Table 15.1 Summary of Key Environmental Outcomes and Benefits

The Project Need

· The development at HSK will help to create new developable land (approximately 714 hectares, which will include approximately 61,000 new flats (about half for public housing)) thereby contributing toward Hong Kong’s housing supply targets. In doing so it will help facilitate the achievement of the Government’s multi-pronged strategy to increase much needed land supply, particularly in the medium and long term.

· To achieve the vision of building a sustainable, people-oriented and balanced living and working community for Hong Kong, the Project also aims to increase land supply for economic use by providing employment opportunities of 150,000. An NDA at Hung HSK provides an opportunity to shift some of the population from the dense urban areas to the New Territories, thereby a more balanced territorial development pattern and a less congested environment could be achieved, which is particularly needed in those urban areas characterised by extremely high development densities.

· The strategic location of HSK, close to the Tuen Mun, Tin Shui Wai (TSW) and Yuen Long New Towns, Qianhai in Shenzhen, and connected by a number of existing and planned strategic transport links to other parts of the Territory, the Hong Kong International Airport and Shenzhen, is fundamental to its development as a regional centre and strategic employment hub.

· Development of brownfield sites has also been highlighted as an opportunity for increasing land supply in Hong Kong. HSK currently comprises a large area of existing brownfield sites many of which are incompatible with the surrounding environment. The feasibility of accommodating some of the affected brownfield operations in multi-storey buildings will be explored.

· Without the Project the present mix of non-compatible land uses (e.g. residential blocks located next to open storage or port backup areas) would remain. In addition, the current living environment would also remain unchanged, which includes traffic congestion, poor air quality, noisy environment and unpleasant landscape and streetscape.

Environmental / Social Benefits of the Project

· Alleviate the current housing shortfall and achieve the long-term housing needs of Hong Kong. The Project will provide about 61,000 new flats (about half for public housing).

· Approximately 150,000 new job places would be generated upon full development of the Project, through a mix of commercial, business, industrial, community and government land uses. This would help to address the over concentration of commercial activities and employment opportunities in the main urban areas, boost the vibrancy of local communities, meet the short fall of jobs in TSW New Town.

· The “Logistics, Enterprise and Technology Quarter” at the northwestern part of the Project provides another major employment cluster.

· Being located close to the Tuen Mun, TSW and Yuen Long New Towns, Qianhai in Shenzhen, and connected by a number of existing and planned strategic transport links to other parts of the Territory, the Hong Kong International Airport and Shenzhen, there is potential for the Project to be developed as a regional centre and strategic employment hub.

· The Project will provide a series of civic elements and a wide range of “Government, Institution or Community” facilities including hospital, clinics, magistracy, community halls, performance venue, wet markets, youth centres, educational facilities, social welfare facilities, sports and recreation facilities, etc.

· The Project will be a place for leisure pursuits integrated with natural, cultural and landscape resources, which is intended to foster health, wellness and human-nature integration.

Environmentally Friendly Design and Benefits

· The re-arrangement of the road network by replacement of Tin Ying Road and downgrading of Hung Tin Road will reduce the existing road traffic noise and minimise pollutants generated from existing road traffic.

· The provision of a dedicated area for “Port Back-up, Storage and Workshop Uses” (“PBU+SWU”) at the northern fringe of the Project area, will help to alleviate existing industrial/residential interface issues resulting from brownfield operations. In addition, new roads will be provided to directly connect this area to Kong Sham Western Highway (KSWH) thereby eliminating the current movement of heavy good vehicles (HGV) through built-up areas including residential areas.

· All existing industrial sources with Specified Process under Air Pollution Control Ordinance within the proposed development area will be removed. Sites for industrial use are planned at the southwest of the Project area. Since the annual winds at the Project area are north-easterly and easterly direction, these industrial emission sources would be at the downwind direction and its emission impact to the air sensitive uses within Project would be minimised.

· The planned logistics facilities buildings sited at the west of the Project area would act as noise screening structures to screen the fixed plant noise from “PBU+SWU”, on the existing village houses.

· The proposed building height and development intensity profile for the Project area gives due regard to the physical form and setting of the existing and retained land uses. The proposed height and intensity profile is configured to give emphasis to specific areas within the Project area that are proposed as major development nodes and points of congregation, and also ensures the development heights fall towards existing villages to be retained and other low-rise developments, and towards areas of open space. This will allow better integration with the existing / retained areas and enhance the overall quality of visual character.

· Concerted efforts would be made to incorporate as many greening opportunities as possible within the Project area. This would provide ecological benefits through the use of native and wildlife-friendly plant species, to provide habitats and connectivity across the Project area. It would also avoid/minimise visual impact due to the new built development. The Regional Town Park planned at the core of the Project is conveniently located for the enjoyment of new and existing communities. It would also avoid/minimise visual and landscape impact due to the new built development. The Regional Plaza next to the proposed HSK Station is another important ”breathing and leisure” space within the high density built-up area of the Regional Economic and Civic Hub. It would provide not just a beautifully landscaped public space connecting the station with the surrounding commercial complexes and public transport interchange (PTI) but also provides leisure and food and beverage uses itself. The provision of strategically located green/open spaces also serves as a visual corridor / breezeway and promotes air ventilation within the built areas.

· For sustainable development of the Project, one of the key planning concepts is to minimise traffic generation. Major population, economic activities and community facilities will be concentrated within walking distance of mass transit and public transport nodes. To help reduce vehicular emissions and traffic noise, green mobility is promoted within the Project area through the introduction of the Green Transit Corridor (GTC) and a comprehensive pedestrian walkways and cycle tracks network.

· To promote sustainable use of water, reusing reclaimed water from treated sewage and harvested rainwater for non-potable purposes such as toilet flushing and irrigation within the Project would be explored. The reduced amount of effluent discharge from the new HSK sewage treatment works (STW) (Phase 1 and 2) via Urmston Road Submarine Outfall would reduce the pollution loading to the North Western Water Control Zone (WCZ).

· Sustainable drainage systems or facilities have also been identified (e.g. rainwater harvesting, roadside bioretention swales, blue-green infrastructure, flood retention facilities). The implementation of these measures would reduce and attenuate stormwater flows, avoid/reduce flooding, improve water quality of channels, and improve ecological value of channels and the downstream Deep Bay waters.

· Other green initiatives include the provision of community green station for environmental education and collection of recyclables from the local community; and promotion of energy efficient buildings and installations.

· With reuse of reclaimed water, part of the treated sewage would be reused and the effluent discharge to North Western WCZ will be minimised.

· The majority of Sites of Conservation Importance (“Coastal Protection Area” (“CPA”), most of the “Conservation Area” (“CA”)) have been avoided during the development of the Revised RODP. Where there is a slight encroachment into the “CA” the preferred option has avoided impacts to semi natural/natural habitats and graves.

· The retention of the San Sang San Tsuen egretry in “Green Belt” (“GB”) that is buffered by “Local Open Space” (“LO”), is an improvement upon its current condition in a highly disturbed open storage area, as it increases protection of the egretry. The “LO” also provides an eco-corridor, covering the ardeid flight paths, and providing connectivity to foraging habitats to the east.

· Impacts to Declared Monuments and Graded Historic Buildings have been avoided. To promote the cultural heritage resources within and surrounding the Project area, a cultural heritage trail is proposed. The trail provides a safe and efficient amenity for people to explore many of the culturally significant areas in the Project area and is also intended to help promote these features and draw people to the area.

Air Quality Impact

Construction Phase:

· Potential air quality impacts from the construction works of the Project would be mainly due to construction dust from excavation, materials handling, spoil removal and wind erosion. With the implementation of recommended dust suppression measures including watering once per hour on active works areas, exposed areas and unpaved haul roads, other site management areas, and mitigation measures specified in the Air Pollution Control (Construction Dust) Regulation and EM&A programme, the predicted dust impact on the air sensitive receivers would comply with the dust criteria as stipulated in EIAO-TM and air quality objectives (AQO).

Operation Phase:

· Cumulative air quality impact arising from the vehicular emissions from the open roads, portal emission and emission from ventilation building of the planned Tuen Mun Western Bypass and chimney emissions within the assessment area has been assessed at the worst case years scenarios, Year 2024-2030 scenario and Year 2031-2039 scenario. The assessment results conclude that the predicted cumulative 1-hour average and annual average Nitrogen Dioxide, daily average and annual average Respirable Suspended Particulates / Fine Suspended Particulates, and 10-minutes average and daily average Sulphur Dioxide concentrations at representative air sensitive receivers (ASRs) would comply with the AQO.

· Exceedance of 5 odour units would be predicted at portion of Site 3-1 (“Other Use” (“OU(PBU+SWU)”)) due to the nearby existing chicken farm. It is proposed that air sensitive uses at Site 3-1 should not be located at these exceedance zone or the fresh air intake of the building located at least 6m above ground.

· With the implementation of the proposed mitigation measures, the cumulative odour impact due to operation of planned refuse transfer station (RTS), new HSK STW and upgraded and expanded San Wai STW at the representative ASRs would comply with the odour criterion of EIAO-TM.

· No adverse odour impact from the four planned sewage pumping stations (SPS) would be anticipated with the implementation of deodouriser (at least 90% of odour removal efficiency) and maintaining a slight negative pressure of the ventilation system within the facilities and locating the exhaust outlet of the deodouriser away from the nearby ASRs, as far as practicable).

Noise Impact

Construction Phase:

· Potential construction noise impact arising from the operation of powered mechanical equipment (PME) would be expected. With the implementation of mitigation measures including use of quiet powered mechanical equipment, use of movable noise barriers, proper workfront management, proper grouping of PMEs for some construction activities at the critical works area and provision of minimum separations between the schools and the critical works areas during the examination period, the predicted construction noise levels at the representative noise sensitive receivers would comply with the construction noise criteria stipulated in EIAO-TM.

· The Contractor should liaise with the school representative(s) to obtain the examination schedule so as to avoid noisy construction activities during school examination period.

· As the construction of the Project may involve different parties, it is proposed to set up a liaison group among relevant government departments, contractors of the works contracts, etc. during construction phase of the Project to ensure proper implementation of the proposed noise mitigation measures.

Operation Phase (Road Traffic Noise):

· The potential road traffic noise impact has been assessed based on the worst-case traffic flows in Year 2048. Without any noise mitigation measures in place, the predicted noise levels at the existing NSRs outside and inside Project would range from 56 – 79 dB(A) and 54 – 77 dB(A), respectively. For the planned NSRs within Project area, the predicted unmitigated traffic noise levels would be in range of 43 – 80 dB(A). Practicable traffic noise mitigation measures are therefore formulated for achieving compliance with the EIAO-TM traffic noise criteria.

· With the proposed noise barriers and low noise road surfacing in place on the Project roads, the predicted overall noise traffic levels at some of the existing and planned residential NSRs would still exceed the relevant noise criterion. For the planned NSRs, alternative development layout and special building design such as facades designed as blank façade, provision of acoustic windows/acoustic balcony can mitigate the traffic noise impact to within the respective noise criteria. . Regarding the adverse noise impact from the existing road sections, low noise road surfacing would be considered to be implemented under the policy endorsed by the Executive Council to address the existing noise impacts from existing roads or by the Project if significant noise impact from the existing roads is due to the Project. Environmental review will be conducted at the later design stage to review and ascertain the proposed provisional noise mitigation measures taking into account the latest design standard at that time for the suitability and application of the low noise road surfacing materials.

· For the affected planned educational NSRs, with the implementation of additional mitigation measures including boundary wall, noise insulated windows and provision of air conditioning, no exceedance of the overall traffic noise criterion is predicted. Hence, no adverse residual road traffic noise is anticipated.

Operation Phase (Fixed Noise Sources):

· Maximum allowable sound power level emitted from fixed plant have been predicted. The fixed plant noise impacts predicted at the existing and planned NSRs would comply with the respective noise criteria.

Operation Phase (Railway Noise):

· The potential rail noise impacts from West Rail Line and Light Rail Transit have been assessed. Under unmitigated scenario, noise impacts at planned NSRs would exceed the stipulated noise criteria not more than 3 dB(A). Mitigation measures including architectural fins, non-sensitive use or fixed glazing, and building layout set back proposed for the affected NSRs are considered effective to reduce the noise impact.

Operation Phase (Helicopter Noise):

· Helicopter noise impact from existing helipad near Kong Sham Western Highway has been assessed. The predicted helicopter noise levels at the existing and planned NSRs would comply with the noise criteria as stated in the EIAO-TM.

Water Quality Impact

Construction Phase:

· Water quality impacts from land-based construction would be controlled by implementing the recommended mitigation measures and good site practices. Inland water quality monitoring and regular site inspections would be carried out routinely to minimise water quality impacts upon the nearby inland waters. An Emergency Response Plan is recommended to minimise the potential water quality impact from construction site discharges under failure of treatment facilities during emergency situations or inclement weather.

Operation Phase:

· All sewage generated from the Project will be discharged to the public sewerage system for proper treatment and disposal at the North Western WCZ. No increase in the pollution loading to the Deep Bay waters would be induced by the Project. New public sewers are proposed under this Project to collect sewage from the existing unsewered development within the proposed development areas. The sewage loading currently discharged from this unsewered development to Deep Bay would be diverted to sewage treatment works and disposed to the North Western WCZ under this Project. Hence, this Project would actually have beneficial effect by reducing the pollution loading to Deep bay. Various precautionary measures are proposed to be incorporated in the design of new SPSs and rising mains to avoid emergency bypass and leakage of sewage to the maximum practicable extent. A Contingency Plan is recommended to minimise impacts associated with the remote occurrence of emergency discharge from SPS. Stormwater control measures such as adequate storm drainage system with suitable pollutant removal devices, blue-green infrastructure and best stormwater management practices are also recommended for the Project to minimise the non-point source pollution arising from surface run-off. Hence, it is anticipated that the water quality impacts associated with the non-point source discharge from the road surfaces and development areas would be minimised.

Sewerage and Sewage Treatment Implications

· Upon the review on the sewage flow generated from this Project, proposed HSK STW (Phase 1) with a capacity of 70,000 m³ per day and proposed expansion to HSK STW (Phase 2) to an overall capacity of 85,500 m³ per day will be required to serve the Project.

· The use of reclaimed water from the new HSK STW is proposed to be further polished and supplied to the Project for toilet flushing. The total projected demand of reclaimed water for the Project is in order of 39,800 m³ per day. The water quality of the reclaimed water is proposed to meet the stringent standard as to minimise the potential health impact. The implementation of reclaimed water use scheme is to be liaised with WSD, EPD and DSD.

· Based upon the assessment, it can be concluded that the proposed Project is sustainable from sewerage collection, treatment, reuse and disposal perspective. Use of reclaimed water is proposed for irrigation and toilet flushing in the Project which is generated by the tertiary treatment and polishing at the new HSK STW.

Waste Management Implications

· The main waste types to be generated during the construction phase of the Project will include construction and demolition (C&D) materials, chemical waste, general refuse, excavated sediment and contaminated soil. Reduction measures have been recommended to minimise the amount of materials generated by the Project by reusing C&D materials as far as practicable before offsite disposal. Provided that the waste is handled, transported and disposed of using approved methods, adverse environmental impacts would not be expected.

· The main waste types to be generated during the operation phase of the Project will include municipal solid waste (MSW), chemical waste, screenings, grits and sewage sludge. Three new refuse collection points (RCPs) and a new RTS have been included in the Revised RODP in preparation for the increased quantity of waste in the district. A Community Green Station is proposed to be co-located with the new RTS for environmental education purposes, convenient collection of recyclables from the local community, and to provide synergy to achieve better operational efficiency and environmental sustainability. Provided that the waste is handled, transported and disposed of using approved methods, adverse environmental impacts would not be expected.

Land Contamination Impact

· Based on the findings from land contamination assessment, total of 480 potentially contaminated sites were identified, of which 253 potentially contaminated sites are currently used as open area storage, container storage and warehouse sites. Warehouse sites may not be contaminated if they are used to store general household goods (e.g. furniture and toys). Container storage and open area storage, on the other hand, typically comprise a large portion of area for goods / container storage with possibly smaller portion for potentially contaminating activities such as vehicle / equipment maintenance area and the associated chemical handling/storage. The contamination (if any) is therefore expected to be localised if the main types of goods stored on-site are not potential sources of contamination. In addition, the land uses of the remaining identified potentially contaminated sites are not large scale polluting installations / facilities, which further support the contamination (if any) would be localised rather that widespread..

· The chemicals of concern (COCs) identified with the potential to be present at the potentially contaminated sites include metals, VOCs, SVOCs, PCRs and PCBs. These COCs are readily treatable using proven physical, chemical and biological remediation techniques; as demonstrated by the successful remediation of soil contaminated with the abovementioned COCs in other Hong Kong projects. By implementing the recommended further works, the actual contaminated site(s) within the assessment area would be located and any contaminated soil and groundwater would be identified and treated.

· Given the above, land contamination impacts are therefore considered not insurmountable.

· As the identified potentially contaminated sites are still in operation and the development will only commence in stages from 2019 to 2037/38, and there may be change in land use prior to development within both the potentially contaminated and non-contaminated sites, it is recommended to conduct further works. This would include site re-appraisal, SI works as well as submission of supplementary Contamination Assessment Plan(s), Contamination Assessment Report(s) and Remediation Action Plan(s) (RAP(s)) for the Environmental Protection Department’s (EPD) approval after the sites are handed over to project proponent for development. If contaminated soil and/or groundwater were identified, remediation should be carried out according to EPD’s approved RAP(s) and Remediation Report(s) (RR(s)) should be submitted to EPD for agreement after completion of the remediation works. No development works shall be commenced prior to EPD’s agreement of the RR(s).

· The implementation of the recommended further works under this Project would clean up any contaminated site(s) identified within the assessment area. The recommended further works would not only minimise the health risks to future occupants arising from the exposure of the contaminated soil and/or groundwater, it would also provide the opportunity to treat the contaminated soil / groundwater using proven remediation techniques for reuse as useful materials (such as backfilling materials); thereby minimising the amount of waste disposing into the already depleting landfills in Hong Kong and achieving a more sustainable development.

· Furthermore, the Project would allow the conversion of any contaminated site(s) into land that is safe for more optimal development. This would assist in addressing Hong Kong’s long-term housing demand and other land use needs.

Ecological Impact

· Thirteen habitats were identified within the Project area including developed area/wasteland, village/orchard, agricultural area (dry), agricultural area (wet), plantation, woodland, shrubland, grassland, marsh, fishponds and mitigation ponds, stormwater drain/recreational pond, natural watercourse, and modified watercourse.

· Approaches for avoidance and minimisation of potential ecological impact arising from the proposed new development have been considered. The Project area has been generated to cover mainly developed or highly disturbed areas which are of limited ecological value. Under the Revised RODP, areas within “GB” zoning would be retained to avoid loss of habitats. Apart from a small developed area within the “CA” at the northwest of San Sang San Tsuen, other ecologically important areas (i.e. “CPA”, Ngau Hom Shek egretry, Shenzhen Bay Bridge egretry and San Sang San Tsuen egretry) and ecologically sensitive habitats (i.e. hillside woodland) would not be directly impacted.

· San Sang San Tsuen egretry would be retained under the Revised RODP and its surrounding areas are proposed as “LO” to further reduce the potential disturbance impacts to the nesting ardeids. In addition, construction works in the vicinity of the egretry would not be undertaken during the breeding season of ardeids. Provision of hoarding would be provided to reduce the construction disturbance such as noise, glare and dust to the egretry. Flight paths between the egretry and TSW Main Channel would be retained under the “LO” zone.

· While the slip road would unavoidably be hanged over a small area (0.1 ha) at the fringe of the “CA” zone at northwest of San Sang San Tsuen. Given the affected area was small, developed (i.e. roads and reinforced concrete flood) and without any species of conservation value recorded, the impact was negligible.

· A mature individual of Incense Tree recorded within Tung Tau Tsuen woodland would be impacted directly under the development. To avoid this impact, this affected woodland would be preserved in situ with the Incense Tree.

· Crested Serpent Eagle habitat within the “GB” zone (Site 3-2) would be indirectly impacted by disturbance from construction works in the nearby “OU” sites. Hoarding would be erected along the boundary of Site 3-2 to mitigate such impacts. Screening planting would be provided to minimise operational phase disturbance from developed areas.

· Construction works proposed in watercourses, including TSW Main Channel and its tributary, and streams that involve in the covered drainage network, would be carefully designed during the detailed design phase. To minimise the potential water quality impacts, it is recommended works to be undertaken when the channel is in dry condition and dry season, when the water flow is low.

· A section of Tin Sam Channel would be realigned under the proposed development. Opportunities for ecological enhancement (e.g. bioengineering, creating meanders) would be considered to improve to the ecological value. Provision of natural substrates that would encourage colonisation of flora and freshwater fauna in the bottom and banks of the revitalised watercourses is recommended.

· Enhancement planting area with native species would be considered at the suitable area of the proposed Fung Kong Tsuen flushing water service reservoir site.

Fisheries Impact

· Existing fisheries resources within the assessment area include active fishponds (outside the Project area) and capture fisheries resources of North Western and Deep Bay WCZ. The value of capture fisheries in the North Western WCZ is low to moderate while low in Deep Bay WCZ. An important nursery and spawning ground for commercial fisheries species has been identified within the North Western WCZ; however this is outside the Project area. No oyster culturing and intertidal fishing were recorded within the coastal area from Ngau Hom Sha to Lau Fau Shan.

· Potential fisheries impacts arising from the Project have been assessed. No active fishponds are located within the Project area and therefore would not be lost due to Project. Three inactive fishponds would be lost due to the Project therefore the impact to pond fish culture is considered negligible to low when taking into account the potential conversion of inactive fishponds back to active fishpond.

· No unacceptable water quality impacts to the Deep Bay WCZ and North Western WCZ are anticipated from the Project with proper implementation of mitigation measures as recommended in Section 5.13 and 5.14. Therefore, monitoring of fisheries resources during the construction and operation phase would not be necessary.

Landscape and Visual Impact

· Landscape and visual mitigation works in relation to the Project during the construction stage rely heavily on the minimisation of the footprint of the works area, avoidance of significant topographical changes together with the retention, protection and compensatory planting of trees / vegetation. These measures if deployed have the capacity to reduce, in most cases, the level of residual impact experienced by the visually sensitive receivers (VSRs), landscape resources (LRs) and landscape character areas (LCAs) at the construction stage.

· It is not possible to fully mitigate all impacts due to the large scale nature of the Project. It is also no possible to fully mitigate all impacts in relation to loss of mature woodland or tree planting, including the visual amenity/ screening they provide in the construction period and early operational stages, mainly as long periods of time are required to sufficiently compensate for the associated impacts. Providing compensatory measures are applied, in combination with transplantation of existing trees (which can help to accelerate the compensation period), the impacts to VSRs and LRs affected by the Project can be reduced. Building and road greening measures such as use of climbing plants and vertical planting help to break up the uniformity of new road formation and structures, when used in combination with wider screening measures they will help to reduce the visual impacts in the early operational stages until tree screens and the Open Space Framework have established and matured.

· On review of the likely LR and LCA residual impacts, the majority of LRs would be subject to Insubstantial to Slight Impacts, while a few remaining would continue to be subject to Moderate impacts by operational Year 10.

· On review of the likely visual residual impacts, the majority of VSRs would be subject to Moderate to Substantial Impacts, while the remaining would be subject to None, Insubstantial, and Slight impacts by operational Year 10. This is due to the fact there is no way to mitigate the overall change in visual character going from a rural, low-rise area to dense, high-rise development.

Impact on Cultural Heritage

· Apart from the few nil grade built heritage located at Yick Yuen Tsuen, Tin Sam San Tsuen and South of Tin Sam, the two Declared Monuments, and seven Graded Historic Buildings would be preserved.

· Twelve nil grade built heritage in Yick Yuen Tsuen, Tin Sam San Tsuen and south of Tin Sam are to be directly impacted during the construction phase by landfill. In the light of their removal is unavoidable, preservation by record (including cartographic and photographic record) prior to any construction works would be required for the directly impacted built heritage.

· As these nil grade built heritage contained no cultural heritage significance, the impact to cultural heritage caused by the proposed development to them is unavoidable yet acceptable with mitigation measures.

· Based on desktop review and through archaeological survey conducted between January and March 2015, a total of six Sites of Archaeological Interest (SAIs) and four Archaeological Potential Areas (APAs) are identified within the assessment area. The six SAIs contained high archaeological significance. Tseung Kong Wai SAI (F1) and Tung Tau Tsuen SAI (F2) might be partially impacted by construction works, but there is no insurmountable impact.

· For the Tseung Kong Wai SAI and Tung Tau Tsuen SAI, the archaeological impact arising from the construction works should be assessed when the detailed design of the works is available. Preservation in situ is the top priority to safeguard the archaeological remains in the impacted area by amending the layout plans of the construction works. However, if the works cannot avoid disturbance to the archaeological deposit, depending on degree of direct impact, the following mitigation measures should be considered, such as archaeological surveys, archaeological watching brief, preservation by records and relocation of archaeological remains. The scope and programme of the archaeological fieldwork would be agreed with AMO.

· The four APAs contained uncertain archaeological potential. Further archaeological survey is required to be conducted at the two APAs (APA1 and APA2) to ascertain the extent of any archaeological remains within the APAs if any construction works will be carried out. Based on the findings of the survey, mitigation measures could be proposed, such as preservation in situ, preservation by records, or relocation of archaeological remains, in prior agreement with the AMO before the commencement of any construction works. Direct impact arising from the proposed development within APA3 should be avoided as far as possible.

Environmental Acceptability of Schedule 2 Designated Projects (DP) Subject to EP Application*

DP1 – Construction of new primary distributor road (P1)

Air Quality Impact:

· No unacceptable adverse air quality impacts to the ASRs in the vicinity are anticipated.

Noise Impact:

· With the implementation of recommend mitigation measures for construction noise and operational traffic noise impact arising from the DP1, no unacceptable noise impact would be anticipated.

Water Quality Impact:

· With proper implementation of the recommended mitigation measures and Best Management Practices (BMPs) for construction activities, as well as the recommended stormwater control measures and BMPs to reduce pollution arising from surface run-off during the operational phase, no unacceptable water quality impact would be resulted.

Sewerage and Sewage Treatment Implications:

· No unacceptable adverse sewerage and sewage impacts are anticipated.

Waste Management Implications:

· Provided that the waste is handled, transported and disposed of using approved methods, adverse environmental impacts would not be expected.

Land Contamination Impact:

· Prior to the commencement of construction of DP1, the recommended further works under this EIA Study (including site re-appraisal, SI works and if required, remediation works (refer to Section 8.9 for details)) will be carried out for the concerned sites listed in Appendix 8.2. Any soil / groundwater contamination would be identified and properly treated prior to the development of the concerned sites. No residual land contamination impacts are anticipated, it is considered environmentally acceptable if the recommended further works were followed.

Ecological Impact:

· With implementation of the recommended mitigation / precautionary measures, no significant adverse ecological impacts are anticipated.

Fisheries Impact:

· No unacceptable adverse fisheries impacts to the fisheries resources are anticipated.

Landscape and Visual Impact:

· The residual landscape impacts during the Operational Phase consist largely of loss of vegetation and fragmentation of some LRs. This loss of vegetation, however, will only be temporary as it will be replaced by new and/or compensatory planting, specifically in the roadside planting areas required for Primary Distributor roads. The implementation of mitigation measures during the Construction and Operation Phases help to reduce the impacts imposed on the LRs and LCAs, enough to reduce the impact significance on these LRs and LCAs.

· The residual ‘mitigation’ will be via the creation of new LRs, specifically, high-quality roadside vegetation as the result of new roads and their greening requirements. Furthermore, areas of amenity plantings and new high quality trees and roadside greening at Road P1 will introduce additional new landscape and LRs. The new road and related infrastructure will bring forth both impacts and new amenities that seek to balance new development with ample greening and well-designed roads and spaces.

· The reinstated vegetation is recommended to consist largely of native or naturalised species so as to enhance the ecological integrity and biodiversity of the Project. Where feasible, roadside street trees should be restored back to native tree species in order to compensate for the loss of native vegetation and other LRs. The provision of roadside “Amenity” (“A”) zones provides additional room for this type of planting.

· A very small proportion of Residential VSRs, Recreational VSRs, and Travelling VSRs will experience Slight visual impacts from the DP after implementation of mitigation measures. This is largely due to the scale and visibility of the proposed road within the Project and proximity of the VSRs to the sources of impact, with viewers located either close by or within the Project. As a result of the road being constructed at-grade, the visibility is very limited, thus rendering their impact significance to be small.

· Mitigation measures are expected to adequately compensate for the change in visual outlook for these VSRs. The overall change that is to occur as a result of development of this DP will ultimately bring about positive change. The transformation of existing roads with unplanned, poor-quality trees and roadside vegetation into new roads with proper planter width, soil depth, and carefully selected street trees will greatly improve the visual outlook as well as provide beautification and greening to the Project.

Impact on Cultural Heritage:

· No unacceptable adverse impacts to the cultural heritage resources are anticipated.

DP2 – Construction of eight new distributor roads (Roads D1 to D8)

Air Quality Impact:

· No unacceptable adverse air quality impacts to the ASRs in the vicinity are anticipated.

Noise Impact:

· With the implementation of recommend mitigation measures for construction noise and operational traffic noise impact arising from the DP2, no unacceptable noise impact would be anticipated.

Water Quality Impact:

Sewerage and Sewage Treatment Implications:

· No unacceptable adverse sewerage and sewage impacts are anticipated.

Waste Management Implications:

· Provided that the waste is handled, transported and disposed of using approved methods, adverse environmental impacts would not be expected.

Land Contamination Impact:

· Prior to the commencement of construction of DP2, the recommended further works under this EIA Study (including site re-appraisal, SI works and if required, remediation works (refer to Section 8.9 for details)) will be carried out for the concerned sites listed in Appendix 8.2. Any soil / groundwater contamination would be identified and properly treated prior to the development of the concerned sites. No residual land contamination impacts are anticipated, it is considered environmentally acceptable if the recommended further works were followed.

Ecological Impact:

· With implementation of the recommended mitigation / precautionary measures, no significant adverse ecological impacts are anticipated.

Fisheries Impact:

· No unacceptable adverse fisheries impacts to the fisheries resources are anticipated.

Landscape and Visual Impact:

· The residual landscape impacts during the Operational Phase consist largely of loss of vegetation and fragmentation of some LRs. This loss of vegetation, however, will only be temporary as it will be replaced by new and/or compensatory planting, specifically in the roadside planting areas required for all District Distributor roads. The implementation of mitigation measures during the Construction and Operation Phases help to reduce the impacts imposed on the LRs and LCAs, enough to reduce the impact significance on these LRs and LCAs.

· The residual ‘mitigation’ will be via the creation of new LRs, specifically, high-quality roadside vegetation as the result of new roads and their greening requirements. Furthermore, areas of amenity plantings and new high quality trees and roadside greening at Roads D1-D8 will introduce additional new landscape and LRs, as well as vertical greening in the vicinity of vertical noise barrier locations. Collectively the new roads and related infrastructure will bring forth both impacts and new amenities that seek to balance new development with ample greening and well-designed roads and spaces.

· The reinstated vegetation is recommended to consist largely of native or naturalised species so as to enhance the ecological integrity and biodiversity of the Project. Where feasible, roadside street trees should be restored back to native tree species in order to compensate for the loss of native vegetation and other LRs. The provision of roadside “A” zones provides additional room for this type of planting.

· A very small proportion of Residential VSRs, Recreational VSRs, and Travelling VSRs will experience Slight visual impacts from the Project after implementation of mitigation measures. This is largely due to the scale and visibility of proposed roads within the Project and proximity of the VSRs to the sources of impact, with viewers located either close by or within the Project. As a result of roads being constructed at-grade, their visibility is very limited, thus rendering their impact significance to be small.

· Mitigation measures are expected to adequately compensate for the change in visual outlook for these VSRs. The overall change that is to occur as a result of development of road DPs will ultimately bring about positive change. The transformation of existing roads with unplanned, poor-quality trees and roadside vegetation into new roads with proper planter width, soil depth, and carefully selected street trees will greatly improve the visual outlook as well as provide beautification and greening to the Project. Added to this, numerous breezeways and view corridors planned along roadways, riverine corridors and fung shui lanes enshrined in the urban design framework will add visual interest to the development and provide it a contextual setting and connection to the broader HSK and TSW area. These concepts, when combined with mitigation, will greatly improve the overall visual outlook with regards to construction of roads and road-related DPs.

Impact on Cultural Heritage:

· The construction of distributor road D5 might directly impact on Tseung Kong Wai Site of Archaeological Interest. The archaeological impact arising from the construction works should be assessed when the detailed design of the works is available. Based on the findings of the assessment, appropriate mitigation measures would be proposed in prior agreement with the AMO.

DP5 – Construction of slip roads (between: Road D8 Junction and existing Castle Peak Road; Junction of D8/P1 and Junction of D7/P1; and KSWH connection to Road D3)

Air Quality Impact:

· No unacceptable adverse air quality impacts to the ASRs in the vicinity are anticipated.

Noise Impact:

· With the implementation of recommend mitigation measures for construction noise impact arising from the DP5, no unacceptable noise impact would be anticipated.

Water Quality Impact:

Sewerage and Sewage Treatment Implications:

· No unacceptable adverse sewerage and sewage impacts are anticipated.

Waste Management Implications:

· Provided that the waste is handled, transported and disposed of using approved methods, adverse environmental impacts would not be expected.

Land Contamination Impact:

· Prior to the commencement of construction of DP5, the recommended further works under this EIA Study (including site re-appraisal, SI works and if required, remediation works (refer to Section 8.9 for details)) will be carried out for the concerned sites listed in Appendix 8.2. Any soil / groundwater contamination would be identified and properly treated prior to the development of the concerned sites. No residual land contamination impacts are anticipated, it is considered environmentally acceptable if the recommended further works were followed.

Ecological Impact:

· With implementation of the recommended mitigation / precautionary measures, no significant adverse ecological impacts are anticipated.

Fisheries Impact:

· No unacceptable adverse fisheries impacts to the fisheries resources are anticipated.

Landscape and Visual Impact:

· The residual landscape impacts during the Operational Phase consist largely of loss of vegetation and fragmentation of some LRs. This loss of vegetation, however, will only be temporary as it will be replaced by new and/or compensatory planting, specifically in the planting areas required for bridges and slip roads. The implementation of mitigation measures during the Construction and Operation Phases help to reduce the impacts imposed on the LRs and LCAs, enough to reduce the impact significance on these LRs and LCAs.

· The residual ‘mitigation’ will be via the creation of new LRs specifically, high-quality roadside vegetation. Furthermore, areas of amenity plantings, new high quality trees, as well as vertical greening in the vicinity of the flyovers and vertical noise barrier locations will introduce additional new landscape and LRs. Collectively the new roads and related infrastructure will bring forth both impacts and new amenities that seek to balance new development with ample greening and well-designed roads and spaces.

· The reinstated vegetation is recommended to consist largely of native or naturalised species so as to enhance the ecological integrity and biodiversity of the Project. Where feasible, roadside street trees should be restored back to native tree species in order to compensate for the loss of native vegetation and other LRs. The provision of roadside “A” zones provides additional room for this type of planting.

· A very small proportion of Residential VSRs, Recreational VSRs, and Travelling VSRs will experience Slight visual impacts from the Project after implementation of mitigation measures. This is largely due to the scale and visibility of proposed roads within the Project and proximity of the VSRs to the sources of impact, with viewers located either close by or within the Project. Mitigation measures are expected to adequately compensate for the change in visual outlook for these VSRs.

Impact on Cultural Heritage:

· No unacceptable adverse impacts to the cultural heritage resources are anticipated.

DP6 – Construction of partly depressed and partly decked-over roads located at Road D2; Road D4; and Road D6

Air Quality Impact:

· No unacceptable adverse air quality impacts to the ASRs in the vicinity are anticipated.

Noise Impact:

· With the implementation of recommend mitigation measures for construction noise impact arising from the DP6, no unacceptable noise impact would be anticipated.

Water Quality Impact:

Sewerage and Sewage Treatment Implications:

· No unacceptable adverse sewerage and sewage impacts are anticipated.

Waste Management Implications:

· Provided that the waste is handled, transported and disposed of using approved methods, adverse environmental impacts would not be expected.

Land Contamination Impact:

· Prior to the commencement of construction of DP6, the recommended further works under this EIA Study (including site re-appraisal, SI works and if required, remediation works (refer to Section 8.9 for details)) will be carried out for the concerned sites listed in Appendix 8.2. Any soil / groundwater contamination would be identified and properly treated prior to the development of the concerned sites. No residual land contamination impacts are anticipated, it is considered environmentally acceptable if the recommended further works were followed.

Ecological Impact:

· With implementation of the recommended mitigation / precautionary measures, no significant adverse ecological impacts are anticipated.

Fisheries Impact:

· No unacceptable adverse fisheries impacts to the fisheries resources are anticipated.

Landscape and Visual Impact:

· The residual landscape impacts during the Operational Phase consist largely of loss of vegetation and fragmentation of some LRs. This loss of vegetation, however, will only be temporary as it will be replaced by new and/or compensatory planting, specifically on the roadside planting areas and landscaped spaces on top of the decked-over roads. The implementation of mitigation measures during the Construction and Operation Phases help to reduce the impacts imposed on the LRs and LCAs, enough to reduce the impact significance on these LRs and LCAs.

· The residual ‘mitigation’ will be via the creation of new LRs, specifically, high-quality roadside vegetation, new park/amenity spaces on top of the decking, and areas of amenity plantings and new high quality trees. Collectively the new decked-over roads will bring forth both impacts and new amenities that seek to balance new development with ample greening and well-designed roads and spaces.

· The reinstated vegetation is recommended to consist largely of native or naturalised species so as to enhance the ecological integrity and biodiversity of the Project. Where feasible, roadside street trees should be restored back to native tree species in order to compensate for the loss of native vegetation and other LRs. The provision of roadside “A” zones provides additional room for this type of planting.

· The urban design framework sets forth the implementation of several decked-over sections of roads to allow visual and physical connections to areas of open space from residential and commercial nodes, including the Regional Plaza. These concepts, when combined with mitigation, will greatly improve the overall visual outlook with regards to construction of roads and road-related DPs.

Impact on Cultural Heritage:

· No unacceptable adverse impacts to the cultural heritage resources are anticipated.

DP9 – Construction of four new sewage pumping stations (Sites 2-34; 3-41; 3-48; and 4-35)

Air Quality Impact:

· No unacceptable adverse air quality impacts to the ASRs in the vicinity are anticipated with implementation of recommended dust suppression measures during construction phase, and installation of deodourising units and maintaining a slight negative pressure within the facilities and locating the exhaust outlet of the deodouriser away from the nearby ASRs, as far as practicable, during operation phase.

Noise Impact:

· With the implementation of recommend mitigation measures for construction noise and operational fixed plant noise impact arising from the DP9, no unacceptable noise impact would be anticipated.

Water Quality Impact:

· With proper implementation of the recommended mitigation measures and Best Management Practices (BMPs) for construction activities, as well as the recommended precautionary design measures to avoid emergency sewage bypass during the operational phase, no unacceptable water quality impact would be resulted.

Sewerage and Sewage Treatment Implications:

· No unacceptable adverse sewerage and sewage impacts are anticipated.

Waste Management Implications:

· Provided that the waste is handled, transported and disposed of using approved methods, adverse environmental impacts would not be expected.

Land Contamination Impact:

· Prior to the commencement of construction of DP9, the recommended further works under this EIA Study (including site re-appraisal, SI works and if required, remediation works (refer to Section 8.9 for details)) will be carried out for the concerned sites listed in Appendix 8.2. Any soil / groundwater contamination would be identified and properly treated prior to the development of the concerned sites. No residual land contamination impacts are anticipated, it is considered environmentally acceptable if the recommended further works were followed.

Ecological Impact:

· With implementation of the recommended mitigation / precautionary measures, no significant adverse ecological impacts are anticipated.

Fisheries Impact:

· No unacceptable adverse fisheries impacts to the fisheries resources are anticipated.

Landscape and Visual Impact:

· The residual landscape impacts during the Operational Phase are very minor and deemed acceptable assuming full implementation of mitigation measures. The implementation of mitigation measures during the Construction and Operation Phases help to reduce the impacts imposed on the LRs and LCAs, not enough to reduce the impact significance on the landscape. The residual ‘mitigation’ will be via the creation of new LRs as the result of new SPS and their site greening and amenity plantings.

· Only one VSR, RES47, would be subject to adverse impacts as a result of the construction of four numbers of SPS. This is largely due to the scale, building height, and visibility of the proposed SPS, and proximity of the VSRs to the sources of impact, with viewers located either close by or within the Project area. As a result of the SPS buildings being constructed at-grade, their visibility is very limited, thus rendering their impact significance to be small.

· Mitigation measures are expected to adequately compensate for the change in visual outlook for these VSRs. The overall change that is to occur as a result of development of DP5 will ultimately bring about positive change. The implementation of Operation Phase mitigation measures such as chromatic treatment on building facades, vertical greening and green roofs, coupled with tree screens and quality site landscaping will ensure that these buildings are unobtrusive and blend in with the surrounding landscape. These concepts, when combined with mitigation, will greatly improve the overall visual outlook with regards to construction of SPS DPs.

Impact on Cultural Heritage:

· No unacceptable adverse impacts to the cultural heritage resources are anticipated.

DP12 – Construction of Road P1 and slip-road from KSWH to Road D3 partly located within “CA” of Yuen Tau Shan

Air Quality Impact:

· No unacceptable adverse air quality impacts to the ASRs in the vicinity are anticipated.

Noise Impact:

· With the implementation of recommend mitigation measures for construction noise and operational traffic noise impact arising from the DP12, no unacceptable noise impact would be anticipated.

Water Quality Impact:

Sewerage and Sewage Treatment Implications:

· No unacceptable adverse sewerage and sewage impacts are anticipated.

Waste Management Implications:

· Provided that the waste is handled, transported and disposed of using approved methods, adverse environmental impacts would not be expected.

Land Contamination Impact:

· Prior to the commencement of construction of DP12, the recommended further works under this EIA Study (including site re-appraisal, SI works and if required, remediation works (refer to Section 8.9 for details)) will be carried out for the concerned sites listed in Appendix 8.2. Any soil / groundwater contamination would be identified and properly treated prior to the development of the concerned sites. No residual land contamination impacts are anticipated, it is considered environmentally acceptable if the recommended further works were followed.

Ecological Impact:

· Given the small size and low ecological value of the affected area i.e. concrete flood storage ponds and associated maintenance access, the impact was negligible with implementation of the recommended mitigation / precautionary measures, no significant adverse ecological impacts are anticipated.

Fisheries Impact:

· No unacceptable adverse fisheries impacts to the fisheries resources are anticipated.

Landscape and Visual Impact:

· The residual landscape impacts during the Operational Phase consist largely of loss of vegetation and fragmentation of some LRs. This loss of vegetation, however, will only be temporary as it will be replaced by new and/or compensatory planting, specifically in the ground-level spaces underneath the elevated road structure. The implementation of mitigation measures during the Construction and Operation Phases help to reduce the impacts imposed on the LRs and LCAs, enough to reduce the impact significance on these LRs and LCAs.

· The residual ‘mitigation’ will be via the creation of new LRs, specifically, high-quality amenity vegetation. Collectively the new elevated road and related infrastructure will bring forth both impacts and new amenities that seek to balance new development with ample greening and well-designed roads and spaces.

· The reinstated vegetation is recommended to consist largely of native or naturalised species so as to enhance the ecological integrity and biodiversity of the Project area. Where feasible, roadside street trees should be restored back to native tree species in order to compensate for the loss of native vegetation and other LRs. The provision of roadside “A” zones provides additional room for this type of planting.

Impact on Cultural Heritage:

· No unacceptable adverse impacts to the cultural heritage resources are anticipated.

Note:

* Location of DPs is presented in Figure 1.2 and Figure 1.3

15 Conclusion

Construction Phase:

Operation Phase: