14 Summary
of Environmental Outcomes
14.2 Population
and Environmental Sensitive Areas Protected
14.3 Approaches
Adopted to Avoid Environmental Impacts
14.4 Approaches
Adopted to Minimise Environmental Impacts
14.5 Approaches
Adopted to Mitigate Environmental Impacts
14.1.1.1 This chapter summarises the overall environmental outcomes due to the development of columbarium, crematorium and related facilities at Sandy Ridge Cemetery in accordance with Section 3.4.10.1 of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study Brief No.: ESB-271/2014. With the vision to develop the Sandy Ridge Cemetery to provide synergistic one-stop services that include at least a funeral parlour and a visitor service centre, the proposed layout and supporting infrastructure have been designed to achieve optimum public services and, at the same time, to avoid and minimise environmental nuisance that may be caused to the neighbouring areas.
14.1.1.2 It is envisioned that this Project will set a new benchmark for the public C&C facilities and services in terms of its functional one-stop services, state-of-the art design incorporating artistic elements of aesthetic appeal where appropriate, greening and landscaping, user-friendly access for visitors and serene surrounding environment.
14.1.1.3 Assessment results indicate that, with the implementation of the proposed environmental measures, adverse environmental impacts arising from the Project are not anticipated. In addition, during operational phase, as the crematorium is a Designated Project under Item N.4 of Schedule 2 of TM-EIAO, a separate EIA study would be conducted by the respective project proponent to fulfil all the statutory requirements and procedures under the EIAO and thus the fixed noise impact, chimney emission and odour will be excluded from this Assignment. However, vehicular emission and road traffic noise from its induced traffic is anticipated and therefore have been included in the assessment.
14.1.1.4 The following sections summarise the approaches that have been adopted to either avoid or minimise various environmental impacts throughout the design process up to this stage. An impact summary is presented in Appendix 14.1.
14.2
Population
and Environmental Sensitive Areas Protected
14.2.1 Population in the Vicinity
14.2.1.1 As discussed in Section 1, the average annual numbers of deaths and cremations in the next 20 years (i.e. from 2014 to 2033) are estimated to be about 54,000 and 51,000 respectively. Upon completion of the latest reprovisioning projects of Wo Hop Shek and Cape Collinson Crematoria by late 2015, the total annual capacity of all public cremators will be increased from 38,000 sessions to 53,000 sessions. This will sufficiently meet the cremation demand only up to around 2024. Hence, there is genuine need to construct a new crematorium at Sandy Ridge Cemetery to address the demand beyond 2024.
14.2.1.2 As for columbarium, the supply of public niches is uncertain even after the completion of the Diamond Hill Columbarium extension, and the new public columbarium at Kiu Tau Road in the Wo Hop Shek Cemetery and the Cheung Chau Cemetery extension in 2012 and 2013 providing about 1,500, 43,700 and 1,000 new niches respectively, of which allocation of niches would be largely completed in mid 2015. Hence, there is a need to construct new columbarium facilities. Sandy Ridge has been identified as one of the locations for new columbarium facilities.
14.2.1.3
After the implementation of the new columbarium facilities,
additional traffic and hence grave sweepers will visit Sandy Ridge, especially
during the Ching Ming and Chung Yeung Festivals. According to the latest traffic planning,
most of the public would utilise public transport (e.g. buses, public light
buses, taxis etc) to access Sandy Ridge via either Man
Kam To Road or
Lin Ma Hang Road.
14.2.1.4
Man Kam To Road is serving as an important link allowing vehicles to
commute between HK and Shenzhen via the Man Kam To Boundary Control Point. The
majority of those vehicles are heavy goods vehicles. The traffic flow on Man
Kam To Road is also heavy during working days and would be less during Ching Ming and Chung Yeung Festivals. In comparison, the existing traffic
flow on Lin Ma Hang Road is relatively less than that along Man Kam To Road.
14.2.1.5 Hence, the environmental impacts caused by these additional traffic on the neighbouring residential premises such as existing village houses along Man Kam To Road and Lin Ma Hang Road have been duly examined. Some purpose built noise barriers (approximately of 2.5m, 3m and 4m tall for existing receivers and 5m tall for planned receivers) along Sha Ling Road and Lin Ma Hang Road, and low noise surfacing materials at some locations along Lin Ma Hang Road are required to protect these populations to achieve acceptable noise levels. The number of dwellings that are benefited is about 30. The vehicular emissions generated by those vehicles have also been assessed and results indicated that the air quality at the premises of those population would comply with the Air Quality Objectives.
14.2.1.6
Besides the population in the neighbouring of Sandy Ridge, the
population in the vicinity of the off-site pick-up / drop-off locations have
also been taken into consideration. In order to strike a balance among various
districts, it is proposed to have off-site pick-up / drop-off locations at MTR Kwu Tung Station, MTR Fanling Station, existing Sheung Shui
Landmark North Public Transport Interchange (PTI) and layby at Pak Wo Road near
Flora Plaza. The
design of these off-site pick-up / drop-off locations have also ensured that the
additional traffic during Ching Ming and Chung Yeung
Festivals
would need not exceed the capacity of the neighbouring highway infrastructures.
Hence, it is not anticipated that those population in the vicinity would be
adversely affected.
14.2.1.7
In addition, a barging point at Siu Lam would be required. The
surplus inert C&D materials from the construction of C&C facilities
will be transported by barges for the reuse of other concurrent projects. Given
that only minor construction works (including tipping halls and new ramps) and 50
veh/hr (i.e. 25veh/hr one-way) construction vehicles would be required for the
barging point, it is not anticipated that the population in the vicinity would
be adversely affected.
14.2.2 Conservation Area and Woodland in Sandy Ridge
14.2.2.1
Ecological surveys have identified a
number of ecological sensitive areas in the vicinity, including 1) the Yuen
Leng Chai Conservation Area on the northern side where a wet woodland is located;
and 2) woodland immediate north adjacent to the columbarium. Their ecological
values have been assessed to be Very High and High respectively.
14.2.2.2
The impacts on the affected wet
woodland and woodland have been minimised and mitigated as discussed in
subsequent sections.
14.3
Approaches Adopted to Avoid Environmental
Impacts
14.3.1.1
Avoidance of environmental impacts has been one of the key
considerations throughout the entire project development and design. Given the location
of the proposed project,
there are a number of ecological sensitive areas and clan graves
within the study area. Besides, a number
of residential premises, typically village houses along Man Kam To Road and Lin
Ma Hang Road. Hence, the following approaches have been
adopted to avoid environmental impacts:
·
Avoidance of Conservation Area;
·
Avoidance of Fish Ponds; and
·
Avoidance of Clan Graves.
14.3.2 Avoidance of Conservation Area
14.3.2.1 According to the ecological assessment results, the Yuen Leng Chai Conservation Area (CA) on the northern side would have an ecological value of Very High. It accommodates a wet woodland in which a number of species have been identified during the surveys. These species include Common Rat Snake, Two-stripe Grassfrog, Ruby Darter and Small Snakehead, etc.
14.3.2.2
Given the ecological value of this CA,
the design of the proposed columbarium has been proactively adjusted to ensure
that there would not be any encroachment on this CA, during both the
construction and operational phases. This requires a prudent design on both the
temporary and permanent works, as well as the construction methodology.
14.3.3 Avoidance of Fish Ponds
14.3.3.1
Other than the CA, a number of fish
ponds have also been identified in the vicinity of the Project. Although these
fish ponds may not have process very high fishery resources, the design has
also respected the presence of these fish ponds and hence the design of the
proposed columbarium has been proactively adjusted to ensure that there would
not be any encroachment on these fish ponds, during both the construction and
operational phases. This requires a prudent design on both the temporary and
permanent works, as well as the construction methodology.
14.3.4 Avoidance of Clan Graves
14.3.4.1
As discussed in Section 2.4,
a total of 4 historic clan graves (G-01, G-02, G-03 and G-06) would need to be
removed in the original design (shown
as Appendix A in the EIA Study Brief (ESB-271/2014))to facilitate the site formation for
the platform. In order to preserve these clan graves, the current design of the
platform and connecting roads have been proactively adjusted to avoid
encroachment onto these clan graves (Figure 2.3). Hence, these clan graves
would not need to be relocated as in the original design.
14.4
Approaches
Adopted to Minimise Environmental Impacts
14.4.1.1
Other than the approaches discussed in Section 14.3 to avoid environmental impacts on key environmental
resources, efforts have also been deployed in the planning and design of
C&C Facilities to minimise the environmental impacts. These include the
following:
·
Optimal
use of road network;
·
Optimal use of platform
configuration;
·
Minimisation of Woodland; and
·
Minimisation of the the generation of spoil.
14.4.2 Optimal Use of Road Network
14.4.2.1 The surrounding environment
around C&C Facilities at Sandy Ridge consists of hilly slopes, grassland
and woodland, etc. The existing Sha Ling Road is connected to the Sandy Ridge
Cemetery. Hence, using the existing Sha Ling Road with some upgrading works will
minimise the impacts during construction and operational phases. The existing
Sha Ling Road has provided the connection from Man Kam To Road to Sandy Ridge
Cemetery. This Sha Ling Road is currently a one-lane local road with a width of
approximately 3.5m. In order to maximise the existing infrastructure and hence
avoid generating C&D materials such as spoil material, the current design
has slightly shifted the access road alongside of existing Sha Ling Road to the
east by a maximum of 15m. This measure has avoided a large amount (about
260,000m3 of spoil) to be cut on the terrain and avoid additional
waste from the cut-fill. This would however encroach onto an area of 0.006ha of
woodland located to the east of Sha Ling Road.
14.4.3 Optimal Use of Platform Configuration
14.4.3.1
The original platform for the columbarium would encroach into a total
of 2.0ha of woodland and 4 seasonal watercourses that directly feed the wet
woodland (see Figure
2.2b). The woodland affected is
located in close vicinity along the seasonal watercourses leading to the
Conservation Area downstream to the north. In order to minimise the extent of
direct impact on those woodland and seasonal watercourses as much as
practicable, the shape of the platform has been critically examined by taking
into account of the latest habitat maps (see Section 9 on the ecological assessment and the approach to
establish the latest habitat map).
14.4.3.2
According to the latest ecological survey results, the seasonal
watercourses and the woodland are located at the southern part of the platform (under
the original design) and the habitat to the northern and north-eastern part of
the platform (under the original design) is mainly grassland and plantation. The
current design has therefore taken this latest information into consideration
by shifting part of the platform to the northeast where grassland and
plantation are located.
14.4.3.3
Other than direct impact, the minimisation
of indirect impacts has also been considered by increasing the separation
distance between the western toe of the slope and the wet woodland. This has
been achieved by allowing for a maximum gradient of about 26 degrees for a
slope suitable for subsequent plantation and installing a retaining wall of
about 6m tall and 100m long at the toe. In addition, a hammer head arrangement
instead of the conventional roundabout configuration has been adopted for the
end of the Emergency Vehicular Access (EVA).
14.4.3.4
As a result, the area of woodland that will be affected have been
reduced from 2.0ha to 1.0ha, and all of the four seasonal watercourses directly
feed into the wet woodland would be avoided.
14.4.4 Minimisation of the Generation of Spoil
14.4.4.1
In order to minimise the pressure on fill bank in HK, a stockpile
area will be located within the site during construction phase for temporary storage
of inert Construction & Demolition (C&D) materials. According to the
current design, the construction of site formation and associated road networks
including Sha Ling Road and internal road would require fill and cut slopes or
upgrading / modification of existing slope features. With the proposed
stockpile, out of 894,000m3 of the inert C&D materials that will
be generated, about 46% of these materials will be reused on-site. This will
also help to minimise noise and dust nuisance caused by spoil transportation
vehicles.
14.5
Approaches Adopted to Mitigate Environmental
Impacts
14.5.1.1
It can be seen that the design of C&C Facilities has adopted the
principle to avoid environmental impacts. Where the impacts could not be
avoided, efforts have been deployed to minimise the impacts as much as
practicable. Notwithstanding this, the EIA has recommended a package of
mitigation measures that would be required. The Environmental Mitigation
Implementation Schedule in Appendix 13.1 has clearly stated the
details of such mitigation measures, the timeframe and the implementation
agents. Some of the key mitigation measures are discussed below.
14.5.2 Tree Compensation
14.5.2.1
As discussed in Section 11,
there will be a certain amount of vegetation clearance
and numbers of
tree would need to be fell. Based on the tree survey report, approximately 1,300 number of trees
will be affected within the works area, out of which approximately 1,100 number
of trees will be affected within Sandy Ridge Project boundary, and
approximately 200 number of trees will be affected along Lin Ma Hang Road
widening. They are mostly tree group at the foothill
and roadside trees planting.
14.5.2.2
Many of the trees affected
are landscape species which are often introduced exotic species,
with little ecological value and conservation importance, and have been planted
for aesthetic appeal and as part of the landscape rehabilitation scheme. Some
compensation planting and transplanting of trees will be required only for mitigating
landscape and visual impacts. Woodland mix species whips will be
proposed along the hillsides for the woodland compensation and off-site
compensation is also required.
14.5.3 Grassland Reinstatement Plan
14.5.3.1
As discussed in Section 9.7,
a significant portion of grassland (approx. 10.4ha) will be lost as part of the
work for columbarium. While the platform will be stabilized by cut and filled
slopes, some of the cut and filled slopes will be proposed for grassland reinstatement
by collecting topsoil or turves from the development area and storing during
construction phase. The reinstated grassland, approximately 0.9 ha, will be
formed on the slopes once constructed.
14.5.4 Flora Survey and Transplantation Plans
14.5.4.1
As discussed in Section 9.7,
flora survey such as A. sinensis,
Bamboo Orchid and Toothed Habenaria will be conducted prior to any vegetation
removal. The survey will determine the number and locations of the affected
individual of flora species of concern and evaluate the suitability and / or
practicality of the transplantation. The plan will be submitted to and approved
by EPD prior to construction.
14.5.5 Water Quality to Wet Woodland
14.5.5.1
The proposed platform and supporting structure may collect the
surface runoff and groundwater to the wet woodland. The
foundation of the proposed platform structure would compose of bore piles of
about 0.6m in diameter and the spacing between each pile would be approximately
3.5–5m. As compared to other foundation designs such as D-wall or pipepile
walls, the proposed small diameter bore pile system would allow a notional free
area of about 87 – 91% for groundwater to pass through. Dusty material from the platform and
associated road system will be treated by proper installation of silt traps. In
addition, discharge from the platform and associated road system will be
controlled by a by-pass drainage system to minimise the high flux from first
flush.
14.5.6 Provision of Direct Noise Mitigation Measures along Sha Ling Road and Lin Ma Hang Road
14.5.6.1
For the operational phase,
the use of noise barriers and low noise surfacing would be required on some
road sections to mitigate the noise generated by the operation of C&C
Facilities during Ching Ming Festival and Chung Yeung Festival. As described in Section 5.6, results indicated that for
existing receivers 2.5m, 3m and 4m high absorptive noise barriers (with 1m of
lower portion absorptive) along Sha Ling Road and Lin Ma Hang Road, and low
noise surfacing materials along a section of Lin Ma Hang Road would be
required. For the planned receivers along Lin Ma Hang Road, additional 5m high
absorptive noise barriers (with 1m of lower portion absorptive) and low noise
surfacing materials are proposed to be implemented along Lin Ma Hang Road to
alleviate the noise impacts generated from traffic.
14.5.7 Implementation of Good Site Practices during Construction Phase
14.5.7.1
For construction phase, the
extent of temporary works areas where construction plant would be operating has
been reduced to minimise the airborne construction noise impacts, water quality
impacts as much as practicable. Mitigation measures that had been considered
throughout the design process to minimise the construction noise impacts
include:
·
Use of
quiet plant and working methods;
·
Use of
temporary noise barriers, and enclosures for relatively static plants etc.; and
·
Good site
practices such as avoiding surface run-off with high concentration of suspended
solid to be discharged in the existing wet woodland area.
14.5.7.2
For
construction phase, construction noise assessment has been conducted. All the
practicable mitigation measures including use of quiet plant, acoustic mat,
movable noise barrier, full enclosure and scheduling of works have already been
applied and exhausted on these construction activity. All noise sensitive
receivers have been mitigated to within the criterion.
14.5.8 Implementation of Environmental Monitoring System during Construction Phase
14.5.8.1 In addition to the mitigation measures as described above (see more details in the Environmental Mitigation Implementation Schedule given in Appendix 13.1), a comprehensive 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.
14.5.9 Overall
14.5.9.1 Mitigation measures and good site practices to minimise the environmental impacts were recommended throughout the impact assessments such as noise, water quality, ecology, etc. These measures were consolidated in the Environmental Mitigation Implementation Schedule (see Appendix 13.1) which specifies the responsibility, methodology and timing of implementation, such that effective and appropriate implementation of the measures can be assured.