TABLE OF CONTENTS

13 Summary of Environmental Outcomes. 13-1

13.1..... Overview.. 13-1

13.2..... Environmental Benefits of the Project 13-1

13.3..... Incorporation of Environmentally Friendly Options. 13-1

13.4..... Environmental Designs Recommended. 13-2

13.5..... Key Environmental Problems Avoided and Environmentally Sensitive Areas Protected. 13-3

13.6..... Environmental Protection Measures Recommended. 13-5

13.7..... Estimation of Population Protected. 13-10

List of Tables

Table 13.1 Summary of Key Environmental Problems Avoided and Sensitive Areas Protected. 13-3

Table 13.2 Key Recommended Mitigation Measures / Good Site Practices / Enhancement Measures and their Associated Benefits. 13-5

13 Summary of Environmental Outcomes

13.1 Overview

13.1.1 Section 2 outlines the details and benefits of the Project together with the consideration of alternatives during the preliminary design stage, in which has taken into account of public concern and findings of various engineering and environmental review. The technical assessments in Section 3 to 12 have demonstrated that all the statutory requirements in EIA Study Brief (ESB-332/2020) and EIAO-TM have been compiled with (Appendix 1.1 refers).

13.1.2 This chapter summarises the key environmental outcomes arising from this EIA study, the approaches that have been adopted to either avoid or minimise various environmental impacts throughout the design process, and the associated environmental enhancements and mitigation measures.

13.2 Environmental Benefits of the Project

13.2.1 The Project aspires to extend railway service to the existing and future communities in Tuen Mun South, which aims to enhance the railway accessibility and unleash the development potential of the region. The following local and strategic benefits could be derived by implementing the Project:

· Enhance the local transport connectivity and mobility across the territory by extending the railway network to Tuen Mun South;

· Help relieve road traffic congestion, reduce air pollution, noise nuisance and carbon emissions in the region; and

· Enhance the sustainability in the local community by providing a sustainable and convenient railway service with energy efficiency.

13.3 Incorporation of Environmentally Friendly Options

13.3.1 Avoidance of environmental impacts has been one of the key considerations in this EIA study. For those possible impacts that could not be avoided, due consideration has been given to minimise them as far as practicable to comply with statutory requirements on environmental protection. Concerns from the public during the course of EIA study were mainly about possible dust and noise impacts in both construction and operational stages of the Project, as well as the potential ecological impact to ardeids along Tuen Mun River Channel. Potential cumulative environmental impacts to the sensitive receivers arising from the concurrent projects during the construction and operation of the Project should also be minimized as far as practicable. To address the public concern and environmental impacts, various mitigation approaches have been adopted in the design development of the Project and summarise as below:

· Avoidance of encroachment into the recognized sites of conservation importance;

· Avoidance of traversing Tuen Mun River Channel through selection of elevated option, which in turns minimising substantial reduction in hydraulic capacity and unacceptable environmental impacts; and

· Minimisation of number of piers and foundations works in the river and the associated environmental impacts.

13.4 Environmental Designs Recommended

13.4.1 Other than initiatives to avoid environmental impacts as summarised in Section 13.3, further efforts have been exercised. The need for environmental designs required to mitigate the associated impacts have also been identified and will be revisited and further established during detailed design for implementation as appropriate. A summary of these efforts is given below:

· Adoption of environmentally friendly construction methods;

· Adoption of bird-friendly design on noise enclosures/ barriers and TRB;

· Adoption of ecological enhancement measures;

· Provision of noise mitigation measures;

· Incorporation of sustainable building considerations in the station design;

· Adoption of proactive measures to avoid illegal dumping; and

· Implementation of environmental monitoring and auditing system.

Adoption of Environmentally Friendly Construction Methods

13.4.2 To address the concerns on water quality and construction dust, temporary steel platforms will be proposed for the phased construction of piers and viaduct structures along the embankment edge of Tuen Mun River Channel during dry seasons.

13.4.3 Quieter construction method, i.e. bored pile foundation system other than percussive piling, will be adopted for supporting the construction of viaduct and stations. Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) approaches will also be adopted for the construction of the piers, viaduct and station structures as far as practicable. Precast pile cap shell and segments for the viaduct, as well as the building elements such as beams and slabs of the stations, will be completed off-site to minimise the associated environmental impacts compared with the traditional construction method. Adoption of DfMA approaches could enable a clean, dry and tidy working environment such that the associated potential environmental impacts (e.g. dust, noise, water quality and waste generation), if any, could be minimised. With the adoption of the abovementioned quiet and clean construction method, in addition to the proper construction management (e.g. control of working hours and adoption of temporary noise barrier), the potential disturbance to the night-roosting ardeids in Tuen Mun Park could be minimized.

Adoption of Bird-friendly Design

13.4.4 Adoption of bird-friendly design will be considered for noise enclosures / barriers by using non-transparent / non-reflective panels as far as practicable, as well as installation of highway lighting at Tuen Mun River Bridge during night-time to minimise bird collision. If enclosures / barriers and station structures are transparent, non-glaring tinted materials and superimposing dark patterns or strips will be adopted.

Adoption of Ecological Enhancement Measures

13.4.5 Despite of limited loss of perching ground at Tuen Mun River Channel during low tide, the enlarged pile cap of piers of the Project could provide additional standing areas which enhance perching opportunity of ardeids at Tuen Mun River Channel. Perching and foraging structures such as ledges at the pier structure could be considered during detailed design stage to further enhance and encourage ardeid usage. Vegetation / promoting landscape tree planting along the promenade of Tuen Mun River Channel would also be explored to enhance the overall ecological opportunities.

Provision of Direct Noise Mitigation Measures

13.4.6 To mitigate possible noise nuisance during operational stage, provision of mitigation measures including noise enclosures, noise barriers and other acoustic measures are recommended.

Incorporation of Sustainable Building Considerations in the Station Design

13.4.7 In addition to the adoption of DfMA approaches in the design of the new A16 and TMS stations as mentioned in Section 2.3.32, a number of sustainable building considerations are considered to be practicable at this stage, such as maximisation of natural ventilation to reduce demand for air-conditioning, appropriate glazing and/or shading in the façade design to reduce solar heat gain, allowance for natural daylight penetration to minimise artificial lighting dependency, onsite renewable energy generation in the form of photovoltaic panels or micro wind turbines, rainwater harvesting for landscape planting irrigation and/or toilet flushing, high efficiency potable water fixtures and dual flush systems to reduce water consumption. These initiatives and the extent of their applications as well as other details have to be revisited and further established during detailed design stage when the engineering design is further developed.

Adoption of Proactive Measures to Avoid Illegal Dumping

13.4.8 Global positioning system (GPS) or equivalent system for tracking and monitoring of all dump trucks will be engaged for the Project in order to record their travel routings and parking locations to prohibit illegal dumping and landfilling of C&D materials generated from the Project.

Implementation of Environmental Monitoring and Auditing System

13.4.9 In addition to the mitigation measures as described above (see more details in the Project Implementation Schedule as given in Appendix 12.1), a comprehensive environmental monitoring and auditing programme would be implemented to cover various aspects of concern. An independent environmental checker would also be employed to ensure that all the necessary mitigation measures are implemented in a timely and orderly manner.

13.5 Key Environmental Problems Avoided and Environmentally Sensitive Areas Protected

13.5.1 Sections 13.2 and 13.3 have summarised the key approaches adopted in the current proposal to avoid, minimise and mitigate environmental impacts. Some of these approaches have contributed to avoid a number of environmental problems and to protect a number of environmentally sensitive areas. Table 13.1 presents the key environmental problems that have been avoided and any sensitive areas protected by these approaches.

Table 13.1 Summary of Key Environmental Problems Avoided and Sensitive Areas Protected

Design Approach	Environmental Problems Avoided and Sensitive Areas Protected
Avoidance of encroachment into recognized sites of conservation importance (Section 13.3.1)	· During the planning and conceptual design stage, recognised site of conservation importance (i.e. Tuen Mun egretry) in the vicinity of the Project was identified and avoided in the selection of temporary works areas /work sites and the design of permanent works areas.
Avoidance of direct impact and minimization of indirect impact on ardeids night roost in Tuen Mun Park	· During the planning and conceptual design stage, ardeids night roost in Tuen Mun Park was identified and avoided in the selection of temporary works areas /work sites and the design of permanent works areas. Only limited maintenance works including diversion of cycle track and pedestrian walkway (e.g. erection of hoarding/signage, painting of road sign) and minor pruning works at the overgrown trees branches that may pose safety issue to the public would be conducted at Tuen Mun Park. · Minimisation of indirect impact and the potential disturbance through establishment of buffer zone and control of working hour throughout the construction stage to control the timing of the noisy construction activities (ceased 30 minutes before sunset and until the ardeids leave the roosting location of the following day (i.e. around 30 min after sunrise)) within 100 m from the night roosting site. · Minimization of noise and glare / visual disturbance from railway operation by provision of vertical panel on top of the parapet of viaduct along the eastern side of the viaduct.
Adoption of environmentally friendly construction method (Section 13.4.2- 13.4.3)	· Minimisation of construction dust and water quality impact at Tuen Mun River Channel through adoption of temporary steel platform. · Adoption of environmental friendly construction method (e.g. DfMA) and quiet piling method.
Adoption of bird-friendly design (Section 13.4.4)	· Adoption of non-transparent / non-reflective panels at noise enclosures / barriers as far as practicable. · Adoption of non-glaring tinted materials, or superimposing dark patterns or strips on the transparent enclosures / barriers and station structures. · Installation of highway lighting at Tuen Mun Bridge during night-time to minimise bird collision.
Adoption of ecological enhancement measures (Section 13.4.5)	· Consideration of the enlarged pile cap of piers, perching and foraging structures such as ledges at the pier structure as additional standing areas to enhance perching opportunities of ardeids at Tuen Mun River Channel. · Vegetation / promoting landscape tree planting along the promenade of Tuen Mun River Channel would be explored to enhance the overall ecological opportunities.
Provision of direct noise mitigation measures (Section 13.4.6)	· Protection of NSRs through provision of adequate noise mitigation measures during the operation of the Project.
Incorporation of Sustainable Building Considerations in the Station Design (Section 13.4.7)	· Maximisation of natural ventilation to reduce demand for air-conditioning. · Appropriate glazing and/or shading in the façade design to reduce solar heat gain. · Allowance for natural daylight penetration to minimise artificial lighting dependency. · Onsite renewable energy generation in the form of photovoltaic panels or micro wind turbines. · Rainwater harvesting for landscape planting irrigation. · High efficiency potable water fixtures and dual flush systems to reduce water consumption.
Avoidance of illegal dumping (Section 13.4.8)	· Adoption of preventive measures to avoid/minimise the chance of illegal dumping.
Implementation of Environmental Monitoring and Auditing System (Section 13.4.9)	· Ensure all the recommended measures are properly in place and their effectiveness during the construction and operation of the Project.

13.6 Environmental Protection Measures Recommended

13.6.1 Mitigation measures have been recommended to further reduce the environmental impacts due to construction and operation of the Project. Key recommended mitigation measures / good site practices / enhancement measures and their associated benefits are summarised in Table 13.2 below.

Table 13.2 Key Recommended Mitigation Measures / Good Site Practices / Enhancement Measures and their Associated Benefits

Environmental Aspect	Key Recommended Mitigation Measures / Good Site Practices / Enhancement Measures	Associated Benefits
Air Quality	· Implement relevant control measures as required in the Air Pollution Control (Construction Dust) Regulation to minimise dust generation. · Watering once every two hours on heavy construction works sites, exposed site surfaces and unpaved haul roads to reduce dust emission by 91.7%, subject to actual site condition. · Avoid the use of exempted Non-road Mobile Machineries (NRMMs) and deploy electrified NRMMs as far as practicable to minimise exhaust emission from NRMMs during construction phase.	· Protect air sensitive receivers by reducing fugitive dust emissions
Noise	· Adopt quiet construction method, Quality Powered Mechanical Equipment (QPME), movable noise barriers, noise insulating fabric, noise enclosures, acoustic measures (e.g. soundproof hammer bracket for hydraulic breaker), carefully scheduled construction programme and good site practices to mitigate the construction noise impact. · Provide noise mitigation measures including noise barriers and noise enclosures to alleviate the railway noise impact during the operation of the Project. · Provide acoustic measures where necessary for the planned fixed plants to ensure noise compliance.	· Protect noise sensitive receivers by reducing construction and operational noise
Water Quality	· Implement the proposed mitigation measures including installation of casing/concrete cofferdam and watertight precast pile cap shells to isolate the construction activities from the river water, use of water pumps to collect any construction site runoff and ingress/seepage water within the concrete cofferdam and watertight precast pile cap shells to the on-site wastewater treatment facilities for treatment to satisfactory levels before discharge, and deployment of silt curtains to completely enclose the concrete cofferdam/watertight precast pile cap shells prior to setting up piling works and installation of concrete cofferdam/watertight precast pile cap shells. · Implement the mitigation measures as detailed in the ProPECCPN 1/94 “Construction Site Drainage” and ETWB TC (Works) No. 5/2005 “Protection of natural streams / rivers from adverse impacts arising from construction works”, as well as other good site practices to minimise the potential water quality impacts from the construction activities.	· Protect the neighbouring Water Sensitive Receivers (WSRs) during construction phase
Waste Management Implications	· Implement good site practices and waste reduction measures (e.g. reuse of construction and demolition (C&D) materials as far as practicable before off-site disposal or develop a materials recovery and recycling programme during construction and operation). · Submit an Environmental Management Plan (EMP), which includes the Waste Management Plan (WMP) to the Engineer for approval. · Implement a trip-ticket system for each works contract in accordance with DEVB TC(W) No. 6/2010 to ensure that the disposal of C&D materials are properly documented and verified. · Adopt GPS or equivalent system for tracking and monitoring of all dump trucks engaged for the Project in recording their travel routings and parking locations to prohibit illegal dumping and landfilling of C&D materials. · Handle chemical waste in accordance with the Code of Practice on the Packaging, Labelling and Storage of Chemical Wastes, and disposal of chemical waste at licensed chemical waste recycling / treatment facilities.	· Minimise waste generation · Ensure proper handling of chemical waste · Ensure the C&D materials are disposed to the designated outlets
Land Contamination	· Prior to the commencement of the site investigation (SI) works, review the Contamination Assessment Plan (CAP) provided in Appendix 7.1 and conduct site re-appraisal to confirm whether the proposed SI works (e.g. sampling locations, testing parameters etc.) are still valid, and to confirm the appropriate RBRGs land use scenario for the development. · Should any changes in operation which lead to any new or the relocation of contamination hotspots or occurrence of spillage or accident be found in the review, supplementary CAP(s), presenting the findings of the review, the latest site conditions and updated sampling strategy and testing protocol, should be submitted to EPD for approval. · The SI works should be carried out according to EPD’s approved CAP(s). · Contamination Assessment Report(s) (CAR(s)) should be prepared to present the findings of the SI works and to discuss the presence, nature and extent of contamination. If contamination is identified in the CAR(s), Remediation Action Plan(s) (RAP(s)) which provides details of the remedial actions for the identified contaminated soil and/or groundwater should be developed prior to construction works at the concerned areas. Submission to EPD for approval of the supplementary CAP(s), CAR(s) and, if required, RAP would be carried out in stages according to the programme of TME. · If required, carry out soil/groundwater remediation works according to EPD approved RAP(s) and submit Remediation Report(s) (RR(s)) afterwards for EPD approval. The remediation works should be completed and RR(s) demonstrating the completion of remediation works at the area(s) (if any) confirmed with contamination will be prepared and submitted to EPD for approval prior to the commencement of construction works at the contaminated areas.	· Land contamination issues could be resolved before commencement of construction works
Ecology	· Control of working hours for noisy construction activities to be conducted within the 100m buffer zone from the ardeid night roost in Tuen Mun Park during construction phase to minimise adverse impacts on the ardeid night roost. · Conduct pre-construction bat survey prior to the felling of Chinese Fan-palm, if any, to verify no existence of bat roosting within the concerned trees to be affected. · Adopt bird-friendly design as mentioned in Section 13.4.4 to avoid bird collision. · Reinstate areas of temporary loss such as reinstatement of landscape areas and compensatory tree planting where applicable. · Adopt noise mitigation measures, glare reduction measures, and dust suppression measures to minimise disturbance impacts to the surrounding habitats and associated wildlife nearby during construction phase. · Reduce glare or excessive lighting with balancing the need to safety during construction and operational phases to minimise unnecessary indirect impacts to the ardeid night roost as far as practicable. · Provide vertical panel on top parapet of viaduct along the eastern side of the viaduct to minimize noise and glare / visual disturbance from railway operation.	· Avoid direct impact to ardeid night roost in Tuen Mun Park · Minimise the indirect impacts to ecological sensitive receivers during construction and operational phases
Landscape and Visual	· CM1 - Trees unavoidably affected by the works should be transplanted as far as possible in accordance with DEVB TC(W) No. 4/2020 – Tree Preservation. · CM2 - Control of night-time lighting glare to prevent light overspill to the nearby VSRs and into the sky. Relevant best practices as suggested in the "Charter on External Lighting" and “Guidelines on Industry Best Practices for External Lighting Installations” promulgated by ENB shall be adopted. · CM3 - Erection of decorative screen hoarding, or hoarding compatible with the surrounding setting. · CM4 - Management of facilities on work sites which give control on the height and disposition/arrangement of all facilities on the works site to minimise visual impact to adjacent VSRs. · CM5 - All hard and soft landscape areas disturbed temporarily during construction should be reinstated on like-to-like basis, to the satisfaction of the relevant Government Departments. · CM6 - Tree without impact from proposed works should be retained as far as possible in accordance with DEVB TC(W) 4/2020 – Tree Preservation. · OM1 - Aesthetically pleasing design as regard to the form, material and finishes should be incorporated to Entrance, Plant Buildings, Ventilation Shafts and associated engineering facilities so as to blend in the structures to the adjacent landscape and visual context. · OM2 - Tree Planting and shrub planting should be incorporated to provide screening to the Station building, viaduct and associated engineering facilities and serves as roadside amenity planting to provide ornamental value and enhance the landscape character of the streets. · OM3 - Roof greening should be proposed to the roof area of the propose structures as far as practical to enhance the landscape quality of the structures and mitigate any potential visual impact on adjacent VSRs. · OM4 - Roadside soft landscape should be incorporated to the station buildings and associated engineering facilities. Shade tolerant plants with tall to medium height should be planted to under the viaduct to soften the hard building edges and provide screening. · OM5a - Provision of New Open Space for recreational use. · OM5b - Provision of New hard and soft landscape area – provision of street furniture and tree pit planting along the pedestrian as streetscape improvement. · OM6 - Compensatory tree planting should be provided in accordance with DEVB TC(W) 4/2020 – Tree Preservation to compensate for felled trees and maintained until end of the establishment period. Compensatory shrub planting should be provided to compensate for the loss of shrub planting in amenity areas.	· Minimise landscape and visual impact during construction and operational phases
Cultural Heritage	· If there are any buildings / structures both at grade level and underground which were built on or before 1969 found within the works sites/ works areas during the excavation, the Project Proponent will alert AMO in an early stage or once identified. · The Contractor should inform the AMO in case of discovery of antiquities or supposed antiquities in the course of works, so that appropriate mitigation measures, if needed, can be timely formulated and implemented in agreement with AMO.	· No impact to cultural heritage resources anticipated
Hazard to Life	· Establishment of emergency response plans. · Provision of safety/ emergency response training and drills for all personnel. · Provision of fire protection equipment. · Maintain the number of construction workers onsite to a minimum. · Implement adequate safety measures and procedures that completely eliminate the possibility of dropping anything into the LPG compound due to hoisting and transportation of precast segments or any other activities. · Restriction of hot work to be conducted in the vicinity of the LPG Store, i.e. works areas ID#9a and #9b. · Construction activities at works areas ID#9a and #9b should be considered to be ceased when testing / examination / inspection of the underground storage tanks are conducted at the LPG Store. · Keep close coordination with the LPG Store’s owner and registered gas supply company on necessary precautionary measures to safeguard the LPG facilities during the construction phase of the Project. In particular, the delivery route and schedule of the LPG road tanker transportation should be fully understood, for preventing any interruption on the LPG delivery.	· Protect nearby sensitive receivers due to construction works within consultation zone of LPG Store.

13.7 Estimation of Population Protected

13.7.1 With careful planning and design of the Project, together with the implementation of mitigation measures recommended in this EIA Report, the population in Tuen Mun South area during construction and operation phases have been planned to be protected by mitigation measures from various environmental impacts.