Environmental
Impact Assessment – Executive Summary
Content
Chapter Title
|
2.2 Project
Location and Scale 2.4 Consideration
of Alternatives 3.5 Sewerage and Sewage Treatment Implications 3.6 Waste
Management Implications 3.10 Landscape
and Visual Impact |
The "Tai Shue Wan Development at Ocean
Park" (hereinafter known as "the Project") is proposed by Ocean Park
Corporation (OPC) to be implemented at its existing site of Ocean Park in
Aberdeen. Ocean Park is an exempted designated project (DP) under Category
O.8 in Part I Schedule 2 of the
Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO), as it was already in
operation before the enactment of the EIAO.
In the
project entitled “Repositioning and Long Term Operation Plan of Ocean Park”
(the Repositioning project), it involved construction/modification of existing
facilities and expansion of the Park, which constituted a material change to
the exempted DP, and therefore an environmental impact assessment (EIA) was
carried out for obtaining an environmental permit (EP) for construction and
operation of the Repositioning project under the EIAO. The EP was issued by
Environmental Protection Department (EPD) on 28 July 2006, which was
subsequently varied in October 2006, November
2010 and December 2013.
The
facilities currently residing in Tai Shue Wan (TSW) area include Entrance/Exit
Building, Aviary, Bird Paradise Pond, Flamingo Pond, Treasure Palace and the
Middle Kingdom Restaurant. The TSW entrance has been temporarily closed since
January 2011. The aim of this Project
is to redevelop the existing TSW area into a Water Park together with
related retail, dining and associated facilities. Figure
1.1 shows the location of the Project.
A portion
of this Project area is within the boundary of the Repositioning project while
the remaining part of the Project falls within the exempted DP area of Ocean
Park. Therefore the current Project constitutes: (a) a material change to the
environmental impact of the Repositioning project; and (b) a material change to
the exempted DP area of Ocean Park. Both (a) and (b) require an EIA to be conducted
under EIAO in order for OPC to apply for an EP for the Project and to surrender
the TSW area covered in the EP of Repositioning project.
An EIA study was conducted in accordance with EIA Study Brief (No. ESB-261/2013) to provide information on the nature and extent of environmental impacts arising from the construction and operation of the proposed Project and related activities taking place concurrently.
This Executive Summary presents the key
findings of the EIA for the Project as required under the EIAO, including an assessment of potential
environmental impacts from the construction and operation phases of the
Project, and recommendations for mitigation measures to comply with
environmental legislation and standards.
To accommodate the increasing visitor demand, the OPC’s Repositioning project has improved the park’s facilities and attractions and elevated the park’s tourism appeal. However, in achieving the long term sustainability of Ocean Park by enhancing its attractiveness and providing a “must see” experience of visitors, there is a further need to strategically redevelop the Ocean Park at TSW. To be located at the picturesque TSW, the Water Park will be a significant design statement for Hong Kong, as it will feature a translucent and sweeping roof, along with world class facilities and services. The Project will have state-of-the-art water rides, a variety of attractions, as well as unique and innovative experiences for locals and guests from around the world.
Though the Project is a stand-alone development, it also serves to provide benefit and to draw additional attendance to the Ocean Park. The planned Water Park should complement the existing theme park by facilitating a longer length-of-stay for visitors.
The state-of-the-art indoor/outdoor Water Park shall have an instantaneous capacity of approximately 7,000 visitors and an estimated highest daily attendance of approximately 10,500 visitors. The all-season Water Park together with its retail, dining and entertainment areas will allow year round visits to the Ocean Park. The design will focus on the experience of visitors to ensure that there is a multitude of activities and fun for all ages. This provision of a mix of amenities and attractions will help encourage repeat attendance throughout the year. As a multi-gate offering (i.e. theme park and water park), OPC will encourage longer lengths of stay amongst visitors both in the Ocean Park and in Hong Kong, thereby elevating the destination market presence locally and throughout the region.
As the only local Water Park, the Project will cater to the needs and demands for such services from the local market, as well as offer the depth of tourism infrastructure that continues to make Hong Kong a desired destination. Countless memories and precious moments of the Hong Kong community were previously intertwined with Ocean Park’s original Water World for years. The proposed Water Park will provide a return of a place that the people of Hong Kong have missed, and a chance to create future lasting and fond memories.
In addition, the Project is expected to enrich the overall tourism appeal of Hong Kong and diversify tourist attraction. Given that visits to the Park are expected to be a full-day experience, it is estimated that the length of stay for non-local visitors will be extended by 0.75 day with the addition of the Water Park. The Project is projected to contribute significantly to the local economy and drastically stimulate industry growth – it is estimated to create 2,900 jobs, as well as generate HK$842 million in tourism growth, for the local economy. Furthermore, the proposed Project will be a new recreation destination for locals.
The TSW development area, i.e. the Project area, is located to the south-western side of Brick Hill facing the Aberdeen Channel. The Project area comprises predominately Ocean Park facilities and peripheral plantation, tall shrubland and woodland on hillside. Figure 1.1 shows the proposed Project area.
The Project will redevelop the existing theme park areas at TSW into a Water Park to enhance the attractiveness of Ocean Park into a world-class theme park and provide a must-see destination to visitors. Artistic impressions of the preferred scheme for the Project are shown in Figure 2.1 and Figure 2.2. The Project area, of approximately 6.63 ha, is expected to comprise of a series of platforms matching with the natural topography of TSW and will not involve any marine works. The Project can be largely categorised into the following parts:
ˇ An Indoor Zone – water park with a wave pool, lazy river, play structure, water slides, surf-rider, various pools, food and beverage (F&B) facilities, electrical and mechanical (E&M) utilities, back of house and car-parking (see Figure 2.3 for artistic impression of the indoor water park).
ˇ An Outdoor Zone – water park with a wave pool, lazy river, water slides, ride platforms, various pools; ‘sea turtle’ exhibit; and some small-scale F&B facilities (see Figure 2.4 for artistic impression of the outdoor water park).
ˇ General Approach Area – coach and taxi drop-off point and Emergency Vehicular Access Road (EVA).
ˇ Sewerage Facilities – sewage sump pit and twin above-ground rising mains of 150mm diameter each
The opening hours of the Water Park will be
from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. The proposed Project layout plan of the preferred
scheme is shown in Figure 2.5. The current design includes the
following levels as presented in Figure 2.6 and corresponding facilities
listed in Table 2.1:
Table 2.1: Levels and Corresponding Major Facilities for the Project
|
Level |
Major Facilities |
|
Basement Level |
·
Parking ·
Mechanical and Electrical Plant (MEP) |
|
Level 1 |
·
Entrance and Ticketing Office ·
‘Sea Turtle’ exhibit ·
Flamingo Pond ·
Interactive Water Element ·
Lobby ·
Changing rooms ·
F&B ·
Retail stores |
|
Level 2 |
·
Outdoor wave pool ·
Lazy rivers (indoor and outdoor) ·
Plunge pools for slides ·
Indoor surf rider ·
Slides |
|
Level 3 |
·
Indoor wave pool ·
Indoor play structure ·
Outdoor infinity pools ·
Outdoor spa pools ·
Outdoor activity pool |
|
Platform Level |
·
Platforms of water slides ·
Mat racer platform ·
Water slides |
The preliminary design is based on the best
available information. The assessment adopts a conservative approach wherever
possible in terms of the design options presented.
If the Project were not to proceed, the need for the Project would not be met and the increasing visitor demand could not be entertained, hence missing the golden opportunity to provide an unique Water Park facility as a fresh local recreation, which would in turn compromise the opportunities to strengthen the tourism industry and local employment rate in Hong Kong.
At the Technical Feasibility Study (TFS) stage, an original Project scheme was developed (as presented in Figure 2.7). It was arranged in the original layout that: (1) a stand-alone structure located south-west of the site which incorporates a definitive indoor Water Park facility under a singular large span roof, and (2) a separate outdoor Water Park component linked at the north-east corner via a lazy river. The building form was adopted to achieve the maximum utilization of space for major activities/function. A large ‘clam shell-like’ building structure thus result as the iconic feature in the original scheme.
The design concept and the scheme for the Project have evolved since then. The current Project boundary is carefully defined based on minimising the need of site preparation works for sheet piling, excavation, fill and temporary cut slopes. The extent of natural vegetation removal is also minimised in the current preferred scheme design.
The preferred scheme now takes good
advantage of the existing slope conditions by locating ride platforms on or near
the slopes to minimise the amount of structural support required. The building
forms are an extension of the existing slope topography integrating the Water
Park rides and spaces blurring the edges between indoor/ outdoor zones and
maximising views towards the bay. Cascading pools integrated with the natural
surroundings thus result as an iconic feature in the preferred scheme.
The
design concept for blending with natural environment and optimisation of
development option in environmental perspective has been adopted which has
resulted in the selection of the current scenario. The preferred scheme (shown
in Figure
2.1 and Figure 2.2) is thus the recommended option for
the Project as it has minimised, and avoided wherever possible, environmental
impacts in its layout and design of structures. The following summarises the
key environmental considerations that have been incorporated into the preferred
scheme to improve the environmental performance of the Project.
Overall speaking, the preferred scheme has taken into account the main ecological concerns arising from the Project and has been incorporated with appropriate design features which make it ecologically more preferable when compared to the original design. Such design features are summarised in Table 2.2.
Table 2.2: Summary of Layout and Design of Scheme Options Considered
|
Aspect |
Original
Scheme |
Preferred scheme |
Environmental Benefits /
Dis-benefits |
|
Footprint
on hillside |
Outdoor
swimming pools sitting on the hillside; cut/excavation into the slope at the valley
requiring clearance of natural habitat at both northern and southern side of
the Project Site. |
Swimming pools to be built on platforms
supported by stilts; Make good use of the already developed areas;
Establishing series of platform and applied to the relatively gentle slopes
on the east, north-east and south-east which require clearance of natural
habitat at northern side. |
The need of large-scale slope works and
subsequent loss of woodland/ shrubland in the periphery; the natural
landscape and ecological environment are preserved as far as possible. The preferred scheme limits the clearance of
natural habitat to the northern side of the Project Site only and preserves
the southern side as an enhancement area for wild bird use. Potential visual impacts are minimised in the
preferred scheme. |
|
Main
Building Structure |
Stand-alone
structure located south-west of the site which incorporates a definitive
indoor water park facility under a singular large span roof. |
“Terrace” concept with cascading pools, which
streamlines the artificial structure to match with hillside landscape |
Visual impact of the indoor zone enclosure in
the original design is more prominent and substantial. Lack of green and
natural landscape to be integrated into the indoor and outdoor structures in
the original scheme and hence low compatibility with the surroundings. The
enclosure adopts extensive glazing which pose higher risk of bird collision. Preferred scheme reduces visual impact of the
park with the hillscape and increased compatibility
with the surroundings; minimised use of glazing which reduces bird collision
risk and is a more bird friendly design |
|
Flamingo
Pond |
Flamingo
pond is located at the centre of the Water Park (near the entrance) next to
the Indoor Zone building structure. |
Flamingo pond is located at southern part of
the site with separation from the main building structure. |
Compatibility with natural
environment and favourable for wildlife Original scheme – area around the Flamingo
Pond can only provide very limited planting; its location (near the entrance)
receives high degree of anthropogenic disturbance and highly glazed building
structure. The whole setting is not favourable for matching with natural
environment and for wildlife use Preferred scheme – large area of plants and
vegetation available behind the pond; relatively undisturbed by anthropogenic
activities by the Project. The setting is more compatible to natural
environment and favourable for wildlife |
Given that the overall theme of the Project is to combine nature with water elements of the development, the Project has given great consideration in maximum utilisation of existing landscape features, including the topography and geographic location of the site. Key environmental benefits that will be generated from the Project include the following:
ˇ Development of a Water Park with various landscape and amenity planting which enhance the environmental setting. Landscape and visual enhancement will be achieved via provision of new aesthetic structures that complement the surroundings.
ˇ Greening and landscape elements will be incorporated at the roofs and platform structures to maximise the planting and landscape area.
A number of environmental impacts have been avoided or minimised in the preferred scheme. These include the following:
ˇ The preferred scheme makes good use of the already developed areas and establishes a series of platforms so that large-scale slope excavation for outdoor park and subsequent loss of natural environment are avoided; also vegetation clearance/tree felling and visual impacts are minimised.
ˇ Minimising footprint on the existing hillside slopes by reducing the amount of structural support required so that ecological impact on natural habitats especially woodland and streams are minimised.
ˇ Adoption of “terrace” concept to avoid substantial visual impact and minimise incompatibility with the surrounding environment; also to minimise the use of glazing and the potential collision impact on birds.
ˇ Re-provision of the Flamingo Pond at the southern side of the Project Area which is compatible with natural environment and more suitable for wildlife use.
A number of environmental friendly design features have been incorporated in the current design of the preferred scheme. These include:
ˇ Blending of the building structure
with nature environment and preserving the natural landscape and topography
with a series of cascading platforms positioned within the Brick Hill valley.
The building forms are an extension of the existing slope topography
integrating the Water Park rides; spaces blurring the edges between indoor/
outdoor zones while maximizing views towards the bay;
ˇ The orientation of building has been
positioned where building faces predominantly south-west to receive maximum
daylight;
ˇ Taking advantage of the existing
slope conditions by locating ride platforms on or near the slope to minimise the amount of support structure required;
ˇ Landscaping would permeate into the
indoor and outdoor spaces, and the surrounding landscape emerging into the
existing valley to minimise visual impact;
ˇ Providing green roof and skylights
to minimise reflection from roofing materials and
blending into the existing hillscape. Reduced use of
large glazing or transparent screening to minimise
the risk of bird collision;
ˇ Indoor area to be categorised into different thermal zones according to
functional requirement to minimise the energy
consumption;
ˇ Adopting natural ventilation for the
indoor Water Park area during summer with minimal mechanical ventilation to
achieve both the thermal comfort and energy saving;
ˇ Adopting heat exchangers for
retrieving waste heat from the Air Conditioning System for pre-heating of hot
water for general ablution and pool heating;
ˇ Alteration to existing seawall and
marine works have been avoided hence no impact on surrounding marine life;
ˇ Adopting Building Information
Modeling (BIM) to facilitate a more efficient design and construction
coordination and to avoid unforeseen clashes which subsequently generate
abortive work and construction waste.
A number of environmental friendly designs will be considered in detailed design, construction and operation phases. These include:
ˇ Selection of environmental friendly
and sustainable building materials;
ˇ Introducing rainwater harvesting
system for recycling storm water on irrigation or cleaning purpose;
ˇ Using renewable energy systems and
energy efficient device, such as solar landscape lighting, lighting control
management system, low energy consumption signs, low flow shower heads, dual
flushing cisterns and co-generation/ tri-generation;
ˇ For selection of mechanically
efficient systems, the following measures for high energy efficiency will be
used in HVAC system: evaporative cooling tower & gas absorption chiller,
variable outside air quantity and economiser free
cooling off system;
ˇ Consideration of pre-bored rock
socket steel H-piles for foundation which could generate less noise and
vibration as well as impose least disruption to the terrain;
ˇ Earth retaining structures and
temporary cut slopes, and excavation lateral support system for pile caps to
generate smaller volumes of excavated materials and balance the cut and fill
volume in order to reduce any surplus earth material disposal and minimise waste management implications;
ˇ Using electric vehicles for guest
shuttle service and staff transportation subject to the development of
available technology.
In the course of planning the Project, OPC has confirmed that no reclamation, no hydraulic/marine work, no dredging and no seawall construction will be carried out under this Project.
The
major construction activities involved in the Project are foundation works, site formation, slope
stabilization works, main building and superstructure construction and sewerage
facilities. A number of alternative construction methods and sequence of works
has been reviewed and compared prior to recommending the preferred scheme.
Consideration of environmental impacts during construction stage has been one
of the main factors affecting the choice of construction method and
construction sequence. The recommended option has aimed to provide the optimum
balance between environmental concerns and non-environmental considerations.
A summary of the major construction
activities and the recommended option are provided in Table 2.3.
Table 2.3: Summary of Recommended Option of Construction Methods
|
Construction
Activity |
Options |
Environmental Benefit / Dis-benefit |
Recommended Option |
|
Foundation Works |
·
Large diameter bored pile |
·
More C&D material will be generated comparing with driven H-piles |
·
Pre-bored rock socket steel H-piles is recommended as it generates less
noise and vibration, imposes the least disruption to the terrain and involves
less excavation and then reduces material disposal |
|
·
Pre-bored rock socket steel H-piles |
·
Generates less noise and vibration; Reduces disruption to the sloped
and forested terrain; Less excavation and so reduces material disposal |
||
|
·
Driven steel H-piles |
·
Generates the greatest noise and vibration which may impact nearby
noise sensitive receivers (NSRs) |
||
|
Site Formation and Slope Stabilisation |
·
Earth retaining structures and temporary cut slopes |
·
Relatively smaller volumes of excavation are required in comparison
with shallower angled permanent cuts, but thicker building walls (more
concrete) are required as they are earth retaining structures. |
·
Earth retaining structures and temporary cut slopes, and excavation
lateral support system for pile caps are recommended to generate smaller
volumes of excavated materials and minimise waste management implications ·
Conventional utilities, roadworks and landscaping ·
Disposal by trucks instead of barges to avoid impact to marine
environment |
|
·
Permanent cut slopes |
·
Relatively larger excavation volumes than for steeper temporary cuts
for earth retaining structures. ·
Thinner building walls (less concrete) required as not earth
retaining. |
||
|
·
Placement of fill in areas where proposed building structure is above
existing ground level. |
·
Thicker building walls (more concrete) as walls earth retaining. ·
May utilise cut material as fill. |
||
|
·
Excavation lateral support system for pile caps |
·
Excavation extent (and potential ground water ingress where occurs) is
minimised by the use of temporary support methods such as sheet piles and
soil nails. |
||
|
·
Utilities, roadworks and landscaping by conventional
methods |
·
No difference |
||
|
·
Disposal by trucks |
·
Potential increased dust in road traffic noise impact to adjacent air
sensitive receivers (ASRs) / NSRs |
||
|
·
Disposal by barges |
·
Potential water quality impacts from barge loading operations |
||
|
Superstructure |
·
Conventional in-situ reinforced concrete construction |
·
More C&D waste will be generated compared to precast concrete.
Noise generation due to concreting works |
·
Owing to the given constraints, conventional cast in-situ reinforced concrete construction and particularly the flatslab system is preferred to precast concrete. ·
Steelwork for long span roof structures. |
|
·
Precast concrete |
·
Less C&D waste will be generated. Construction of concrete panels
is carried out off-site and potential environmental impact could be minimised |
||
|
·
Steelwork |
·
Steel members are fabricated off-site and connected on-site,
minimising potential environmental impacts |
As outlined in Table 2.2, the preferred layout and scheme design option has taken consideration of main ecological concerns arising from the Project and incorporated with appropriate design features which make it ecologically more preferable when compared to the original design. As summarised in Table 2.3, the adopted construction method has aimed to provide the optimum balance between environmental concerns and non-environmental considerations.
The tentative programme for operation of the Project will be in 2017. Given the scale of the Project, construction will be implemented according to the general description as shown in Table 2.4 below.
Table 2.4: Summary of Construction Programme
|
Item |
Description |
Timeframe |
|
1 |
EVA, slope stabilisation & site formation
works |
Q3
2014-Q2 2015 |
|
2 |
Foundation |
Q4
2014-Q2 2015 |
|
3 |
Main building construction |
Q2
2015-Q4 2016 |
|
4 |
Superstructure |
Q2-Q4
2015 |
|
5 |
Roof steel erection |
Q4
2015-Q1 2016 |
|
6 |
Glass curtain wall installation |
Q1-Q3
2016 |
|
7 |
Water rides installation |
Q1-Q2
2016 |
|
8 |
Interior fitting out |
Q2
2016-Q1 2017 |
Potential air quality impacts associated with the construction and operation phase of the Project have been assessed in the EIA report. Representative Air Sensitive Receivers (ASRs) within 500 m of the Project area and the broader area where air quality may be potentially affected by the Project have been identified and the worst case impacts on these receivers have been assessed. Suitable mitigation measures, where necessary, have been recommended to protect the sensitive receivers and to achieve compliance with legislative criteria and guidelines.
With the Government’s on-going and planned programmes to tackle various air pollution issues in Hong Kong, it is anticipated that the future background air quality will be improved. To predict the future background air pollutant concentration, the Pollutants in the Atmosphere and the Transport over Hong Kong (PATH) model, has been used. PATH background concentrations of the relevant pollutants for year 2015 have been adopted. As the PATH model does not generate Total Suspended Particulates (TSP) results, the PATH Respirable Suspended Particulates (RSP) results were taken to represent the background contributions to TSP at the ASRs.
Potential
air quality impacts from the construction works of the Project would mainly be
related to construction dust from site clearance, excavation, foundation and
site formation works. Dust generated
from construction activities is the primary concern during the construction
phase. The air quality model Fugitive
Dust Model (FDM) was used to predict the air pollutant concentrations
due to open dust source impacts. With
proper implementation of the recommended mitigation measures, it has been
assessed that all ASRs are predicted to comply with the TSP criterion as well
as the relevant AQO for RSP and FSP (see Table 3.1 and Table 3.2).
During
the construction phase, construction vehicles are assumed to use Wong Chuk Hang Road, Nam Long Shan Road, Shum Wan Road, Heung
Yip Road and Police School Road. It is expected that a maximum of fifteen
construction trucks per hour will be arriving or exiting the construction site.
Minor increase to Wong Chuk Hang Road due to
construction traffic and the associated coach diversion is expected. Therefore,
potential air quality impact from the limited movements of construction trucks
would unlikely be significant.
Hence, there are no adverse residual air quality impacts anticipated during the construction phase.
Table 3.1: Summary of Predicted Cumulative TSP, RSP and FSP Concentrations for Tier 1 Construction Dust at All ASRs (Mitigated and Unmitigated)
|
Air Pollutant |
Averaging Time |
Criteria (μg/m3) |
Allowable Exceedances
in a Year |
Scenario |
Range of Concentrations
(μg/m3) |
Remark |
Compliance with Criteria |
|
TSP |
1 hour |
500 |
0 |
Unmitigated |
166 - 1490 |
Maximum values |
No |
|
Mitigated |
147 - 165 |
Yes |
|||||
|
RSP |
24
hours |
100 |
9 |
Unmitigated |
73 - 87 |
10th maximum values |
Yes |
|
Mitigated |
72 - 74 |
Yes |
|||||
|
FSP |
24
hours |
75 |
9 |
Unmitigated |
54 - 56 |
10th maximum values |
Yes |
|
Mitigated |
54 - 55 |
Yes |
Table 3.2: Summary of Predicted Cumulative RSP and FSP Concentrations for Annual Construction Dust at All ASRs (Mitigated and Unmitigated)
|
Air Pollutant |
Averaging Time |
Criteria (μg/m3) |
Scenario |
Range of Maximum Concentrations
(μg/m3) |
Compliance with Criteria |
|
RSP |
Annual |
50 |
Unmitigated |
39 - 45 |
Yes |
|
Mitigated |
38 - 39 |
Yes |
|||
|
FSP |
Annual |
35 |
Unmitigated |
29* |
Yes |
|
Mitigated |
29* |
Yes |
* Note: all concentrations within the range are equal to the listed value after rounding off to zero decimal place.
Proposed mitigation measures for
construction phase are highlighted as follows:
ˇ Use
of regular water spraying (once every 2.5 hours or 4 times per day) at all active
works area, exposed site surfaces and unpaved roads.;
ˇ Covering
80% of stockpiling area by impervious sheets and spraying all dusty material
with water immediately prior to any loading transfer operations ;
ˇ The
speed of the trucks within the Project area should be controlled to about 10
km/hour;
ˇ Vehicles
used for transporting dusty materials/ spoils should be covered with tarpaulin
or similar material, and the cover should extend over the edges of the sides
and tailboards;
ˇ Vehicle
wheel washing facilities should be provided at each construction site exit;
immediately before leaving the construction site, every vehicle should be
washed to remove any dusty materials from its body and wheels.
Vehicular emissions due to the increased traffic along the Shum Wan Road from the operation of the Project was identified as a major source of air emissions. Based on the modelling results (see Table 3.3), it is predicted that all the identified ASRs would be in compliance with the AQOs for daily RSP, annual RSP, daily FSP, annual FSP, hourly NO2 and annual NO2. Hence, no adverse residual air quality impacts are anticipated during the operation phase.
Table 3.3: Summary of Predicted Operation Cumulative RSP, FSP and NO2 Concentrations for All ASRs
|
Air Pollutant |
Averaging Time |
AQO (μg/m3) |
Allowable Exceedances
in a Year |
Range of Concentrations (μg/m3) |
Remark |
Compliance with Criteria |
|
NO2 |
1 hour |
200 |
18 |
130
– 157 |
19th maximum values |
Yes |
|
1 year |
40 |
0 |
22 –
36 |
Annual
average |
Yes |
|
|
RSP |
24 hours |
100 |
9 |
73* |
10th
maximum values |
Yes |
|
1 year |
50 |
0 |
38 –
39 |
Annual
average |
Yes |
|
|
FSP |
24 hours |
75 |
9 |
55* |
10th
maximum values |
Yes |
|
1 year |
35 |
0 |
29* |
Annual
average |
Yes |
* Note: all concentrations within the range are equal to the listed value after rounding off to zero decimal place.
It is proposed to use the combination of ozone and electro-chlorinator as the sterilisation and disinfection system. Ozone will act as the primary disinfectant and the residual chlorine as secondary disinfection agent. Electro-chlorinator is to generate sodium hypochlorite solution. Only sodium hypochlorite solution will be stored. There is no on-site storage of liquefied chlorine. There will not be any potentially hazardous installation (PHI) within the Project area. The Project area does not fall within the consultation zone of any PHI for the operation of the Project.
There is no overnight storage of explosives for the construction of this Project.
On the basis that no on-site storage of liquefied chlorine or explosives for this Project, hazard is not a concern. Hazard to life to evaluate the potential hazard is therefore not required.
The major construction activities of the Project will involve site formation, foundation and construction of main building. Two representative noise sensitive receivers (NSRs) were identified for construction noise impact assessment. The noise impact associated with unmitigated construction activities for the Project would cause 2 to 3 dB(A) exceedance of daytime construction noise criteria at the representative Noise Sensitive Receivers (NSRs) only during the examination periods. Therefore, good site practices and mitigation measures including the use of quiet plant and erection of movable noise barriers have been proposed to alleviate the noise impact. With the good site practices and mitigation measures in place, no residual impacts exceeding the relevant noise criteria are predicted at all NSRs.
During the construction phase, construction vehicles are assumed to use Wong Chuk Hang Road, Nam Long Shan Road, Shum Wan Road, Heung Yip Road and Police School Road. It is expected that a maximum of fifteen construction trucks per hour will be arriving or exiting the construction site. Minor increase to Wong Chuk Hang Road due to construction traffic and the associated coach diversion is expected. Therefore, potential noise impact from the limited movements of construction trucks would unlikely be significant.
Eight representative noise sensitive receivers (NSRs) were identified for road traffic noise impact assessment. The increased traffic flow under the operation of the Project is expected to cause less than 1 dB(A) increase in road traffic noise level. Therefore, significant adverse off-site road traffic noise impact is not anticipated from the Project.
With the specification of maximum allowable Sound Power Levels (SWLs) for the proposed fixed plants including air intake/ exhaust openings, pumps, Public Address (PA) system, full compliance of relevant noise criteria will be achieved and no residual impact exceeding the relevant noise criteria is anticipated.
The Project does not comprise of a designated venue for open air entertainment. However, open air entertainment activities are expected to occur at various locations within the water park at different times of day. Noise impact from these open air shows is expected to be from the use of loudspeaker systems for amplification of voice and potentially instrumental music. With the adoption of the proposed maximum allowable SWLs, all representative NSRs is expected to comply with the relevant noise criteria for the daytime and evening time periods. No adverse open air entertainment noise impact is anticipated.
The following measures should be considered as far as practicable during operation stage:
§ use small clusters of small power loudspeakers rather than a few large power loudspeakers; and
§ loudspeakers should be pointed away from nearby NSRs.
Water
quality impact assessment has been carried out for areas within 500m of the
Project site boundary and other areas in the vicinity that might be impacted by
the Project. Two watercourses, Ocean
Park seawater intake, Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter, Deep Water Bay Beach and some
coral communities within the Western Buffer and Southern Water Control Zones
(WCZs) were identified as water sensitive receivers (WSRs).
During the construction phase, potential water quality impact would be generated from site formation, foundation works, expansion of existing storm u-channel, construction of sewage sump pit and rising mains, site run-off, sewage from workforce, accidental spillage and discharge of wastewater from various construction activities. With the implementation of the recommended mitigation measures, no adverse water quality impact from the construction works for the Project is anticipated.
Sewage effluent from operation of the
Project would be discharged to the Aberdeen Preliminary Treatment Works (APTW)
via a new sewer connection to the existing sewerage network at Nam Long Shan
Road and no overflow is anticipated from the new sewage sump pit. Other
potential impacts during operation phase include discharge of used pool water,
spent cooling water, Flamingo Pond and ‘Sea Turtle’ exhibit, and runoff from
road surfaces and planting areas. As the Water Park will maintain
operation throughout the year, discharge of approximate 10,500 m3
used pool water generated from the swimming pools annually will be performed in
phases and the daily discharge volume from pool, Flamingo Pond and ‘Sea Turtle’
exhibit will not exceed 6,000 m3.
The used pool water will contain 0.2 mg/L of residual chlorine that is within
the TM-DSS effluent criteria, thus impact due to residual chlorine discharge is
anticipated to be minimal. Backwash water from the daily operation of the pool
will be collected and treated by the on-site filtration system and then
discharged to the sewage system. Water
discharged from the Flamingo Pond and ‘Sea Turtle’ exhibit is anticipated to be
less than 60 m3 per day, and will be disinfected and filtered,
hence, water quality impact due to discharge from Flamingo Pond and ‘Sea
Turtle’ exhibit is considered insignificant.
On the other hand, the spent cooling water generated will be fully
reused on site for flushing purposes, thus no spent cooling water will be
directly discharged. As no direct discharge of sewage, cleaning agents or spent
cooling water is expected at any time during operation phase, no adverse water quality impact is
anticipated. Runoff from road surfaces
and planting areas are not anticipated to cause adverse water quality impact
with the recommended mitigation measures in place.
The
impact assessment has been carried out on the existing public sewerage network
and treatment works to collect the sewage flow generated from the Project. The
sewage flow from the Project is proposed to be discharged to the 450mm diameter
sewer at Nam Long Shan Road and then conveyed to the APTW for treatment.
The
hydraulic assessment results have revealed that the existing 450mm diameter
gravity sewer along the Nam Long Shan Road should be able to handle all the
sewage flows from the Project.
Therefore, no adverse impact is anticipated on the existing 450mm
diameter gravity sewers and the downstream sewerage system due to the Project.
In view
of the assessment findings, it is considered that the design capacity of the
existing APTW is sufficient to handle the estimated total Average Dry Weather
Flow (ADWF) and Peak Flow from the Project and the relevant Planning Data Zones
(PDZs) during the ultimate scenario year of 2021. In conclusion, no adverse
impact is anticipated on the existing APTW due to the Project.
The major waste types generated by the
construction activities will include construction and demolition (C&D)
materials from excavation of hill slopes, foundation and site formation as well
as from construction of new buildings and superstructures works; chemical waste
from maintenance and servicing of construction plant and equipment; general
refuse from the workforce and floating refuse trapped / accumulated on the
artificial seawall. No excavation/dredging of sediment for this Project is anticipated. Provided that all these identified wastes
are handled, transported and disposed of in strict accordance with the relevant
legislative and recommended requirements and that the recommended good site
practices and mitigation measures are properly implemented, no adverse
environmental impact is expected during the construction phase.
During the operation phase, the key waste
types generated will include general refuse from recreational activities,
retail stores and restaurants within the Project; as well as chemical waste
from routine servicing and maintenance activities for different electrical and
mechanical equipment. There would also be entrapment or accumulation of
floating refuse on the artificial seawall of the Project but it is anticipated
to be negligible. Provided that all these wastes are handled, transported and
disposed of in strict accordance with the relevant legislative requirements and
the recommended mitigation measures are properly implemented, no adverse
environmental impact is expected during the operation phase.
Recommended mitigation measures for waste
management are:
ˇ Good site practices such as staff
training in proper waste management and chemical handling procedures; providing sufficient waste disposal
points; and employing licensed waste
collectors.
ˇ Waste reduction measures such as sorting
demolition debris and excavated materials from demolition works to recover
reusable/recyclable portions; and segregating and storing different types of
waste in different containers, skips or stockpiles to enhance reuse or
recycling of materials and their proper disposal.
ˇ Following
the DEVB Technical Circular (Works) No. 6/2010 for Trip Ticket System for Disposal of Construction & Demolition
Materials to monitor the disposal of inert and non-inert C&D materials
at respectively PFRFs and the designated landfill site, and to control
fly-tipping.
ˇ Preparing and implementing a Waste
Management Plan detailing various waste arising and waste management
practices in accordance with the relevant requirements of the ETWB Technical
Circular (Works) No. 19/2005 Environmental
Management on Construction Site.
The land contamination assessment has been
conducted by reviewing the historical and current land uses, desktop appraisal
and site reconnaissance survey with respect to the potential land contamination
at the Project area. Other relevant information collected from the related
government departments has been reviewed.
Based on the findings of the desktop
appraisal of the historical and current land uses and the site survey in the
Project area, land contamination impacts associated with the construction and
operation of the proposal project is not anticipated.
In case contaminated material is discovered
after the commencement of works, mitigation measures for handling of
contaminated materials and regular site audits are recommended to minimise the
potential adverse impacts on workers’ health and safety and remediation/
disposal of potentially contaminated materials.
The Project area comprises mainly developed
area maintained with plantation and landscape planting, therefore most of the
ecological resources within the Project area is limited by its artificial
nature. Only the loss of 0.75 ha woodland and the pond/plantation area that were
used by ardeids for night-roosting (as indicated in Figure 3.1) are considered as
moderate-minor impact and need specific mitigation measures. On-site
reinstatement and compensation of woodland and enhancement of an area with pond
and pond-side plantation similar to existing setting for ardeid
night roost will be provided to mitigate the impact of habitat loss.
Two streams were identified within the
Project area. The main “Eastern Stream” has stable flow adjoining to the
“Aviary”. The preferred scheme has avoided this stream and impact is expected
to be limited. The “Northern Stream” has only seasonal, thin and low flow over
high gradient bedrock without any megafauna
sustained, so the ecological value of this stream is considered as low. It will
be foreshortened by approximately 75m (as indicated in Figure 3.1) due to site formation works for Water Park building, the
ecological impact on this stream will be minor.
A community of ardeid
was identified in the Project area, but after investigation the community was
found only in temporary nature. Therefore, the ecological impact associated
with the Project is very limited. During the course of field survey, it was
found the ardeid community that temporarily hosted in
TSW has largely left the site and resettled in another suitable roosting site
in Aberdeen Channel. On this account, TSW is considered as lesser important to
the roosting ardeids. Nonetheless, it is recommended
to allocate a portion of the Project area to be enhanced with pond and tree to
provide an alternative habitat option for the ardeid
community.
Marine ecology including coral communities
and intertidal habitats are identified at TSW. Coral communities at TSW
were in good condition with no coral bleaching and acceptable sedimentation,
though partial mortality in low
percentage of coral species was recorded. As there will not be any marine-based
construction works for the Project, no direct impacts on marine ecological resources
are anticipated. Potential indirect impacts will be minimised by water quality
mitigation measures, thus no unacceptable impacts on coral communities and
intertidal habitats would occur.
Given that majority of the habitat affected
(i.e. developed area and landscape planting) is artificial, the disturbed
habitats of conservation value will be reinstated or compensated, and the ardeid community used to roost in the Project area has
resettled to other roosting site, the ecological impact due to construction and
operation of the Project is considered as minor and acceptable with various
mitigation measures mentioned in Section 3.8.2 in place.
Avoidance of Habitat Loss
The current Project design largely follows
the footprint of the existing park area. The current Project boundary has been
carefully defined to avoid unnecessary loss of natural habitat. Compared to the
original scheme, the preferred scheme affect only the natural habitat at the northern
side of the Project area but preserve the natural hillside vegetation at
southern side. As a result, the flora species of conservation concern at the
southern side can be preserved and the location can be enhanced for ardeid community use.
As mentioned in Section 2.4.2.2 and Section 3.8.1, the main “Eastern Stream” has
been avoided in the preferred scheme for preservation of natural environment.
Furthermore, any works encroaching onto marine habitat is not considered in the
Project to avoid any direct impact on the marine environment and the associated
fauna, noticeably hard coral communities.
Avoidance of Impacts on Birds
Risk of bird collision is largely avoided by
optimising design of Project structure. Previous design adopts a large
stadium-like indoor structure at the centre of Project area. The Project design
adopts a “terrace” concept. The terrace landscape harmonises the Water Park
into a natural landscape which reduce impediment to bird’s activities over the
area. The reduced use of large glazing or transparent screening in this design
would significantly avoid the risk of bird collision.
Although
there is no egretry record during the field study
period, the vegetated pond side will be inspected prior to site clearance works
to confirm no active ardeid nest is present. The ardeid community
that temporarily roosted in TSW has largely left and resettled in another
roosting site, but the site clearance and tree felling works at the existing
ardeid night roost location (as indicated in Figure 3.1)
will still be avoided during the peak wintering season of ardeids
(i.e. between November and March) so that the number of birds affected would be
minimised. Works area will be demarcated clearly and good site practice will be
properly implemented to minimise disturbance impact
on roosting ardeids during construction phase.
Minimisation
Timing of
site clearance at the existing ardeid night roost
location will indirectly minimise disturbance effect
on ardeids roosting at TSW during construction phase.
Given that the number of ardeids is much smaller in
non-wintering season, the overall disturbance impact on the ardeids
will be further minimised with suitable timing of site clearance works.
Compensation
After
consideration of alternative for avoiding and minimising
impact on woodland, the permanent loss of woodland which is reduced to
approximately 0.75 ha will be mitigated by provision of a woodland compensation
area of 0.84 ha. The location of the woodland compensation area is presented in
Figure 3.2.
The woodland compensation area will be planted with predominately native tree
species similar to the affected woodland and maintained by the project
proponent.
For compensating the loss of pond and
plantation areas that were used by a small group of ardeids for
night-roosting, it is
recommended to reserve part of the TSW area for ardeid use. The enhancement
area will be wind-shielded, near waterfront and away from the core park area to
favour ardeid use (as indicated in Figure 3.2). Within the enhancement area, a
Flamingo Pond together with plantation habitat will be provided.
Post-construction monitoring for the
compensation and enhancement areas will be conducted. A 3-year monitoring
programme is recommended to
monitor the woodland compensation area with covering planting
phases. The general health condition and survival of planted trees will be
monitored. Trigger and Action Levels for monitoring and Action Plan are set out
for appropriate action to be taken if poor health condition or survival rate of
plants is observed. Regarding the enhancement area for ardeid community, after
establishment it will be monitored monthly for one year during operation phase
to check the effectiveness of the setting.
Review of existing information on commercial
fisheries resources and fishing operations within the study area shows that the
importance of capture fisheries resources in the study area is moderately-low
in terms of overall fishing operations, and moderate in terms of fisheries
production (both weight and value). Fish fry production is absent from the assessment
area and no fish culture zones, artificial reefs, important spawning areas or
nursery grounds for commercial species are present, and therefore, these
resources would not be affected by the Project implementation.
During the construction phase, disturbance
to fisheries may arise from construction vessel activities, and indirect impact
of water quality change associated with land-based construction works. However
the impact on fisheries resources/production and fishing activity is predicted
to be temporary and insignificant. During the operation phase, change in water
quality may also occur due to discharge of sewage and runoffs. However, only
negligible impact to fisheries resources/production is expected.
Furthermore, with good site practices and mitigation
measures in place, it is expected that there would be no significant impacts to
fisheries and no fisheries-specific mitigation measures are required given that
the water quality mitigation measures are implemented properly.
Review of
Planning and Development Control Framework
The entire Project area is within the land
use type “Other Specified Uses” “OU” for “Ocean Park” only. The planning intention of this zone is
primarily for comprehensively planed low-density and generally low- to
medium-rise marine-themed park development in Hong Kong with related retail,
dining and entertainment facilities serving visitors as well as the general
public. Height restrictions apply to
buildings in this zone. The proposed
redevelopment is in line with the planning intention of this “OU” zone. No re-zoning under Section 12A of the Town
Planning Ordinance will be required for the implementation of the Project. However, should the building height
restrictions of this “OU” zone be violated by the proposed redevelopment,
planning application under Section 16 of the Town Planning Ordinance will be
required.
Potential Impact
on Existing Trees
To facilitate implementation of the Project,
tree felling will be unavoidable. Recommended compensatory tree planting in Figure 3.3
includes heavy standard trees and whips, which can fully compensate for the
loss of the trees in terms of quantity.
Sources of
Potential Landscape and Visual Impacts
During the construction phase, sources of
potential landscape and visual impacts would arise from the following:
§ Site clearance for the proposed structures, particularly at the existing woodland and tall shrubland area.
During the operation phase, sources of
potential landscape and visual impacts would arise from the following:
§ Operation of the Indoor Zone of the Water Park (with a wave pool, lazy river, play structure, water slides, surf-rider, various pools, F&B facilities, E&M utilities, back of house and car-parking;
§ Operation of the Outdoor Zone of the Water Park (with a wave pool, lazy river, water slides, ride platforms, various pools, ‘sea turtle’ exhibit and some small-scale F&B facilities; and
§ Operation of the General Approach Area with coach and taxi drop-off point and EVA.
Recommended
Landscape and Visual Mitigation Measures
Proposed construction phase mitigation
measures are highlighted as follows:
§ Minimization of Works Areas
§ Preservation of Existing Vegetation
§ Transplantation of Existing Vegetation
§ Setting up “No Intrusion Zones”
§ Provision of temporary tree nurseries
§ Advance Planting
§
Construction Lighting Control
Proposed operation phase mitigation measures
are highlighted as follows:
§ Sensitive Design and Disposition
§ Compensatory Tree Planting
§ Enhancement Planting
§ Green Roofs and Vertical Greening
§ Responsive Lighting Design
§ Woodland Compensation
Landscape Impact
With the implementation of proposed mitigation measures, the anticipated landscape impacts are generally moderate adverse to insubstantial during the construction phase due to site clearance and removal of existing vegetation. Upon completion of the Project, compensatory planting, enhancement planting, green roofs and vertical greening will be provided to compensate for the loss of vegetation during construction. A new “Flamingo Pond” will also be constructed to replace the removed semi-natural ponds. However, the loss of some of the landscape resources will not be fully compensated. The residual landscape impact in operation phase is therefore generally insubstantial with slight adverse impacts expected for some landscape resources.
Visual Impact
With the implementation of proposed mitigation measures, the anticipated visual impacts are generally slight adverse to insubstantial for daytime and largely insubstantial for night-time during the construction phase due to unobstructed or partially obstructed views of construction activities and screen hoarding. Upon completion of the Project, planting within the Project can act as visual screen to visual sensitive receivers. The residual visual impact in operation phase is generally slight adverse to insubstantial in daytime and largely insubstantial in night-time with slight adverse impacts expected on some VSRs.
Overall Acceptability
Overall, in terms of Annex 10, Clause 1.1 (c) of the EIAO-TM, it is concluded that the landscape and visual impacts are acceptable with mitigation measures.
An environmental monitoring and audit (EM&A) programme will be implemented during the construction and operation of the Project to check the effectiveness of the recommended mitigation measures and compliance with relevant statutory requirements. Details of the EM&A works have been specified in the EM&A Manual. The EM&A Manual contains details of the proposed EM&A requirements, implementation schedule of the environmental protection / mitigation measures, EM&A reporting procedures and complaint handling procedures.
This EIA study has identified and assessed the potential environmental impacts that may arise from construction and operation of the Project in accordance with the guidelines of the EIAO-TM and the EIA Study Brief. Based on the results of the assessments of the worst case scenario, the EIA study concludes that with implementation of the recommended mitigation measures, the potential impacts arising from the Project are considered to be environmentally acceptable and the Project would be in compliance with the environmental legislation and standards. No significant adverse residual impacts from the Project are anticipated. A comprehensive environmental monitoring and audit programme will be implemented to check the implementation of mitigation measures and environmental compliance.