·
Air
Quality Impact
·
Noise
Impact
·
Water Quality
Impact
·
Sewerage
and Sewage Treatment Implication
·
Waste
Management Implication
·
Landscape
and Visual Impacts
Table 11.1 Summary of
Key Environmental Outcomes and Benefits
|
The Project Need |
· Using rock cavern to accommodate suitable
land uses to serve this area e.g. G/IC facilities and/or commercial
development into rock cavern. · Retaining some of the features of the past
quarry operation (i.e. more than 50 years) to reflect the history and for
educational or tourism functions. |
|
Environmental/Social Benefits of the Project |
· Releasing precious land resources in other
areas for residential development. · The proposed cavern development will only
affect very small amount / extent of the existing vegetation. · Retaining some of the features of the past
quarry operation (i.e. more than 50 years) to reflect the history and for
educational or tourism functions. |
|
Environmentally Friendly Design |
· The compact design and proposed usage of
the exhibition cavern can reduce the C&D materials/wastes quantity
arising from the construction stage comparing to the other option. · The proposed exhibition centre cavern is
located within the proposed quarry park such that some common facilities
(e.g. visitor reception counter, loading and unloading facilities and access
road, etc.) could be shared between the quarry park and the exhibition centre
cavern. This would reduce rock excavation and hence C&D materials/wastes quantity
arising from the construction stage, minimize tree removal as well as
construction noise and air quality impacts amongst other options. · The adoption of mechanical excavation
method can avoid the use of explosive, which presents a significant risk to
adjacent communities. · As the excavation works will be conducted
within the cavern space. The impacts
(i.e. construction noise and dust) to the outside receivers are under control
for the mechanical excavation method. |
|
Air Quality |
Construction Phase Fugitive dust
impact assessment for hourly TSP, daily RSP/FSP and annual RSP/FSP with the
assumption of 100% active area at all times, has been conducted. With the
provision of suitable dust mitigation measures, results indicate that all
ASRs would comply with the 1-hour TSP EIAO-TM, 24-hour average RSP/FSP and
annual average RSP/FSP criteria under AQOs. Operational Phase Air pollutants
emissions from the exhibition area/resource centre would be not
anticipated. In addition, the
project-induced daily traffic flow of 50 vehicle/day would not induce adverse
air quality impact to the nearby ASRs. The potential air
quality emission sources to the proposed exhibition area/resource centre
would be vehicular emissions from nearby local roads and a small-scaled PTI
which locates at about 40m at the south of the Project site. With reference to the predicted air quality
condition in the vicinity of the cavern development of previous approved Schedule
3 EIA Report for Anderson Road Quarry Development, the air quality at the
proposed exhibition area/resource centre is anticipated to comply with the AQOs. |
|
Noise Impact |
Construction Phase Noise impacts
arising from the construction activities of the Project are assessed for the
representative NSRs in the assessment area.
Cumulative unmitigated construction noise levels at the representative
NSRs are predicted to be in the range of 61 to 72 dB(A), complying with the
construction noise criterion of 75 dB(A). No adverse construction noise
impact is therefore anticipated. Notwithstanding the
above, the future contractors should still follow the good site practices and
requirements set out under the "Recommended Pollution Control Clauses
for Construction Contracts” published by EPD. Operational Phase – Fixed Plant Noise The maximum
permissible sound power levels of the fixed noise sources, i.e. ventilation
shaft(s), of the cavern are determined. With proper selection of plant and
adoption of acoustic treatment, the NSRs would not be adversely affected. If there is any
change in engineering design information during detailed design stage or
fitting-out stage, the fixed source noise design should be reviewed by
engineer/contractor to ensure that both the relevant noise criteria can still
be met at the NSRs in future. |
|
Water Quality |
Construction Phase The key issue from
the land-based construction activities would be the potential for release of
wastewater from surface works areas, open cut excavation and groundwater
infiltration during the formation of rock cavern. Minimisation of water
quality deterioration could be achieved through implementing adequate
mitigation measures. A water quality monitoring and audit programme will be
implemented to ensure the effectiveness of the proposed water quality
mitigation measures. Operational Phase The key source of potential impact on water quality during the
operational phase will be the sewage and wastewater generated from the rock
cavern development. However, no adverse water quality impact associated with
the operational phase would be anticipated, provided that adequate sewerage
and sewage treatment facilities are properly implemented to accommodate all
the sewage effluents. |
|
Sewerage and Sewage Treatment |
The proposed sewer
network in the ARQ development will be designed to cater for future
residential development, commercial activities and sewage flow arising from
the cavern development. The sewage flow
from the cavern development is estimated to be 8.4m3/day, which is
around 0.1% of the total sewage flow of ARQ (i.e. 8,863m3/day), and
has been taken in account in the design of ARQ sewerage system. Therefore,
sewerage and sewage implications arising from cavern development are not
anticipated. |
|
Waste Management |
Waste types
generated by the construction activities are likely to include inert and
non-inert C&D materials from excavation works for museum cavern (i.e.
Main Museum, Entrance/Exit Adits and M&E Niches), general refuse from the
workforce and chemical wastes from the maintenance of construction vehicles
and equipment. Provided that these identified wastes would be handled,
transported and disposed of using the recommended methods and that good site
practices would be strictly followed, adverse environmental impacts are not
expected. The waste
management assessment has recommended good waste management practices to
ensure that adverse environmental impacts are prevented. The assessment
concluded that no unacceptable environmental impacts would result from the
storage, handling, collection, transport and disposal of wastes arising from
the construction and operation of the project. |
|
Landscape and Visual |
Rock cavern development is an educational development
to exhibit the geological importance of the quarry. For the whole planning of
ARQ, improvement of landscape area and visual experience will benefit the
overall existing condition which is a highly distributed area. Rock cavern
development is part of the ARQ development and will benefit to the planning
as well.
Although the proposed rock cavern development will be
constructed inside the rock face, approximately 30 trees in front of the
proposed rock cavern development and on the slope platform directly above the
proposed rock cavern development will need to be felled. However, no impact
will be made to the hillside woodland. The scale and the extent of RCD are
small and will not enclose, block or reduce depth of the current view. Visual
impact to the VSRs is slight and will be reduced to insubstantial after
operation with mitigation measures.
The landscape and
visual impacts due to the rock cavern development are considered to be
acceptable with the implementation of appropriate mitigation measures. Impact
will be insubstantial in the future after mitigation. The improvement of
landscape area will further be beneficial to the whole area in long term. |