12.1.1. In addition to the assessment for various environmental parameters previously, programme and methodologies for Environmental Monitoring and Audit (EM&A) are recommended to evaluate the environmental performance and implementation of this project. This chapter summarises the requirements for EM&A. Details of the EM&A programme are presented as part of this EIA Report in a stand-alone EM&A Manual which is formulated in accordance with Annex 21 of the EIAO-TM and EPD’s EM&A Guidelines for Development Projects in Hong Kong.
12.1.2. This EM&A programme provides systematic procedures for monitoring, auditing and minimising of environmental impacts during construction and operation phases of this proposed Project. Major objectives of the EM&A are listed as following:
· To ensure the compliance with the relevant requirements, standards, Government policies and this EIA study recommendations;
· To enhance the implementation of proposed mitigation measures through monitoring and auditing;
· To allow early warning to any possible exceedance of environmental compliance;
· To establish an appropriate procedures for environmental complaints handling;
· To determine the scope and extent of remedial actions when they are required.
12.1.3. All EM&A data, assessment results and recommendations shall be reported in a series of regular EM&A reports during the next phase of this project.
12.2.1. All proposed mitigation measures in this EIA study shall be incorporated in EM&A programme during implementation. Through that, early warning would be released to the Contractor for necessary actions to mitigate environmental impacts. Table 12.1 summarised the general EM&A requirements for each environmental parameters.
Table 12.1 Summary of EM&A requirements
|
Environmental Parameters |
Construction Phase |
Operation Phase |
||
|
Monitoring |
Audit |
Monitoring |
Audit |
|
|
Air Quality |
- |
√ |
- |
- |
|
Noise |
√ |
√ |
- |
- |
|
Water Quality |
- |
√ |
- |
- |
|
Landscape and Visual |
- |
√ |
- |
- |
|
Waste Management |
- |
√ |
- |
- |
|
Land Contamination |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Hazard to Life |
- |
- |
- |
- |
12.2.2. Details of the proposed mitigation measures, monitoring locations and procedures are presented in a stand-alone Environmental Monitoring and Audit (EM&A) Manual.
12.3.1. No adverse dust impact is anticipated at each representative ASR, given that dust suppression measures during construction phase aforementioned in Section 4.8.2 and recommendations under the Air Pollution Control (Construction Dust) Regulation are properly implemented. Regular site environmental audits during the construction of the proposed Project shall be conducted in accordance with the requirements in the EM&A Manual.
12.3.2. The results of the operation air quality impact assessment showed that no adverse impact due to vehicular movement, odour from RCVs as well as laboratory emission would be anticipated during the operation of the proposed Project. Hence, EM&A auditing work is considered not necessary.
12.4.1. With the implementation of the recommended mitigation measures such as the use of QPME, limiting the number of construction plants operating concurrently, using movable noise barriers and adopting good site practices, adverse construction noise impact is not anticipated except at NSR 2. As it is close to the site, NSR 2 is predicted to expose to construction noise exceeding the relevant noise standard during examination period when site formation, excavation and filling works take place in mid-2016. The duration of the exceedance is expected to be around 7 days. It is recommended that more detailed construction planning, which includes the arrangement on work sequence and plant locations, etc. before actual construction work is undertaken by the Contractor, and practicable noise mitigation measures should be implemented according to the actual site condition and constraints, in order to reduce the construction noise impact. In this connection, the Contractor should keep close liaison with the nearby educational institutions to obtain the examination schedule and should control noise from their construction works such as avoiding concurrent operation of noisy PME, and /or reduction in the percentage on-time of PME during school examination periods. A Construction Noise Management Plan shall be provided by the Contractor before commencement of the construction to avoid noise exceedance.
12.4.2. Environmental Monitoring and Audit measures are also recommended in EM&A Manual to further ensure the implementation of construction noise mitigation measures and to establish appropriate procedures for handling noise complaints. Details of implementation schedules are recorded in the EM&A Manual.
12.4.3. Noise monitoring during operation phase is not necessary as no adverse fixed noise impact from the proposed Project is anticipated with the implementation of the recommended mitigation measures, and the MVAC and other fixed plant properly selected with mitigation measure where necessary to meet the maximum allowable SWLs. The proposed Project will have no significant contribution to road traffic noise impact on the NSRs.
12.5.1. Adverse water quality impact was not predicted and thus water quality monitoring is not considered necessary. However, to ensure that good construction work practices and proposed mitigation measures would be implemented appropriately, construction activities are recommended to be subject to a routine audit programme throughout the construction period. Details on the scope of this audit are presented in the EM&A Manual.
12.5.1.1. With full implementation of the proposed mitigation measures during the operation period, no adverse water quality is predicted. Therefore, EM&A for water quality is not required.
12.6.1. With implementation of the proposed mitigation measures as mentioned in Section 7.8.2 to 7.8.5, no substantial landscape impact but slight to moderate visual impact is anticipated during construction phase. The implementation of mitigation measures shall be checked by regular environmental site audit as part of the EM&A procedures as detailed in the EM&A Manual.
12.6.2. This proposed Project would result in felling of 9 trees within the Project site and 3 trees on the North-western boundary. Approval on tree felling would be obtained from relevant Government departments including Lands Department. EM&A work is considered not necessary in general. However, any necessary monitoring of the compensatory planting after establishment will be conducted, if required, subject to the tree felling approval conditions as required by the approval authorities.
12.7.1. The regular auditing by Environmental Team is recommended during the construction phase of this proposed Project to ensure waste are being managed with appropriate procedures or practices in accordance to relevant legislation and waste management guidelines as well as those recommended in this EIA Report. The audits will examine all aspects of waste management including waste generation, storage, recycling, transport and disposal.
12.7.2. A WMP, as part of EMP, should be prepared in accordance with ETWB TC(W) No.19/2005 and submitted to the Project/ Site Engineer for approval. The recommended mitigation measures should form the basis of the WMP. The monitoring and auditing requirement stated in ETWB TC(W) No.19/2005 shall be followed with regard to the management of C&D Materials.
12.8.1. As assessed in previous chapter, the land contamination at the Project site was identified to be insignificant during the construction and operation phases with the implementation of good site practice and design, thus, no EM&A for contaminated land is recommended.
12.9.1. The risk to construction workers of this proposed Project is predicted to comply with the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines in terms of both individual and societal risk. Also, it is concluded that the operation of this project has no failure event that could cause off-site risk. Therefore, the EM&A for hazard to life is not recommended during both the construction and operation phases.