1.1.1 With a growing and aging
population in Hong Kong, the numbers of deaths and cremations have been rising
gradually year by year, leading to a corresponding increase in the demand for public
niches. Based on past data, the annual average number of deaths and cremations
from 2016 to 2035 is estimated to be about 57,000 and 54,000, respectively. The
supply of public niches was unable to meet demand in recent years.
1.1.2 In this connection, there
is a genuine need for the Government to increase the supply of public
columbarium facilities so as to relieve the shortage of niches and to meet the
public demand. According to the views collected in the public consultation on
“Review of Columbarium Policy” from July to September 2010, the community in
general supported the idea that all the 18 districts should collectively share
the responsibility for developing new columbarium facilities to meet the
overall public demand. The batch one sites, which were first announced by the
Government on 6 July 2010 when it launched the first public consultation on
review of columbarium policy, comprise 12 sites in seven districts and the Lai
Chi Yuen Cemetery site is one of the sites.
1.1.3 The columbaria at Peng
Chau, Cheung Chau and Lamma Island provide 490, 3,335 and 490 public niches
respectively to the local
villagers and residents on the islands. There is currently no public columbarium
facility on Lantau Island. Local
villagers and residents in Lantau Island of Islands District can only choose from
public niches in Peng Chau or Lamma Island (in addition to NT/Urban niches) if
cremation is adopted, although there are two public cemeteries on the Island,
namely, Tai O Cemetery and Lai Chi Yuen Cemetery where only coffin burial or
urn burial are available. It is against this background that Members of Islands
District Council and Mui Wo Rural Committee strongly requested public niches be
provided on Lantau Island to cope with the need of local
villagers and residents.
1.1.4 In this regard, the Food
and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) proposed an extension of the Mui Wo
Lai Chi Yuen Cemetery (hereafter referred to as “the Project”) to construct an
elevated platform of around 225m2 within the existing Lai Chi Yuen
Cemetery boundary to accommodate the outdoor niches and the ancillary
facilities including one joss paper burner (with a fresh water tank and a
sewage holding tank for supporting its operation) and planters. Also, a site access of 7.5m2,
which is indispensable for the development, will be constructed just outside
the cemetery boundary due to lack of suitable space for accommodating it in the
cemetery. Location and works boundary of the Project are shown in Figure 2.1.
1.2.1 The Project is classified
as a Designated Project (DP) under Category Q.1 – the Project is wholly within
an existing country park, Part I in Schedule 2 of the Environmental Impact
Assessment Ordinance (EIAO).
1.2.2 An application for an
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study Brief under Section 5(1) of the
EIAO was made to Environmental Protection Department (EPD) and the EIA Study
Brief No. ESB-288/2015 for the Project was issued under the EIAO. AECOM Asia Company Limited (AECOM) was
commissioned by Architectural
Services Department (ArchSD) as the Consultant to
conduct this EIA study for the Project.
1.3.1 The purpose of the EIA
Study is to provide information on the nature and extent of environmental
impacts arising from the construction and operation of the Project and related
activities that take place concurrently.
This information provided in the EIA Study will contribute to decisions
on:
a)
the overall acceptability of any adverse
environmental consequences that are likely to arise as a result of the Project;
b)
the conditions and the requirements for the
detailed design, construction and operation of the Project to mitigate against
adverse environmental consequences wherever practicable; and
c)
the acceptability of residual impacts after the
proposed mitigation measures is implemented.
1.3.2 The objectives of the EIA
study are to:
(i)
to describe the Project and associated works together
with the requirements and environmental
benefits for carrying out the Project;
(ii)
to identity and describe elements of community
and environment likely to be affected by the Project and/or likely to cause
adverse impacts to the Project, including both the natural and man-made
environment and the associated environmental constraints;
(iii)
to identity and quantity emission sources and
determine the significance of impacts on sensitive receivers and potential
affected uses;
(iv)
to identity and quantify any potential losses
or damage to flora, fauna and natural habitats;
(v)
to propose the provision of infrastructure or
mitigation measures so as to minimize pollution, environmental disturbance and
nuisance during construction and operation of the Project;
(vi)
to investigate the feasibility, effectiveness
and implications of the proposed mitigation measures;
(vii)
to identity, predict and evaluate the residual
(i.e. after practicable mitigation) environmental impacts and the cumulative
effects expected to arise during the construction and operation phases of the
Project in relation to the sensitive receivers and potential affected uses;
(viii)
to identity, assess and specify methods,
measures and standards, to be included in the detailed design, construction and
operation of the Project which are necessary to mitigate these residual
environmental impacts and cumulative effects and reduce them to acceptable
levels;
(ix)
to design and specify environmental monitoring
and audit requirements; and
(x) to identity
any additional studies necessary to implement the mitigation measures or
monitoring and proposals recommended in the EIA report.
1.4.1 Following this introductory
Section, the remainder of this EIA Report is arranged as follows:
·
Section 2 – Project Description
·
Section 3 – Air Quality Impact
·
Section
4 – Noise Impact
·
Section 5 – Hazard to Life
·
Section 6 – Water Quality Impact
·
Section 7 – Waste Management Implications
·
Section 8 – Ecological Impact
·
Section 9 – Landscape and Visual Impacts
·
Section 10 – Environmental Monitoring and
Audit Requirements
·
Section 11 – Implementation Schedule of
Recommended Mitigation Measures
·
Section 12 – Conclusions