1
Intorduction
1.1.1
The
Tuen Mun South Extension (TME) (hereinafter referred to as “the Project”) is
one of the seven recommended railway schemes in the Railway Development
Strategy 2014 (“RDS-2014”). The Project
will extend the Tuen Ma Line (TML), from Tuen Mun (TUM) Station southwards by
about 2.4 km, terminating at a new station near Tuen Mun Ferry Pier (i.e. Tuen
Mun South (TMS) Station) with an intermediate station at Tuen Mun Area 16 (i.e.
A16 Station). The key elements of the
Project (Figure No. C1502/C/TME/ACM/M50/101 refers) as assessed in this
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report are listed below:
· Construction and operation of 2.4-km
extension of the viaduct structure from TUM Station to the new TMS Station;
· Construction and operation of two
new stations, namely TMS Station and A16 Station;
· Construction and operation of
Stations associated facilities; and
· Construction and operation of a
railway siding adjacent to A16 Station.
1.2.1
The
purpose of this Environmental Monitoring and Audit (EM&A) Manual is to
guide the set-up of an EM&A programme to check on compliance with the
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study recommendations of the Project, to
assess the effectiveness of the recommended mitigation measures, and to
identify any further need for additional mitigation measures or remedial
actions.
1.2.2
This
EM&A Manual, which outlines the monitoring and audit programme for the
Project, aims to provide systematic procedures for monitoring, auditing and
minimizing environmental impacts associated with the construction and operation
activities of the Project.
1.2.3
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 Technical Memorandum on
Environmental Impact Assessment Process (EIAO-TM).
1.2.4
This
Manual contains the following information:
· Responsibilities of the Contractor,
the Engineer or Engineer’s Representative (ER), the Environmental Team (ET),
and the Independent Environmental Checker (IEC) with respect to the
environmental monitoring and audit requirements during the course of the
Project;
· Project organization 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.
1.2.5
This
EM&A Manual is a dynamic document that should be reviewed regularly and
updated as necessary during the construction and operation of the Project. The
Contractor should regularly review the mitigation measures and project
implementation schedule in Appendix B with respect to the design developments and
construction methodology.
1.3.1
The
roles and responsibilities of the various parties involved in the EM&A
process and the organisational structure of the organisations who are
responsible for implementing the EM&A programme are outlined below. The
proposed project organisations and lines of communication with respect to
environmental protection works are shown in Appendix A.
Engineer
or Engineer’s Representative (ER)
1.3.2
The
Engineer is responsible for overseeing the construction works and for ensuring
that the works are undertaken by the Contractor in accordance with the specification
and contractual requirements. The duties and responsibilities of the Engineer
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 environmental impacts in accordance with the Event and
Action Plans;
· Participate in joint site
inspections and audits undertaken by the ET; and
· Adhere to the procedures for
carrying out exceedance and complaint investigations.
The
Contractor
1.3.3
The
Contractor should report to the ER. The duties and responsibilities of the
Contractor are:
· Implement the EIA recommendations
and requirements;
· Strictly adhere to the guidelines
and requirements in this EM&A Manual;
· Provide assistance to the ET in
carrying out relevant environmental monitoring and auditing, and investigation
related to complaints and non-compliance (Section
11 of this Manual refers);
· Participate in the site inspections
undertaken by ET, and undertake correction action(s);
· Provide information / advice to ET
regarding works activities which may contribute, or be continuing to the
generation of adverse environmental condition(s);
· Submit proposals on mitigation
measures in case of exceedances of Action and Limit levels, in accordance with
the Event and Action Plans as detailed in this EM&A Manual;
· Implement measures to reduce
environmental impacts where Action and Limit levels are exceeded until the
events are resolved; and
· Adhere to the procedures for
carrying out environmental complaint investigation in accordance with Section 11 of this Manual.
Environmental
Team (ET)
1.3.4
The
ET should conduct the EM&A programme and ensure the Contractor’s compliance
with the Project’s environmental performance requirements during construction. The ET should be an independent party from
the IEC and the Contractor.
1.3.5
An
ET should be established before the commencement of construction of the
Project. The ET should be led and managed by the ET leader. The ET leader should possess at least 7 years
of experience in EM&A and/or environmental management. The ET should monitor the mitigation measures
implemented by the Contractor on a regular basis to ensure the compliance with
the intended aims of the measures. The duties and responsibilities of the ET
are:
· Set up all the required
environmental monitoring stations;
· Monitor the various environmental
parameters as required in the EM&A Manual;
· Carry out regular and ad hoc site
inspections to investigate and audit the Contractor’s site practice, equipment
and work methodologies with respect to pollution control and environmental
mitigation measures, and anticipate environmental issues for proactive and
practicable action before problems arise;
· Analyse the EM&A data, review
the success of EM&A programme to confirm the adequacy of mitigation
measures implemented and the validity of the EIA predictions, and to identify
any adverse environmental impacts arising and report EM&A results to the
Contractor, IEC, and the ER;
· Liaise with IEC on all environmental
performance matters, and timely submission of all relevant EM&A proforma
for IEC's approval;
· Audit the relevant
document(s)/record(s) and prepare reports on the environmental monitoring data
and the site environmental conditions;
· Review the proposals of remedial
measure from the Contractor in the case of exceedances of Action and Limit
levels, in accordance with the Event and Action Plans;
· Advise the Contractor on
environmental improvement, awareness, enhancement matters, etc., on site;
· Submit the EM&A report(s) to the
Project Proponent and the EPD timely; and
· Adhere to the procedures for
carrying out environmental complaint investigation in accordance with Section 11 of this Manual.
Independent
Environmental Checker (IEC)
1.3.6
An
IEC should be employed by the ER / Project Proponent before commencement of
construction of the Project. The IEC should advise the ER on environmental
issues related to the Project. The IEC should possess at least 7 years of
experience in EM&A and/or environmental management. The IEC should be an
independent party from the ET and the Contractor. The duties and responsibilities of the IEC
are:
· Review and audit at not less than
monthly intervals in an independent, objective and professional manner in all
aspects of the EM&A programme;
· Validate and confirm the accuracy of
monitoring results, monitoring equipment, monitoring locations, monitoring
procedures and locations of sensitive receivers;
· Audit the EIA recommendations and
requirements against the status of implementation of environmental protection
measures on site;
· Review the effectiveness of
environmental mitigation measures and project environmental performance;
· On as-needed basis, verify and
certify the environmental acceptability of the Environmental Permit (EP)
holder’s construction methodology (both temporary and permanent works),
relevant design plans and submissions under the EP;
· Carry out random sample check and
audit on monitoring data and sampling procedures, etc;
· Conduct random site inspection;
· Verify the investigation results of
environmental complaint cases and the effectiveness of corrective measures;
· Verify EM&A report that has been
certified by the ET leader; and
· Provide feedback on the audit
results to the ET, the ER or the Project Proponent according to Event and
Action Plans in the EM&A Manual.
1.4
Structure of the EM&A Manual
1.4.1
Following
this introductory section, the remainder of the Manual is set out as follows:
· Section 2 –Sets out EM&A requirement
for air quality;
· Section 3 –Sets out EM&A
requirement for noise;
· Section 4 –Sets out EM&A
requirement for water quality;
· Section 5 – Details auditing
requirement for waste management;
· Section 6 – Details auditing
requirement for land contamination;
· Section 7 – Sets out EM&A
requirement for terrestrial ecology;
· Section 8 – Details auditing
requirement for landscape and visual impact;
· Section 9 – Details auditing
requirement for cultural heritage;
· Section 10 – Details auditing
requirement for hazard to life;
· Section 11 – Describes scope and
frequency of environmental site audits and sets out the general requirements of
the EM&A programme; and
· Section 12 – Details the EM&A
reporting requirements.
2.1.1
Potential
air quality impacts arising from the construction phase of the Project were
assessed in the EIA Report. The major
dusty construction activities of the Project would mainly be related to
construction dust from excavation, piling, materials handling, spoil removal,
backfilling and wind erosion which would generate insignificant amount of small
size particulates, hence, no significant Respirable Suspended Particulates
(RSP) or Fine Suspended Particulates (FSP) impacts would be anticipated. No adverse air quality impact from
construction of the Project would be anticipated with the implementation of
dust suppression measures as stipulated under Air Pollution Control
(Construction Dust) Regulation (Cap 311R) and EPD’s Recommended Pollution
Control Clauses for Construction Contracts.
Nonetheless, dust monitoring is recommended during the construction
phase to ascertain that there would be no adverse dust impacts at the nearby
sensitive receivers. Monitoring of
24-hour RSP and 24-hour FSP levels are not proposed. Therefore, only 1-hour
Total Suspended Particulates (TSP) is recommended to be monitored and audited
at the proposed monitoring locations.
2.1.2
No
adverse air quality impact is expected during the operation of the Project, and
thus air quality monitoring would not be required.
2.1.3
This
section presents the requirements, methodology, equipment, monitoring locations
and criteria for the monitoring and audit of construction dust impact during
the construction phase of the Project.
2.2.1
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”).
2.2.2
Dust
ladened air should be drawn through a high volume sampler (HVS) fitted with a
conditioned, pre-weighed filter paper, at a controlled rate. After sampling, the filter paper with retained
particles is collected and returned to the laboratory for drying in a
desiccator followed by accurate weighing.
TSP levels are calculated from the ratio of the mass of particulates
retained on the filter paper to the total volume of air sampled.
2.2.3
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. HVS in
compliance with the following specification should be used for carrying out
monitoring for TSP levels. High volume
sampler (HVS) in compliance with the following specifications should be used
for carrying out the 1-hour 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 (63 in2);
· flow control accuracy: ± 2.5% deviation over 24-hour sampling
period;
· incorporated with an electronic mass
flow rate controller or other equivalent devices;
· equipped with a shelter to protect
the filter and sampler;
· 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.
2.2.4
The
ET is responsible for the provision of the monitoring equipment and should
provide sufficient number of dust monitoring equipment with appropriate
calibration kit for carrying out the baseline, regular impacts monitoring and
ad-hoc monitoring. The HVSs should 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 and as described below. All the equipment, calibration kit, filter papers,
etc, should be clearly labelled. The instrument should also be calibrated
regularly.
2.2.5
Initial
calibration of HVSs with mass flow controller should be conducted upon
installation and thereafter every six months. The transfer standard shall be
traceable to the internationally recognized primary standard and be calibrated
annually. The calibration data should be properly documented for future
reference by the IEC. All the data
should be converted into standard temperature and pressure condition.
2.2.6
The
flow-rate of the sampler before and after the sampling exercise with the filter
in position should be verified to be constant and be recorded on the data sheet
as shown in Appendix C.
2.2.7
If
the ET Leader proposes to use a direct reading dust meter to measure 1-hr TSP
levels, he shall submit sufficient information to the IEC to prove that the
instrument is capable of achieving a comparable result as the HVS and may be
used for the 1-hr sampling. The instrument shall also be calibrated regularly,
and the 1-hr sampling shall be determined periodically by HVS to check the
validity and accuracy of the results measured by direct reading method.
2.2.8
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 in consultation with 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 shall be divided into
16 sectors of 22.5 degrees each.
2.2.9
If
the ET Leader proposes alternative dust monitoring equipment / methodology
(e.g. direct reading methods) after the approval of this Manual, agreement from
the IEC should be sought. The instrument should also be calibrated regularly
following the requirements specified by the equipment manufacturers.
2.3.1
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 Hong Kong Laboratory
Accreditation Scheme (HOKLAS) accredited or other internationally accredited
laboratory.
2.3.2
If
a site laboratory is set up or a non-HOKLAS accredited laboratory is hired for
carrying out the laboratory analysis, the laboratory equipment should be
verified by IEC and approved by the ER. Measurement performed by the laboratory
shall be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the ER and the IEC and EPD.
2.3.3
IEC
shall conduct regular audit to the measurement performed by the laboratory to
ensure the accuracy of measurement results. The ET Leader 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 reference.
2.3.4
Filter
paper of size 8"x10" shall be labelled before sampling. It shall be a
clean filter paper with no pin holes, and shall be conditioned in a humidity
controlled chamber for over 24-hr and be pre-weighed before use for the
sampling.
2.3.5
After
sampling, the filter paper loaded with dust shall be kept in a clean and
tightly sealed plastic bag. The filter paper is then returned to the laboratory
for reconditioning in the humidity controlled chamber followed by accurate
weighing by an electronic balance with a readout down to 0.1 mg. The balance
shall be regularly calibrated against a traceable standard.
2.3.6
All
the collected samples shall be kept in a good condition for 6 months before
disposal.
2.4.1
The
worst potentially affected locations in the vicinity of the construction
activities of the Project identified for TSP monitoring are listed in Table 2.1 and are
shown in Figure No. C1502/C/TME/ACM/M60/201.
Table 2.1 Proposed
Dust Monitoring Stations
|
Monitoring Station
No.(1)
|
ASR
ID in EIA
Report
|
ASR
Description
|
|
AM1
|
A7
|
Islamic Primary School
|
|
AM2
|
A9
|
Oi Lai House, Yau Oi Estate
|
|
AM3
|
A21
|
Yan Chai Hospital Law Chan Chor Si Primary School
|
|
AM4
|
A28
|
Wu Tsui House, Wu King Estate
|
|
AM5
|
A41
|
Tuen Mun Swimming Pool (TMSP)(2)
|
Note:
(1)
1-hour
TSP impact monitoring should be conducted at the monitoring stations when there
are Project-related major construction activities including site formation and
piling works being undertaken within a radius of 500m from the monitoring
stations.
(2)
Dust
monitoring at Tuen Mun Swimming Pool will be ceased when it is closed or it is
demolished. Upon the commencement of
demolition of TMSP, the dust monitoring will be conducted at Castle Peak Bay
Ambulance Depot (ASR ID. A34).
2.4.2
The
status and locations of air quality sensitive receivers may change after this
Manual is issued. In such case, the ET should propose alternative monitoring
stations and seek agreement from the IEC and EPD.
2.4.3
When
alternative monitoring locations are proposed, the monitoring stations should
be chosen based on the following criteria:
· Monitoring at ASRs close to the
major site activities which are likely to have air quality impacts;
· Monitoring as close as possible to
the ASRs as defined in the EIAO-TM;
· Assurance of minimal disturbance to
the occupants and working under a safe condition during monitoring; and
· Take into account the prevailing
meteorological conditions.
2.4.4
The
ET shall agree with IEC on the position of the HVS for installation of the
monitoring equipment. When positioning the HVS, the following points should be
noted:
· A horizontal platform with
appropriate support to secure the samplers against gusty wind should be
provided;
· Two samplers should not be placed
less than 2m apart;
· 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;
· a minimum of 2m separation from
walls, parapets and penthouses is required for rooftops samplers;
· a minimum of 2m separation from any
supporting structure, measures horizontally is required;
· no furnace or incinerator flue is
located nearby the samplers;
· airflow around the sampler is
unrestricted;
· the sampler is more than 20m from
the dripline;
· any wire fence and gate to protect
the sampler, should not cause any obstruction during monitoring;
· permission must be obtained to set
up the samplers and to obtain access to the monitoring stations; and
· a secured supply of electricity is
needed to operate the samplers.
2.4.5
Subject
to site conditions and monitoring results, the ET Leader, with IEC endorsement,
may decide whether additional monitoring locations shall be included or any
monitoring locations could be removed / relocated during the construction
phase.
2.5.1
Baseline
monitoring should be carried out to determine the ambient 1-hour TSP levels at
the monitoring locations prior to the commencement of the major construction
works. Before commencing the baseline monitoring, the ET should 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.
2.5.2
TSP
baseline monitoring should be carried out for a continuous period of at least
two weeks with three sets of 1-hour ambient measurements taken daily at each
monitoring station. During the baseline
monitoring, there should not be any 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.
2.5.3
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 locations should be agreed with IEC and approved by the ER
and EPD prior to commencement of baseline monitoring.
2.5.4
In
exceptional cases, when insufficient baseline monitoring data or questionable
results are obtained, the ET Leader shall liaise with the IEC to agree on an
appropriate set of data to be used as a baseline reference and submit to EPD
for approval.
2.5.5
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 and air quality criteria, after consultation and agreement with
the ER, the IEC and the EPD.
2.6.1
The
ET shall carry out impact monitoring during major construction activity of the
Project being undertaken within a radius of 500m from the monitoring
stations. 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. The impact monitoring programme
is summarised in Table 2.2.
2.6.2
The
monthly schedule of the impact monitoring programme should be drawn up by the
ET one month prior to the commencement of the scheduled construction period.
Before commencement of the monitoring, the ET should inform the IEC of the
impact monitoring programme such that the IEC can conduct an on-site audit.
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)
|
1 hour TSP
|
3 times in
every 6 days
|
Note:
(1) Impact monitoring should be conducted at the
monitoring stations for 1-hour TSP monitoring when there are Project-related
major construction activities being undertaken within a radius of 500m from the
monitoring stations.
2.7.1
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.
Table 2.3 Proposed
Action and Limit Levels for Impact Monitoring
|
Parameter
|
Action
Level (1)
|
Limit
Level
|
|
1-hour TSP
|
·
For BL £ 384μg m-3, AL = (BL * 1.3 + LL)/2
·
For BL > 384μg m-3, AL = LL
|
500μg m-3
|
Note:
(1)
BL = Baseline level, AL = Action level,
LL = Limit level.
2.7.2
The
Event and Action Plan prescribes procedures and actions associated with the
outcome of the comparison of air quality monitoring data recorded and the
agreed A/L levels. In the cases where
exceedances of these A/L levels occurs, the ET, the IEC, the ER and the
Contractor should strictly observe the relevant actions of the respective Event
and Action Plan listed in Table 2.4.
2.8.1
Site-specific
dust mitigation measures recommended in the EIA Report include watering on
active works areas, exposed areas and haul roads, good site practices and dust
suppression measures stipulated in Air Pollution Control (Construction Dust)
Regulation. Details of the mitigation measures are presented in Appendix B. The Contractor should be
responsible for the design and implementation of these measures.
Table 2.4 Event
and Action Plan for Construction Dust Monitoring
|
EVENT
|
ACTION
|
|
ET
|
IEC
|
ER
|
CONTRACTOR
|
|
ACTION LEVEL
|
|
Exceedance
for one sample
|
1.
Repeat measurement to confirm findings;
2.
If exceedance is confirmed, inform the
Contractor, IEC and ER;
3.
Identify
source(s), investigate the causes of exceedance and propose remedial measures; and
4.
Increase monitoring frequency.
|
1.
Check monitoring data submitted by the ET;
2.
Check Contractor’s working method; and
3.
Discuss with ET, ER and Contractor on possible remedial measures; and
4.
Review and advise the ET and ER on the
effectiveness of the proposed remedial measures.
|
1.
Confirm receipt of notification of exceedance
in writing.
|
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.
|
|
Exceedance
for two or more consecutive samples
|
1.
Repeat
measurements to confirm findings;
2.
If exceedance is confirmed, inform Contractor, IEC and ER;
3.
Identify
source(s), investigate the causes of exceedance and propose remedial measures;
4.
Increase
monitoring frequency to daily;
5.
Advise
the Contractor and ER on the effectiveness of the proposed remedial measures;
6.
Discuss
with IEC and Contractor on remedial actions required;
7.
If
exceedance continues, arrange meeting with Contractor, IEC and ER to discuss the
remedial measures to be taken;
and
8.
If exceedance
stops, cease additional monitoring.
|
1.
Check monitoring data submitted by the ET;
2.
Check Contractor’s working method;
3.
Discuss with ET, ER and Contractor on
possible remedial measures;
4.
Review and 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.
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(s) and investigate the
causes of exceedance;
2. Submit
proposals for remedial measures to the ER, ET and IEC
within three working days of notification
for agreement;
3. Implement the agreed proposals; and
4. Amend proposal as appropriate.
|
|
LIMIT LEVEL
|
|
Exceedance
for one sample
|
1. Repeat measurement to confirm findings;
2. If
exceedance is confirmed, inform the Contractor, IEC, EPD and ER;
3. Identify source(s), investigate the causes
of exceedance and propose remedial;
4. Increase monitoring frequency to daily; and
5. Discuss with the ER, IEC and Contractor on
the remedial measures and assess effectiveness.
|
1.
Check monitoring data submitted by the ET;
2.
Check Contractor’s working method;
3.
Discuss with the ET, ER and Contractor on
possible remedial measures;
4.
Review and 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.
Review and agree on the remedial measures
proposed by the Contractor; and
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, ET and IEC
within three working days of notification
for agreement;
4.
Implement the agreed proposals; and
5.
Amend proposal if appropriate.
|
|
Exceedance for two or
more consecutive samples
|
1.
Repeat measurement to confirm findings;
2.
If exceedance is confirmed, inform IEC, ER,
Contractor and EPD;
3.
Identify source(s), investigate the causes of
exceedance and propose remedial measures;
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, IEC and ET within three working days of
notification for agreement;
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.
|
3.1.1
In
this section, the requirements, methodology, equipment, monitoring locations,
and protocols for the monitoring and audit of airborne noise impacts during the
construction and operation phases of the Project are presented.
Noise
Parameters
3.2.1
The construction noise level should be measured
in terms of the A-weighted equivalent continuous sound pressure level (Leq). 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. A sample data
record sheet is shown in Appendix C for reference.
Monitoring
Equipment and Methodology
3.2.3
As referred to the requirements of the
Technical Memorandum (TM) issued under the NCO, sound level meters in
compliance with the International Electrotechnical Commission Publications 651:
1979 (Type 1) and 804: 1985 (Type 1) specifications should be used for carrying
out the noise monitoring. Immediately
prior to and following each noise measurement the accuracy of the sound level
meter should be checked using an acoustic calibrator generating a known sound
pressure level at a known frequency.
Measurements may be accepted as valid only if the difference between
calibration levels obtained before and after the noise measurement is less than
1.0 dB.
3.2.4
Noise measurements should be made in accordance with standard acoustic principles and practices
in the relation to weather conditions.
Noise measurements should 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
should be checked with a portable wind speed meter capable of measuring the
wind speed in m/s.
3.2.5
The ET is responsible for the provision of the
monitoring equipment and should 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 should be clearly labelled.
Noise
Monitoring Stations
3.2.6
Based on the findings of EIA Report, the
designated locations for construction noise monitoring are listed in Table 3.1 and are shown in Figure No. C1502/C/TME/ACM/M60/301.
Table 3.1 Noise Monitoring Stations
during Construction Phase
|
Monitoring Station No.(1)
|
NSR ID
in EIA
Report
|
NSR Description
|
|
CN1
|
CG
|
Tower 1, Century Gateway Phase 1
|
|
CN2
|
IPS
|
Islamic Primary School
|
|
CN3
|
LMO
|
Block 13, Lung Mun Oasis
|
|
CN4
|
HSNPS
|
Yan Chai Hospital Ho Sik Nam Primary School
|
|
CN5
|
TCC
|
Taoist Ching Chung Primary School
|
|
CN6
|
OH
|
Tower 1, Oceania Heights
|
|
CN7
|
PG
|
Block 1, Pierhead Garden
|
|
CN8
|
WF
|
Wu Fai House
|
|
CN9
|
GG
|
Block 8, Glorious Garden
|
|
CN10
|
OL
|
Oi Lai House, Yau Oi Estate
|
|
CN11
|
WT
|
Wu Tsui House
|
Note:
(1) Construction noise impact monitoring should
be conducted at the monitoring stations when there are Project-related major
construction activities being undertaken within a radius of 300m from the
monitoring stations.
3.2.7
The status and location of noise sensitive
receivers (NSRs) may change after approval of this Manual. In such case, and if changes to the
monitoring locations are considered necessary, the ET should propose
alternative monitoring stations and seek approval from the ER and agreement
from the IEC and EPD on the proposal. If
alternative monitoring stations are proposed, these stations should be chosen
based on the following criteria:
· Monitoring at locations close to the
major site activities of the Project that are likely to arise noise impacts;
· Monitoring as close as possible to
the NSRs as defined in the EIAO-TM; and
· Assurance of minimal disturbance to
the occupants and working under a safe condition during monitoring.
3.2.8
The monitoring station should normally be at a
point 1m from the exterior of the noise sensitive facade and be at a position
1.2m above ground. If there is a problem
with access to the normal monitoring position, an alternative position should
be chosen, and a correction to the measurement results should be made. For reference, a correction of +3dB(A) should
be made to free-field measurements. The
ET should 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 should be carried out at the same positions. If changes to the
monitoring stations are required upon commencing the baseline monitoring or
thereafter, the ET should propose alternative locations based on the
above-mentioned criteria and seek approval from the ER and agreement from the
IEC and EPD on the proposal.
Impact
Monitoring
3.2.9
Noise monitoring should be carried out at all
the designated monitoring stations when there are Project-related construction
activities being undertaken within a radius of 300m from the monitoring
stations. The monitoring should 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
within 300m from respective monitoring station are underway.
3.2.10
In the case of non-compliance with the
construction noise criteria, more frequent monitoring, as specified in Event
and Action Plan in Table 3.3, should
be carried out. This additional monitoring should be continued until the
recorded noise levels show that the non-compliance is rectified or proved to be
irrelevant to the Project-related construction activities.
Event
and Action Plan
3.2.11
The
Action and Limit levels for construction noise are defined in Table 3.2.
Should non-compliance of the noise criteria occur actions in accordance with
the Event and Action Plan in Table 3.3 should be taken.
Table 3.2 Action and Limit Levels for
Construction Noise Impact Monitoring
|
Time Period
|
Action Level
|
Limit Level
|
|
0700-1900 hours on
normal weekdays
|
When one documented
complaint is received
|
75 dB(A) for
residential premises
|
|
70 dB(A) for schools
and
65 dB(A) during
examination period
|
Table 3.3 Event
and Action Plan for Construction Noise Monitoring
|
EVENT
|
ACTION
|
|
ET
|
IEC
|
ER
|
CONTRACTOR
|
|
Action Level
|
1.
Investigate the complaint and propose
remedial measures;
2.
Discuss with the ER and Contractor on the
remedial measures required; and
3.
Increase monitoring frequency to check
mitigation effectiveness.
|
1.
Review the investigation results submitted by
the Contractor; and
2.
Review and advise the ET and ER on the
effectiveness of the remedial measures proposed by the Contractor.
3.
Supervise the
implementation of remedial measures.
|
1.
Notify the Contractor, ET, IEC and Confirm
receipt of notification of complaint in writing;
2.
Review and agree on the remedial measures
proposed by the Contractor; and
3.
Supervise implementation of remedial
measures.
|
1.
Investigate the complaint and propose
remedial measures;
2.
Report the results of investigation to the
IEC, ET and ER;
3.
Submit noise mitigation proposals to the ER, IEC and
ET within three working days of
notification for agreement; and
4.
Implement noise mitigation proposals.
|
|
Limit Level
|
1.
Notify the Contractor, IEC, EPD and ER;
2.
Repeat measurement to confirm exceedance;
3.
Identify source and investigate the causes of
exceedance;
4.
Carry out analysis of Contractor’s working
procedures to determine possible mitigation to be implemented;
5.
Arrange meeting with the IEC and ER to
discuss the remedial measures to be taken;
6.
Review the effectiveness of Contractor’s
remedial measures and keep IEC, EPD and ER informed of the results; and
7.
If exceedance stops, cease additional
monitoring.
|
1.
Check monitoring data submitted by the ET;
2. Check the Contractor’s working method;
3.
Discuss with the ER, ET and Contractor on the potential remedial
measures; and
4.
Review and advise the ET and ER on the
effectiveness of the remedial measures proposed by the Contractor.
5.
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 and investigate the causes of
exceedance;
2.
Take immediate action to avoid further
exceedance;
3.
Submit proposals for remedial measures to the
ER, IEC and ET within three working days of notification
for agreement;
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.
|
3.3.1
The
maximum permissible sound power levels of the identified fixed noise sources of
the Project were predicted in the EIA Report.
To ensure that the noise impact associated with the fixed plant
operations would comply with the noise standards stipulated in the EIAO-TM and
Noise Control Ordinance (NCO), the specified sound power levels should be
implemented and refined by the Contractor as appropriate. The ET should carry out fixed plant noise
audit and prepare audit report showing the design of the fixed plant noise
sources associated with the Project complies with the maximum sound power
levels determined in the EIA Report, or otherwise approved by the Director of
Environmental Protection in compliance with the requirements in EIAO-TM having
due regard to the characteristics of tonality, impulsiveness and
intermittency. The audit report should
be certified by the ET Leader and verified by the IEC as conforming to the
information and recommendations contained in the EIA Report.
3.3.2
No
specific monitoring for the fixed plant operation is deemed necessary.
3.4
Operation Noise – Railway Noise
Noise
Parameter and Criteria
3.4.1
To
ensure that the operational airborne railway noise levels comply with the noise
standards stipulated in the NCO, the ET should carry out commissioning tests at
the proposed monitoring locations identified in this EM&A Manual. The noise commissioning test report should be
certified by the ET leader and verified by the IEC as conforming to the
information and recommendations contained in the EIA report.
3.4.2
In addition, monitoring of Leq,30min train
noise levels should be carried out at the proposed monitoring locations during
night-time period, i.e. 2300-0700 hours on a monthly basis after the Project is
in operation. It is recommended to conduct the monitoring for the
initial start-up of up to 6 months. With full compliance of the
noise limit and agreement from IEC, monitoring can be terminated before the end
of this 6-month period.
3.4.3
The
Technical Memorandum for the Assessment of Noise from Places other than
Domestic Premises, Public Places or Construction Sites (IND-TM) stipulates the
appropriate acceptable noise levels (ANL) for airborne railway noise. The ANLs are dependent on area sensitivity
rating (ASR) of the noise sensitive receivers and are shown in Table 3.5.
Table 3.4 Acceptable
Noise Levels for Airborne Railway Noise
|
Time Period
|
Noise Criteria (Leq, 30min, dB(A))
|
|
ASR A
|
ASR B
|
ASR C
|
|
Daytime and Evening (0700 to 2300 hours)
|
60
|
65
|
70
|
|
Night-time (2300 to 0700 hours)
|
50
|
55
|
60
|
Monitoring
Equipment and Methodology
3.4.4
The monitoring equipment and methodology for operational
noise monitoring should be same as those recommended for construction noise
monitoring.
3.4.5
The monitoring station should normally be at a
point 1m from the exterior of the noise sensitive façade and be at a position 1.2m
above ground. If there is a problem with
access to the normal monitoring position, an alternative position should be
chosen, and a correction to the measurement results should be made. For reference, a correction of +3dB(A) should
be made to free-field measurements. The
ET should agree with the IEC on the corrections adopted.
3.4.6
One set of 30-minute measurement at the
designated monitoring station should be conducted during night-time (2300 –
0700 hours). Noise measurements of the A-weighted equivalent continuous
sound pressure level (Leq) should be made. Leq (30
minutes) should be used as the monitoring parameter. Supplementary
information for data auditing, statistical results, such as Lmax, L10
and L90 should also be obtained for reference.
Noise
Monitoring Stations
3.4.7
Based on the findings of EIA Report, the
designated locations for railway noise monitoring are listed in Table 3.6 and are shown in Figure No. C1502/C/TME/ACM/M60/302.
Table 3.5 Noise
Monitoring Stations For Railway Noise
|
Monitoring Station No.(1)
|
NSR ID
in EIA
Report
|
NSR Description
|
ASR(2)
|
|
ON1
|
OT
|
Oi Tak House, Yau Oi Estate
|
B
|
|
ON2
|
WHPQ
|
Tuen Mun Wu Hong Police Quarters
|
B
|
|
ON3
|
WB
|
Wu Boon House, Wu King Estate
|
B
|
Notes:
(1) One set of 30-minute measurement at the
designated monitoring station should be conducted during night-time (2300 –
0700 hours). Relevant noise criterion
should be adopted for compliance checking accordingly.
(2) The corresponding ASR of the NSR is
determined based on the best available information and is for indicative
assessment only. The Noise Control Authority shall determine noise impact from
concerned noise sources on the basis of prevailing legislation and practices
being in force, and the ASR determined in this report should not bind the
Authority when enforcing the NCO based on the contemporary conditions.
The ASR would be reviewed as necessary based on the contemporary
conditions/situations.
3.4.8
The status and location of noise monitoring
station may change after approval of this Manual. In such case, and if changes to the
monitoring locations are considered necessary, the ET should propose
alternative monitoring stations and seek approval from the ER and agreement
from the IEC and EPD on the proposal. If
alternative monitoring stations are proposed, these stations should be chosen
based on the following criteria:
· Monitoring at locations close to the
major operation activities of the Project that are likely to arise noise
impacts;
· Monitoring as close as possible to
the NSRs as defined in the EIAO-TM; and
· Assurance of minimal disturbance to
the occupants and working under a safe condition during monitoring.
Construction
Phase
3.5.1
The
EIA Report indicates that construction activities would cause airborne noise
exceedances at a few NSRs, and therefore, appropriate noise mitigation measures
and good site practices are recommended. The Contractor should be responsible
for the design and implementation of these measures. The implementation
schedule for the recommended mitigation measures is presented in Appendix B.
3.5.2
Construction
Noise Management Plan(s) (CNMP) should be prepared before commencement of
construction works, so that both the verification of the plant inventory, and
the assessment of the effectiveness and practicality of all identified
mitigation measures for mitigating the construction noise impact of the
Project, would be performed during the design, tendering and construction stage
of the Project. A clear method statement
of all the recommended mitigation measures for controlling the construction
noise impacts should be formulated in the CNMP(s) to be prepared by future
Contractors, such that all the recommended mitigation measures will be
implemented and executed properly. In
case there is any change to noise mitigation measures, the Contractor should
update the CNMP accordingly to demonstrate the compliance of EIAO-TM with the
implementation of proposed noise mitigation measures. The CNMP(s) should be certified by the
ET Leader and verified by the IEC.
3.5.3
In
the event of exceedances or Project related complaints, the Contractor should
review the effectiveness of these mitigation measures and propose, design and
implement alternative or additional measures as appropriate. The Contractor should liaise with the ET and
ER on alternative or additional remedial measures, if appropriate, and the
proposal of the measures should be submitted to the ER and IEC for
agreement. The Contractor should
implement the agreed remedial measures properly.
Operation
Phase
3.5.4
The
mitigation measures as recommended in the EIA Report for the fixed plant and
railway noise associated with the Project is presented in Appendix B. These measures should be reviewed and refined
by the ER and ETL if there are any major design changes during the detailed
design phase such that the recommended measures are adequate for alleviating
the potential operation noise impacts.
4.1
Introduction
4.1.1
Potential water quality impacts arising from the
construction and operation phases of the Project were identified and assessed
in the EIA Report. With the implementation of
the recommended mitigation measures, no adverse water quality impacts from
the Project would be expected during the construction and operation phases of
the Project. Nevertheless, water quality
monitoring and site audit is recommended during construction phase to ensure
that all the recommended mitigation measures are properly implemented. No monitoring or audit is required in the
operation phase.
4.2
Construction Phase EM&A
Monitoring
Parameters
4.2.1
Monitoring for Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Dissolved
Oxygen Saturation (DO%), temperature, pH, turbidity, salinity, suspended solid
(SS) and water depth should be undertaken at all designated monitoring
locations. All parameters should be
measured in-situ whereas SS should be determined by the laboratory. DO should be presented in mg/L and in %
saturation.
4.2.2
Other relevant data should also be recorded,
including monitoring location / position, time, tidal stages, weather
conditions and any special phenomena or work underway at the construction site
during the monitoring.
Monitoring
Schedule and Stations
4.2.3
The proposed water quality monitoring schedule
should be submitted to EPD at least two weeks before the first day of the
monitoring month. EPD should also be
notified immediately for any changes in schedule. The monitoring stations proposed in this
section are indicative and are subject to further review before commencement of
construction works at Tuen Mun River Channel.
The locations of monitoring stations may change after issuing this
Manual. The proposed monitoring
locations should be submitted four weeks before commencement of baseline
monitoring for IEC and EPD approval.
4.2.4
When alternative monitoring locations are proposed,
they should be chosen based on the following criteria:
· 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;
· Two or more control stations which should be at representative locations
of the Project site in its undisturbed condition. Control stations should be
located, as far as practicable, both upstream and downstream of the works area.
4.2.5
A total of 11 water quality monitoring locations
are proposed in the Tuen Mun River channel (W1 to W11) during ebb tide and
flood tide. Impact stations are
designated in the vicinity of piling works and pile cap construction works
within the Tuen Mun River Channel to measure any elevation of pollutant levels
(e.g. SS level) due to the Project. As
the water flow direction in the river channel is dominated by the tidal forcing
from the southern entrance of the sea channel, the upstream station (i.e. W1)
and downstream station (i.e. W8) of Tuen Mun River Channel would be served as
control stations according to the tidal condition to compare the water quality
near the works sites with the ambient water quality during the ebb tide and
flood tide. All the proposed water quality monitoring stations are listed in Table 4.1 and their locations are shown
in Figure No. C1502/C/TME/ACM/M60/401.
Table 4.1 Proposed River Water Quality Monitoring
Stations for Baseline and Construction Phase Monitoring
|
Station ID.
|
Description(1)
|
Easting
|
Northing
|
|
Ebb Tide
|
|
W1
|
Control Station
|
815248
|
828328
|
|
W2
|
Impact Station
|
815152
|
827793
|
|
W3
|
Impact Station
|
814910
|
827397
|
|
W4
|
Impact Station
|
814842
|
827316
|
|
W5
|
Impact Station
|
814729
|
826983
|
|
W6
|
Impact Station
|
814732
|
826890
|
|
W7
|
Impact Station
|
814715
|
826771
|
|
Flood Tide
|
|
W8
|
Control Station
|
814789
|
826682
|
|
W9
|
Impact Station
|
814693
|
826816
|
|
W10
|
Impact Station
|
814717
|
826927
|
|
W11
|
Impact Station
|
814759
|
827168
|
|
W3
|
Impact Station
|
814910
|
827397
|
|
W2
|
Impact Station
|
815152
|
827793
|
|
W1
|
Impact Station
|
815248
|
828328
|
Note:
(1) Monitoring will be conducted when piling
works and pile cap construction works are being conducted at Tuen Mun River
Channel. As impact stations are
designated in the vicinity of piling works and pile cap construction works
within the Tuen Mun River Channel, the water quality monitoring will only be
conducted at the designated stations that are located in the vicinity of piling
works and pile cap construction works.
Monitoring
Requirements
4.2.6
Baseline, impact and post-construction monitoring
should be conducted. The following
requirements should be followed for baseline, impact and post-construction
monitoring:
· Measurement should be taken at 3 water depths, namely, 1m below water
surface, mid-depth and 1m above sea bed, except where the water depth less that
6m, the mid-depth station may be omitted.
Should the water depth be less than 3m, only the mid-depth station will
be monitored. The ET should agree with
EPD on all the monitoring stations.
· Duplicate in-situ measurements and water samples collected from
each independent monitoring event are required for all parameters to ensure a
robust statistically interpretable dataset.
· No sampling should be carried out when typhoon signal No. 3 or above or
black rainstorm signal is hoisted.
· At each measurement depth, two consecutive measurements should be
taken. The probes would be retrieved out
of the water after the first measurement and then redeployed for the second
measurement. When the difference in
value between the first and second measurement of on-site parameters is more
than 25% of the value of the first reading, the reading should be discarded and
further readings should be taken.
Baseline
monitoring
4.2.7
Baseline conditions for river water quality should
be established and agreed with EPD prior to the commencement of works at Tuen
Mun River Channel. The purpose of the
baseline monitoring is to establish ambient conditions prior to the
commencement of the construction works at Tuen Mun River Channel and to
demonstrate the suitability of the proposed monitoring stations. The baseline monitoring report should be
submitted to EPD at least 4 weeks before the commencement of construction works
at Tuen Mun River Channel for agreement.
The baseline monitoring report should be certified by the ET Leader and
verified by IEC before submission to EPD.
4.2.8
The baseline conditions should be established by
measuring water quality parameters as specified in Section 4.2.1 and 4.2.2 at the designated monitoring
stations as shown in Table 4.1. The measurement depths should follow those
specified in Section 4.2.6. The measurements should be taken at all designated
monitoring stations including control station, 3 days per week, at mid-flood
and mid-ebb tides, for at least 4 weeks prior to the commencement of
construction works at Tuen Mun River Channel.
There should not be any construction activities in the vicinity of the
stations during the baseline monitoring.
The interval between 2 consecutive sets of monitoring should not be less
than 36 hours.
Impact
Monitoring
4.2.9
During the construction period of the bored piling
works and construction of pile caps at Tuen Mun River Channel, impact
monitoring should be undertaken 3 days per week, at mid-flood and mid-ebb
tides, with sampling/measurement at all designated monitoring stations
including control station as specified in Table 4.1. The interval between 2 consecutive sets of
monitoring should not be less than 36 hours except where there are exceedances
of Action and/or Limit levels, in which case the monitoring frequency will be
increased. The monitoring parameters and
measurement depths should follow those specified in Section 4.2.1, 4.2.2 and 4.2.6.
4.2.10
If the impact monitoring data collected at the
monitoring stations (i.e. Stations W2, W3, W4, W5, W6 and W7 during ebb tide;
Stations W1, W2, W3, W9, W10, W11 during flood tide) exceed that the Action or
Limit levels as shown in Table 4.2, analysis should be conducted
to identify whether the exceedance is caused by Project activities. If the data analysis results indicate that
the exceedance is caused by the Project, appropriate actions including lowering
the working rate, or rescheduling of works should be taken and additional
mitigation measures should be implemented as necessary.
Post-Construction
Monitoring
4.2.11
Upon completion of all construction works at Tuen
Mun River Channel, a post-project monitoring should be carried out for 4 weeks
in the same manner as the impact monitoring.
Monitoring
Equipment
4.2.12
The following equipment and facilities should be
provided by the ET and used for the monitoring of water quality impacts.
Monitoring
Position Equipment
4.2.13
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, should be provided and used during
water quality monitoring to ensure the monitoring vessel is at the correct
location before taking measurements.
DGPS or the equivalent instrument, calibrated at appropriate checkpoint
(e.g. Quarry Bay Survey Nail at Easting 840683.49, Northing 816709.55) should
be provided and used to ensure the monitoring station is at the correct
position before taking measurement and water samples.
Sampler
4.2.14
A water sampler is required. It should comprise a transparent PVC
cylinder, with a capacity of not less than 2 litres, which can be effectively
sealed with latex cups at both ends. The
sampler should 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
4.2.15
A portable, battery-operated echo sounder should 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.
Dissolved
Oxygen and Temperature Measuring Instrument
4.2.16
The instrument should be a portable and
weatherproof DO measuring instrument complete with cable and sensor, and use a
DC power source. The equipment should be
capable of measuring:
· a DO-level in the range of 0 - 20 mg/L and 0 - 200% saturation; and
· a temperature of 0 - 45 degree Celsius with a capability of measuring to
±0.1 degree Celsius.
4.2.17
It should have a membrane electrode with automatic
temperature compensation complete with a cable.
Sufficient stocks of spare electrodes and cables should 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).
4.2.18
Should salinity compensation not be built-in to the
DO equipment, in-situ salinity should be measured to calibrate the DO equipment
prior to each DO measurement.
Turbidity
Measuring Instrument
4.2.19
Turbidity should be measured in-situ by the
nephelometric method. The instrument
should be portable and weatherproof using a DC power source complete with
cable, sensor and comprehensive operation manuals. It should have a photoelectric sensor capable
of measuring turbidity between 0 - 1000 NTU (for example, Hach model 2100P or
an approved similar instrument). The
cable should not be less than 25m in length.
The meter should be calibrated in order to establish the relationship
between NTU units and the levels of suspended solids. The turbidity measurement should be carried
out on split water sample collected from the same depths of suspended solids
samples.
Salinity
Measuring Equipment
4.2.20
A portable salinometer capable of measuring
salinity in the range of 0 - 40 parts per thousand (ppt) should be provided for
measuring salinity of the water at each monitoring location.
pH
Measuring Equipment
4.2.21
The instrument should consist of a potentiometer, a
glass electrode, a reference electrode and a temperature-compensating
device. It should be readable to 0.1 pH
in a range of 0 to 14. Standard buffer
solutions of at least pH 7 and pH 10 should be used for calibration of the
instrument before and after use. Details
of the method should comply with APHA, 19th Edition 4500-HTB.
Sample
Containers and Storage
4.2.22
Water samples for SS determination should be stored
in high density polythene bottles with no preservative added,
packed in ice (cooled to 4℃ without being frozen) and
delivered to the laboratory and analysed as soon as possible after
collection. Sufficient volume of samples
should be collected to achieve the detection limit.
Calibration
of in-situ Instruments
4.2.23
All in-situ monitoring instruments should 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 should be checked with certified standard solutions
before each use. Wet bulb calibration
for a DO meter should be carried out before measurement at each monitoring
location.
4.2.24
For the on-site calibration of field equipment, the
BS 127:1993, Guide to Field and On-Site Test Methods for the Analysis of Water
should be observed.
4.2.25
Sufficient stocks of spare parts should be
maintained for replacements when necessary.
Backup monitoring equipment should also be made available so that
monitoring can proceed uninterrupted even when some equipment is under
maintenance, calibration, etc.
Field
Log
4.2.26
A sample data record sheet is shown in Appendix C for reference.
Laboratory
Measurement / Analysis
4.2.27
Analysis of SS level should be carried out in a
HOKLAS (or other international accredited laboratory that is
HOKLAS-equivalent). Sufficient water
samples of not less than 2 litres should be collected at the monitoring
stations for carrying out the laboratory SS determination. All samples should be assigned a unique code
and accompanied by Chain of Custody (COC) sheets.
4.2.28
The SS determination work should start within 24
hours after collection of the water samples.
The SS analyses should follow the standard method APHA 2540D with a
detection limit of 1 mg/L as described in APHA Standard Methods for the
Examination of Water and Wastewater, 21st Edition, unless otherwise specified.
4.2.29
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 should be submitted to IEC and 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. The testing methods and related proposal
should be checked and certified by IEC before submission to EPD for approval.
4.2.30
Additional duplicate samples may be required by EPD
for inter laboratory calibration.
Remaining samples after analysis should 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
should have comprehensive quality assurance and quality control
programmes. The laboratory should
prepare to demonstrate the programmes to EPD or his representatives when
requested.
Event
and Action Plan
4.2.31
The Action and Limit (AL) Levels for water quality
are defined in Table 4.2. The actions in accordance with the Event and
Action Plan in Table 4.3 should be carried out if the
defined Action and/or Limit levels for water quality are exceeded at any
designated monitoring points.
Table 4.2 Action and Limit Levels for Water Quality
|
Parameters
|
Action
Level
|
Limit
Level
|
|
DO (mg/L)
|
Surface, Middle and Bottom
5 percentile of baseline data
|
Surface, Middle and Bottom
4 mg/L, or
1 percentile of baseline data
|
|
SS (mg/L)
|
Depth Average
95 percentile of baseline data and
120% of upstream control station at the same tide of the same day
|
Depth Average
99 percentile of baseline data and
130% of upstream control station at the same tide of the same day
|
|
Turbidity (NTU)
|
Depth Average
95 percentile of baseline data
and 120% of upstream control station at the same tide of the same day
|
Depth Average
99 percentile of baseline data
and 130% of upstream control station at the same tide of the same day
|
Notes:
(1) "Depth Average" is
calculated by taking the arithmetic means of reading of all sampling depths.
(2) For DO, non-compliance of the
water quality limits occurs when monitoring result is lower than the limits.
(3) For turbidity and SS,
non-compliance of the water quality limits occurs when monitoring result is
higher than the limits.
(4) All the figures given in the table
are used for reference only and the EPD may amend the figures whenever it is
considered as necessary.
Table 4.3 Event and Action Plan for Water Quality
|
EVENT
|
ACTION
|
|
ET
|
IEC
|
ER
|
CONTRACTOR
|
|
Action level being exceeded by one sampling day
|
1.
Repeat in-situ measurement on next day
of exceedance to confirm findings;
2.
Identify reasons for non-compliance and
source(s) of impact;
3.
Inform IEC and Contractor; and
4.
Check monitoring data, all plant, equipment
and Contractor’s working methods.
|
1.
Check monitoring data submitted by ET and
Contractor(s)’s working methods.
|
1.
Confirm receipt of notification of exceedance
in writing.
|
1.
Inform the ER and confirm notification of the
non-compliance in writing;
2.
Check all plant and equipment and rectify
unacceptable practice.
|
|
Action level being exceeded by two or more
consecutive sampling days
|
1.
Repeat in-situ measurement on next day
of exceedance to confirm findings;
2.
Identify reasons for non-compliance and
source(s) of impact;
3.
Inform IEC and Contractor;
4.
Check monitoring data, all plant, equipment
and Contractor's working methods;
5.
Discuss additional mitigation measures with
IEC and Contractor and ensure mitigation measures are implemented; and
6.
Prepare to increase the monitoring frequency
to daily.
|
1.
Discuss with ET and Contractor on the
mitigation measures and advise the ER accordingly;
2.
Assess the effectiveness of the implemented
mitigation measures; and
3.
Check monitoring data submitted by ET and Contractor(s)’s
working methods.
|
1.
Confirm receipt of notification of exceedance
in writing
2.
Discuss with IEC on the proposed mitigation
measures and agree on the mitigation measures to be implemented;
3.
Ensure additional mitigation measures are
properly implemented; and
4.
Assess the effectiveness of the implemented
mitigation measures.
|
1.
Inform the ER and confirm notification of the
non-compliance in writing;
2.
Check all plant and equipment and rectify
unacceptable practice;
3.
Consider changes of working methods;
4.
Discuss with ET and IEC and propose
mitigation measures to IEC and ER within 3 working days; and
5.
Implement the agreed mitigation measures.
|
|
Limit level being exceeded by one sampling day
|
1.
Repeat in-situ measurement on next day
of exceedance to confirm findings;
2.
Identify reasons for non-compliance and
source(s) of impact;
3.
Inform IEC, Contractor and ER;
4.
Check monitoring data, all plant, equipment
and Contractor's working methods;
5.
Discuss additional mitigation measures with
IEC, ER and Contractor and ensure mitigation measures are implemented; and
6.
Increase the monitoring frequency to daily
until no exceedance of limit level.
|
1.
Discuss with ET and Contractor on the
mitigation measures;
2.
Review proposals on mitigation measures
submitted by Contractor and advise the ER accordingly;
3.
Assess the effectiveness of the implemented
mitigation measures.
|
1.
Confirm receipt of notification of exceedance
in writing
2.
Discuss with IEC, ET and Contractor on the
proposed mitigation measures and agree on the mitigation measures to be
implemented;
3.
Ensure additional mitigation measures are
properly implemented;
4.
Assess the effectiveness of the implemented
mitigation measures; and
5.
Request Contractor to critically review the
working methods.
|
1.
Inform the ER and confirm notification of the
non-compliance in writing;
2.
Check all plant and equipment and rectify
unacceptable practice;
3.
Consider changes of working methods;
4.
Discuss with ET and IEC and propose
mitigation measures to IEC and ER within 3 working days; and
5.
Implement the agreed mitigation measures.
|
|
Limit level being exceeded by two or more
consecutive sampling days
|
1.
Repeat in-situ measurement on next day
of exceedance to confirm findings;
2.
Identify reasons for non-compliance and
source(s) of impact;
3.
Inform IEC, Contractor and ER;
4.
Check monitoring data, all plant, equipment
and Contractor's working methods;
5.
Discuss additional mitigation measures with
IEC, ER and Contractor and ensure mitigation measures are implemented; and
6.
Increase the monitoring frequency to daily
until no exceedance of limit level.
|
1.
Discuss with ET and Contractor on the
mitigation measures;
2.
Review proposals on mitigation measures
submitted by Contractor and advise the ER accordingly; and
3.
Assess the effectiveness of the implemented
mitigation measures.
|
1.
Confirm receipt of notification of exceedance
in writing
2.
Discuss with IEC, ET and Contractor on the
proposed mitigation measures and agree on the mitigation measures to be
implemented;
3.
Ensure additional mitigation measures are
properly implemented;
4.
Assess the effectiveness of the implemented
mitigation measures;
5.
Request Contractor to critically review the
working methods; and
6.
Consider and instruct, if necessary, the
Contractor to slow down or to stop all or part of the construction activities
until no exceedance of Limit level.
|
1.
Inform ER and confirm notification of
non-compliance in writing;
2.
Check all plant and equipment and rectify
unacceptable practice;
3.
Consider changes of working methods;
4.
Discuss with ET and IEC and propose
mitigation measures to IEC and ER within 3 working days;
5.
Implement the agreed mitigation measures; and
6.
As directed by the ER, to slow down or to
stop all or part of the construction activities.
|
4.3
Mitigation Measures
4.3.1
Mitigation measures for construction phase water
quality impacts have been recommended in the EIA Report. The Contractor should be responsible for the
design and implementation of the mitigation measures.
4.4
Compliance Audit
4.4.1
Monitoring of the treated effluent quality from the
Project site is required during the construction phase of the Project. The monitoring should be carried out at the
pre-determined discharge point.
Compliance audits aims to ensure that a valid discharge licence has been
issued by EPD prior to the discharge of effluent from the Project site. The monitoring frequency and parameters
specified in the discharge licence under WPCO should be fully considered during
the monitoring.
5.1.1
Construction
and Demolition (C&D) materials, land-based and river-based sediment,
general refuse from workforce and chemical waste would be generated during the
construction phase. It is the Contractor’s responsibility to ensure all the
waste arisen from the Project are handled, stored and disposed of in accordance
with good waste management practices, relevant legislation and waste management
guidelines. Provided that these wastes are handled, transported and disposed of
using approved methods and that the recommended good site practices and
relevant legislation are strictly followed, adverse environmental impacts would
not be expected.
5.1.2
As
there would be limited quantities of waste to be generated from the operation
of the Project, no adverse environmental impacts would be anticipated with the
implementation of good waste management practices. Monitoring and audit programme for the
operation phase of the Project would not be required.
5.2.1
Regular
audits and site inspections should be carried out during construction phase by
the ER, ET and Contractor to ensure that the recommended good site practices
and the recommended mitigation measures 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.
5.2.2
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.
5.3.1
The
mitigation measures recommended in EIA Report should form the basis of the Waste
Management Plan (WMP) to be developed by the Contractor during the construction
stage.
5.3.2
It
is recommended that the waste generated during the construction activities
should be audited regularly by the ET to determine if wastes are 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
legislation and contract requirements.
In addition, the routine site inspections should check the
implementation of the recommended good site practices and other waste
management mitigation measures.
5.3.3
With
the appropriate handling, storage and disposal of waste arising from the
construction works as recommended in Appendix B, adverse environmental impacts would not be expected. During the site inspections, the ET should
pay special attention to the issues relating to waste management and check
whether the Contractor has implemented the recommended good site practices and
mitigation measures.
6.1.2
As
the concerned facilities / areas are still in operation and the demolition and
construction works will not commence until 2023, there could be change in site
activities and land uses within the Project Area prior to development which may
cause further contamination issues.
Further site appraisal, associated SI works and any necessary
remediation action are recommended to be carried out after site operation has
ceased but prior to commencement of construction works at the concerned
area(s). The recommended further
assessment and remediation works, including the submission of 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)) to EPD for approval, would follow relevant Guidance Manual,
Guidance Note and Practice Guide.
6.1.3
With
the implementation of the recommended follow-up works for the concerned areas,
any soil / groundwater contamination would be identified and properly treated
prior to construction works at the concerned areas. Specific EM&A requirement is therefore
not required.
6.2.1
If
land contamination is identified, precautionary measures are recommended in Appendix B to
minimize environmental impacts arising from handling of potentially
contaminated materials. The Contractor should be responsible for the
implementation of these measures.
7.1.1
Potential
ecological impacts arising from the construction and operation phases of the
Project were assessed in the EIA Report.
There would be no direct impact on ecological resources anticipated. Mitigation measures have been recommended to
minimize the potential indirect impacts to the nearby sensitive ecological
resources (e.g. ardeid night roost in Tuen Mun Park). With the implementation of appropriate
mitigation measures, no unacceptable adverse residual impacts would be
anticipated. Nonetheless, EM&A is
considered necessary during construction and the first year of operation of the
Project and the requirements are described below.
7.2.1
The
mitigation measures recommended in the EIA Report to minimize potential
ecological impacts are provided in Appendix B.
Pre-Construction
Ecological Survey
7.3.1
The
result of the ecological field surveys conducted for the EIA study, which were
conducted monthly for a 6-month period between January and June 2021, will be
adopted as the baseline for the evaluation of utilization of the night roost
site by birds in Tuen Mun Park 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 a verification survey as necessary to
record and verify the status and location of ardeid night roost within 100m of
the Project site boundary. The baseline
ecological monitoring/verification surveys should be undertaken by experienced
ecologist(s) with at least 7 years of relevant working experience. A Pre-Construction Ecological Survey Report
including the results from baseline and verification surveys should be
submitted to relevant Government departments no later than one month before the
commencement of construction of the project.
Subject to the findings of the survey, the Pre-Construction Survey
Report should list out details of all measures to minimize the potential
impacts on the ardeid night roost during the construction of the Project.
Ardeid
Night Roost Monitoring
7.3.2
Monthly
monitoring of the existing ardeid night roost in Tuen Mun Park should be
conducted when the construction works are conducted within 100m of the night
roost, and during dry season in the first year of the operational phase. The monthly monitoring of the operational
phase should commence immediately after the project operation starts and cover
at least a six-month period, or until the end of first entire dry season,
whichever is later. Criteria to be
monitored include the status, location and extent of ardeid night roost, the
condition of trees used as the night roost, the species, abundance and the
returning time of the roosting ardeids, as well as their flight height and
flight line. The night roost survey
should be conducted to cover the peak period of ardeid activities,
starting from approximately an hour before sunset and lasted until nightfall
when observation of ardeid is no longer possible. The exact time of sunset on the date of
survey should be made reference to the website of Hong Kong Observatory.
Direct observation should be made from an appropriate vantage point
which enables view of the night roost.
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. In the event that night-time construction
works would be conducted within 100m of the night roost, weekly monitoring
should be conducted during the period of night-time works.
7.3.3
Contingency
arrangement due to the uncontrollable issues (i.e. traffic jam, delay of
concrete supply, breakdown of plant / equipment, etc) may result in conducting
the concreting works beyond the sunset time.
In the event of occurrence of contingency arrangement, a notice with
valid justification documents and contingency arrangement details should be
prepared and recorded in the EM&A reports. This notice should also record
any change in the ardeid night roost (e.g. displacement or abandonment)
observed during contingency arrangement and any mitigation measures implemented
and/or to be implemented.
7.3.4
The
ecological monitoring should be undertaken by experienced ecologist(s) with at
least 7 years of relevant working experience.
The usage of the ardeid night roost should be reviewed and analysed, 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. In the event that 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 can be ceased. However, if the night roost is found to have
relocated to a location within 100 m from the works site or new night roost is
found within 100 m from the works site, buffer zone should be adjusted or new
buffer zone should be included accordingly.
The monitoring results and evaluation of the usage of the ardeid night
roost should be reported in the monthly EM&A Reports.
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
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.
8.1.2
Site
audit on landscape and visual aspects of the Project should be carried out
during the construction phase.
8.2.1
The
landscape and visual mitigation measures should be incorporated in the detailed
design. The mitigation measures during construction and operation phases as
recommended in the EIA Report are presented in Appendix B. Where feasible, the construction phase
mitigation measures should be implemented as early as possible in order to
minimize the landscape and visual impacts in the construction stage while the
mitigation measures for the operation phase should be adopted during the
detailed design and be built as part of the construction works so that they are
in place before commissioning of the Project.
8.2.2
Any
potential conflicts among the proposed mitigation measures, the Project works,
and operational requirements should also be identified and resolved as early as
practicable. Any changes to the
mitigation measures should be incorporated in the detailed design.
8.3.1
Site
audits should be undertaken during the construction phase of the Project to
check that the proposed landscape and visual mitigation measures are properly
implemented and maintained as per their intended objectives. Site inspections should be undertaken by the
ET at least once every month during the construction period.
9.1.1
It
is anticipated that there would be no impacts to archaeological and built
heritage resources during construction and operation phases of the Project.
9.2.1
The
recommended mitigation measures as presented in Appendix B of this EM&A
Manual should be implemented to meet the EIAO-TM requirements.
10.1.1
The
EIA study concluded that no unacceptable risk is anticipated during the
construction and operational phase of the Project.
10.2
Mitigation Measures
10.2.1
The
recommended mitigation measures as presented in Appendix B of this EM&A
Manual should be implemented to meet the EIAO-TM requirements.
11.1.1
Site
inspection is one of the most effective tools to enforce the environmental
protection requirements at the works sites and works areas by providing a
direct mean to trigger and enforce specified environmental protection and
pollution control measures. Site
inspection should be undertaken regularly during the construction phase to
ensure that appropriate environmental protection and pollution control
mitigation measures are properly implemented for the activities associated with
the Project.
11.1.2
The
ET Leader should be responsible for formulating the environmental site
inspection programme as well as the deficiency and remedial action reporting
system, and for carrying out the site inspections. The proposal for rectification, if any,
should be prepared and submitted to the ET Leader and IEC by the Contractor.
11.1.3
Regular
site inspections should be carried out and led by the ER and attended by the
Contractor and ET at least once per week during the construction phase. The
areas of inspection should not be limited to the environmental conditions and
the pollution control and mitigation measures within the works sites and works
areas, it should also review the environmental conditions of locations that are
beyond the boundary of the works sites and works areas but are likely to be
affected directly or indirectly by the construction site activities of the
Project. During the inspection, the following information should be
referred to:
· The EIA Report and EM&A
recommendations on environmental protection and pollution control mitigation
measures;
· Ongoing results of the EM&A
programme;
· Works progress and programme;
· Individual works methodology
proposals (which should include the proposal on associated pollution control
measures);
· Contract specifications on
environmental protection and pollution prevention control;
· Relevant environmental protection
and pollution control legislations; and
· Previous site inspection results
undertaken by the ET and others.
11.1.4
The
Contractor should keep the ER and ET Leader updated with all relevant
environmental related information on the construction contract necessary for
him/her to carry out the site inspections. Site inspection results and
associated recommendations for improvements to the environmental protection and
pollution control efforts should be recorded and followed up by the Contractor
in an agreed time-frame. The Contractor should follow the procedures and
time-frame stipulated in the environmental site inspection, and the deficiency
and remedial action reporting system to be formulated by the ET Leader, to
report on any remedial measures subsequent to the site inspections.
11.1.5
The
ER, ET and the Contractor should 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 Event and Action Plan for the EM&A
programme.
11.2
Compliance with
Legal and Contractual Requirements
11.2.1
There
are statuary requirements on environmental protection and pollution control
with which construction activities must comply.
11.2.2
To
ensure that the works are in compliance with the statutory requirement, all
method statements of works should be submitted by the Contractor to the ER for
approval and to the ET Leader for vetting to ensure sufficient environmental
protection and pollution control measures have been included. The
implementation schedule of mitigation measures is summarized in Appendix B. Any
proposed changes to the mitigation measures in Appendix B shall be certified by
the ET Leader and verified by the IEC as conforming to the relevant information
and recommendations contained in the EIA Report.
11.2.3
The
ER and ET Leader should also review the progress and programme of the works to
check that relevant environmental legislations have not been violated, and that
any foreseeable potential for violating laws can be prevented.
11.2.4
The
Contractor should provide the update of the relevant documents to the ET Leader
so that works checking could be carried out effectively. The document should at
least include the updated Works Progress Reports, updated Works Programme,
method statements, any application letters for licences / permits under the
environmental protection legislations, and copies of all valid licences /
permits. The site diary should also be available for the inspection by
the relevant parties.
11.2.5
After
reviewing the documentation, the ET should advise the Contractor of any
non-compliance with legislative requirements on environmental protection and
pollution control so that they can timely take follow-up actions as
appropriate. If the follow-up actions
may still result in violation of environmental protection and pollution control
requirements, the ER and ET should provide further advice to the Contractor to
take remedial action to resolve the problem.
11.2.6
Upon
receipt of the advice, the Contractor should undertake immediate action to
remedy the situation. The ER and ET should follow up to ensure that appropriate
action has been taken in order to satisfy legal requirements.
11.3.2
In
case the Contractor needs to update the mitigation measures and/or the project
implementation schedule as a result of alternative construction method(s) or
other condition (e.g. site constraint(s)), the ET should also review the latest
recommendation of mitigation measures and/or project implementation schedule by
submission of a Proactive Environmental Protection Proforma as shown in Appendix C. The
IEC should verify the Proforma and conduct audit to confirm proper
implementation of the alternative measures.
11.4.1
The
following procedures should be undertaken upon receipt of any environmental
complaint (Appendix D refers):
· The Contractor to log complaint and
date of receipt onto the complaint database and inform the ER, ET and IEC
immediately;
· The Contractor to investigate, with
the ER and ET, the complaint to determine its validity, and assess whether the
source of the problem is due to construction works of the Project with the
support of additional monitoring frequency and stations, if necessary;
· The Contractor to identify remedial
measures in consultation with the IEC, ET and ER if a complaint is valid and
due to the construction works of the Project;
· The Contractor to implement the
remedial measures as required by the ER and to agree with the ET and IEC any
additional monitoring frequency and stations, where necessary, for checking the
effectiveness of the remedial measures;
· The ER, ET and IEC to review the
effectiveness of the Contractor's remedial measures and the updated situation;
· The ET/Contractor to undertake
additional monitoring if necessary and audit to verify the situation, and
oversee that circumstances leading to the complaint do not recur;
· If the complaint is referred by the
EPD, the Contractor to prepare interim report on the status of the complaint
investigation and follow-up action stipulated above, including the details of
the remedial measures and additional monitoring identified or already taken,
for submission to EPD within the time frame assigned by the EPD; and
· The ET to record the details of the
complaint, results of the investigation,
subsequent actions taken to address the complaint and updated situation
including the effectiveness of the remedial measures, supported by regular and
additional monitoring results in the monthly EM&A reports.
12.1.1
Types
of reports that the ET should prepare and submit include Baseline Monitoring
Report, Monthly EM&A Reports and Final EM&A Review Report. In accordance with Annex 21 of the EIAO-TM, a
copy of the monthly and final review EM&A reports should be made available
to the Director of Environmental Protection.
12.1.2
Reports
can be provided in an electronic medium upon agreeing the format with the ER
and EPD. All the monitoring data
(baseline and impact) should be submitted in electronic medium.
12.2.1
The
ET should prepare and submit a Baseline Environmental Monitoring Report at
least one month before commencement of construction works. Copies of the Baseline Environmental
Monitoring Report should be submitted to the IEC, ER and EPD. The ET should liaise with the relevant
parties on the exact number of copies require.
12.2.2
The
Baseline Monitoring Report should include at least the following information:
(i)
up
to half a page of executive summary;
(ii)
brief
description of project background information;
(iii)
drawings
showing locations of the baseline monitoring stations;
(iv)
monitoring
results (in both hard and soft copies) together with the following information:
Ÿ monitoring
methodology
Ÿ name of
laboratory and types of equipment used and calibration details
Ÿ parameters
monitored
Ÿ monitoring
locations (and depth)
Ÿ monitoring
date, time, frequency and duration
Ÿ quality
assurance (QA) /
quality control (QC) results and detection
limits
(v)
details
of influencing factors, including:
Ÿ major
activities, if any, being carried out on the Project site during the period
Ÿ weather
conditions during the period
Ÿ other
factors which might affect the
monitoring results
(vi)
determination
of the Action and Limit Levels (AL levels) for each monitoring parameter and
statistical analysis of the baseline data;
(vii)
revisions
for inclusion in the EM&A Manual; and
(viii)
comments
and conclusions.
12.3.1
The
results and findings of all EM&A works required in this Manual should be
recorded in the monthly EM&A reports prepared by the ET and endorsed by the
IEC. The first Monthly EM&A Report
should be prepared and submitted to EPD within a month after the major
construction works commences with the subsequently Monthly EM&A Reports due
in 10 working days of the end of each reporting month. Copies of each monthly EM&A report should
be submitted to each of the three parties: ER, IEC and EPD. Before submission of the first monthly
EM&A Report, the ET should liaise with the parties on the exact number of
copies and format of the monthly reports in both hard copy and electronic
copies.
12.3.2
The
ET should 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.
12.4.1
The
first Monthly EM&A Report should include at least but not limited to the
following:
(i)
executive
summary (1-2 pages):
Ÿ breaches of
Action and Limit levels;
Ÿ complaint
log;
Ÿ notifications
of any summons and successful prosecutions;
Ÿ reporting
changes; and
Ÿ future key
issues.
(ii)
basic
project information:
Ÿ project
organization including key personnel contact names and telephone numbers;
Ÿ construction
programme;
Ÿ management
structure; and
Ÿ works
undertaken during the reporting month.
(iii)
environmental
status:
Ÿ advice on
the status of statutory environmental compliance, such as the status of
compliance with the EP conditions under the EIAO, submission status under the
EP and implementation status of mitigation measures;
Ÿ works
undertaken during the reporting month with illustrations (e.g. location of
works, etc); and
Ÿ drawings
showing the Project area, any environmental sensitive receivers and the
locations of the monitoring stations.
(iv)
summary
of EM&A requirements:
Ÿ all
monitoring parameters;
Ÿ environmental
quality performance limits (Action and Limit levels);
Ÿ Event and
Action Plans;
Ÿ environmental
mitigation measures, as recommended in the EIA Report; and
Ÿ environmental
requirements in contract documents.
(v)
implementation
status:
Ÿ advice on
the implementation status of environmental protection and pollution control/mitigation
measures as recommended in the EIA Report.
(vi)
monitoring
results (in both hard and soft copies) together with the following information:
Ÿ monitoring
methodology;
Ÿ name of laboratory
and types of equipment used and calibration details;
Ÿ monitoring
parameters;
Ÿ monitoring
locations;
Ÿ monitoring
date, time, frequency and duration; and
Ÿ graphical
plots of the monitoring parameters in the reporting month annotated against the
following;
a) major activities being carried out on site during the reporting
period;
b) weather conditions during the reporting period;
c) any other factors which might affect the monitoring results; and
d) QA/QC results and detection limits.
(vii) report on non-compliance, complaints,
notifications of summons and status of prosecutions:
Ÿ record of
all non-compliance (exceedances) of the environmental quality performance
limits (Action and Limit levels);
Ÿ record of
all complaints received, including locations and nature of complaints
investigation, liaison and consultation undertaken, actions and follow-up
procedures taken, results and summary;
Ÿ record of
all notification of summons and successful prosecutions for breaches of current
environmental protection / pollution control legislation, including locations
and nature of the breaches, investigation, follow-up actions taken, results and
summary;
Ÿ review of
the reasons for and the implications of non-compliances, complaints, summons
and prosecutions including review of pollution sources and working procedures;
and
Ÿ 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:
Ÿ an account
of the future key issues as reviewed from the works programme and method
statements of works;
Ÿ advice on
the solid and liquid waste management status;
Ÿ record of
any project changes from that originally proposed as described in the EIA
Report
(e.g. construction methods, mitigation proposals, design changes, etc); and
Ÿ comments
(e.g. the effectiveness and efficiency of the mitigation measures),
recommendations (for example, any improvement in the EM&A programme) and
conclusions.
12.5.1
Subsequent
monthly EM&A Reports during the construction phase should include the
following information:
(i)
executive
summary (1-2 pages):
Ÿ breaches of
Action and Limit levels;
Ÿ complaint
log;
Ÿ notifications
of any summons and successful prosecutions;
Ÿ reporting
changes; and
Ÿ future key
issues.
(ii)
basic
project Information:
Ÿ project
organization including key personnel contact names and telephone numbers;
Ÿ construction
programme;
Ÿ management
structure;
Ÿ works
undertaken during the reporting month; and
Ÿ any updates
as needed to the scope of works, and construction methodologies.
(iii)
environmental
status:
Ÿ advice on
the status of statutory environmental compliance, the status of compliance with
the EP conditions under the EIAO, submission status under the EP and
implementation status of mitigation measures;
Ÿ works
undertaken during the reporting month with illustrations (such as location of
works, etc); and
Ÿ drawings
showing the Project area, any environmental sensitive receivers and the
locations of the monitoring stations.
(iv)
implementation status:
Ÿ advice on
the implementation status of environmental protection and pollution
control/mitigation measures as recommended in the EIA Report.
(v)
monitoring
results (in both hard and soft copies) together with the following information:
Ÿ monitoring methodology;
Ÿ name of
laboratory and types of equipment used and calibration details;
Ÿ monitoring
parameters;
Ÿ monitoring
locations (and depth);
Ÿ monitoring
date, time, frequency and duration; and
Ÿ graphical
plots of the monitoring parameters in the reporting month annotated against the
following;
a) major activities being carried out on site during the reporting
period;
b) weather conditions during the reporting period;
c) any other factors which might affect the monitoring results; and
d) QA/QC results and detection limits.
(vi)
report
on non-compliance, complaints, notifications of summons and status of
prosecutions:
Ÿ record of
all non-compliance (exceedances) of the environmental quality performance
limits (Action and Limit levels);
Ÿ record of
all complaints received, including the locations and nature of complaints
investigation, liaison and consultation undertaken, actions and follow-up
procedures taken, results and summary;
Ÿ record of
all notification of summons and successful prosecutions for breaches of current
environmental protection / pollution control legislation, including locations
and nature of the breaches, investigation, follow-up actions taken, results and
summary;
Ÿ review of
the reasons for and the implications of non-compliance, complaints, summons and
prosecutions including review of pollution sources and working procedures; and
Ÿ descriptions
of the actions taken in the event of non-compliances and deficiency reporting
and any follow-up procedures related to earlier non-compliance.
(vii)
others:
Ÿ an account
of the future key issues as reviewed from the works programme and method
statements of works;
Ÿ advice on
the solid and liquid waste management status;
Ÿ record of
any project changes from that originally proposed as described in the EIA (e.g.
construction methods, mitigation proposals, design changes, etc); and
Ÿ comments
(e.g. the effectiveness and efficiency of the mitigation measures),
recommendations (for example, any improvement in the EM&A programme) and
conclusions.
(viii)
appendix:
Ÿ Action and
Limit levels;
Ÿ graphical
plots of trends of the monitoring parameters over the past four reporting
periods for the representative monitoring stations annotated against the
following:
a) major Project activities being carried out on site during the
reporting period;
b) weather conditions during the reporting period; and
c) any other factors that might affect the monitoring results.
Ÿ monitoring
schedule for the present and next reporting period;
Ÿ cumulative
statistics on notifications of summons and successful prosecutions; and
Ÿ outstanding
issues and deficiencies.
12.6.1
The
EM&A program should be terminated upon completion of those construction
activities that have the potential to result in a significant environmental
impact.
12.6.2
Prior
to the proposed termination, the proposed termination should be implemented
after the proposal has been endorsed by the IEC, the ER and the Project
Proponent followed by final approval from the Director of Environmental
Protection.
12.6.3
The
ET Leader should prepare and submit the Final EM&A Report which should
contain at least the following information:
(i)
executive
summary (1 - 2 pages);
(ii)
drawings
showing the Project area, environmental sensitive receivers and locations of
the monitoring stations;
(iii)
basic
project information including a synopsis of the project organisation, contacts
of key management, and a synopsis of works undertaken during the course of the
Project;
(iv)
a
brief summary of EM&A requirements including:
Ÿ environmental
mitigation measures, as recommended in the EIA Report;
Ÿ environmental
impact hypotheses tested;
Ÿ environmental
quality performance limits (Action and Limit levels);
Ÿ all
monitoring parameters; and
Ÿ Event and
Action Plans;
(v)
a
summary of the implementation status of environmental protection and pollution
control / mitigation measures, as recommended in the EIA Report, summarised in
the updated implementation schedule;
(vi)
advice
on the solid and liquid waste management status;
(vii)
graphical
plots and the statistical analysis of the trends of monitoring parameters over
the course of the Project, including the post-project monitoring for all
monitoring stations annotated against:
Ÿ the major
activities being carried out on site during the reporting period;
Ÿ weather
conditions during the reporting period; and
Ÿ any other
factors which might affect the monitoring results;
(viii)
a
summary of non-compliance (exceedances) of the environmental quality
performance limits (Action and Limit levels);
(ix)
a
review of the reasons for and the implications of non-compliance including
review of pollution sources and working procedures as appropriate;
(x)
a
description of the actions taken in the event of non-compliance;
(xi)
a
summary record of all complaints received, 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
legislation, locations and nature of the breaches, investigation follow-up
actions taken and results;
(xiii)
a
review of the validity of EIA predictions and identification of shortcomings of
the recommendations proposed in EIA Report; and
(xiv)
comments
(for example, a review of the effectiveness and efficiency of the mitigation
measures and of the performance of the environmental management system, that
is, of the overall EM&A programme); and
(xv)
recommendations
and conclusions (for example, a review of success of the overall EM&A
programme to cost-effectively identify deterioration and to initiate prompt
effective mitigation 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
EM&A reporting documents. However, any such document should be
properly maintained by the ET and be ready for inspection upon request.
All relevant information should be clearly and systematically recorded in
the document. Monitoring data should also be recorded in magnetic media
form, and the software copy must be available upon request. All documents and
data should be kept for at least one year following the completion of the
construction phase EM&A for each construction contract.
12.8.1
With
reference to the Event and Action Plans, when the environmental quality
performance limits are exceeded and if they are proven to be valid, the ET
should immediately notify the IEC, ER and EPD, as appropriate. The notification should be followed up with
advice to the IEC, ER 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 notification is presented in Appendix E.
