1.1.1
The existing Yuen
Long Sewage Treatment Works (YLSTW), was commissioned in 1984 with a design
capacity of 70,000 m3/day at average dry weather flow (ADWF)
provides secondary level treatment to sewage catchment from Yuen Long area such
as Wang Chau, Yuen Long Industrial Estate, the Yuen Long Town and Kam Tin.
1.1.2
In 2013, Drainage
Services Department (DSD) has commissioned the Agreement No. SP06/2013
“Effluent Polishing Scheme at Yuen Long Sewage Treatment Works – Treatment
Process Study” (hereinafter refer to as “Treatment Process Study”) to review
the sewage flow projection and treatment process for upgrading YLSTW. The
design capacity was expected to be fully committed based on the flow projection
derived from the village sewerage programme and latest planning data under
Treatment Process Study.
1.1.3
There is a need
for the upgrade of YLSTW into Yuen Long Effluent Polishing Plant (YLEPP) in
order to cope with the forecast increase in sewage flow upon completion of
sewerage under interfacing projects, extension of village sewerage in area as
planned by Environmental Protection Department (EPD), as well as the proposed housing
developments in the region.
1.1.4
AECOM Asia
Company Ltd was commissioned by DSD to undertake “Agreement No. CE3/2015(DS)
Yuen Long Effluent Polishing Plant – Investigation, Design and Construction
Works” (the Assignment) to upgrade the YLSTW to YLEPP and cater for the future
needs. The Project is a Designated Project under the Environmental Impact
Assessment Ordinance (EIAO). An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study for
the Project has been undertaken as part of the Assignment, in accordance with
the EIA Study Brief (No. ESB-309/2018) and the Technical Memorandum on
Environmental Impact Assessment Process (EIAO-TM).
1.2.1
Location plan of the
proposed YLEPP (the Project) is shown in Figure 1.1.
The YLEPP would be constructed in two phases. Phase 1 works would upgrade the
existing YLSTW into the YLEPP with a treatment capacity of 100,000 m3/day
in ADWF. Phase 2 works will be implemented subject to further review of sewage
flow projections. The tentative programme, Phase 2 works would further upgrade
the treatment capacity to 180,000 m3/day in ADWF.
1.2.2
Phase 1 works will
include the following principal elements:
(i)
Clearance of the existing main store and administration building for
construction of the new Inlet Works, including inlet pumping station, screening
and degritting facilities;
(ii)
Demolition of existing Primary Sedimentation Tanks (PSTs) No. 5 to 8 for
construction of Lamella PSTs;
(iii)
Demolition of existing Aeration Tanks (ATs) No. 5 to 8 and existing
Final Sedimentation Tanks (FSTs) No. 5 to 8 for construction of new biological
and tertiary treatment facilities;
(iv)
Reconstruction of sludge treatment facilities;
(v)
Demolition of existing PSTs No. 1 to 4 for construction of sludge
dewatering building;
(vi)
Demolition of existing Inlet Works for construction of new admin building;
(vii)
Installation of odour mitigation works, including the provision of
covers and installation of associated deodourizers to proposed treatment units;
and
(viii) Other ancillary works, such as
organic waste co-digestion, landscaping, E&M facilities, workshops, laboratory,
roadworks etc.
1.2.3
Phase 2 works will
include the following principal elements:
(i)
Demolition of existing ATs No. 1 to 4 and existing circular FSTs No. 1,
2, 3 and 4 for construction of new biological and tertiary treatment
facilities;
(ii)
Reconstruction of sludge treatment facilities;
(iii)
Installation of odour mitigation works, including the provision of
covers and installation of associated deodourizers to proposed additional
treatment units;
(iv)
Construction of additional Lamella PSTs; and
(v)
Other ancillary works, such as landscaping, E&M facilities,
roadworks, etc.
1.3
Construction Programme
1.3.1
The Project
construction works are anticipated to commence in 2020 with completion of the
Project by 2026 and 2030 for Phase 1 and Phase 2, respectively. A tentative construction programme is provided
in Appendix A.
1.4.1
The purpose of
this Environmental Monitoring and Audit (EM&A) Manual is to guide the
setups of an EM&A programme to ensure compliance with the EIA study
recommendations, to assess the effectiveness of the recommended mitigation
measures and to identify any further need for additional mitigation measures or
remedial action. This Manual outlines
the monitoring and audit programme for the construction and operational phases
of the Project. It aims to provide
systematic procedures for monitoring, auditing and minimizing environmental
impacts associated with construction works and operational activities.
1.4.2
Hong Kong
environmental regulations have served as environmental standards and guidelines
in the preparation of this Manual. In
addition, the EM&A Manual has been prepared in accordance with the
requirements stipulated in Annex 21 of the EIAO-TM.
1.4.3
This Manual
contains the following information:
·
Responsibilities
of the Contractor, the Engineer or Engineer’s Representative (ER),
Environmental Team (ET) and Independent Environment Checker (IEC) with respect
to the environmental monitoring and audit requirements during the course of the
Project;
·
Project
organisation for the EM&A works;
·
The basis
for, and description of the broad approach underlying the EM&A programme;
·
Details
of the methodologies to be adopted, including all field laboratories and
analytical procedures, and details on quality assurance and quality control
programme;
·
The rationale
on which the environmental monitoring data will be evaluated and interpreted;
·
Definition
of Action and Limit levels;
·
Establishment
of Event and Action plans;
·
Requirements
for reviewing pollution sources and working procedures required in the event of
non-compliance with the environmental criteria and complaints; and
·
Requirements
for presentation of environmental monitoring and audit data and appropriate
reporting procedures.
1.4.4
For the purpose
of this Manual, the ET leader, who shall be responsible for and in charge of
the ET, shall refer to the person delegated the role of executing the EM&A
requirements.
1.5
Project Organization
1.5.1
Involvement of
relevant parties in a collaborative and interactive manner is essential for the
implementation of the recommended EM&A programme. The following sections
outline the primary responsibilities and duties of the key EM&A programme
participants. The proposed project organization and lines of communication with
respect to EM&A works are shown in Figure 1.2.
The Contractor
1.5.2
The Contractor
shall report to the ER. The duties and responsibilities of the Contractor comprise
the following:
·
Work
within the scope of the contract and other tender conditions with respect to
environmental requirements;
·
Operate and strictly adhere to the guidelines and
requirements in this EM&A programme and contract specifications;
·
Provide assistance to ET in carrying out monitoring
and auditing;
·
Participate in the site inspections undertaken by ET
as required, and undertake correction actions;
·
Provide information / advice to ET regarding works
activities which may contribute, or be continuing to the generation of adverse
environmental conditions;
·
Submit proposals on mitigation measures in case of
exceedance of Action and Limit levels in accordance with the Event / Action
Plans;
·
Implement measures to reduce impact where Action and
Limit levels are exceeded; and
·
Adhere to the procedures for carrying out complaint investigation.
Environmental Team (ET)
1.5.3
A single ET with
an ET Leader working full-time for the Project shall be employed, unless
otherwise agreed by the EPD, to conduct the EM&A programme to ensure the
compliance with the project’s environmental performance requirements. The
minimum on-site time for the ET, and the qualifications of the specialists in
the ET shall be proposed with justifications for the approval of the EPD. The
ET Leader or the ET shall be an independent party from the IEC and the Contractor
and have relevant professional qualifications, or have sufficient relevant
EM&A experience subject to approval of the EPD. The ET shall be led and
managed by the ET leader. The ET leader shall possess at least 7 years of experience
in EM&A and/or environmental management.
1.5.4
The duties and
responsibilities of the ET are:
·
Monitor
various environmental parameters as required in this EM&A Manual;
·
Analyse
the environmental monitoring and audit data and review the success of EM&A
programme to cost-effectively confirm the adequacy of mitigation measures
implemented and the validity of the EIA predictions and to identify any adverse
environmental impacts arising;
·
Carry out
regular site inspection to investigate and audit the Contractors' site
practice, equipment and work methodologies with respect to pollution control
and environmental mitigation, and effect proactive action to pre-empt problems;
carry out ad hoc site inspections if significant environmental problems are
identified;
·
Audit and
prepare monitoring and audit reports on the environmental monitoring data and
site environmental conditions;
·
Report
on the environmental monitoring and audit results to the Independent
Environmental Checker, Contractor, the ER and EPD or its delegated
representative;
·
Recommend
suitable mitigation measures to the Contractor in the case of exceedance of
Action and Limit levels in accordance with the Event and Action Plans;
·
Advice
to the Contractor on environmental improvement, awareness, enhancement matters,
etc. on site;
·
Timely
submission of the EM&A report to the Project Proponent and the EPD; and
·
Adhere
to the procedures for carrying out complaint investigation in accordance with Section 11.3 of this EM&A Manual.
Engineer or Engineer’s Representative (ER)
1.5.5
The ER is
responsible for overseeing the construction works and for ensuring that the
works undertaken by the Contractor in accordance with the specification and
contractual requirements. The duties and responsibilities of the ER with
respect to EM&A may include:
·
Supervise
the Contractor’s activities and ensure that the requirements in the EM&A
Manual are fully complied with;
·
Inform
the Contractor when action is required to reduce impacts in accordance with the
Event and Action Plans;
·
Participate
in joint site inspection undertaken by the ET; and
·
Adhere
to the procedures for carrying out complaint investigation.
Independent Environmental Checker (IEC)
1.5.6
A single IEC working
full-time for the Project shall be employed unless otherwise agreed by the EPD.
The IEC shall be an independent party from the Contractor and the ET and
possess at least 7 years’ experience in EM&A and/or environmental
management. The IEC shall report directly to the EPD on matters relating to the
EM&A programme and environmental impacts from the Project. The minimum
on-site time for the supporting team of the IEC shall be proposed with
justifications for the approval of the EPD. The duties and responsibilities of
the IEC are:
·
Review
the EM&A works performed by the ET (at least at monthly intervals);
·
Carry out
random sample check and audit the monitoring activities and results (at least
at monthly intervals);
·
Conduct
random site inspection;
·
Review
the EM&A reports submitted by the ET;
·
Review
the effectiveness of environmental mitigation measures and project
environmental performance;
·
Review
the proposal on mitigation measures submitted by the Contractor in accordance
with the Event and Action Plans;
·
Check the
mitigation measures that have been recommended in the EIA and this Manual, and
ensure they are properly implemented in a timely manner, when necessary; and
·
Adhere
to the procedures for carrying out complaint investigation.
1.5.7
Sufficient and
suitably qualified professional and technical staff shall be employed by the
respective parties to ensure full compliance with their duties and
responsibilities, as required under the EM&A programme for the duration of
the Project.
2.1.2
Regular site
environmental audit is recommended to be conducted during the entire
construction phase of the Project so as to ensure the implementation of the
proposed dust mitigation measures and the dust suppression measures stipulated
in Air Pollution Control (Construction
Dust) Regulation. Implementation
schedule of mitigation measures are presented in Appendix B.
2.1.3
Potential air
quality and odour impacts from operation of the Project were also assessed and
no adverse impact would be anticipated during the operation phase of this
Project. Nevertheless, it is recommended
to conduct commissioning test at the combined heat and power (CHP) unit and
ammonia stripping (ASP) unit to demonstrate compliance with the design emission
limits and odour monitoring in terms of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) at
the deodorizers upon commissioning to determine whether it can meet the odour
removal performance requirement. In
addition, odour patrol should be carried out during the period of maintenance
or cleaning of the deodorization system to ensure no adverse odour impacts
arisen from the operation of the Project.
2.1.4
This section
presents the requirements, methodology, equipment, monitoring locations, criteria
and protocols for the monitoring and audit of air quality impact during the
construction and operation phases of the Project.
2.2
Construction Phase
Monitoring Parameters
2.2.1
The major dusty
construction activities of the Project would mainly be related to construction
dust from site clearance, excavation, demolition, piling, roadworks and pipe
works construction and wind erosion which would generate dust emissions.
Therefore, 1-hour Total Suspended Particulates (TSP) is recommended to be
monitored and audited at the proposed monitoring locations during construction
phase.
2.2.2
The criteria
against which ambient air quality monitoring to be assessed are 1-hour TSP
limit of 500 µg m-3. This
level is not to be exceeded at ASRs.
2.2.3
Monitoring and
audit of the TSP levels shall be carried out by the ET to ensure that any
deteriorating air quality could be readily detected and timely action shall be
undertaken to rectify such situation.
2.2.4
1-hour TSP levels
should be measured to indicate the impacts of construction dust on air
quality. The TSP levels should be
measured by following the standard method as set out in High Volume Method for
Total Suspended Particulates, Part 50 Chapter 1 Appendix B, Title 40 of the
Code of Federal Regulations of the USEPA (hereinafter referred to as “HVS
method”). Upon approval of EPD and IEC,
an alternative sampling method of using direct reading methods which are
capable of producing comparable results as that by the high volume sampling
method can be used to indicate short event impacts
2.2.5
All relevant data
including temperature, pressure, weather conditions, elapsed-time meter reading
for the start and stop of sampler, identification and weight of the filter
paper, and other special phenomena and work progress of the concerned site, etc.,
should be recorded down in detail. A
sample data sheet is shown in Appendix C.
Monitoring Equipment
2.2.6
High volume
sampler (HVS) in compliance with the following specifications should be used
for carrying out the 1-hour TSP monitoring:
·
0.6 - 1.7 m3
per minute (20 - 60 standard cubic feet per minute) adjustable flow range;
·
equipped with a
timing / control device with ± 5 minutes accuracy for 24 hours operation;
·
installed with
elapsed-time meter with ± 2 minutes accuracy for 24 hours operation;
·
capable of
providing a minimum exposed area of 406 cm2 ;
·
flow control
accuracy: ± 2.5% deviation over 24-hour sampling period;
·
equipped with a
shelter to protect the filter and sampler;
·
incorporated with
an electronic mass flow rate controller or other equivalent devices;
·
equipped with a
flow recorder for continuous monitoring;
·
provided with a
peaked roof inlet;
·
incorporated with
a manometer;
·
able to hold and
seal the filter paper to the sampler housing at horizontal position;
·
easy to change
the filter; and
·
capable of
operating continuously for 24-hour period.
2.2.7
The ET shall be
responsible for the provision of the monitoring equipment. He shall ensure that
sufficient number of HVSs with appropriate calibration kit is available for
carrying out the baseline, regular impacts monitoring and ad-hoc monitoring.
The HVSs shall be equipped with an electronic mass flow controller and be
calibrated against a traceable standard at regular intervals, in accordance
with requirements stated in the manufacturers operating manual. All the equipment, calibration kit, filter
papers, etc., shall be clearly labelled. If direct reading dust meters is
proposed to be used, the ET Leader should submit sufficient information to the
IEC to prove that the instrument is capable of achieving a comparable result as
that the HVS may be used for the 1-hour sampling. The instrument should also be calibrated
regularly.
2.2.8
Initial
calibration of the dust monitoring equipment shall be conducted upon
installation and prior to commissioning at bi-monthly intervals. The transfer
standard shall be traceable to the internationally recognized primary standard
and be calibrated annually. The calibration data shall be properly documented
for future reference by the concerned parties such as the IEC. All the data
shall be converted into standard temperature and pressure condition.
2.2.9
The flow-rate of
the sampler before and after the sampling exercise with the filter in position
shall be verified to be constant and be recorded on the data sheet as shown in Appendix C.
2.2.10
If the ET Leader
proposes to use a direct reading dust meter to measure 1-hour TSP levels, he
shall submit sufficient information to the IEC to prove that the instrument is
capable of achieving a comparable result as that of the HVS before it may be
used for the 1-hour sampling. The instrument shall also be calibrated
regularly, and the 1-hour sampling shall be determined periodically by HVS to
check the validity and accuracy of the results measured by direct reading
method.
2.2.11
Wind data
monitoring equipment shall also be provided and set up at conspicuous locations
for logging wind speed and wind direction near to the dust monitoring
locations. The equipment installation location shall be proposed by the ET and
agreed with the ER and the IEC. For installation and operation of wind data
monitoring equipment, the following points shall be observed.
·
The wind sensors
shall be installed on masts at an elevated level 10m above ground so that they
are clear of obstructions or turbulence caused by the buildings;
·
The wind data
shall be captured by a data logger. The data recorded in the data logger shall
be downloaded periodically for analysis at least once a month;
·
The wind data
monitoring equipment shall be re-calibrated at least once every six months; and
·
Wind direction
should be divided into 16 sectors of 22.5 degrees each.
2.2.12
In exceptional
situations, the ET may propose alternative methods to obtain representative
wind data upon approval from the ER and agreement from the IEC.
Laboratory Measurement / Analysis
2.2.13
A clean
laboratory with constant temperature and humidity control and equipped with
necessary measuring and conditioning instruments to handle the dust samples
collected, shall be available for sample analysis, and equipment calibration
and maintenance. The laboratory shall be the Hong Kong Laboratory Accreditation
Scheme (HOKLAS) accredited or other internationally accredited laboratory.
2.2.14
If a site
laboratory is set up or a non-HOKLAS accredited laboratory is hired for
carrying out the laboratory analysis, the laboratory equipment shall be
verified by the IEC and approved by the ER. Measurement performed by the
laboratory shall be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the ER and the IEC.
2.2.15
The IEC shall
conduct regular audit of the measurement performed by the laboratory so as to
ensure the accuracy of measurement results. The ET shall provide the ER with
one copy of the Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Chapter 1 (Part
50), Appendix B for his/her reference.
2.2.16
Filter paper of
size 8"x10" shall be labelled before sampling. It shall be a clean
filter paper with no pinholes, and shall be conditioned in a
humidity-controlled chamber for over 24-hour and be pre-weighed before use for
the sampling.
2.2.17
After sampling,
the filter paper loaded with dust shall be kept in a clean and tightly sealed
plastic bag. The filter paper shall then be returned to the laboratory for
reconditioning in the humidity-controlled chamber followed by accurate weighing
by an electronic balance with a readout down to 0.1mg. The balance shall be
regularly calibrated against a traceable standard.
2.2.18
All the collected
samples shall be kept in a good condition for 6 months before disposal.
Monitoring Locations
2.2.19
The selected
monitoring locations are the worst potentially affected air sensitive receivers
located in the vicinity of construction sites. The proposed air quality
monitoring locations during construction phase are listed in Table 2-1 below and shown in Figure 2.1.
Table 2‑1 Proposed Construction Dust Monitoring
Stations
|
Monitoring Station ID
|
EIA ID
|
Location
|
|
AM1
|
ASR09
|
Topfine Machinery (China) Co. Ltd.
|
|
AM2
|
ASR11
|
Squatter house at the west of Yuen Long STW
|
2.2.20
The status and
locations of the air quality sensitive receivers may change after issuing this
Manual. In such case, the ET shall propose updated monitoring locations and
seek approval from ER and IEC and agreement from EPD on the proposal.
2.2.21
When alternative
monitoring locations are proposed, the following criteria, as far as
practicable, shall be followed:
i.
at the site boundary or such locations close to the
major dust emission source;
ii.
close to the air sensitive receivers as defined in
the EIAO-TM;
iii.
proper position/sitting and orientation of the
monitoring equipment; and
iv.
take into account the prevailing meteorological
conditions.
2.2.22
The ET shall
agree with the IEC on the position of the HVS for installation of the
monitoring equipment. When positioning the samplers, the following points shall
be noted:
i.
a horizontal platform with appropriate support to
secure the samplers against gusty wind shall be provided;
ii.
two samplers shall be placed less than 2 meter
apart;
iii.
the distance between the sampler and an obstacle, such
as buildings, must be at least twice the height that the obstacle protrudes
above the sampler;
iv.
a minimum of 2 metres of separation from walls,
parapets and penthouses is required for rooftop samplers;
v.
a minimum of 2 metres of separation from any supporting
structure, measured horizontally is required;
vi.
no furnace or incinerator flue is nearby;
vii.
airflow around the sampler is unrestricted;
viii. the sampler is
more than 20 metres from the dripline;
ix.
any wire fence and gate, to protect the sampler,
shall not cause any obstruction during monitoring;
x.
permission must be obtained to set up the samplers
and to obtain access to the monitoring stations; and
xi.
a secured supply of electricity is needed to operate
the samplers.
Baseline Monitoring
2.2.23
Baseline
monitoring shall be carried out to determine the ambient 1-hour TSP levels at
the monitoring locations prior to the commencement of the Project. During the
baseline monitoring, there shall not be any construction or dust generating
activities in the vicinity of the monitoring stations. The baseline monitoring
will provide data for the determination of the appropriate Action levels with
the Limit levels set against statutory or otherwise agreed limits.
2.2.24
Before commencing
the baseline monitoring, the ET shall inform the IEC of the baseline monitoring
programme such that the IEC can conduct on-site audit to ensure accuracy of the
baseline monitoring results.
2.2.25
TSP baseline
monitoring should be carried out at all of the designated monitoring locations
for at least 14 consecutive days prior to the commissioning of the construction
works. 1-hour TSP sampling shall be done at least three times per day at each
monitoring station. During the baseline monitoring, there should not be any
construction or dust generating activities in the vicinity of the monitoring
stations. General meteorological conditions (wind speed, direction and
precipitation) and notes regarding any significant adjacent dust producing
sources should also be recorded throughout the baseline monitoring period. A
summary of baseline monitoring is presented in Table 2-2.
2.2.26
In case the
baseline monitoring cannot be carried out at the designated monitoring
locations during the baseline monitoring period, the ET Leader shall carry out
the monitoring at alternative locations which can effectively represent the
baseline conditions at the impact monitoring locations. The alternative
baseline monitoring location shall be approved by the ER and agreed with IEC.
2.2.27
In exceptional
cases, when insufficient baseline monitoring data or questionable results are
obtained, the ET Leader shall liaise with the IEC and EPD to agree on an
appropriate set of data to be used as a baseline reference and submit to ER for
approval.
2.2.28
If the ET Leader
considers that significant changes in the ambient conditions have arisen, a
repeat of the baseline monitoring may be carried out to update the baseline
levels. The revised baseline levels, in turn, the air quality criteria, shall
be agreed with the IEC and EPD.
Impact Monitoring
2.2.29
The ET shall
carry out impact monitoring during construction phase of the Project. For
1-hour TSP monitoring, the sampling frequency of at least three times in every
six-days should be undertaken when the highest dust impact occurs. In case of
non-compliance with the air criteria, more frequent monitoring, as specified in
the Action Plan in the following section, should be conducted. This additional
monitoring should be continued until the excessive dust emission or the
deterioration in the air quality is rectified. The impact monitoring programme
is summarized in Table 2-2.
2.2.30
The monthly
schedule of the compliance and impact monitoring programme should be drawn up
by the ET one month prior to the commencement of the scheduled construction period.
Before commencing the impact monitoring, the ET shall inform the IEC of the
impact monitoring programme such that the IEC can conduct on-site audit to
ensure accuracy of the impact monitoring results.
Table 2‑2 Summary of Construction Dust Monitoring
Programme
|
Monitoring Period
|
Duration
|
Sampling Parameter
|
Frequency
|
|
Baseline
Monitoring
|
Consecutive
days of at least 2 weeks before commencement of major construction works
|
1-hour TSP
|
3 times
per day
|
|
Impact
Monitoring
|
Throughout
the construction phase
|
1-hour TSP
|
3 times in every 6 days
|
Event and Action Plan
2.2.31
The baseline
monitoring results form the basis for determining the air quality criteria for
the impact monitoring. The ET shall compare the impact monitoring results with
air quality criteria set up for 1-hour TSP. Table 2-3 shows the air quality criteria, namely Action and
Limit levels to be used. Should non-compliance of the air quality criteria
occur, action in accordance with the Action Plan in Table 2-4 shall be carried out.
Table 2‑3 Action and Limit Levels for Air Quality (Construction Dust)
|
Parameter
|
Action Level [1]
|
Limit Level
|
|
TSP (1
hour average)
|
BL <=
384 µgm-3, AL = (BL * 1.3 + LL)/2
BL >
384 µgm-3, AL = LL
|
500 µgm-3
|
Note: [1]
BL = Baseline level, AL = Action level, LL = Limit level
Table 2‑4 Event and Action Plan for Air Quality (Construction
Dust)
|
Event
|
Action
|
|
ET
|
IEC
|
ER
|
Contractor
|
|
Action level being exceeded by one sampling
|
1. Identify source, investigate the causes of
complaint and propose remedial measures;
2. Inform Contractor, IEC and ER;
3. Repeat measurement to confirm finding; and
4. Increase monitoring frequency to daily.
|
1. Check monitoring data submitted by ET;
2. Check Contractor’s working method; and
3. Review and advise the ET and ER on the
effectiveness of the proposed remedial measures.
|
1. Notify Contractor.
|
1. Identify source(s), investigate the causes
of exceedance and propose remedial measures;
2. Implement remedial measures; and
3. Amend working methods agreed with the ER
as appropriate.
|
|
Action level being exceeded by two or more
consecutive sampling
|
1. Identify source;
2. Inform Contractor, IEC and ER;
3. Advise the Contractor and ER on the
effectiveness of the proposed remedial measures;
4. Repeat measurements to confirm findings;
5. Increase monitoring frequency to daily;
6. Discuss with IEC and Contractor on
remedial actions required;
7. If exceedance continues, arrange meeting
with Contractor, IEC and ER; and
8. If exceedance stops, cease additional
monitoring.
|
1. Check monitoring data submitted by ET;
2. Check Contractor’s working method;
3. Discuss with ET, ER and Contractor on
possible remedial measures;
4. Advise the ET and ER on the effectiveness
of the proposed remedial measures; and
5. Supervise Implementation of remedial
measures.
|
1. Confirm receipt of notification of
exceedance in writing;
2. Notify Contractor;
3. Ensure remedial measures properly
implemented.
|
1. Identify source and investigate the causes
of exceedance;
2. Submit proposals for remedial measures to
the ER with a copy to ET and IEC within three working days of notification;
3. Implement the agreed proposals; and
4. Amend proposal as appropriate.
|
|
Limit level being exceeded by one sampling
|
1. Identify source, investigate the causes of
exceedance and propose remedial measures;
2. Inform Contractor, IEC, ER, and EPD;
3. Repeat measurement to confirm finding;
4. Increase monitoring frequency to daily;
and
5. Assess effectiveness of Contractor’s
remedial actions and keep IEC, EPD and ER informed of the results.
|
1. Check monitoring data submitted by ET;
2. Check Contractor’s working method;
3. Discuss with ET and Contractor on possible
remedial measures;
4. Advise the ER on the effectiveness of the
proposed remedial measures; and
5. Supervise implementation of remedial
measures.
|
1. Confirm receipt of notification of
exceedance in writing;
2. Notify Contractor;
3. Ensure remedial measures properly
implemented.
|
1. Identify source(s) and investigate the
causes of exceedance;
2. Take immediate action to avoid further
exceedance;
3. Submit proposals for remedial measures to
ER with a copy to ET and IEC within three working days of notification;
4. Implement the agreed proposals; and
5. Amend proposal if appropriate.
|
|
Limit level being exceeded by two or more
consecutive sampling
|
1. Notify IEC, ER, Contractor and EPD;
2. Identify source;
3. Repeat measurement to confirm findings;
4. Increase monitoring frequency to daily;
5. Carry out analysis of Contractor’s working
procedures to determine possible mitigation to be implemented;
6. Arrange meeting with IEC and ER to discuss
the remedial actions to be taken;
7. Assess effectiveness of Contractor’s
remedial actions and keep IEC, EPD and ER informed of the results; and
8. If exceedance stops, cease additional
monitoring.
|
1. Check monitoring data submitted by the ET;
2. Discuss amongst ER, ET, and Contractor on
the potential remedial actions;
3. Review Contractor’s remedial actions
whenever necessary to assure their effectiveness and advise the ER
accordingly; and
4. Supervise the implementation of remedial
measures.
|
1. Confirm receipt of notification of
exceedance in writing;
2. In consultation with the ET and IEC, agree
with the Contractor on the remedial measures to be implemented;
3. Supervise the implementation of remedial
measures; and
4. If exceedance continues, consider what
portion of the work is responsible and instruct the Contractor to stop that
portion of work until the exceedance is abated.
|
1. Identify source(s) and investigate the
causes of exceedance;
2. Take immediate action to avoid further
exceedance;
3. Submit proposals for remedial measures to
the ER with a copy to the IEC and ET within three working days of
notification;
4. Implement the agreed proposals;
5. Revise and resubmit proposals if problem
still not under control; and
6. Stop the relevant portion of works as
determined by the ER until the exceedance is abated.
|
Commissioning Test at the Exhausts of CHP and ASP units
2.3.1
Measurement of
air quality parameters of concern due to stack emissions from the combined heat
and power (CHP) unit and ammonia stripping (ASP) unit should be conducted at
each stack during commissioning stage to demonstrate the process/facility is
properly operated and the emissions can be minimized to meet the design
emission limits as presented in Table 2-5 and Table 2-6. The proposed sampling and analytical methods
for measured parameters are listed in Table 2-7.
The proposed methods below are for reference only. The scopes and methods to be adopted shall be
agreed with EPD at least one month before measurement.
Table 2‑5 Emission Limit for CHP Units
|
Parameters
|
Maximum Emission Level (mg/Nm3)
|
|
RSP
|
16
|
|
NOx
(as NO2)
|
30
|
|
SO2
|
53
|
|
NH3
|
22
|
Note:
(1) The emission level refers to oxygen content in the
exhaust gas of 5% and dry basis.
Table 2‑6 Emission Limit for ASP Unit
|
Parameters
|
Maximum Emission Level (mg/Nm3)
|
|
RSP
|
8
|
|
NOx
(as NO2)
|
96
|
|
SO2
|
80
|
|
NH3
|
17
|
Note:
(1) All emission levels refer to oxygen content in the
exhaust gas of 5% and dry basis.
Table 2‑7 Analytical Parameters and Methodology
|
Parameters
|
Method
|
|
Particulates
(as RSP)
|
ISO
9096, ASTM D3685-98, USEPA Method 17
|
|
NOx
|
USEPA
Reference methods
USEPA
Method 7 and associated methods
|
|
SO2
|
USEPA
Method 8
|
|
NH3
|
USEPA
CTM-027
|
Odour Monitoring
2.3.2
The odour
monitoring (in term of H2S concentration) at the inlets and outlets
of each deodourizing unit shall be conducted by H2S sensor quarterly
in the first three years upon commissioning of the YLEPP Phase 1 and Phase 2 to
determine whether the odour removal efficiency meet the requirements as stated
in the EIA Report. The first odour
monitoring shall be conducted within one month, after the operation of the
YLEPP Phase 1 and Phase 2. Subsequent odour monitoring shall be conducted
quarterly, i,e. at the 4th, 7th and 10th month for the first year. For
the second and third years, the frequency of the impact monitoring could be
reduced to once every 6 months subject to EPD’s approval, if no non-compliance
is found. If there is any non-compliance, the operator should inspect the
deodorization unit and the frequency of odour monitoring shall be resumed to
quarterly. Upon the third year monitoring, the odour monitoring should be reviewed and agreed
with EPD if the monitoring is required to be continued.
Odour Patrol
2.3.3
Odour patrol is
proposed to monitor the potential odour impact from YLEPP during the period of
maintenance or cleaning of the deodorization system. The odour patrols will be conducted by an
odour patrol team. The odour patrol team
will patrol and sniff along an odour patrol route within the YLEPP site boundary.
The implementation of the odour patrols shall be subject to the
prevailing weather forecast condition and should not be carried out during
rainy days.
2.3.4
The odour patrol
team shall be comprised of at least two independent trained personnel /
competent persons, who should pass a set of screening tests and fulfil the
following requirements:
·
Have their individual
odour threshold of n-butanol in nitrogen gas in the range of 20 to 80 ppb/v
required by the European Standard Method (EN 13725);
·
Be at least 16
years of age and willing and able to follow instructions;
·
Be free from any
respiratory illnesses;
·
Be engaged for a
sufficient period to build up and monitor/detect at several monitoring
location;
·
Not be allowed to
smoke, eat, drink (except water) or use chewing gum or sweets 30 minutes before
and during odour patrol;
·
Take great care
not to cause any interference with their own perception or that of others by
lack of personal hygiene or the use of perfumes, deodorants, body lotions or
cosmetics; and
·
Not communicate
with each other about the results of their choices.
2.3.5
The independent
trained personnel / competent persons should use their noses (olfactory
sensors) to sniff odours at the monitoring locations. The main odour emission sources and the areas
to be affected by the odour nuisance shall be identified.
2.3.6
The perceived
odour intensity is divided into 5 levels.
Table 2-8
describes the odour intensity for different levels.
Table 2‑8 Odour Intensity Levels
|
Level
|
Odour
Intensity
|
|
0
|
Not detected. No odour perceived or an odour so weak that
it cannot be easily characterised or described
|
|
1
|
Slight identifiable
odour, and slight chance to have odour nuisance
|
|
2
|
Moderate identifiable
odour, and moderate chance to have odour nuisance
|
|
3
|
Strong
identifiable, likely to have odour
nuisance
|
|
4
|
Extreme severe odour,
and unacceptable odour level
|
2.3.7
The independent
trained personnel / competent persons shall record the findings including date
and time, weather condition (e.g. sunny, fine, cloudy, and rainy), odour
intensity, odour nature and possible odour sources, local wind speed, and wind
direction at each location.
Event and Action Plan
2.3.8
Table 2-9 shows the air quality criteria, namely Action and
Limit levels to be used for the odour patrol.
Should the action or limit level be reached, action in accordance with
the Action Plan in Table 2-10
shall be carried out.
Table 2‑9 Action
and Limit Levels for Air Quality (Odour)
|
Parameter
|
Action
Level
|
Limit
Level
|
|
Odour
Nuisance
|
Odour intensity of 2 is measured from odour patrol
|
Odour intensity of 3 or above is measured from odour
patrol
|
Table 2‑10 Event and Action Plan for Air Quality (Odour)
|
EVENT
|
ACTION
|
|
YLEPP Engineer-in-charge of Odour Patrol
|
DSD Sewage Treatment Division 1 (ST1)
|
DSD Sewerage Projects Division (SP) / Electrical and
Mechanical Projects Division (E&MP)
|
|
ACTION LEVEL
|
|
Action level from Odour Patrol is
reached
|
1. Identify source / reason of exceedance;
2. Repeat odour patrol to confirm finding
|
1. Carry out investigation to identify the
source/reason of exceedance;
2. Rectify any unacceptable practice;
3. Implement more mitigation measures if
necessary.
|
1. Assist ST1 to find the root cause of
non-compliance; and
2.
Modify
or improve design as appropriate.
|
|
LIMIT LEVEL
|
|
Limit level from Odour Patrol is reached
|
1. Identify source / reason of
non-compliance;
2. Repeat odour patrol to confirm findings;
3. Assess effectiveness of remedial action
and keep EPD informed of the results
|
1. Carry out investigation to identify the source/reason
of non-compliance;
2. Rectify any unacceptable practice;
3. Amended working methods if required;
4. Notify DSD SP / E&MP;
5. Formulate remedial actions;
6. Ensure amended working methods and
remedial actions properly implemented;
7. If non-compliance continues, consider what
portion of the work is responsible and stop that portion of the work until
the non-compliance is abated; and
8. Correspond to the complainant within 10
days to inform the cause of the nuisance and action taken.
|
1. Assist ST1 to find the root cause of
non-compliance;
2. Modify or improve design as appropriate;
and
3. Formulate remedial actions in association
with ST1.
|
2.4.1
Mitigation
measures for construction phase air quality impacts and appropriate design for minimizing
potential operational odour impact have been recommended in the EIA Report. All the recommended mitigation measures and
designs are detailed in the implementation schedule in Appendix B. The Contractor should be responsible for the
design and implementation of these measures.
2.5.1
Regular site
inspection and audit at least once per week should be conducted during the entire
construction phase of the Project to ensure the recommended mitigation measures
are properly implemented.
3.1.1
The EIA has
predicted the potential construction noise impact and operation phase fixed
plant noise impact from this Project.
3.1.2
Construction
noise mitigation measures would be required to reduce noise levels to the
stipulated standard. A noise monitoring and audit programme should be
undertaken to confirm such mitigation measures would be implemented
properly.
3.1.3
For fixed plant
noise impact, a noise commissioning test should be conducted to ensure fixed
plant noise impact would comply with the relevant noise standards. No noise monitoring during operational phase is required.
3.1.4
In this section,
the requirements, methodology, equipment, monitoring locations, criteria and
protocols for the monitoring and audit of noise impacts during construction
phase of the Project are presented.
3.2.1
The construction
noise levels should be measured in terms of the 30-minute A-weighted equivalent
continuous sound pressure level (Leq (30-min)). Leq(30-min) should be used as the
monitoring parameter for the time period between 0700 and 1900 hours on normal
weekdays.
3.2.2
Supplementary
information for data auditing and statistical results such as L10
and L90 should also be obtained for reference. Sample noise field
data sheets are shown in Appendix C
of this Manual for reference. The ET Leader may modify the data record sheet
for this EM&A programme but the format of which should be agreed by the
IEC.
3.3.1
As referred to in
the Technical Memorandum (TM) issued under the Noise Control Ordinance (NCO),
sound level meters in compliance with the International Electrotechnical
Commission Publications 651: 1979 (Type 1) and 804: 1985 (Type 1)
specifications shall be used for carrying out the noise monitoring. Immediately prior to and following each noise
measurement the accuracy of the sound level meter shall be checked using an
acoustic calibrator generating a known sound pressure level at a known
frequency. Measurements shall be
accepted as valid only if the calibration level from before and after the noise
measurement agree to within 1.0 dB.
3.3.2
Noise measurements
shall not be made in fog, rain, wind with a steady speed exceeding 5 m/s or
wind with gusts exceeding 10 m/s. The wind speed shall be checked with a
portable wind speed meter capable of measuring the wind speed in m/s.
3.3.3
The ET is
responsible for the provision of the monitoring equipment. He shall ensure that
sufficient noise measuring equipment and associated instrumentation are
available for carrying out the baseline monitoring, regular impact monitoring
and ad hoc monitoring. All the equipment
and associated instrumentation shall be clearly labelled. The equipment
installation location shall be proposed by the ET Leader and agreed with the
IEC and EPD.
3.4.1
Based on the
noise assessment results in the EIA Report, noise exceedances would only be predicted
during construction of Phase 1 works under unmitigated scenario, whereas no
noise exceedance would be predicted during construction of Phase 2 works. Thus, construction noise monitoring during
Phase 1 works construction is proposed. Figure 3.1
shows the construction noise monitoring stations. Details of the proposed noise monitoring
stations are summarized in Table 3-1.
Table 3‑1 Proposed Noise Monitoring Stations during Construction
of Phase I Works of the Project
|
Noise Monitoring Point
|
EIA ID
|
Location
|
Monitoring Period
|
|
CM1
|
NSR1
|
Squatter house to the north of YLSTW
|
Phase 1 Works Construction
|
|
CM2
|
NSR2
|
Squatter house to the west of YLSTW
|
|
CM3
|
NSR3
|
Squatter house to the east of YLSTW
|
3.4.2
The status and
locations of noise sensitive receivers (NSRs) may change after issuing this
Manual. If such cases exist, the ET
shall propose updated monitoring locations and seek approval from the IEC and
agreement from EPD of the proposal.
3.4.3
When alternative
monitoring locations are proposed, the monitoring locations shall be chosen
based on the following criteria:
i.
at locations
close to the major site activities which are likely to have noise impacts;
ii.
close to the
NSRs; and
iii.
for monitoring
locations located in the vicinity of the sensitive receivers, care shall be
taken to cause minimal disturbance to the occupants during monitoring
3.4.4
The construction
noise monitoring station shall normally be at a point 1 m from the exterior of
the sensitive receivers building façade and be a position 1.2 m above the
ground. If there is a problem with access to the normal monitoring position, an
alternative position shall be chosen, and a correction to the measurements
shall be made. For reference, a correction of +3 dB(A) shall be made to the
free field measurements. The ET shall agree with the IEC on the monitoring
position and the corrections adopted.
Once the positions for the monitoring stations are chosen, the baseline
monitoring and the impact monitoring shall be carried out at the same positions.
3.5.1
Baseline noise monitoring
shall be carried out daily in all of the identified monitoring stations for at
least 2 weeks prior to the commissioning of the construction works. A schedule of the baseline monitoring shall
be submitted to the IEC for approval before the monitoring starts.
3.5.2
During the
baseline monitoring, there shall not be any construction activities in the
vicinity of the monitoring stations.
3.5.3
In exceptional
cases, when insufficient baseline monitoring data or questionable results are
obtained, the ET Leader shall liaise with EPD and in consultation with the IEC
to agree on an appropriate set of data to be used as a baseline reference.
3.6
Impact Monitoring
3.6.1
Construction
noise monitoring should be carried out at the designated monitoring station
when there are Project-related construction activities being undertaken within
a radius of 300 m from the monitoring stations. The monitoring frequency should
depend on the scale of the construction activities. An initial guide on the
monitoring is to obtain one set of 30-minute measurement at each station
between 0700 and 1900 hours on normal weekdays at a frequency of once a week
when construction activities are underway.
3.6.2
If construction
works are extended to include works during the hours of 1900 - 0700, and/or
percussive piling is be carried out, applicable permits under NCO shall be
obtained by the Contractor. The monitoring requirements and conditions
stipulated in the permits have to be followed.
3.6.3
In case of
non-compliance with the construction noise criteria, more frequent monitoring,
as specified in the Action Plan in Table 3-3 shall be carried out. This additional monitoring shall be
continued until the recorded noise levels are rectified or proved to be
irrelevant to the construction activities.
3.7.1
The Action and
Limit levels for construction noise are defined in Table 3-2. Should non-compliance of the criteria occur,
action in accordance with the Action Plan in Table 3-3 shall be carried out.
Table 3‑2 Action
and Limit Levels for Construction Noise
|
Time Period
|
Action Level
|
Limit Level
|
|
0700
– 1900 hours
on normal weekdays
|
When
one documented complaint is received
|
75
dB(A)*
|
Notes:
·
If works are to be
carried out during restricted hours and/or percussive piling is be carried out,
the monitoring requirements and the conditions stipulated in the Construction
Noise Permit (CNP) issued by the Noise Control Authority have to be followed.
·
* 70 dB(A) and 65
dB(A) for schools during normal teaching periods and school examination
periods, respectively.
Table 3‑3 Event and Action Plan for Construction Noise
|
Event
|
Action
|
|
ET
|
IEC
|
ER
|
Contractor
|
|
Action Level
|
1.
Notify
IEC and Contractor;
2.
Carry
out investigation;
3.
Report
the results of investigation to the IEC, ER and Contractor;
4.
Discuss
with the Contractor and formulate remedial measures; and
5.
Increase
monitoring frequency to check mitigation effectiveness.
|
1.
Review
the analyzed results submitted by the ET;
2.
Review
the proposed remedial measures by the Contractor and advise the ER accordingly;
and
3.
Supervise
the implementation of remedial measures.
|
1.
Confirm
receipt of notification of failure in writing;
2.
Notify
Contractor;
3.
Require
Contractor to propose remedial measures for the analyzed noise problem; and
4.
Ensure
remedial measures are properly implemented.
|
1.
Submit
noise mitigation proposals to IEC; and
2.
Implement
noise mitigation proposals.
|
|
Limit Level
|
1.
Identify
source;
2.
Inform
IEC, ER, EPD and Contractor;
3.
Repeat
measurements to confirm findings;
4.
Increase
monitoring frequency;
5.
Carry
out analysis of Contractor’s working procedures to determine possible
mitigation to be implemented;
6.
Inform
IEC, ER and EPD the causes and actions taken for
the exceedances;
7.
Assess
effectiveness of Contractor’s remedial actions and keep IEC,
EPD and ER informed of the results; and
8.
If
exceedance stops, cease additional monitoring.
|
1.
Discuss
amongst ER, ET, and Contractor on the potential remedial actions;
2.
Review
Contractors remedial actions whenever necessary to assure their effectiveness
and advise the ER accordingly; and
3.
Supervise
the implementation of remedial measures.
|
1. Confirm
receipt of notification of failure in writing;
2. Notify
Contractor;
3. Require
Contractor to propose remedial measures for the analyzed noise problem;
4. Ensure
remedial measures properly implemented; and
5. If
exceedance continues, consider what portion of the work is responsible and
instruct the Contractor to stop that portion of work until the exceedance is
abated.
|
1.
Take
immediate action to avoid further exceedance;
2.
Submit
proposals for remedial actions to IEC within 3 working days of notification;
3.
Implement
the agreed proposals;
4.
Resubmit
proposals if problem still not under control; and
5.
Stop
the relevant portion of works as determined by the ER until the exceedance is
abated.
|
Construction Phase
3.8.1
To alleviate the
construction noise impact on the affected NSRs, use of movable noise barriers
for excavators mounted with hydraulic breaker is recommended during
construction phase.
3.8.2
In addition to
the above construction noise mitigation measures, good site practices listed
below and the noise control requirements stated in EPD’s “Recommended Pollution
Control Clauses for Construction Contracts” should be included in the Contract
Specification for the Contractors to follow and implemented to further minimize
the potential noise impacts during the construction phase of the Project:
· Quiet PME,
such that those listed in EPD’s Quality Powered Mechanical Equipment, should be
considered for construction works to further minimize the potential
construction noise impact.
· Only
well-maintained plant should be operated on-site and plant should be serviced
regularly during the construction program.
· Silencers or
mufflers on construction equipment should be utilised and should be properly
maintained during the construction program.
· Mobile
plant, if any, should be sited as far away from NSRs as possible.
· Machines and
plant (such as trucks) that may be in intermittent use should be shut down
between works periods or should be throttled down to a minimum.
· Plant known
to emit noise strongly in one direction should, wherever possible, be
orientated so that the noise is directed away from the nearby NSRs.
· Material
stockpiles and other structures should be effectively utilised, wherever
practicable, in screening noise from on-site construction activities.
3.8.3
The
implementation schedule of the good site practices is presented in in Appendix B.
Operation Phase
3.8.4
All of the fixed
plants, with exception for the extraction fans for deodorizers, would be
located inside a plantroom with silencers at air inlet and outlet and a sound
proof door. Silencers should be
installed for ventilation fans in order to ensure compliance of the operation
airborne noise levels with the noise standard stipulated in the EIAO-TM and
Noise Control Ordinance (NCO). The implementation of the recommended mitigation
measures for the fixed plant noise arising from the operation of the Project is
presented in Appendix B.
3.9.1
Regular site
environmental audit during the construction phase (both Phase 1 works and Phase
2 works) of the Project should be conducted at least once per week to ensure proper
implementation of mitigation measures and good site practices as listed in Appendix B and the noise control requirements
stated in EPD’s "Recommended
Pollution Control Clauses for Construction Contracts” to further minimize
the potential noise nuisance during construction phase.
3.10.1
Commissioning
test for fixed noise sources prior to operation is required to ensure
compliance of the operational airborne noise levels with the stipulated noise
standard. Commissioning test
requirements should be agreed with EPD at least 1 month prior to the
commissioning test.
4.1.1
During the
construction phase, the key water quality impact would be associated with the
land-based construction. The potential water quality impact from the land-based
construction activities would be controlled by the mitigation measures
recommended in the EIA Report. Regular
site inspections and water quality monitoring should be undertaken during the
construction phase to inspect the construction activities and work areas to ensure
that the recommended mitigations measures are properly implemented.
4.1.2
During
operational phase, there is possibility of failure of power supply, treatment
units or equipment under the Project operation. Therefore, water quality
monitoring is recommended in case of any emergency discharge events during the
operational phase of this Project.
4.1.3
Under normal
operation of the YLEPP, treated effluent would be discharged through Shan Pui
River into Deep Bay following the same practice of existing YLSTW. Water quality monitoring during the first year of the
YLEPP Phase 1 and Phase 2 operation is recommended. Monitoring of the treated effluent quality from the
YLEPP will be governed by the Water Pollution Control Ordinance (WPCO) license
to ensure that the effluent quality would comply with the design standards,
which is under the ambit of regional office (RO) of EPD.
4.1.4
Water quality
monitoring for the Project can be divided into the following stages:
·
Water
quality monitoring during the YLEPP Phase 1 construction;
·
Water
quality monitoring during the first year operation of the YLEPP Phase 1;
·
Water
quality monitoring during the YLEPP Phase 2 construction;
·
Water
quality monitoring during the first year operation of the YLEPP Phase 2; and
·
Follow-up
water quality monitoring after any emergency discharge event at any stage.
4.2
Water Quality
Parameters
4.2.1
The parameters
that have been selected for measurement in-situ
and in the laboratory are those that were either determined in the EIA to be
those with the most potential to be affected by the construction works or are a
standard check on water quality conditions.
Parameters to be measured in the construction phase, operation phase and
emergency discharge are summarized in Table 4-1.
Table 4‑1 Parameters measured in the marine water
quality monitoring
|
|
|
|
Remarks
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
YLEPP
|
Emergency
Discharge at Any Stage
|
|
Parameters
|
Unit
|
Abbre.
|
Baseline
|
Construction
|
Water
Quality Monitoring (Phase 1 & 2)
|
|
In-situ
measurements
|
|
Dissolved
Oxygen
|
mg/L
|
DO
|
ü
|
ü
|
ü
|
ü
|
|
Salinity
|
-
|
-
|
ü
|
ü
|
ü
|
ü
|
|
Temperature
|
℃
|
-
|
ü
|
ü
|
ü
|
ü
|
|
pH
|
-
|
-
|
ü
|
ü
|
ü
|
ü
|
|
Turbidity
|
NTU
|
-
|
ü
|
ü
|
ü
|
ü
|
|
Laboratory
measurements
|
|
Suspended
Solids
|
mg/L
|
SS
|
ü
|
ü
|
ü
|
ü
|
|
Biochemical
Oxygen Demand
|
mg/L
|
BOD5
|
ü
|
|
ü
|
ü
|
|
Ammonia
Nitrogen
|
mg/L
|
NH3-N
|
ü
|
|
ü
|
ü
|
|
Nitrite
Nitrogen
|
mg/L
|
NO2-N
|
ü
|
|
ü
|
ü
|
|
Nitrate Nitrogen
|
mg/L
|
NO3-N
|
ü
|
|
ü
|
ü
|
|
Total
Inorganic Nitrogen
|
mg/L
|
TIN
|
ü
|
|
ü
|
ü
|
|
Total
Kjeldahl Nitrogen
|
mg/L
|
TKN
|
ü
|
|
ü
|
ü
|
|
Total
Nitrogen
|
mg/L
|
TN
|
ü
|
|
ü
|
ü
|
|
Total
Phosphorus
|
mg/L
|
TP
|
ü
|
|
ü
|
ü
|
|
E.coli
|
cfu/
100mL
|
-
|
ü
|
|
ü
|
ü
|
4.2.2
Measurements
shall be taken at three water depths, including 1 m below water surface,
mid-depth and 1 m above sea bed, except where the water depth is less than 6 m,
in which case the mid-depth station may be omitted. If the water depth is less than 3 m, only the
mid-depth station will be monitored.
4.2.3
In addition to
the water quality parameters as shown in Table 4-1, other relevant data shall also
be recorded, including monitoring location / position, time, water depth, pH
value, salinity, temperature, tidal stages, current velocity and direction, sea
conditions, weather conditions and any special phenomena or work activities
undertaken around the monitoring and works area that may influence the monitoring
results. A sample data record sheet is
shown in Appendix C
for reference.
Dissolved Oxygen and Temperature Measuring Equipment
·
a DO level in the
range of 0 – 20 mg L-1 and 0 – 200% saturation; and
·
a temperature of
0 ‑ 45 degree Celsius.
4.3.2
It shall have a
membrane electrode with automatic temperature compensation complete with a
cable. Sufficient stocks of spare
electrodes and cables shall be available for replacement where necessary. For example, YSI model 59 meter, YSI 5739
probe, YSI 5795A submersible stirrer with reel and cable or an approved similar
instrument.
4.3.3
Shall salinity
compensation not be built-in to the DO equipment, in-situ salinity shall be measured to calibrate the DO equipment
prior to each DO measurement.
Turbidity Measurement Instrument
4.3.4
Turbidity shall
be measured in-situ by the
nephelometric method. The instrument
shall be portable and weatherproof turbidity measuring instrument using a DC
power source complete with cable, sensor and comprehensive operation
manuals. It shall have a photoelectric
sensor capable of measuring turbidity between 0 - 1000 NTU (for example, Hach
model 2100P or an approved similar instrument).
The cable shall not be less than 25m in length. The meter shall be calibrated to establish
the relationship between NTU units and the levels of suspended solids.
Sampler
4.3.5
A water sampler
is required. It shall comprise a
transparent Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) cylinder, with a capacity of not less than
2 liters, which can be effectively sealed with latex cups at both ends. The sampler shall have a positive latching
system to keep it open and prevent premature closure until released by a
messenger when the sampler is at the selected water depth (for example,
Kahlsico Water Sampler or an approved similar instrument).
Water Depth Detector
4.3.6
A portable,
battery-operated echo sounder shall be used for the determination of water
depth at each designated monitoring station.
This unit can either be hand held or affixed to the bottom of the work
boat, if the same vessel is to be used throughout the monitoring programme.
Salinity
4.3.7
A portable
salinometer capable of measuring salinity in the range of 0 - 40 parts per
thousand (ppt) shall be provided for measuring salinity of the water at each
monitoring location.
pH
4.3.8
The instrument
shall consist of a potentiometer, a glass electrode, a reference electrode and
a temperature-compensating device. It
shall be readable to 0.1 pH in a range of 0 to 14. Standard buffer solutions of at least pH 7
and pH 10 shall be used for calibration of the instrument before and after
use. Details of the method shall comply
with American Public Health Association (APHA), 19th ed. 4500-HTB.
Sample Containers and Storage
4.3.9
Water samples
shall be stored in high density polythene bottles with no preservative added,
packed in ice (cooled to 4°C without being frozen) and delivered to the
laboratory and analyzed as soon as possible after collection. Sufficient volume of samples shall be
collected to achieve the required detection limit.
Monitoring Position Equipment
4.3.10
A hand-held or
boat-fixed type digital Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) with way
point bearing indication or other equipment instrument of similar accuracy,
shall be provided and used during marine water monitoring to ensure the
monitoring vessel is at the correct location before taking measurements.
Current Velocity and Direction
4.3.11
No specific
equipment is recommended for measuring the current velocity and direction. The environmental contractor shall seek
approval of their proposed equipment with the client prior to deployment.
Calibration of In-Situ Instruments
4.3.12
All in-situ monitoring instruments shall be
checked, calibrated and certified by a laboratory accredited under HOKLAS or
any other international accreditation scheme before use and subsequently
re-calibrated at three monthly intervals throughout all stages of the water
quality monitoring programme. Responses
of sensors and electrodes shall be checked with certified standard solutions
before each use. Wet bulb calibration
for a DO meter shall be carried out before measurement at each monitoring
location.
4.3.13
Sufficient stocks
of spare parts shall be maintained for replacements when necessary. Backup monitoring equipment shall also be
made available so that monitoring can proceed uninterrupted even when some
equipment is under maintenance, calibration, etc.
4.4.1
Analysis of SS,
BOD, TIN(),
NH3-N, NO2-N, NO3-N, UIA(),
TKN, TP and E. coli levels shall be
carried out in a HOKLAS or other international accredited laboratory. Sufficient water samples shall be collected
at the monitoring stations for carrying out the necessary laboratory analysis. The analysis shall commence within 24 hours after
collection of the water samples. The
analyses shall follow the standard methods described in APHA Standard Methods
for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 19th edition or other
approved methods. Detailed testing
methods, pre-treatment procedures, instrument use, Quality Assurance/Quality
Control (QA/QC) details (such as blank, spike recovery, number of duplicate
samples per batch, etc.), detection limits and accuracy shall be submitted to
EPD for approval prior to the commencement of monitoring programme. EPD may also request the laboratory to carry
out analysis of known standards provided by EPD for quality assurance. Additional duplicate samples may be required
by EPD for inter laboratory calibration.
Remaining samples after analysis shall be kept by the laboratory for 3
months in case repeat analysis is required. If in-house or non-standard methods
are proposed, details of the method verification may also be required to submit
to EPD. In any circumstance, the sample
testing shall have comprehensive quality assurance and quality control
programmes. The laboratory shall prepare to demonstrate the programmes to EPD
or his representatives when requested.
Construction
Phase
4.5.1
Water quality
monitoring at designated locations are proposed to be carried out during the
construction phase to monitor any sub-standard water discharge into the nearby
water bodies from the YLSTW/YLEPP.
4.5.2
It is recommended
to establish control and impact monitoring stations to monitor water quality
impact during construction phase. The
impact monitoring stations have been selected at locations in vicinity to the
construction site that may potentially be affected during the construction
phase. Water quality at these locations
shall be monitored during the construction.
The control stations have been selected such that they are located
within the same water body as the impact monitoring stations but are located
outside the area of influence of the works.
Data collected from the control stations enables a comparison of the
water quality at the potentially impacted site with the ambient water quality.
4.5.3
The proposed
water quality monitoring stations are shown in Table 4-2. Figure 4.1
indicates the approximate locations of the water quality monitoring
stations. During flood tide, the station
M1 is set at upstream location which serves as control station, while stations
M2 and M3 are the corresponding impact stations at the downstream
locations. During ebb tide, the stations
M2 and M3 are set at upstream location which serve as control stations, while
station M1 is the corresponding impact station at the downstream location.
Table 4‑2 Proposed Water Quality Monitoring Stations
under Construction Phase
|
Station
|
Purpose
of the Monitoring Station
|
Easting
|
Northing
|
|
Flood Tide
|
|
M1
|
Serve as
the control station at upstream location of construction site
|
821 086
|
836 656
|
|
M2
|
Serve as
the impact station at downstream location of construction site
|
820 996
|
836
246
|
|
M3
|
Serve as
the impact station at downstream location of construction site
|
820 645
|
836 335
|
|
Ebb
Tide
|
|
M1
|
Serve as
the impact station at downstream location of construction site
|
821 086
|
836 656
|
|
M2
|
Serve as
the control station at upstream location of construction site
|
820 996
|
836 246
|
|
M3
|
Serve as
the control station at upstream location of construction site
|
820 645
|
836 335
|
Notes: The
coordinates provided in this table are for reference only. The ET Leader shall propose the exact
monitoring locations and coordinates to the IEC and ER for approval before
commencement of water sampling.
Operation
Phase
4.5.4
During operation phase, water quality monitoring
during the first year of the YLEPP Phase 1 and Phase 2 operation as well as
emergency discharge are proposed to be conducted at 8 monitoring stations within the Inner Deep Bay as
well as along Shan Pui River and Kam Tin River, including:
·
Five Impacts
stations within Inner Deep Bay covering Ma Po Marshes SSSI (E1), Mai Po Inner Deep
Bay Ramsar Site / Inner Deep Bay SSSI (E2), oyster culture area (E3), mangroves
(Inner Deep Bay) (E4) and mangroves along Shan Pui River (E5), which represent
the water sensitive receivers, which are likely affected by the Project during
emergency discharge; and
·
Three Control
Stations within Inner Deep Bay (DB1) as well as at Shan Pui River (SP1) and Kam
Tin River (KT1) (in sections upstream of the discharge point) to assist in the
identification of the source of any impact.
4.5.5
The locations of
the proposed monitoring stations are illustrated in Figure 4.2 and summarized in in Table 4-3.
Table 4‑3 Proposed Water Quality Monitoring Stations
under Operation Phase
|
Station
|
Description
|
Easting
|
Northing
|
|
Impact
Stations
|
|
E1
|
Ma Po Marshes
SSSI
|
821 036
|
837 913
|
|
E2
|
Mai Po
Inner Deep Bay Ramsar Site / Inner Deep Bay SSSI
|
820 025
|
838 830
|
|
E3
|
Oyster
Culture Area
|
816 047
|
837 277
|
|
E4
|
Mangroves
(Inner Deep Bay)
|
820 238
|
838 028
|
|
E5
|
Mangroves
along Shan Pui River
|
821 005
|
836 665
|
|
Control Stations
|
|
DB1
|
Inner Deep
Bay
|
814 631
|
836 460
|
|
SP1
|
Shan Pui
River, upstream of discharge point
|
821 192
|
835 933
|
|
KT1
|
Kam Tin
River, upstream of discharge point
|
821 526
|
836 682
|
4.5.6
The status and
locations of water sensitive receivers and the marine activities may change
after issuing this Manual. Any change to
the monitoring stations shall be justified by the ET Leader, agreed by the ER,
verified by the IEC before seeking approval from EPD prior to its
implementation.
4.5.8
When alternative
monitoring locations are proposed, they should be chosen based on the following
criteria:
·
at locations
close to and preferably at the boundary of the site activities as indicated in
the EIA report, which are likely to have water quality impacts;
·
close to the
sensitive receptors which are directly or likely to be affected;
·
for monitoring
locations located in the vicinity of the sensitive receptors, care should be
taken to cause minimal disturbance during monitoring; and
·
control station
shall be selected at a location to allow a comparison of the water quality at
the potentially impacted site with the ambient water quality. The control station shall be selected such
that it is located within the same body of water as the impact monitoring station
but is located outside the area of influence of the works.
4.5.9
Enough replicates
in-situ measurements and sample
collected from each independent sampling event are required for all parameters
to ensure a robust statistically interpretable dataset.
Baseline Monitoring
4.6.1
Baseline
conditions of water quality should be established by the ET and agreed with IEC
and DEP. The purposes of the baseline
monitoring are to establish ambient conditions prior to the commencement of the
works, to demonstrate the suitability of the proposed control and impact
monitoring stations, and for establishment of the action and limit levels.
4.6.2
The baseline
conditions should be established by measuring the water quality parameters including
pH, salinity, temperature, turbidity, DO (in mg/L and % of saturation) and SS
at the proposed monitoring stations as shown in Figure 4.1
(see Table 4-2)
and water quality parameters as specified in Table 4-1 at the proposed monitoring
stations as shown in Figure 4.2
(see Table 4-3),
3 days a week, for a period of 4 weeks prior to the commencement of
construction works. The interval between
two sets of monitoring shall not be less than 36 hours, and the baseline
monitoring schedule shall be submitted to DEP and IEC at least one week prior
to the commencement of the baseline monitoring.
The ET Leader shall seek approval from the ER, IEC and EPD on the
alternative proposal prior to its implementation.
4.6.3
There shall not
be any major construction activities in the vicinity of the stations during the
baseline monitoring. The ET shall be
responsible for undertaking the baseline monitoring and submitting the results
within 10 working days from the completion of the baseline monitoring work.
4.6.4
In exceptional
cases when insufficient baseline monitoring data or questionable results are
obtained, the ET Leader shall seek approval from the ER, IEC and EPD on an
appropriate set of data to be used as baseline reference.
4.6.5
For operation phase, the ET Leader shall seek approval from the ER, IEC
and EPD on an appropriate set of data to be used as baseline reference, and if
additional baseline monitoring is required, the baseline monitoring methodology
for operation phase prior to the commencement of such monitoring.
Construction Monitoring
4.6.6
During the course
of the construction works, impact monitoring shall be undertaken three days per
week at
mid-flood and mid-ebb tides, with
sampling/measurement at the monitoring stations as shown in Figure 4.1
and Table 4-2. The ET should carry out spot check to ensure
that the Contractor has undertaken all recommended control measures to prevent
direct contact of pollutants with rainwater or runoff, and measures to abate
contaminants in the stormwater runoff. Parameters to be monitored include pH, salinity,
temperature, turbidity, DO (in mg/L and % of saturation) and SS (see Table 4-1).
The interval between two sets of monitoring shall not be less than 36
hours except where there are exceedances of Action and/or Limit levels, in
which case the monitoring frequency shall be increased.
4.6.7
Requirements as
stated in Section 4.5.7 shall be followed.
Any change to the EM&A requirements or programme shall be justified
by the ET Leader, agreed by the ER, verified by the IEC before seeking approval
from EPD prior to its implementation.
4.6.8
Upon completion
of all construction activities, a post project monitoring exercise on water
quality shall be carried out for four weeks in the same manner as the baseline
monitoring. The results of the
monitoring shall be presented in the Final EM&A Summary Report.
4.6.9
Proposed water
quality monitoring schedule shall be submitted to ER, IEC and EPD at least 1
week before the first day of the monitoring month. The ER, IEC and EPD shall also be notified
immediately for any changes in schedule.
First-year Operation Phase
4.6.10
Upon commencement
of the YLEPP Phase 1 and Phase 2, an operation phase water quality monitoring
exercise should be carried out for a minimum of once per week
at mid-flood
and mid-ebb tides for one-year.
4.6.11
The proposed
water quality monitoring schedule should be submitted to ER, IEC and EPD at
least 4 weeks before the first day of the monitoring month. The ER, IEC and EPD should also be notified
immediately for any changes in schedule.
Water quality parameters presented in Table 4-1 should be monitored at the 8
proposed monitoring stations as shown in Figure 4.2
and Table 4-3.
4.6.12
After obtaining one year of monitoring results, the ET shall review against
the baseline conditions to identify if there is any change to the overall water
quality in Deep Bay and propose remedial action if there is any deterioration
in water quality due to the Project.
Emergency Discharge Follow-up Monitoring Exercise
4.6.13
The emergency discharge follow-up monitoring requirements will be
proposed in the Emergency Response Plan that will be formulated prior to
commissioning of YLEPP. As a basic approach, in
case of emergency discharge during operational phase of this Project, a
follow-up water quality monitoring exercise shall be commenced within 24 hours
after the start of the emergency discharge at all the 8 designated stations as
shown in Figure 4.2
and Table 4-3. The monitoring shall be conducted by DSD or
other agent appointed by the DSD. The
result of the monitoring each day shall be compared with the baseline data collected
under normal Project operation to identify the degree of impact caused by the
emergency discharge. The
monitoring exercise shall be repeated on the next day until the baseline water
quality is restored for 2 consecutive days.
4.6.14
DSD or its
appointed agent shall inform the mariculturists, relevant stakeholders and
relevant government departments (e.g. AFCD, EPD) everyday on the latest results
of the water quality monitoring exercise to allow these parties to make
informed decisions. By the end of the
follow-up water quality monitoring exercise, DSD or its appointed agent shall
also inform these parties that the ambient water quality is restored
at all WSRs for two consecutive days to signal the recovery of water quality. It is recommended that the DSD /
Plant operators shall maintain good communications with various concerned
parties. A list of address, email
address, phone and fax number of key persons in various departments responsible
for action shall be made available to the Plant operators. A summary of the mitigation measures and
monitoring requirements for emergency discharge is provided in Table 4-4.
Table 4‑4 Mitigation Measures and Monitoring
Requirement for Follow-up Emergency Discharge Exercise during Operation of the
Proposed YLEPP
|
Event
|
Mitigation Measures and Monitoring
Requirement
|
|
Emergency Discharge during operation of this Project
|
1. Investigate the reason of failure and
determine possible remedial measures and identify the need of emergency
discharge.
2. Inform EPD and AFCD of the emergency discharge.
3. Ensure remedial measures are implemented.
4. Assess the effectiveness of the
implemented remedial measures and identify alternative measures if necessary.
5. Discuss with EPD and AFCD for the
required remedial actions if necessary and ensure all necessary remedial
actions are properly implemented.
6. Conduct water quality impact monitoring
daily until the baseline water quality is restored for 2 consecutive days.
7. The monitoring data collected in Item 6
above shall be compared with the baseline data collected under normal Project
operation to identify the degree of impact caused by the emergency discharge.
|
Water Quality Compliance
4.6.15
Construction phase water quality
monitoring will be evaluated against Action and Limit Levels. The proposed Action and Limit Levels for
water quality is presented in Table 4-5.
Action and Limit levels are used to determine whether operational
modifications are necessary to mitigate impacts to water quality. In the event that the levels are exceeded, appropriate
actions in Event and Action Plan (Table 4-6) should be undertaken and a
review of works will be carried out by the Contractor(s)
4.6.16
Any noticeable
change to water quality will be recorded in the monitoring reports and will be
investigated and remedial actions will be undertaken to reduce impacts. Particular attention will be paid to the
Contractor(s)’s implementation of the recommended mitigation measures.
Table
4‑5 Action and Limit Levels for Water Quality
|
Parameters
|
Action
|
Limit
|
|
Construction
Phase Water Quality Monitoring
|
|
DO in mg/L
(Surface, Middle & Bottom) b
|
Surface & Middle
5%-ile of baseline data for surface and
middle layer.
Bottom
5%-ile of baseline data for bottom layer.
|
Surface & Middle
4 mg/L or 1%-ile of baseline data for surface and middle layer
Bottom
2 mg/L or 1%-ile of baseline data for bottom
layer
|
|
SS in mg/L
(depth-averaged a)
c
|
95%-ile of baseline data or 120% of upstream control
station’s SS recorded on the same day
|
99%-ile of baseline data or 130% of upstream control
station's SS recorded on the same day
|
|
Turbidity in NTU
(depth-averaged a)
c
|
95%-ile of baseline data or 120% of upstream control
station’s turbidity recorded on the same day
|
99%-ile of baseline
data or 130% of upstream control station's turbidity recorded on the same day
|
Notes:
a. “Depth-averaged” is calculated by taking
the arithmetic means of reading of all three depths
b. For DO, non-compliance of the water quality
limits occurs when monitoring result is lower than the limits.
c. For SS and turbidity,
non-compliance of the water quality limits occurs when monitoring result is
higher than the limits.
Table 4‑6 Event and Action Plan for Water Quality
Monitoring
|
Event
|
Action
|
|
ET
|
IEC
|
ER
|
Contractor
|
|
Action level being exceeded by one
sampling day
|
o
Repeat
in situ measurement on the next day
of exceedance to confirm findings;
o
Check
monitoring data, plant, equipment and Contractor(s)’s working methods;
o
Identify
source(s) of impact and record in notification of exceedance;
o
Inform
IEC, Contractor(s) and ER
|
o
Check
monitoring data submitted by ET and Contractor(s)’s working methods;
o
Inform
EPD and AFCD.
|
o
Confirm
receipt of notification of exceedance in writing
|
o
Confirm
receipt of notification of exceedance in writing;
o
Check
plant and equipment and rectify unacceptable practice
|
|
Action level being
exceeded by two or more consecutive sampling days
|
o
Repeat
in situ measurement on the next day
of exceedance to confirm findings;
o
Check
monitoring data, plant, equipment and Contractor(s)’s working methods;
o
Identify
source(s) of impact and record in notification of exceedance;
o
Inform
IEC, Contractor(s) and ER;
o
Discuss
with IEC and Contractor(s) on additional mitigation measures and ensure that
they are implemented.
|
o
Check
monitoring data submitted by ET and Contractor(s)’s working methods;
o
Inform
EPD and AFCD;
o
Discuss
with ET and Contractor(s) on additional mitigation measures and advise ER
accordingly;
o
Assess
the effectiveness of the implemented mitigation measures.
|
o
Confirm
receipt of notification of exceedance in writing;
o
Discuss
with the IEC on the proposed additional mitigation measures and agree on the
mitigation measures to be implemented.
o
Ensure
additional mitigation measures are properly implemented.
|
o
Confirm
receipt of notification of exceedance in writing;
o
Check
plant and equipment and rectify unacceptable practice;
o
Consider
changes of working methods;
o
Discuss
with ET and IEC on additional mitigation measures and propose them to ER
within 3 working days;
o
Implement
the agreed mitigation measures.
|
|
Limit level being
exceeded by one sampling day
|
o
Repeat
in situ measurement on the next day
of exceedance to confirm findings;
o
Check
monitoring data, plant, equipment and Contractor(s)’s working methods;
o
Identify
source(s) of impact and record in notification of exceedance;
o
Inform
IEC, Contractor(s) and ER;
o
Discuss
with IEC and Contractor(s) on additional mitigation measures and ensure that
they are implemented.
|
o
Check
monitoring data submitted by ET and Contractor(s)’s working methods;
o
Inform
EPD and AFCD;
o
Discuss
with ET and Contractor(s) on additional mitigation measures and advise ER
accordingly;
o
Assess
the effectiveness of the implemented mitigation measures.
|
o
Confirm
receipt of notification of exceedance in writing;
o
Discuss
with the IEC on the proposed additional mitigation measures and agree on the
mitigation measures to be implemented.
o
Ensure
additional mitigation measures are properly implemented.
o
Request
Contractor(s) to critically review the working methods.
|
o
Confirm
receipt of notification of exceedance in writing;
o
Check
plant and equipment and rectify unacceptable practice;
o
Critically
review the need to change working methods;
o
Discuss
with ET and IEC on additional mitigation measures and propose them to ER
within 3 working days;
o
Implement
the agreed mitigation measures.
|
|
Limit level being
exceeded by two or more consecutive sampling days
|
o
Repeat
in situ measurement on the next day
of exceedance to confirm findings;
o
Check
monitoring data, plant, equipment and Contractor(s)’s working methods;
o
Identify
source(s) of impact and record in notification of exceedance;
o
Inform
IEC, Contractor(s) and ER;
o
Discuss
with IEC and Contractor(s) on additional mitigation measures and ensure that
they are implemented.
|
o
Check
monitoring data submitted by ET and Contractor(s)’s working methods;
o
Inform
EPD and AFCD;
o
Discuss
with ET and Contractor(s) on additional mitigation measures and advise ER
accordingly;
o
Assess
the effectiveness of the implemented mitigation measures.
|
o
Confirm
receipt of notification of exceedance in writing;
o
Discuss
with the IEC on the proposed additional mitigation measures and agree on the
mitigation measures to be implemented.
o
Ensure
additional mitigation measures are properly implemented.
o
Request
Contractor(s) to critically review the working methods.
|
o
Confirm
receipt of notification of exceedance in writing;
o
Check
plant and equipment and rectify unacceptable practice;
o
Critically
review the need to change working methods;
o
Discuss
with ET and IEC on additional mitigation measures and propose them to ER
within 3 working days;
o
Implement
the agreed mitigation measures.
|
4.7.1
Regular site
environmental audit during the construction phase of the Project should be
conducted at least once per week to ensure that the recommended mitigation
measures are to be properly undertaken during construction phase of the
Project. It can also provide an
effective control of any malpractices and therefore achieve continual
improvement of environmental performance on site.
4.7.2
Site inspections
should be carried out by the ET based on the recommended mitigation measures
for water pollution control as detailed in Appendix B.
In the event that the recommended
mitigation measures are not fully or properly implemented, deficiency shall be
recorded and reported to the site management. Suitable actions should be carried out to:
·
Investigate
the problems and the causes;
·
Issue
action notes to the Contractor which is responsible for the works;
·
Implement
remedial and corrective actions immediately;
·
Re-inspect
the site conditions upon completion of the remedial and corrective actions; and
·
Record
the event and discuss with the Contractor for preventive actions.
5.1.1
It will be the
contractor’s responsibility to ensure that any wastes produced during the
construction and demolition works are handled, stored and disposed of in
accordance with good waste management practices and relevant EPD’s regulations
and other legislative requirements.
5.1.2
Waste materials
generated during construction activities, such as construction and demolition
(C&D) materials and general refuse, are recommended to be audited at
regular intervals (at least quarterly) to ensure that proper storage,
transportation and disposal practices are being implemented. This monitoring of
waste management practices would ensure that these solid wastes generated
during construction are not disposed into the nearby coastal waters. The
Contractor would be responsible for the implementation of any mitigation
measures to minimize waste or redress problems arising from the waste materials.
A Waste Management Plan (WMP), as a part of the Environmental Management
Plan (EMP), should be prepared in accordance with ETWB TC (W) No.19/2005 and submitted to the Engineer for approval.
The recommended mitigation measures should form the basis of the WMP. The
monitoring and auditing requirement stated in ETWB TC (W) No.19/2005 should be followed with regard to the
management of C&D materials.
5.1.3
Large quantities
of wastes are not expected from the operation of the Project and no adverse
environmental impacts would arise with the implementation of good waste
management practices. EM&A would not be necessary during the operational phase.
5.2.1
Mitigation
measures for waste management recommended in the EIA Report should form the
basis of the site WMP to be developed by the Contractor in the construction
stage. Appendix B
provides the implementation schedule of the recommended mitigation measures
during both construction and operational phases.
5.2.2
Waste generated
during the construction activities should be audited regularly by the ET to
determine if waste is being managed in accordance with approved procedures and
the site WMP. The audit should look at all aspects of on-site waste management
practices including waste generation, storage, recycling, transport and
disposal. Apart from site inspection, documents including licences, permits,
disposal and recycling records should be reviewed and audited for compliance
with the legislations and contract requirements. In addition, the routine site
inspections should check the implementation of the recommended good site practices,
waste reduction measures, and other waste management mitigation measures.
5.2.3
With the
appropriate handling, storage and removal of waste arisings during the
construction and operation of the Project as presented in Appendix B,
the potential to cause adverse environmental impacts would be minimized. During
the site inspections, the ET shall pay special attention to the issues relating
to waste management and check whether the Contractor has implemented the
recommended good site practices, waste reduction measures and other mitigation measures.
5.3
Audit Requirement
5.3.1
Regular audits
and site inspections should be carried out during construction phases by the ER, ET and Contractor to ensure that the recommended good site practices and
the recommended mitigation measures listed in Appendix B are properly implemented by the Contractor. The
audits should concern all aspects of on-site waste management practices
including waste generation, storage, recycling, transport and disposal. Apart
from site inspection, documents including licences, permits, disposal and
recycling records should be reviewed and audited for compliance with the
legislation and contract requirements.
5.3.2
The requirements
of the environmental audit programme are set out in Section 11 of this Manual. The audit programme will verify the
implementation status and evaluate the effectiveness of the mitigation
measures.
6.1.1
All the existing
YLSTW facilities are currently in operation and it would not be feasible to
carry out the proposed SI works under the EIA Study. Moreover, based on the tentative construction
programme, the YLSTW will continue to operate during the construction period
commencing in 2020 and the concerned facilities / areas will be decommissioned
and demolished in stages. There could be
changes in YLSTW operation which may result in new hotspots. Therefore, the
proposed SI works and any necessary remediation action are recommended to be
carried out after decommissioning but prior to the construction works at the
concerned facilities / areas. Supplementary Contaminated Assessment Plan(s)
(CAP(s)), Contamination Assessment Report(s) (CAR(s)) and if necessary,
Remediation Action Plan(s) (RAP(s)) and Remediation Report(s) (RR(s)) should be
submitted to EPD for agreement.
6.2.1
Remediation
works, if necessary, would be carried out after decommissioning of concerned
facilities / areas but prior to the construction works at the concerned
facilities / areas. Mitigation measures for
the remediation works, if necessary, as recommended in the EIA Report, Appendix B
of this Manual and future RAP(s) should be implemented during the remediation
works. EM&A should be carried out in the form of regular site inspection to
ensure the recommended mitigation measures are properly implemented and
findings of the audit should be reported in the EM&A reports.
6.3.1
As any
contaminated soil / groundwater would be identified and properly treated prior
to the construction works at the concerned facilities /
areas, land contamination during the
operation phase is not expected. As
such, environmental monitoring and audit during operation phase for land
contamination is considered not necessary.
7.1.1
Potential
ecological impacts arising from the construction and operation phases of the
Project were assessed in the EIA Report. Since the Project would be constructed
within the footprint of existing YLSTW, no direct impact on ecological
resources would be anticipated. Mitigation measures have been recommended to minimize
the potential indirect impacts to the nearby sensitive wetland habitats and
associated wildlife, particularly waterbirds.
With the implementation of appropriate mitigation measures, no unacceptable
adverse residual impacts would be anticipated.
Nonetheless, EM&A is considered necessary during construction of the
Project and the requirements are described below. No specific ecological EM&A during operation phase
is recommended.
7.2.1
The
implementation of mitigation measures recommended in the EIA Report to minimize
potential ecological impacts are provided in Appendix B.
7.3
Monitoring Requirements
7.3.1
Utilization of
the wetland habitats by birds within 500m of the Project site, where a number
of avifauna of conservation interest (particularly overwintering waterbirds)
and areas of conservation interest (including the Ramsar Site, Priority Site,
WCA, WBA, SSSI and CA) were recorded, should be monitored monthly during the
construction phase.
7.3.2
The area within 100m from the
Project boundary should be monitored monthly during the construction phase to
check the location and status of any active night roost.
Baseline Ecological Monitoring of Birds
7.3.3
The result of the
ecological field surveys conducted for the EIA study, which were conducted
monthly over a 12-month period between August 2016 and July 2017, will be
adopted as the baseline for the evaluation of utilization of the wetland
habitats by birds nearby the Project site and effectiveness of the proposed
mitigation measures during the ecological monitoring. The ET should review the
applicability of the results of baseline surveys conducted for the EIA and conduct verification surveys as necessary.
7.3.4
A Baseline Bird Survey
Report should be submitted to relevant Government departments.
Pre-construction Survey of Ardeid Night
Roost
7.3.5
A pre-construction survey should
be conducted to record and verify the status and locations of any active ardeid
night roost within 100m of the Project site boundary. It should also suggest a
location as close to the night roost as practicable for monitoring of noise
level during construction. The findings of the pre-construction surveys will
serve as a reference for the
evaluation of usage of ardeid night roost identified and effectiveness of the
proposed mitigation measures during the construction phase ecological
monitoring. A Report on Pre-construction Survey of Ardeid
Night Roost should be submitted to relevant Government departments.
Ecological Monitoring of Birds
7.3.6
Monthly ecological
monitoring, focusing on avifauna species of conservation interest, and overwintering
waterbirds utilising wetland habitats in Fung Lok Wai and Nam Sang Wai as well
as along Shan Pui River and Kam Tin River within 500m from the Project boundary
should be conducted during construction phase. The proposed locations of monthly ecological monitoring
are illustrated in Figure 7.1. For the
surveys overlooking the mudflats and mangroves in the Shan Pui River and Kam
Tin River, the tidal level at the time of the survey should be taken into consideration
and the surveys should be taken when the tidal level is generally 1.5m or
below.
7.3.7
Avifaunal
communities should be surveyed quantitatively along transects and at selected
point count locations. All birds heard
or seen along the transects should be identified to species level and
counted. Noise level should also be
recorded. Any changes in site condition or disturbances detected or observed at
the monitoring locations, including both construction and non-construction
related activities, during each impact monitoring visit should also be
recorded.
7.3.8
The monitoring
results should be compared to pre-construction baseline condition during the
dry and wet seasons as summarized in the Baseline Bird Survey Report.
7.3.9
The ecological monitoring
should be undertaken by experienced ecologist(s) with relevant working
experience. Should any unpredicted
indirect ecological impacts arising from the proposed Project be detected,
remedial measures should be developed and implemented by the Contractor. The monitoring results with comparison to
pre-construction baseline condition should be reported in the monthly EM&A
Reports.
Ardeid Night Roost Monitoring
7.3.10
Monthly monitoring
of the area within 100m from the
Project boundary should be conducted during the construction phase to check the status and location of any active ardeid night
roost. The night roost survey should be conducted from one hour before sunset
to one hour after sunset. Direct observation should be made from a vantage
point which enables an unobstructed view over the area. The species, abundance
and time of all ardeids observed at the night roosts during the survey should
be recorded, as well as the noise levels. Any changes in site condition or disturbances detected or observed at
the monitoring locations, including both construction and non-construction
related activities, during each monitoring visit should also be recorded.
7.3.11
The ecological
monitoring should be undertaken by experienced ecologist(s) with relevant
working experience. The usage of the ardeid night roost should be reviewed and
analyzed, and if any significant decline is identified, the cause of the
decline, with reference to any changes in site condition or
disturbances detected, should be
reviewed to identify any unpredicted indirect ecological impacts arising from
the proposed Project. Remedial measures should be developed and implemented by
the Contractor as necessary. On the other hand, if the
active night roost is found to have relocated to 100m away from the project
boundary naturally, subject to further consultation and agreement with AFCD/EPD,
restriction on working hours (i.e. no construction works with PME within 100m
from the night roost after 18:00 during wet season and after 17:30 during dry
season) can be ceased. The
monitoring results and evaluation of the usage of the ardeid night roost should
be reported in the monthly EM&A Reports.
Groundwater Monitoring
7.3.12
During the construction
phase, groundwater observation wells and recharge wells will be provided along
with dewatering wells at the northern and western side of the Project site in
order to ensure no excessive groundwater drawdown will be resulted from the
proposed works. Groundwater table will be closely monitored at the observation
wells. Whenever abnormal draw-down of groundwater table near the excavation
area is found, groundwater dewatering will stop and in case it is needed, water
will be pumped into the recharge wells to recover the normal groundwater table.
7.4.1
Site audits
should be undertaken on weekly basis to check the proper implementation and
maintenance of recommended mitigation measures during construction phase of the
Project.
8.1.1.1
The potential fisheries impact associated with the Project has been
assessed in the EIA Report. No unacceptable fisheries impact would be
anticipated during the construction and operation phases of the Project and
hence no specific monitoring for fisheries resources is considered
necessary.
8.2.1.1
Mitigation measures for water quality control recommended in Section 5
of the EIA Report would also serve to protect fisheries resources from indirect
impacts. Details of the mitigation
measures are presented in Appendix B.
8.3.1.1
No specific fisheries monitoring and auditing programme is
required. Monitoring and audit
requirements for water quality as detailed in Section
4 of this Manual would be
applicable for the protection of the fisheries resources.
8.3.1.2
As standard
engineering practice, during construction phase, groundwater observation wells
and recharge wells will be provided along with dewatering wells at the northern
and western side of the Project site in order to ensure no excessive
groundwater drawdown will be resulted from the proposed works. Groundwater table will be closely monitored
at the observation wells. Whenever
abnormal draw-down of groundwater table near the excavation area is found,
groundwater dewatering will stop and in case it is needed, water will be pumped
into the recharge wells to recover the normal groundwater table.
9.1.1
The EIA Report
has recommended landscape and visual mitigation measures for the construction
and operation phases of the Project. This section defines the audit
requirements to confirm the recommended landscape and visual impact mitigation
measures are effectively implemented.
9.2.1
The
implementation schedule of the recommended mitigation measures is presented in Appendix B.
The landscape and visual mitigation
measures proposed should be incorporated in the detailed landscape and
engineering design. The construction phase mitigation measures should be
adopted from the commencement of construction and should be in place throughout
the entire construction period. Mitigation measures for the operational phase
should be adopted during the detailed design and be built as part of the
construction works so that they are in place on commissioning of the YLEPP.
9.2.2
Any potential
conflicts among the proposed mitigation measures, the Project works, and
operational requirements should also be identified and resolved at early stage.
Any changes to the mitigation measures should be incorporated in the detailed
design.
9.3
Baseline Review
9.3.1
Baseline review to
check, record and report the status of the Landscape Resources (LR) and Landscape
Character Areas (LCA) within the construction works sites and works areas and
the Visually Sensitive Receivers (VSRs) within the visual envelope shall be
conducted prior to commencement of any construction works making reference to
the LR, LCA and VSRs maps included in the EIA Report.
9.3.2
Any significant
changes to the status of LR, LCA and VSRs since the EIA shall be identified.
The recommended landscape and visual mitigation measures shall be reviewed if
such change warrants a change in the design of the landscape and visual
mitigation measures.
9.3.3
A baseline report
including photographic record of the site at the time of the Contractor's
possession of the site shall be prepared by the Contractor and approved by the
ER. The approved baseline monitoring report including photographic record shall
be certified by the ET Leader and verified by the IEC before submitting to EPD and
PlanD for record.
9.4.1
Site audits
should be undertaken during the construction phase and the 12-month establishment
period (operation phase) to check that
the proposed landscape and visual mitigation measures are properly implemented
and maintained as per their intended objectives.
9.4.2
A Landscape
Architect or related professional shall be employed to audit the implementation
of landscape construction works particularly during site clearance operations
when the proposed tree felling and transplanting will take place and subsequent
maintenance operations.
9.4.3
Site inspections
should be undertaken every week during the construction period and once every two
months for the 12-month establishment period during operation phase.
9.4.4
In the event of
non-compliance, the responsibilities of the relevant parties are detailed in
the Event/Action plan provided in Table 9-1.
Table
9‑1 Event
/ Action Plan for Landscape and Visual during Construction Stage
|
Action Level
|
ET
|
IEC
|
ER
|
Contractor
|
|
Non-conformity on one occasion
|
1.
Inform the Contractor, the IEC and the ER;
2.
Discuss remedial actions with the IEC, the ER and the Contractor; and
3.
Monitor the remedial actions until rectification has been completed.
|
1.
Check the inspection report;
2.
Check the Contractor's working method;
3.
Discuss with the ET, ER and the Contractor on possible remedial
measures; and
4.
Advise the ER on effectiveness of proposed remedial measures.
|
1.
Confirm receipt of notification of non-conformity in writing;
2.
Review and agree on the remedial measures proposed by the Contractor;
and
3.
Supervise implementation of remedial measures.
|
1.
Identify Source and investigate the non-conformity;
2.
Implement remedial measures;
3.
Amend working methods agreed with the ER as appropriate; and
4.
Rectify damage and undertake any necessary replacement.
|
|
Repeated Non-conformity
|
1.
Identify source;
2.
Inform the Contractor, the IEC and the ER;
3.
Increase inspection frequency;
4.
Discuss remedial actions with the IEC, the ER and the Contractor;
5.
Monitor remedial actions until rectification has been completed; and
6.
If non-conformity stops, cease additional monitoring.
|
1.
Check inspection report;
2.
Check the Contractor's working method;
3.
Discuss with the ET and the Contractor on possible remedial measures;
and
4.
Advise the ER on effectiveness of proposed remedial measures.
|
1.
Notify the Contractor;
2.
In consultation with the ET and IEC, agree with the Contractor on the
remedial measures to be implemented; and
3.
Supervise implementation of remedial measures.
|
1.
Identify Source and investigate the non-conformity;
2.
Implement remedial measures;
3.
Amend working methods agreed with the ER as appropriate; and
4.
Rectify damage and undertake any necessary replacement. Stop relevant portion of works as
determined by the ER until the non-conformity is abated.
|
10.1.1
The EIA study
concluded that no unacceptable risk is anticipated during the construction and
operation phases of the Project, no mitigation measures would be required.
10.2.1.1
Safeguard
measures are recommended to further manage and minimize the potential risks
during construction and operation phases of the Project. They are summarized in
the Implementation Schedule provided in Appendix B.
10.3.1.1
Implementation
of the recommended mitigation measures should be regularly audited during the
construction phase. No specific monitoring would be required.
11.1.1
Site inspection
provides a direct means to trigger and enforce specified environmental
protection and pollution control measures. These shall be undertaken regularly
and routinely to inspect construction activities in order to ensure that
appropriate environmental protection and pollution control mitigation measures
are properly implemented. The site inspection is one of the most effective
tools to enforce the environmental protection requirements at the works area.
11.1.2
The ET Leader
shall be responsible for formulating the environmental site inspection, the
deficiency and remedial action reporting system, and for carrying out the site
inspection works. He shall submit a
proposal for site inspection and deficiency and remedial action reporting
procedures to the Contractor for agreement, and to the ER for approval. The
ET’s proposal for rectification would be made known to the IEC.
11.1.3
Regular site
inspections shall be carried out at least once per week. The areas of
inspection shall not be limited to the environmental situation, pollution
control and mitigation measures within the site; it should also review the
environmental situation outside the works area which is likely to be affected,
directly or indirectly, by the site activities. The ET shall make reference to
the following information in conducting the inspection:
·
the
EIA and EM&A recommendations on environmental protection and pollution
control mitigation measures;
·
ongoing
results of the EM&A program;
·
works
progress and programme;
·
individual
works methodology proposals (which shall include proposal on associated
pollution control measures);
·
contract
specifications on environmental protection and pollution prevention control;
·
relevant
environmental protection and pollution control laws; and
·
previous
site inspection results undertaken by the ET and others.
11.1.4
The Contractor
shall keep the ET Leader updated with all relevant information on the
construction contract necessary for him to carry out the site inspections.
Inspection results and associated recommendations for improvements to the
environmental protection and pollution control works shall be submitted to the
IEC and the Contractor within 24 hours for reference and for taking immediate
remedial action. The Contractor shall
follow the procedures and time-frame stipulated in the environmental site
inspection, and the deficiency and remedial action reporting system formulated
by the ET Leader, to report on any remedial measures subsequent to the site
inspections.
11.1.5
The ET shall also
carry out ad hoc site inspections if significant environmental problems are
identified. Inspections may also be
required subsequent to receipt of an environmental complaint, or as part of the
investigation work, as specified in the Action Plan for environmental monitoring
and audit.
11.2.1
There are
contractual environmental protection and pollution control requirements as well
as environmental protection and pollution control laws in Hong Kong with which
construction activities must comply.
11.2.2
In order that the
works are in compliance with the contractual requirements, all works method
statements submitted by the Contractor to the ER for approval shall be sent to
the ET Leader for vetting to see whether sufficient environmental protection
and pollution control measures have been included. The implementation schedule of mitigation
measures is summarized in Appendix B.
11.2.3
The ET Leader
shall also review the progress and programme of the works to check that
relevant environmental laws have not been violated, and that any foreseeable
potential for violating laws can be prevented.
11.2.4
The Contractor
shall regularly copy relevant documents to the ET Leader so that works checking
could be carried out effectively. The
document shall at least include the updated Works Progress Reports, updated
Works Programme, any application letters for different licence / permits under
the environmental protection laws, and copies of all valid licences /
permits. The site diary shall also be
available for the ET Leader's inspection upon his request.
11.2.5
After reviewing
the documentation, the ET Leader shall advise the Contractor of any
non-compliance with contractual and legislative requirements on environmental
protection and pollution control for them to take follow-up actions. If the ET Leader's review concludes that the
current status on licence / permit application and any environmental protection
and pollution control preparation works may result in potential violation of
environmental protection and pollution control requirements, he shall also
advise the Contractor accordingly.
11.2.6
Upon receipt of
the advice, the Contractor shall undertake immediate action to remedy the
situation. The ER shall follow up to
ensure that appropriate action has been taken in order to satisfy contractual
and legal requirements.
11.3.1
Complaints shall
be referred to the ET Leader for action. The ET Leader shall undertake the
following procedures upon receipt of any complaint:
i.
log complaint and date of receipt onto the
complaint database and inform the IEC
immediately;
ii.
investigate the complaint to determine its
validity, and assess whether the source of the problem is due to works
activities;
iii.
identify mitigation measures in consultation
with the IEC if a complaint is valid and due to
works;
iv.
advise the Contractor if mitigation measures
are required;
v.
review the Contractor's response to identified
mitigation measures, and the updated situation;
vi.
if the complaint is transferred from the
Environmental Protection Department (EPD), submit interim report to the EPD on
status of the complaint investigation and follow-up action within the time
frame assigned by the EPD;
vii.
undertake additional monitoring and audit to
verify the situation if necessary, and review that circumstances leading to the
complaint do not recur;
viii.
report investigation results and subsequent
actions to complainant (if the source of complaint is identified through EPD,
the results should be reported within the timeframe assigned by EPD); and
ix.
record the complaint, investigation, the
subsequent actions and the results in the monthly EM&A reports.
11.3.2
A flow chart of
the complaint response procedure is shown in Figure 11.1.
12.1.1
Reports can be
provided in an electronic medium upon agreeing the format with the ER and EPD.
This would enable a transition from a paper / historic and reactive approach to
an electronic / real time proactive approach.
All the monitoring data (baseline and impact) shall also be submitted in
electronic format.
12.1.2
ET Leader shall submit
baseline monitoring report, monthly Environmental Monitoring and Audit
(EM&A) report, quarterly EM&A summary report and final EM&A review
report. In accordance with Annex 21 of the EIAO-TM, a copy of the monthly,
quarterly summary and final review EM&A reports shall be made available to
the Director of Environmental Protection.
12.2.1
To facilitate
public inspection of the baseline monitoring report and various EM&A
reports via the EIAO Internet website and at the EIAO register office,
electronic copies of these reports shall be prepared in Hyper Text Markup
Language (HTML) (version 4.0 or later) and in Portable Document Format (PDF
Adobe 11 Pro version or later), unless otherwise agreed by EPD and shall be
submitted at the same time as the hardcopies. For the HTML version, a content
page capable of providing hyperlink to each section and sub-section of these
reports shall be included at the beginning of the document. Hyperlinks to all
figures, drawings and tables in these reports shall be provided in the main
text from where the respective references are made. All graphics in these
reports shall be in interlaced GIF format unless otherwise agreed by EPD. The
content of the electronic copies of these reports must be the same as the hard
copies. The summary of the monitoring data taken shall be included in the
various EM&A Reports to allow for public inspection via the EIAO Internet
website.
12.3.1
Baseline
Environmental Monitoring Report(s) shall be prepared within 10 working days of
completion of the baseline monitoring and then certified by the ET Leader.
Copies of the Baseline Environmental Monitoring Report shall be submitted to
the Contractor, the IEC, ER and EPD. The ET Leader shall liaise with the
relevant parties on the exact number of copies they require. The report format
and baseline monitoring data format shall be agreed with the EPD prior to
submission.
12.3.2
The baseline
monitoring report shall include, but not be limited to the following:
i.
up to
half a page executive summary;
ii.
brief
project background information;
iii.
drawings
showing locations of the baseline monitoring stations;
iv.
an
updated construction programme with milestones of environmental protection / mitigation
activities annotated;
v.
monitoring
results (in both hard and soft copies) together with the following information:
-
monitoring
methodology;
-
name
of laboratory and types of equipment used and calibration details;
-
parameters
monitored;
-
monitoring
locations (and depth);
-
monitoring
date, time, frequency and duration; and
-
quality
assurance (QA) / quality control (QC) results and detection limits.
vi.
details
on influencing factors, including:
-
major
activities, if any, being carried out on the site during the period;
-
weather
conditions during the period; and
-
other
factors which might affect results.
vii.
determination
of the Action and Limit Levels (AL levels) for each monitoring parameter and
statistical analysis of the baseline data, the analysis shall conclude if there
is any significant difference between control and impact stations for the
parameters monitored;
viii.
revisions
for inclusion in the EM&A Manual; and
ix.
comments,
recommendations and conclusions.
General
12.4.1
The results and
findings of all EM&A work required in the Manual shall be recorded in the
monthly EM&A reports prepared by the ET Leader. The EM&A report shall
be prepared and submitted within 10 working days at the end of each reporting
month, with the first report due the month after construction commences. Each monthly EM&A report shall be
submitted to the following parties: the Contractor, the IEC, the ER and EPD.
Before submission of the first EM&A report, the ET Leader shall liaise with
the parties on the required number of copies and format of the monthly reports
in both hard copy and electronic medium.
12.4.2
The ET leader
shall review the number and location of monitoring stations and parameters
every six months, or on as needed basis, in order to cater for any changes in
the surrounding environment and the nature of works in progress.
First Monthly EM&A Report
12.4.3
The first monthly
EM&A report shall include at least but not be limited to the following:
i.
executive
summary (1-2 pages):
-
breaches
of AL levels;
-
complaint
log;
-
notifications
of any summons and successful prosecutions;
-
reporting
changes; and
-
future
key issues.
ii.
basic project information:
-
project
organisation including key personnel contact names and telephone numbers;
-
construction
programme with fine tuning of construction activities showing the
inter-relationship with environmental protection/mitigation measures for the
month;
-
management
structure, and
-
works
undertaken during the month.
iii.
environmental
status:
-
works
undertaken during the month with illustrations (such as location of works,
daily dredging/filling rates, percentage of fines in the fill materials used, etc.);
and
-
drawings
showing the project area, any environmental sensitive receivers and the
locations of the monitoring and control stations (with co-ordinates of the
monitoring locations).
iv.
a
brief summary of
EM&A requirements including:
-
all
monitoring parameters;
-
environmental
quality performance limits (AL levels);
-
Event-Action
Plans;
-
environmental
mitigation measures, as recommended in the Final EIA report; and
-
environmental
requirements in contract documents.
v.
implementation status:
-
advice
on the implementation status of environmental protection and pollution control
/ mitigation measures, as recommended in the Final EIA report, summarised in
the updated implementation schedule.
vi.
monitoring results (in both hard and diskette copies) together with the following
information:
-
monitoring
methodology;
-
name
of laboratory and types of equipment used and calibration details;
-
parameters
monitored;
-
monitoring
locations (and depth);
-
monitoring
date, time, frequency, and duration;
-
weather
conditions during the period;
-
graphical
plots of the monitored parameters in the month annotated against:
o
the
major activities being carried out on site during the period;
o
weather
conditions that may affect the results; and
o
any
other factors which might affect the monitoring results;
-
any
other factors which might affect the monitoring results; and
-
quality
assurance (QA) / quality control (QC) results and detection limits.
vii.
report
on non-compliance, complaints, notifications of summons and successful prosecutions:
-
record
of all non-compliance (exceedances) of the environmental quality performance
limits (AL levels);
-
record
of all complaints received (written or verbal) for each media, including
locations and nature of complaints investigation, liaison and consultation
undertaken, actions and follow-up procedures taken, results and summary;
-
record
of all notification of summons and successful prosecutions for breaches of current
environmental protection / pollution control legislations, including locations
and nature of the breaches, investigation, follow-up actions taken, results and
summary;
-
review
of the reasons for and the implications of non-compliance, complaints, summons
and prosecutions including review of pollution sources and working procedures;
and
-
description
of the actions taken in the event of non-compliance and deficiency reporting
and any follow-up procedures related to earlier non-compliance.
viii.
others:
-
an account
of the future key issues as reviewed from the works programme and work method
statements;
-
advice
on the solid and liquid waste management status;
-
a
forecast of the works programme, impact predictions and monitoring schedule for
the next three months;
-
compare
and contrast the EM&A data with the EIA predictions and annotate with
explanation for any discrepancies; and
-
comments
(for examples, effectiveness and efficiency of the mitigation measures),
recommendations (for example, any improvement in the EM&A programme) and
conclusions.
Subsequent monthly EM&A Reports
12.4.4
Subsequent
monthly EM&A reports shall include the following:
i.
executive
summary (1 - 2 pages):
-
breaches
of AL levels;
-
complaints
log;
-
notifications
of any summons and successful prosecutions;
-
reporting
changes; and
-
future
key issues.
ii.
environmental
status:
-
construction
programme with fine tuning of construction activities showing the
inter-relationship with environmental protection / mitigation measures for the
month;
-
works
undertaken during the month with illustrations including key personnel contact
names and telephone numbers; and
-
drawing
showing the project area, any environmental sensitive receivers and the
locations of the monitoring and control stations.
iii.
implementation
status:
-
advice
on the implementation status of environmental protection and pollution control
/ mitigation measures, as recommended in the Final EIA report, summarised in
the updated implementation schedule.
iv.
monitoring
results (in both hard and diskette copies) together with the following
information:
-
monitoring
methodology;
-
name
of laboratory and types of equipment used and calibration details;
-
parameters
monitored;
-
monitoring
locations (and depth);
-
monitoring
date, time, frequency, and duration;
-
weather
conditions during the period;
-
graphical
plots of the monitored parameters in the month annotated against;
o
the
major activities being carried out on site during the period;
o
weather
conditions that may affect the results; and
o
any
other factors which might affect the monitoring results.
-
any
other factors which might affect the monitoring results; and
-
quality
assurance (QA) / quality control (QC) results and detection limits.
v.
report
on non-compliance, complaints, and notifications of summons and successful
prosecutions:
-
record
of all non-compliance (exceedances) of the environmental quality performance
limits (AL levels);
-
record
of all complaints received (written or verbal) for each media, including
locations and nature of complaints investigation, liaison and consultation
undertaken, actions and follow-up procedures taken, results and summary;
-
record
of all notification of summons and successful prosecutions for breaches of
current environmental protection / pollution control legislations, including
locations and nature of the breaches, investigation, follow-up actions taken,
results and summary;
-
review
of the reasons for and the implications of non-compliance, complaints, summons
and prosecutions including review of pollution sources and working procedures;
and
-
description
of the actions taken in the event of non-compliance and deficiency reporting
and any follow-up procedures related to earlier non-compliance.
vi.
others:
-
an
account of the future key issues as reviewed from the works programme and work
method statements;
-
advice
on the solid and liquid waste management status;
-
a
forecast of the works programme, impact predictions and monitoring schedule for
the next three months;
-
compare
and contrast the EM&A data with the EIA predictions and annotate with
explanation for any discrepancies; and
-
comments
(for examples, effectiveness and efficiency of the mitigation measures),
recommendations (for example, any improvement in the EM&A programme) and
conclusions.
vii.
appendix
-
AL
levels;
-
graphical
plots of trends of monitored parameters at key stations over the past four
reporting periods for representative monitoring stations annotated against the
following:
o
major
activities being carried out on site during the period;
o
weather
conditions during the period; and
o
any
other factors that might affect the monitoring results.
-
monitoring
schedule for the present and next reporting period;
-
cumulative
statistics on complaints, notifications of summons and successful prosecutions;
-
outstanding
issues and deficiencies
Quarterly
EM&A Summary Reports
12.4.5
A quarterly
EM&A summary report of around five pages shall be produced by the ET Leader
and shall contain at least the following information. Apart from these, the
first quarterly summary report should also confirm that the monitoring work is
proving effective and that it is generating data with the necessary statistical
power to categorically identify or confirm the absence of impact attributable
to the works. Each quarterly EM&A
report shall be submitted to the following parties: the IEC, the ER and EPD.
i.
executive
summary (1 - 2 pages);
ii.
basic
project information including a synopsis of the project organisation,
programme, contacts of key management, and a synopsis of works undertaken
during the quarter;
iii.
a
brief summary of EM&A requirements including:
-
monitoring
parameters;
-
environmental
quality performance limits (AL levels); and
-
environmental
mitigation measures, as recommended in the Final EIA report.
iv.
advice
on the implementation status of environmental protection and pollution control
/ mitigation measures, as recommended
in the Final EIA report, summarised in the updated implementation schedule;
v.
drawings
showing the project area, any environmental sensitive receivers and the
locations of the monitoring and control stations;
vi.
graphical
plots of the trends of monitored parameters over the past four months (the last
month of the previous quarter and the present quarter) for representative
monitoring stations annotated against:
-
the
major activities being carried out on site during the period;
-
weather
conditions during the period; and
-
any
other factors which might affect the monitoring results.
vii.
advice
on the solid and liquid waste management status;
viii.
a
summary of non-compliance (exceedances) of the environmental quality
performance limits (AL levels);
ix.
a
brief review of the reasons for and the implications of non-compliance,
including a review of pollution sources
and working procedures;
x.
a
summary description of the actions taken in the event of non-compliance and any
follow-up procedures related to earlier non-compliance;
xi.
a
summarised record of all complaints received (written or verbal) for each
media, liaison and consultation undertaken, actions and follow-up procedures
taken;
xii.
a
summary record of notifications of summons and successful prosecutions for
breaches of the current environmental protection / pollution control
legislations, locations and nature of the breaches, investigation, follow-up actions taken and results;
xiii.
comments
(for examples, a review of the effectiveness and efficiency of the mitigation
measures and the performance of the environmental management system, that is,
of the overall EM&A programme); recommendations (for example, any
improvement in the EM&A programme) and conclusions for the quarter; and
xiv.
proponents' contacts and any hotline telephone number for the public to make
enquiries.
12.5.1
The construction phase EM&A program shall be terminated upon completion
of those construction activities that have the potential to result in a
significant environmental impact.
12.5.2
Prior to the
proposed termination, it may be advisable to consult relevant local communities
(such as village representatives/communities and/or District Boards). The
proposed termination should only be implemented after the proposal has been endorsed
by the IEC, the Engineer and the Project proponent followed by final approval
from the Director of Environmental Protection.
12.5.3
The final EM&A
review report for construction phase should be prepared by the ET Leader and
contain at least the following information. The final EM&A review report
shall be submitted to the following parties: the IEC, the ER and EPD.
i.
executive
summary (1 - 2 pages);
ii.
basic
project information including a synopsis of the project organisation, contacts
of key management, and a synopsis of work undertaken during the course of the
project or past twelve months;
iii.
a
brief summary of EM&A requirements including:
-
monitoring
parameters;
-
environmental
quality performance limits (AL levels); and
-
environmental
mitigation measures, as recommended in the Final EIA report.
iv.
advice
on the implementation status of environmental protection and pollution control
/ mitigation measures, as
recommended in the Final EIA report, summarised in the updated implementation
status proformas;
v.
drawings
showing the project area, any environmental sensitive receivers and the
locations of the monitoring and control stations;
vi.
graphical
plots of the trends of monitored parameters over the course of the project, including the post-project
monitoring for all monitoring stations annotated against:
-
the
major activities being carried out on site during the period;
-
weather
conditions during the period;
-
any
other factors which might affect the monitoring results; and
-
the
return of ambient environmental conditions in comparison with baseline data.
vii.
compare
and contrast the EM&A data with the EIA predictions and annotate with
explanation for any discrepancies;
viii.
provide
clear-cut decisions on the environmental acceptability of the project with
reference to the specific impact hypothesis;
ix.
advice
on the solid and liquid waste management status;
x.
a
summary of non-compliance (exceedances) of the environmental quality
performance limits (AL levels);
xi.
a
brief review of the reasons for and the implications of
non-compliance including review of pollution sources and working procedures;
xii.
a
summary description of the
actions taken in the event of non-compliance and any follow-up procedures
related to earlier non-compliance;
xiii.
a
summary record of all complaints received (written or verbal) for each media,
liaison and consultation undertaken, actions and follow-up procedures taken;
xiv.
review
monitoring methodology adopted and with the benefit of hindsight, comment on
its effectiveness (including cost effectiveness);
xv.
a
summary record of notifications of summons and successful prosecutions for
breaches of the current environmental protection/pollution control
legislations, locations and nature of breaches, investigation, follow-up actions
taken and results;
xvi.
review
the practicality and effectiveness of the EIA process and EM&A programme
(for examples, a review of the effectiveness and efficiency of the mitigation
measures and the performance of the environmental management system, that is,
of the overall EM&A programme), recommendations (for example, any
improvement in the EM&A programme); and
xvii.
a
conclusion to state the return of ambient and / or the
predicted scenario as per EIA findings.
12.6
EM&A
Reports for Operation Phase
12.6.1
Unless otherwise agreed by EPD, quarterly EM&A
reports shall be submitted to record the results and findings of the odour
monitoring during the first 3-years of YLEPP Phase 1 and Phase 2 operation,
water quality monitoring during the first year of YLEPP Phase 1 and Phase 2
operation, as well as the landscape and visual audit for the 12-month
establishment period during operation phase.
12.6.2
A final EM&A review report
for operation phase shall be submitted after
completion of operation monitoring. The final EM&A review
report for operation phase should contain at least the following information:
i.
Executive
summary (1-2 pages):
ii.
Drawings
showing the project area, any environmental sensitive receivers and the
locations of the monitoring and/or control stations;
iii.
Basic
project information including a synopsis of the project organisation, contacts
of key management, and a synopsis of work undertaken during the course of the
project or past twelve months;
iv.
A
brief summary of EM&A requirements including:
-
environmental
mitigation measures for operation stage, as recommended in the project EIA
Report;
-
environmental
impact hypotheses tested;
-
environmental
quality performance limits (Action and Limit levels);
-
all
monitoring parameters;
-
Event
and Action Plans;
v.
A
summary of the implementation status of environmental protection and pollution
control / mitigation measures for operation stage, as recommended in the
project EIA Report and summarised in the updated implementation schedule;
vi.
Graphical
plots and the statistical analysis of the trends of monitoring parameters over
the course of the project, including:
-
the
major activities being carried out on site during the period;
-
weather
conditions during the period; and
-
any
other factors which might affect the monitoring results;
vii.
A
summary of non-compliance (exceedances) of the environmental quality
performance limits (Action and Limit levels);
viii.
A
review of the reasons for and the implications of non-compliance including
review of pollution sources and working procedures as appropriate;
ix.
A
description of the actions taken in the event of non-compliance;
x.
A
summary record of all complaints received (written or verbal) for each media,
liaison and consultation undertaken, actions and follow-up actions taken and
results;
xi.
A
review of the validity of EIA predictions for operation stage and
identification of shortcomings in EIA recommendations;
xii.
Comments
(for example, a review of the effectiveness and efficiency of the mitigation
measures, the performance of the environmental management system, and the
overall EM&A programme for operation stage); and
xiii.
Recommendations
and conclusions (for example, a review of success of the overall EM&A
programme for operational stage to cost-effectively identify deterioration and
to initiate prompt effective mitigatory action when necessary).
12.7.1
No site-based
documents (such as monitoring field records, laboratory analysis records, site
inspection forms, etc.) are required to be included in the monthly EM&A
reports. However, any such document
shall be well kept by the ET Leader and be ready for inspection upon request.
All relevant information shall be clearly and systematically recorded in the
document. Monitoring data shall also be recorded in electronic format, and the
software copy must be available upon request. Data format shall be agreed with
the EPD. All documents and data shall be kept for at least one year following
completion of the construction contract.
12.8.1
With reference to
the Event and Action Plan, when the environmental quality performance limits
are exceeded, the ET Leader shall immediately notify the IEC and EPD, as
appropriate. The notification shall be followed up with advice to IEC and EPD
on the results of the investigation, proposed actions and success of the
actions taken, with any necessary follow-up proposals. A sample template for the
interim notifications is presented in Appendix D.