;
(ii) to identify any individual designated project element(s) under Schedule 2 of the EIAO and / or any work elements under this Project that constitute material change(s) to exempted project(s) under the EIAO; to ascertain whether the EIA Study has adequately addressed the environmental impacts of these projects; and when necessary, to identify the outstanding issues that need to be addressed in any further EIA study;
(iii) to identify and describe the elements of the community and environment likely to be affected by the Project and/or likely to cause adverse impacts to the Project, including both the natural and man-made environment and the associated environmental constraints;
(iv) to present the consideration of alternative(s) to avoid or minimize the potential environmental impacts on sensitive receivers; to compare the environmental benefits and dis-benefits of the option(s) (including project alignment, built forms, construction / tunnelling methods, ventilation building / tunnel portal (if any) location); to provide justifications and constraints for selecting the preferred option(s) and to describe the part environmental factors played in the selection;
(v) to identify and assess air quality impacts, noise impacts, water quality impacts, waste management implications, landscape and visual impacts, marine ecological impacts, fisheries impacts and cultural heritage impacts; and determine the significance of impacts on sensitive receivers and potential affected uses;
(vi) to identify the negative impacts and propose measures to avoid or provision of mitigation to minimize pollution, environmental disturbance and nuisance during construction and operation of the Project;
(vii) to investigate the feasibility, practicability, effectiveness and implications of the proposed impact avoidance and / or mitigation measures;
(viii) to identify, predict and evaluate the residual environmental impacts (i.e. after practicable measures) and the cumulative effects expected to arise during the construction and operation of the Project in relation to the sensitive receivers and potential affected uses;
(ix) to identify, assesses and specify methods, measures and standards, to be included in the detailed design, construction and operational stages of the Project which are necessary to mitigate these environmental impacts and cumulative effects and reduce them to acceptable levels;
(x) 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
(xi) to design and specify the environmental monitoring and audit requirements to ensure the effective implementation of the recommended environmental protection and pollution control measures.
1.4 Structure of the EIA Report
1.4.1.1 The report is divided into the following sections:
(a) Section 2 provides a description of the alternatives considered in the selection of the preferred alignment for the Project and alternative construction methods;
(b) Section 3 outlines the key elements of the Project and the assumptions used as the basis for the EIA including details of the concurrent projects;
(c) Section 4 provides a description of the construction and operational air quality impacts for the alignment and highlights mitigation requirements;
(d) Section 5 details the construction and operational noise impacts for the alignment, including ground-borne noise from the TBM works;
(e) Section 6 describes the water quality impacts during the construction and operational phases;
(f) Section 7 provides details of the ecological impact assessment;
(g) Section 8 outlines the construction and operational impacts on fisheries:
(h) Section 9 presents the landscape and visual impact assessment;
(i) Section 10 comprises the cultural heritage impact assessment of the alignment including both marine and terrestrial archaeology as well as built heritage;
(j) Section 11 details the waste management assessment including contaminated land;
(k) Section 12 outlines the recommended environmental monitoring and audit requirements; and
(l) Section 13 presents the summary of environmental outcomes.
1.4.1.2 The recommended mitigation measures specified in this EIA report have been summarised in the Environmental Mitigation Implementation Schedule provided in Appendix 1A.
1.5.1.1 The following key abbreviations are used in this report:
CEDD Civil Engineering and Development Department
CKL Cha Kwo Ling
CBL Cross Bay Link
DASO Dumping at Sea Ordinance
EIA Environmental Impact Assessment
EIAO Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance
EPD Environmental Protection Department
ETWB Environment, Transport and Works Bureau (the former Environment Bureau, Development Bureau, Transport and Housing Bureau)
FCZ Fish Culture Zone
GI Ground Investigation
IMT Immersed Tube
KTAC Kai Tak Approach Channel
KTD Kai Tak Development
KTPR South
KTPTW Kwun Tong Preliminary Treatment Works
KTTS Kwon Tong Typhoon Shelter
PTW Preliminary Treatment Works
SEKD South
SEKDCFS Comprehensive Feasibility Study for the
Revised Scheme of South
SI Site Investigation
TBM Tunnel Boring Machine
TKO-LTT Tseung
Kwan O – Lam Tin Tunnel
TKWTS To Kwa Wan Typhoon Shelter
TM-EIAO Technical Memorandum on Environmental Impact Assessment Process
WQO Water Quality Objective
WQC Water Quality Criteria
WSD Water Supplies Department
WQSR Water Quality Sensitive Receiver
WCZ Water Control Zone