6.2 Environmental Legislation,
Standards and Guidelines
6.6 Recommended Mitigation
Measures
6.7 Waste Disposal
Recommendations
6.8 Environmental
Monitoring and Audit
TABLES
Table 6.1 Summary
of Quantities of Waste Generated During the Construction Stage
6.1.1.1
This section presents the potential impacts from
waste generated by the construction and operational phases of the Project. The
types of waste to be generated from the Project and disposal method will be
assessed.
6.2.1.1 The construction and operation of the rooftop helipad at the New Acute
Hospital is a Designated Project under Schedule 2 of the Environmental Impact
Assessment Ordinance (EIAO). Under Section 16 of the Ordinance, the Technical
Memorandum on Environmental Impact Assessment Process (TM-EIAO) specifies the
assessment methods and criteria for the EIA. This study will follow Annexes 7
and 15 of the TM-EIAO which set out the criteria and guidelines for evaluating waste
management implications to assess the potential waste impacts that may arise
during the construction and operational phases of the Project. In addition, the
requirements as stated in the EIA Study Brief No. ESB-311/2019 shall be
complied with.
6.2.2.1 The Waste Disposal Ordinance (WDO) prohibits unauthorised disposal of
wastes. Construction waste is defined under the Waste Disposal (Charges for
Disposal of Construction Waste) Regulation (Cap.354N) as any substance, matters
or thing that is generated from construction work and abandoned, whether or not
it has been processed or stockpiled before being abandoned. It does not include
any sludge, screening or matter removed or generated from any desludging,
desilting or dredging works. Under the WDO, wastes can only be disposed of at
sites licensed by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD). A breach of
the WDO can lead to a fine and/or imprisonment. The WDO also stipulates the
requirements for issuing licenses for the collection and transportation of
wastes.
6.2.3.1 Chemical waste includes any scrap materials or unwanted substances
specified under Schedule 1 of this Regulation if such substance or chemical
occurs in such form, quantity or concentration so as to cause pollution or
constitute a danger to health or risk of pollution to the environment.
6.2.3.2 Under this Regulation, a person shall not produce or cause to be
produced chemical wastes unless he/she is registered with the EPD. Any person
who contravenes this requirement commits an offence and is liable to a fine
and/or imprisonment. Chemical wastes must be treated, utilising on-site plant
licensed by the EPD or have a licensed collector to transport the wastes to a
licensed facility. For each consignment of wastes, the waste producer,
collector and disposer of the chemical wastes must sign all relevant parts of a
computerised trip ticket. The system is designed to trace wastes from
production to disposal.
6.2.3.3 This Regulation also prescribes the storage facilities to be provided
on-site including the labelling and warning signs. In order to minimise the
risks of pollution and danger to human health or life, the waste producer is
required to prepare and make available written emergency procedures for the
spillage, leakage or accidents arising from the storage of chemical wastes. The
waste producer must also provide employees with training for such procedures.
6.2.4.1 The inert portion of Construction and Demolition (C&D) materials
(including rocks, soil, broken concrete, building debris, etc.) may be taken to
Public Fill Reception Facilities (PFRFs).
PFRFs usually form part of land reclamation schemes and are operated by
the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) and others. The Land (Miscellaneous Provisions)
Ordinance requires individuals or companies who deliver public fill to PFRFs to
obtain Dumping Licenses. The licenses
are issued by CEDD under delegated authority from the Director of Lands.
6.2.5.1 The Regulation provides further control on illegal tipping of wastes on
unauthorised (unlicensed) sites. Illegal dumping of wastes can lead to a fine
and imprisonment.
6.2.6.1 Under this Regulation, construction waste producers are required to open
a billing account with the EPD and pay for the construction waste disposal
charges prior to using government waste disposal facilities.
6.2.7.1 The following guidelines are also related to waste management and
disposal:
·
Waste Disposal Plan for Hong Kong (1989);
·
Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines
(HKPSG), Chapter 9 – Environment;
·
Code of Practice on the Packaging, Labeling and
Storage of Chemical Wastes, EPD (1992);
·
Works Branch Technical Circular (WBTC) No. 32/92,
The Use of Tropical Hard Wood on Construction Site;
·
WBTC No. 2/93, Public Dumps;
·
WBTC No. 2/93B, Public Filling Facilities;
·
WBTC Nos. 25/99, 25/99A and 25/99C, Incorporation
of Information on Construction and Demolition Material Management in Public
Works Sub-committee Papers;
·
WBTC No. 12/2000, Fill Management, Hong Kong SAR
Government;
·
WBTC Nos. 6/2002 and 6/2002A, Enhanced
Specification for Site Cleanliness and Tidiness. Works Bureau, Hong Kong SAR Government;
·
WBTC No. 12/2002, Specification Facilitating the
Use of Recycled Aggregates. Works
Bureau, Hong Kong SAR Government;
·
Environment, Transport and Works Bureau Technical Circular
(Works) (ETWB TC(W)) No. 33/2002 Management of Construction and Demolition
Material Including Rock;
·
Development Bureau Technical Circular (Works) (DevB
TC(W)) No. 6/2010, Trip Ticket System for Disposal of Construction &
Demolition Materials, Development Bureau, Hong Kong SAR Government; and
·
ETWB TC(W) No. 19/2005 Environmental Management on
Construction Sites.
6.2.7.2 The ETWB TC(W) No. 19/2005 sets out the policy and procedures requiring
contractors to prepare and implement an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) to
encourage on-site sorting of C&D materials and to reduce C&D waste
generation during construction.
6.3.1.1
The proposed helipad will be constructed on the
rooftop of New Acute Hospital which is in close vicinity of commercial and
industrial buildings. No demolition waste or excavated soil is expected to be
generated from the Project during construction phase.
6.4.1.1 The assessment approach was based on the criteria and guidelines for
assessing waste management implications as stated in Annexes 7 and 15 of the TM-
EIAO.
6.4.1.2 The waste management hierarchy has been applied in the assessment and
development of mitigation measures associated with the waste arisings. The
waste management hierarchy is a concept which shows the desirability of various
waste management methods and comprises the following in order of preference:
·
Avoidance;
·
Minimisation;
·
Recycling/ reuse;
·
Treatment; and
·
Disposal.
Construction and Demolition Material
6.5.1.1 The helipad, helipad deck and associated supporting structural frame
will be constructed by steel/ aluminum structure prefabricated off-site. The
safety walkway and access ramp are also formed by prefabricated steel members
and aluminum and assembled on site by welding or bolting. Laminated glass would
be used for the noise barrier. Thus, these construction activities are not
expected to generate any significant amount of inert C&D materials. But limited amount of non-inert C&D
materials produced such as glass, formwork and steel/ aluminum should be
recycled as far as practicable on-site to minimise waste generation (Table 6.1).
6.5.1.2 During construction phase, there will be construction of helipad steel
truss, decking, safety walkways and the noise barrier. Steel/ aluminum will be
the main non-inert C&D materials generated during the construction phase.
All remains of Steel/ aluminum will be recycled. Formwork and glasses are also
one of the non-inert C&D materials generated from the construction works,
and will be recycled on the rooftop of NAH as far as practicable.
6.5.1.3 As the helipad will be constructed using a steel truss, no inert C&D
materials is expected and the construction dust and noise impact are
insignificant. Storage area and stockpiling area for general refuse and
recycling material will be set up on the rooftop of the NAH. No non-recyclable
C&D waste is expected during the construction phase.
6.5.1.4 At least 1 truck per week is anticipated for the transportation of the general
refuse to the North East New Territories Landfill (NENT). Covered trucks or in
enclosed containers will be used during transportation, and the impact on dust
and odour on-site is insignificant. Covered trucks or in enclosed containers
will be used during transportation, therefore the impact on dust and odour is
insignificant.
Chemical Waste
6.5.1.5 Chemicals will be used for the operation and maintenance of the on-site mobile
machinery. Potential chemical waste such as the diesel oil, lubricant oil and solvent
may be produced. Given that the Project
involves the construction of a helipad, only a small number of mobile machinery
will be used. Hence, the amount of
the chemical wastes is expected to be minimal, and estimated to be less than 1m3
throughout the construction phase.
6.5.1.6 Chemical wastes may pose environmental, health and safety hazards if not
stored and disposed of appropriately as outlined in the Waste Disposal
(Chemical Waste) (General) Regulation and the Code of Practice on the Packing,
Labelling and Storage of Chemical Waste. These hazards may include:
·
Toxic effects to workers;
·
Adverse effects on air quality, water quality and
land contamination due to spillage;
·
Hazards of fire; and
·
Disruption of sewage treatment works should the
chemical waste enter the sewerage system.
6.5.1.7 With the appropriate procedures to handle, store, transport and dispose
of the chemical waste generated, adverse impacts including the potential
hazards of fire would not be anticipated.
6.5.1.8 Notwithstanding, the Contractor should register with EPD as a Chemical
Waste Producer pursuant to the Regulation and the chemical waste should be
collected by licensed chemical waste collectors for subsequent disposal at
licensed chemical waste disposal facilities, for example the Chemical Waste
Treatment Centre (CWTC) in Tsing Yi.
Hence, no adverse chemical waste impacts arising from the construction
phase are anticipated.
6.5.1.9 Site runoff mainly generated from rainfall in the construction site will be directed
to the wastewater treatment facilities of the Project, for example, desilting
system on-site and similar levels of non-adverse water quality impacts are
expected.
General Refuse
6.5.1.10 As discussed in Section 2,
three construction methods have been considered. The preferred option (i.e.
Option C) has the shortest construction time (Table 2.4) and hence, less general refuse such as food waste,
containers and packaging materials will be produced by workers. It is estimated
that about 20 site staffs will be working on-site during the construction
period and the construction will last for around one year. Assume the density
of general refuse is 1 tonne/ m3, and the daily waste generation of
0.87 kg/person/day, the estimated amount of general refuse from the staff would
be 4.7 m3 during the construction of helipad steel truss and 1.6 m3
during the construction of steel/ aluminum decking.
6.5.1.11 The general refuse will be properly stored in designated disposal areas,
collected, recycled as far as practicable and disposed at landfill as the last
resort. With proper housekeeping and
regular collection of the general refuse, potential environmental impacts
associated with the storage, handling and disposal of the general refuse is not
expected.
Summary of Quantities of Waste generated during
Construction Phase
6.5.1.12 The estimated types and quantities of waste to be generated by the
Project implementation and recommended disposal options are summarised in Table 6.1.
Table 6.1 Summary of
Quantities of Waste Generated During the Construction Stage
|
Construction Works |
Works Duration (month) |
Waste Type |
Estimated Quantity |
Proposed Handling and Disposal Options |
||
|
Gener-ated (m3) |
Reuse (m3) |
Disposal (m3) |
||||
|
Construction of Helipad Steel
Truss and associated structures including
covered safety walkway, associated egress staircase, a noise barrier |
9 |
General Refuse |
4.7(1) |
0 |
4.7(1) |
Collected on-site and disposed
of at North East New Territories Landfill (NENT). |
|
Inert C&D Materials |
0 |
- |
- |
- |
||
|
Non-inert C&D Materials |
136 |
136 |
0 |
Recycled as far as practicable
on-site. |
||
|
Non-recyclable C&D Waste |
0 |
- |
- |
- |
||
|
Chemical Waste |
<1 |
0 |
<1 |
Collected by licensed
collectors and transported to CWTC or other licensed facilities for
treatment. |
||
|
Construction of Steel/ Aluminum
Decking |
3 |
General Refuse |
1.6(1) |
0 |
1.6(1) |
Collected on-site and disposed
of at North East New Territories Landfill (NENT). |
|
Inert C&D Materials |
0 |
- |
- |
- |
||
|
Non-inert C&D Materials |
34 |
34 |
0 |
Recycled as far as practicable
on-site. |
||
|
Non-recyclable C&D Waste |
0 |
- |
- |
- |
||
|
Chemical Waste |
<1 |
0 |
<1 |
Collected by licensed
collectors and transported to CWTC or other licensed facilities for
treatment. |
||
(1) Assumes that the density of
general refuse is 1 tonne/ m3.
Not be suitable for on-site reuse but should be recycled as far possible
before disposal at landfill.
6.5.2.1 During the operational phase, the helipad would be used as the emergency
landing site of helicopters for transit of emergency patients and other medical
emergency uses only and the helicopters would leave after transfer has been
completed. All helicopter maintenance works would be carried out off-site.
6.5.2.2 Regular cleaning of the rooftop helipad area may generate general
refuse. However, the helicopter is estimated that the helipad will be used less
than once a day, with reference to the flight landing data from 2014 to 2019,
and, therefore, insignificant amounts of general refuse would be expected to be
generated from the Project. Good storage, collection and disposal practices of
the general refuse will be adopted to further reduce any waste management
impact and, hence, no significant waste management implications arising from
the operational phase are anticipated.
6.5.3.1 No adverse waste management implications are anticipated for the Project
during both the construction and operational phase. Mitigation measures are
detailed in Section 6.6 for proper
handling and disposal of the wastes anticipated.
6.5.3.2 In order to enhance the management of the C&D materials, general
refuse and chemical waste during construction phase, a Waste Management Plan
(WMP) as part of the EMP should be deployed by the Contractor to follow the
waste management hierarchy and submitted to the Architect/ Engineer for
approval before the commencement of construction works.
6.6.1.1 Only limited amount of waste generated from the construction stage is
anticipated. Good management and control measures can minimise the generation
of C&D materials. Recommended mitigation measures for the construction phase
and operational phases of the Project include the following:
·
The
requirements as stipulated in the ETWB TC(W) No.19/2005 Environmental
Management on Construction Sites and the other relevant guidelines should be
included in the Particular Specification for the Contractor as appropriate.
·
The Contractor should submit a WMP as part of the EMP to
Architect/Engineer for approval prior to the commencement of construction work,
in accordance with the ETWB TC(W) No.19/2005 so as to provide an overall
framework of waste management and reduction. The WMP should include:
-
Waste management policy;
-
Record of generated waste;
-
Waste reduction target;
-
Waste reduction programme;
-
Role and responsibility of waste management
team;
-
Benefit of waste management;
-
Analysis of waste materials;
-
Reuse, recycling and disposal plans;
-
Transportation process of waste products; and
-
Monitoring and action plan.
·
The
waste management hierarchy, which includes the following in descending
preference, should be strictly followed:
-
Avoidance and reduction of waste generation:
-
Reuse of materials as far as practicable;
-
Recovery and recycling of residual materials
where possible; and
-
Disposal according to relevant legislations,
guidelines and good practices.
·
This
hierarchy should be adopted to evaluate the waste management options in order
to maximise the extent of waste reduction and cost reduction. The records of quantities of waste
generated, recycled and disposed (locations) should be properly documented.
·
A
trip-ticket system should be established in accordance with DevB TC(W) No.
6/2010 and Waste Disposal (Charges for Disposal of Construction Waste)
Regulation to monitor the disposal of inert C&D materials to public fill
and solid wastes to landfills, and to control fly-tipping. A trip-ticket system would be included
as one of the contractual requirements for the Contractor to strictly
implement. The Engineer would also
regularly audit the effectiveness of the system.
·
The
Contractor should also provide proper training to workers regarding the
appropriate concepts of site cleanliness and waste management procedures, e.g.
waste reduction, reuse and recycling all the time.
·
The
site and surroundings shall be kept tidy and litter free.
·
No
waste shall be burnt on-site.
·
Prohibit
the Contractor to dispose of inert C&D materials at any sensitive locations
e.g. natural habitat, etc. The
Contractor should propose the final disposal sites in the EMP and WMP for the
Architect/ Engineer’s approval before implementation.
·
The
Contractor should recycle as much of the non-inert C&D materials as
possible on-site. The non-inert C&D
waste should be segregated and stored in separate containers or skips to
facilitate the reuse or recycling of materials and proper disposal.
·
The
Contractor shall register as Chemical Waste Producers with the EPD. Chemical waste should be handled in
accordance with the Code of Practice on the Packaging, Labelling and Storage of
Chemical Wastes as follows:
-
The containers used for storing chemical waste
should be suitable for the substance to be held, resistant to corrosion,
maintained in good conditions and securely closed;
-
The containers should have a capacity of
<450L unless the specifications have been approved by the EPD;
-
The label on the containers should be clearly
labelled in English and Chinese and comply with the requirements prescribed in
Schedule 2 of Waste Disposal (Chemical Waste) (General) Regulation;
-
The storage area for the chemical waste should
be used solely for the storage of chemical wastes;
-
The storage area should be enclosed on at least
three sides by a wall, partition or fence with a height of not less than two
metres or the total height of containers in stack, whichever is less;
-
Where containers of liquid chemical wastes are
stored, the area should be designed with impermeable floor and provided with a
bund with capacity to accommodate 110% of the volume of the largest container
or 20% by volume of the chemical waste stored in the area, whichever is
greatest;
-
Adequate ventilation should be allowed in the
storage area by leaving some space between the top of the enclosure walls and
the ceiling, or provision of louvers on the sides of the enclosure walls;
-
The storage area should be sufficiently covered
to prevent rainfall entering (water collected within the bund must be tested and
disposed of as chemical waste, if necessary); and
-
Separate containers should be used for packing
different types of waste or waste arising from different sources and process to
minimise mixing of incompatible materials.
-
Drip tray should be provided to chemical waste
containers. The drip tray should be clean up regularly. Clean up should be done
before foreseeable inclement weather such as typhoon or heavy rain.
·
Waste
oils, chemicals or solvents shall not be disposed of to drain.
·
General
refuse arising on-site should be stored in enclosed bins or compaction units
separately from C&D materials/ wastes and chemical wastes. Sufficient bins shall be provided for
storage of general refuse as required under the Public Cleansing and Prevention
of Nuisances Regulation. In
addition, general refuse shall be cleared daily and shall be disposed of to the
nearest landfill or refuse transfer station. Burning of refuse on construction sites
is prohibited. Disposal of general refuse is recommended before foreseeable inclement
weather such as typhoon or heavy rain.
·
All
waste containers shall be in a secure area on hardstanding.
·
Segregation
and storage of different types of waste should be promoted to facilitate the
reuse and recycling of the materials. Separately labelled bins for the
deposition of aluminum cans, paper and plastic bottles etc. should be provided
as far as practicable. Participation in a local collection scheme by the
Contractor should be advocated.
6.7.1.1 As the quantities of the respective waste types to be generated from the
Project are small, there will be negligible impact on the capacities of the
waste disposal and handling facilities due to the Project during the construction
phase.
6.7.1.2 The non-inert C&D materials will be recycled on site as far as
practicable. The general refuse
will be disposed of at NENT Landfill by land transportation. Waste collection truck would be travelling
to NENT via Tate’s Cairn Tunnel (Toll Road), Tate’s Cairn Highway, Tolo
Highway, Lung Shan Tunnel and Heung Yuen Wai Highway. Non-inert C&D
materials at the rooftop will be transported to ground level by using material
hoist, tower crane or similar plants, subject to the condition of the
construction site. No barging point
or conveyor system will be expected given a small volume of non-inert C&D
materials to be generated by the Project.
6.7.1.3 The chemical waste would be sent to the CWTC or other licensed facility
for proper treatment and subsequent disposal, and the general refuse would be
send to landfill for disposal. All
waste disposal to landfill is considered as a last resort. Any
potential for reuse of materials on-site should be explored prior to
disposal.
6.8.1.1 No adverse waste management implications are anticipated due to the
construction and operation of the proposed helipad. Nevertheless, it is
recommended that construction activities should be subject to a routine site
inspection and audit programme throughout the construction period to ensure the
Contractor implements the recommended good site practices and other mitigation
measures properly. The inspections and audits should look at all aspects of
waste management including waste generation, storage, recycling, treatment,
transport and disposal. An appropriate audit programme would include a first
audit at the commencement of the construction works and then to audit monthly
thereafter. No EM&A for operational phase is considered necessary.
6.9.1.1 With the implementation of good site practice to properly store, handle
and dispose of the waste generated from the Project during the construction and
operational phases of the Project, no adverse residual impact is anticipated.
6.10.1.1 The potential waste management implications during the construction and
operational phases of the Project have been evaluated. During construction
phase, formwork and steel/ aluminum will be the main C&D materials
produced, which are all proposed to be recycled. The amounts of chemical waste
and general refuse generated are expected to be minimal and no significant
amount of non-recyclable C&D waste is expected. As for operational phase,
insignificant amounts of general refuse only are expected to be generated. With
the implementation of the mitigation measures and good site practices detailed
in Section 6.6, no adverse impacts
in relation to waste management are anticipated during both construction and
operational phases.
6.10.1.2 Thus, the potential impact, including potential hazard, air and odour
emissions, noise, wastewater discharge and public transport, caused by waste
handling (including stockpiling, labelling, packaging and storage), collection,
transportation and re-use/disposal, is expected to be insignificant. A waste
management audit programme, including weekly site inspection and audits, shall
be implemented to ensure good site practices and waste mitigation measures are
implemented during construction phase. No EM&A for operation phase is
considered necessary.