EIA Study Brief No. ESB-104/2002

June 2002

Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (Cap. 499),

Section 5(7)

Environmental Impact Assessment Study Brief No. ESB-104/2002

Project Title : Recovery Park in Tuen Mun Area 38

(hereinafter known as the "Project")

Name of Applicant : Waste Facilities Business Unit,

Environmental Protection Department, The Government of the HKSAR

(hereinafter known as the "Applicant")

1. BACKGROUND

1.1 An application (No. ESB-104/2002) for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study brief under section 5(1) of the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO) was submitted by the Applicant on 13 May 2002 with a project profile (No. PP-169/2002) (the Project Profile).

1.2 The proposed Project is to develop a Recovery Park of size 20 hectare at the reclaimed land in Tuen Mun Area 38. The site location is shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 in the Project Profile, reproduced in Appendix A. The development and operation of the proposed Project will comprise the following :-

(a) provision of infrastructure including marine loading/unloading areas, roads, drains, sewers, utilities, etc;

(b) construction of buildings and facilities for accommodating office and recycling operations;

(c) provision of on-site wastewater treatment facility or pumping facility for transmitting wastewater to other government facilities for treatment;

(d) allocation of sites for waste recyclers for construction of recycling facilities;

(e) delivery and unloading of recyclable materials, recycling operations and loading and transportation of finished products by road and sea;

(f) maintenance of infrastructure, office buildings, recycling facilities, etc; and

(g) environmental monitoring and audit as well as implementation of mitigation measures.

1.3 Pursuant to section 5(7)(a) of the EIAO, the Director of Environmental Protection (the Director) issues this EIA study brief to the Applicant to carry out an EIA study.

1.4 The purpose of this EIA study is to provide information on the nature and extent of environmental impacts arising from the construction and operation of the Project and related activities that take place concurrently. This information will contribute to decisions by the Director on:

(i) the overall acceptability of any adverse environmental consequences that are likely to arise as a result of the Project;

(ii) the conditions and requirements for the detailed design, construction and operation of the Project to mitigate against adverse environmental consequences wherever practicable; and

(iii) the acceptability of residual impacts after the proposed mitigation measures are implemented.

2. OBJECTIVES OF THE EIA STUDY

2.1 The objectives of the EIA study are as follows :

(i) to describe the Project and associated works together with the requirements for carrying out the Project;

(ii) to identify and describe the elements of the community and environment likely to be affected by the Project and/or likely to cause adverse impacts to the Project, including both the natural and man-made environment and the associated environmental constraints;

(iii) to describe the considerations given in selecting the proposed site, layout, design (including the recovery processes to be adopted for the recovery plants), and to provide reasons for selecting the preferred option and to describe the part environmental factors played in the selection process;

(iv) to identify and quantify emission sources and determine the significance of impacts on sensitive receivers and potential affected uses;

(v) to identify and quantify waste management requirements and propose measures to mitigate or prevent impacts, and measures to be adopted to avoid introducing land contamination at the Project site;

(vi) to identify and quantify water quality impact on nearby waters arising from construction and operation of the project and the requirements for a contingency plan to deal with accidental spillage of chemicals into nearby waters

(vii) to identify the negative impacts and propose the provision of mitigation measures so as to minimize pollution, environmental disturbance and nuisance during construction and operation of the Project;

(viii) to investigate the feasibility, practicability, effectiveness and implications of the proposed mitigation measures;

(ix) to identify, predict and evaluate the residual environmental impacts (i.e. after practicable mitigation) and the cumulative effects expected to arise during the construction and operation phases of the Project in relation to the sensitive receivers and potential affected uses;

(x) to identify, assess and specify methods, measures and standards, to be included in the detailed design, construction and operation of the Project which are necessary to mitigate these environmental impacts and cumulative effects and reduce them to acceptable levels;

(xi) to identify constraints associated with the mitigation measures recommended in the EIA study, as well as the provision of any necessary modification; and

(xii) to design and specify the environmental monitoring and audit requirements to ensure the effective implementation of the recommended environmental protection and pollution control measures.

3. DETAILED REQUIREMENTS OF THE EIA STUDY

3.1 The Purpose

The purpose of this study brief is to scope the key issues of the EIA study and to specify the environmental issues that are required to be reviewed and assessed in the EIA report. The Applicant has to demonstrate in the EIA report that the criteria in the relevant sections of the Technical Memorandum on the Environmental Impact Assessment Process of the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (hereinafter referred to as “the TM”) are fully complied with.

3.2 The Scope

The scope of this EIA study shall cover the Project proposed in the Project Profile and shall include the works and facilities mentioned in Section 1.2 above. The EIA study shall address the likely key issues described below, together with any other key issues identified during the course of the EIA study and the cumulative environmental impacts of the Project, through interaction or in combination with other existing, committed, planned and known potential developments in the vicinity of the Project:

(i) potential water quality impact on nearby waters caused by construction of the marine loading/unloading facility and operation of the Project including the discharge from the on-site wastewater treatment facility, chemically contaminated site runoff, accidental spillage of chemicals at site and during marine loading/unloading activities;

(ii) potential air quality impacts on nearby sensitive receivers arising from construction and operation of the Project, including dust, odour, gaseous emission, toxic air pollutants (TAP) emitted from the furnace melting process, chemical and re-manufacturing process;

(iii) the management of various waste streams arising from the construction and operation of the Project including the collection and treatment of wastewater and chemicals generated from the recovery and recycling process of the Project;

(iv) the potential land contamination that may arise from development and operation of the Project and measures to be adopted to avoid and minimise the potential of introducing land contamination at the subject site;

(v) if there is storage and transportation of dangerous goods on site as mentioned in Section 3.4.7.1 below, the potential hazard to life due to transportation and on-site storage and uses of those dangerous goods during commissioning and operation of the Project; and

(vi) the potential landfill gas hazards risk on site during construction and operation of the Project as the Project falls within the 250m consultation zone of the restored Siu Lang Shui Landfill.

3.3 Description of Layout, Design and Recovery Methods Considered

The Applicant shall describe the consideration given to other possible layout(s) within the proposed site and the available technology options for the recovery processes to minimise excessive nuisances during the operation stage of the Project. In particular, such considerations should cover the potential environmental impacts to nearby existing and planned sensitive receivers when different layout or recovery methods are used. The Applicant shall state the justifications for selecting the proposed layout and recovery method.

3.4 Technical Requirements

The Applicant shall conduct the EIA study to address all environmental aspects as described in Sections 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 above. The EIA study shall include the following technical requirements on specific impacts. The Applicant shall include in the EIA report details of the construction programme.

3.4.1 Air Quality Impact

3.4.1.1 The Applicant shall follow the criteria and guidelines for evaluating and assessing air quality impact as stated in Section 1 of Annex 4 and Annex 12 of the TM, respectively.

3.4.1.2 The study area for air quality impact assessment shall generally be defined by a distance of 500 metres from the boundary of the project site, yet it shall be extended to include major emission sources that may have a bearing on the environmental acceptability of the Project. The assessment shall include but not limited to the existing, planned and committed sensitive receivers within the study area. Such assessment shall be based on the best available information at the time of the assessment.

3.4.1.3 The Applicant shall assess the air pollutant concentrations with reference to the relevant sections of the guidelines in Appendices B-1 to B-3 attached to this study brief, or other methodology as agreed by the Director.

3.4.1.4 The air quality impact assessment shall include the following:

(i) Background and Analysis of Activities

(a) Provide background information relating to air quality issues relevant to the Project, e.g. description of the types of activities of the Project that may affect air quality during both construction and operation stages.

(b) Give an account, where appropriate, of the consideration/measures that had been taken into consideration in the planning of the Project to abate the air pollution impact. That is, the Applicant shall consider alternative construction methods/phasing programmes and alternative modes of operation to minimize the constructional and operational air quality impact respectively.

(c) Present background air quality levels in the assessment area for the purpose of evaluating cumulative constructional and operational air quality impacts.

(ii) Identification of Air Sensitive Receivers (ASRs) and Examination of Emission / Dispersion Characteristics

(a) Identify and describe existing and planned/committed ASRs that would likely be affected by the Project, including those earmarked on the relevant Outline Zoning Plans, Development Permission Area Plans, Outline Development Plans and Layout Plans. The Applicant shall select the assessment points of the identified ASRs that represent the worst impact point of these ASRs. A map showing the location and description such as name of buildings, their uses and height of the selected assessment points shall be given. The separation distances of these ASRs from the nearest emission sources shall also be given. For phased development, the Applicant shall review the development programme against the different construction stages to assess whether the occupiers of the early phases could become ASRs to be affected by the construction works of later phases.

(b) Provide an exhaustive list of air pollutant emission sources, including any nearby emission sources, such as the China Cement Plant, Shiu Wing Steel Mill, the proposed aviation fuel facility, incineration facility and fill bank facility, which are likely to have impact related to the Project based on the analysis of constructional and operational activities in Sub-section 3.4.1.4(i) above. Examples of construction stage emission sources include stockpiling, blasting, concrete batching, marine construction plant and vehicular movements on unpaved haul roads on site, etc. Examples of operational stage emission sources include exhaust emissions from vehicles and vessels accessing and leaving the recovery park, exhaust emissions, TAP, dust and odour from certain recycling operations, etc. Confirmation of validity of the assumptions and magnitude of the activities (e.g. volume of construction material handled, odour emission strength, etc.) shall be obtained from the relevant government departments/authorities and documented.

(iii) Construction Phase Air Quality Impact

(a) The Applicant shall follow the requirements stipulated under the Air Pollution Control (Construction Dust) Regulation to ensure that construction dust which may arise as a result of the works are controlled within the relevant standards as stipulated in Section 1 of Annex 4 of the TM. A monitoring and audit programme for the construction phase shall be devised to verify the effectiveness of the control measures proposed so as to ensure proper construction dust control.

(b) If the Applicant anticipates that the Project will give rise to significant construction dust impacts likely to exceed recommended limits in the TM at the ASRs despite the incorporation of the dust control measures proposed in accordance with Sub-section 3.4.1.4(iii)(a) above, a quantitative assessment should be carried out to evaluate the construction dust impact at the identified ASRs. The Applicant shall follow the methodology set out in Sub-section 3.4.1.4(v) below when carrying out the quantitative assessment.

(iv) Operational Phase Air Quality Impact

(a) The Project will involve industrial processes, such as operation of furnace, melting, chemical and re-manufacturing processes, which will generate air pollutants. The Applicant shall calculate the expected air pollutant concentrations, including odour, gaseous emission, TAP and dust, at the identified ASRs based on an assumed reasonably worst-case scenario. The evaluation shall be based on the strength of the emission sources identified in Sub-section 3.4.1.4(ii)(b) above. The Applicant shall follow Sub-section 3.4.1.4(v) below when carrying out the quantitative assessment.

(v) Quantitative Assessment Methodology

(a) The Applicant shall apply the general principles enunciated in the modelling guidelines in Appendices B-1 to B-3 while making allowance for the specific characteristics of the Project. This specific methodology must be documented in such level of details (preferably with tables and diagrams) to allow the readers of the assessment report to grasp how the model is set up to simulate the situation at hand without referring to the model input files. Details of the calculation of the emission rates of air pollutants for input to the modelling shall be presented in the report. The Applicant must ensure consistency between the text description and the model files at every stage of submission. In case of doubt, prior agreement between the Applicant and the Director on the specific modelling details should be sought.

(b) The Applicant shall identify the key/representative air pollutant parameters (types of pollutants and the averaging time concentration) to be evaluated and provide explanation for choosing these parameters for the assessment of the impact of the Project.

(c) The Applicant shall calculate the cumulative air quality impact at the identified ASRs and compare these results against the criteria set out in Section 1 of Annex 4 in the TM. The predicted air quality impacts (both unmitigated and mitigated) shall be presented in the form of summary table and pollution contours, to be evaluated against the relevant air quality standards and on any effect they may have on the land use implications. Plans of a suitable scale should be used to present pollution contour to allow buffer distance requirements to be determined properly.

(vi) Mitigation Measures for Non-compliance

The Applicant shall propose remedies and mitigating measures where the predicted air quality impact exceeds the criteria set in Section 1 of Annex 4 in the TM. These measures and any constraints on future land use planning shall be agreed with the relevant government departments/authorities and documented. The Applicant shall demonstrate quantitatively that the residual impacts after incorporation of the proposed mitigating measures will comply with the criteria stipulated in Section 1 of Annex 4 in the TM.

(vii) Submission of Model Files

All input and output file(s) of the model run(s) shall be submitted to the Director in electronic format.

3.4.2 Water Quality Impact

3.4.2.1 The Applicant shall follow the criteria and guidelines for evaluating and assessing water pollution as stated in Annexes 6 and 14 of the TM respectively.

3.4.2.2 The study area for this water quality assessment shall cover all water bodies and sensitive receivers within the radius of 3km from the project site boundary The Applicant shall identify the sensitive receivers within the study area.

3.4.2.3 The Applicant shall identify and analyse all physical, chemical and biological disruptions of marine, fresh water or ground water system(s), catchment area(s), storm water pipeline and coastal water arising from construction and operation of the Project.

3.4.2.4 The Applicant shall predict, quantify and assess any water quality impacts arising from construction and operation of the Project, including any water quality impacts caused by construction of marine loading/unloading facility and operation of the Project including the discharge from the on-site wastewater treatment facility, site runoff, accidental spillage of chemicals at site and during marine loading/unloading activities on the water system(s) and the sensitive receivers within the study area. Possible impacts shall include but not be limited to changes in hydrology, flow regime, sediment erosion and deposition pattern as well as water and sediment quality within the study area.

3.4.2.5 The Applicant shall take into account and include likely different operation stages of the Project in the assessment. The assessment shall have regard to the frequency, duration, volume and flow rate of the discharges and its pollutant and sediment loading to water system(s) within the study area. Essentially the assessment shall address the following:

(i) Collection and review of background information on the existing and planned water system(s) and their respective catchments and sensitive receivers which might be affected by the Project during operation;

(ii) Characterization of water and sediment quality of the water system(s) and respective catchments and sensitive receivers which might be affected by the Project during operation based on existing information or appropriate site survey and tests;

(iii) Identification and analysis of all existing and planned future activities and beneficial uses related to the water system(s) and identification of all water sensitive receivers. The Applicant shall refer to, inter alia, those developments and uses earmarked on the relevant Outline Zoning Plans, Development Permission Area Plans, Outline Development Plans and Layout Plans;

(iv) Identification of pertinent water and sediment quality objectives and establishment of other appropriate water and sediment quality criteria or standards for the water system(s) and all the sensitive receivers in Sub-section 3.4.2.5(i) above;

(v) Identification and quantification of all likely water and sediment pollution sources and loading, including point and non-point discharges generated during the construction and operation stages of the Project and discharged to the marine waters and existing and planned drainage systems and water courses within the study area;

(vi) Identification and analysis of the adequacy of capacity of sewerage system serving Tuen Mun Area 38 and the requirements for upgrading the system to accommodate the wastewater generated from the Project;

(vii) Establishment and provision of a pollution load inventory on the quantities and characteristics of all existing and likely future water pollution sources identified above. Field investigation and laboratory tests shall be conducted as appropriate to fill in any major information gaps;

(viii) Recommendation on provision of mitigation measures to reduce pollution arising from both point and non-point discharges identified in Sub-section 3.4.2.5(v) above, to within acceptable limits;

(ix) Assessment of the cumulative impacts due to other related concurrent and planned projects, activities or pollution sources along the identified water system(s) and sensitive receivers that may have a bearing on the environmental acceptability of the Project. This shall include the potential cumulative operational water quality impact arising from, inter alia, other pollution sources within the study area;

(x) Recommendation of appropriate mitigation measures, including a contingency plan, to minimise the duration and impact of any emergency overflow discharges and malfunction of the on-site wastewater treatment plant.

3.4.3 Waste Management Implications

3.4.3.1 The Applicant shall follow the criteria and guidelines for evaluating and assessing waste management implications as stated in Annexes 7 and 15 of the TM respectively.

3.4.3.2 The assessment of waste management implications shall cover the following:

(i) Analysis of Activities and Waste Generation

The Applicant shall identify the quantity, quality and timing of the waste and chemical waste arising as a result of the construction and operation activities of the Project, based on the sequence and duration of these activities.

(ii) Proposal for Waste Management

(a) Prior to considering the disposal options for various types of wastes, opportunities for reducing waste generation, on-site or off-site re-use and recycling shall be fully evaluated. Measures that can be taken in the planning and design stages e.g. by modifying the design approach and in the construction stage for maximizing waste reduction shall be separately considered.

(b) After considering all the opportunities for reducing waste generation and maximizing re-use, the types and quantities of the wastes required to be disposed of as a consequence shall be estimated and the disposal options for each type of waste shall be described in detail. The disposal options recommended for each type of wastes shall take into account the result of the assessment in item (c) below. The EIA report shall also state clearly the transportation routings and the frequency of the trucks / vessels involved, any barging point or conveyor system to be used, the stockpiling areas and the agreed disposal outlets for the wastes identified; and

(c) The impact caused by handling (including stockpiling, labelling, packaging & storage), collection, transportation and disposal of wastes shall be addressed in detail and appropriate mitigation measures shall be proposed. This assessment shall cover the following areas :

- potential hazard;

- air and odour emissions;

- noise;

- wastewater discharge;

- public transport; and

- landscape and visual impacts, if any.

3.4.4 Land Contamination Impact

3.4.4.1 To prevent contamination problems arising from the future operation of the proposed Recovery Park, in accordance with ProPECC Practice Note No. 3/94 “Contaminated Land Assessment and Remediation”, the Applicant shall:

(i) identify the possible sources of contamination in the operational phase of the proposed Recovery Park; and

(ii) formulate appropriate operational practices, waste management strategies and precautionary measures to be implemented on site for prevention of contamination problems when it becomes operational.

3.4.5 Landfill Gas Hazards Assessment

3.4.5.1 The Applicant shall follow the guidelines as stated respectively in Annex 7 and Annex 19 of the TM for evaluating and assessing landfill gas hazards.

3.4.5.2 The landfill gas hazards assessment shall include a qualitative risk assessment and landfill gas precautionary/protection design. Specifically, the assessment shall include the following tasks :

(i) review of background information and studies related to the restored Siu Lang Shui Landfill;

(ii) identification of the nature and extent of the sources, including the likely concentrations/amounts of hazardous emissions which might have the potential for causing impacts on the Project;

(iii) identification of possible pathways through the ground, underground cavities, utilities or groundwater and the nature of these pathways through which hazardous emissions must traverse if they were to reach the facilities within the Project site;

(iv) identification of the potential targets associated with the proposed facilities which are sensitive to the impacts of the hazardous emissions;

(v) qualitative assessment on the degrees of risk which the hazardous emissions may pose to the target for each of the source-pathway-target combinations;

(vi) design of suitable level of precautionary measures and the types of protection measures for the establishment, operation and decommissioning of the Project; and

(vii) identification of monitoring requirement for assessing the adequacy and performance of the implemented protection measures.

3.4.6 Hazard To Life

3.4.6.1 If there is storage or transportation of dangerous goods on site, or if other facilities (e.g. Centralised Incineration Facility, Chemical Waste Bulking Facility, Permanent Aviation Fuel Facility and Petrochemical Plant, etc.) in Tuen Mun Area 38 are classified as Potentially Hazardous Installation (PHI), a hazard assessment shall be carried out following the criteria for evaluating hazard to life as stated in Annexes 4 and 22 of the TM and including the following in the assessment :

(i) Identification of all hazardous scenarios associated with the on-site transport, storage and use of dangerous goods.

(ii) Execution of a Quantitative Risk Assessment expressing population risks in both individual and societal terms.

(iii) Comparison of individual and societal risks with the Criteria for Evaluating Hazard to Life stipulated in Annex 4 of the TM; and

(iv) Identification and assessment of practicable and cost-effective risk mitigation measures.

3.4.7 Summary of Environmental Outcomes

The EIA report shall contain a summary of the key environmental outcomes arising from the EIA study, including the population and environmentally sensitive areas protected, environmentally friendly designs recommended, key environmental problems avoided, compensation areas included and the environmental benefits of environmental protection measures recommended.

3.4.8 Environmental Monitoring and Audit (EM&A) Requirements

3.4.8.1 The Applicant shall identify and justify in the EIA study whether there is any need for EM&A activities during construction and operation phases of the Project and, if affirmative, to define the scope of EM&A requirements for the Project.

3.4.8.2 Subject to confirmation of EIA findings, the Applicant shall comply with requirements as stipulated in Annex 21 of the TM. The Applicant shall also propose real-time reporting of monitoring data for the Project through a dedicated internet website.

3.4.8.3 The Applicant shall prepare a project implementation schedule (in the form of a checklist as shown in Appendix C to this EIA study brief) containing all the EIA study recommendations and mitigation measures with reference to the implementation programme.

4. DURATION OF VALIDITY

4.1 This EIA study brief is valid for 36 months from the date of issue. If the EIA study does not commence within this period, the Applicant shall apply to the Director for a fresh EIA study brief before commencement of the EIA study.

5. REPORT REQUIREMENTS

5.1 In preparing the EIA report, the Applicant shall refer to Annex 11 of the TM for the contents of an EIA report. The Applicant shall also refer to Annex 20 of the TM, which stipulates the guidelines for the review of an EIA report.

5.2 The Applicant shall supply the Director with the following number of copies of the EIA report and the executive summary:

(i) 50 copies of the EIA report in English and 80 copies of the executive summary (each bilingual in both English and Chinese) as required under section 6(2) of the EIAO to be supplied at the time of application for approval of the EIA report.

(ii) when necessary, addendum to the EIA report and the executive summary submitted in 5.2 (i) above as required under section 7(1) of the EIAO, to be supplied upon advice by the Director for public inspection.

(iii) 20 copies of the EIA report in English and 50 copies of the executive summary (each bilingual in both English and Chinese) with or without Addendum as required under section 7(5) of the EIAO, to be supplied upon advice by the Director for consultation with the Advisory Council on the Environment.

5.3 The Applicant shall, upon request, make additional copies of above documents available to the public, subject to payment by the interested parties of full costs of printing.

5.4 In addition, to facilitate public inspection of the EIA report via the EIAO Internet Website, the Applicant shall provide electronic copies of both the EIA report and the executive summary prepared in HyperText Markup Language (HTML) (version 4.0 or later) and in Portable Document Format (PDF version 4.0 or later), unless otherwise agreed by the Director. For the HTML version, a content page capable of providing hyperlink to each section and sub-section of the EIA report and the executive summary shall be included in the beginning of the document. Hyperlinks to all figures, drawings and tables in the EIA report and executive summary shall be provided in the main text from where the respective references are made. All graphics in the report shall be in interlaced GIF format unless otherwise agreed by the Director.

5.5 The electronic copies of the EIA report and the executive summary shall be submitted to the Director at the time of application for approval of the EIA report.

5.6 When the EIA report and the executive summary are made available for public inspection under s.7(1) of the EIAO, the content of the electronic copies of the EIA report and the executive summary must be the same as the hard copies and the Director shall be provided with the most updated electronic copies.

5.7 To promote environmentally friendly and efficient dissemination of information, both hardcopies and electronic copies of future EM&A reports recommended by the EIA study shall be required and their format shall be agreed by the Director.

6. OTHER PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS

6.1 If there is any change in the name of Applicant for this EIA study brief during the course of the EIA study, the Applicant must notify the Director immediately.

6.2 If there is any key change in the scope of the Project mentioned in Section 1.2 of this EIA study brief and in Project Profile (No. PP-169/2002), the Applicant must seek confirmation from the Director in writing on whether or not the scope of issues covered by this EIA study brief can still cover the key changes, and the additional issues, if any, that the EIA study must also address. If the changes to the Project fundamentally alter the key scope of the EIA study brief, the Applicant shall apply to the Director for a fresh EIA study brief.

--- END OF EIA STUDY BRIEF ---

June 2002

Environmental Assessment and Noise Division,

Environmental Protection Department

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Appendix A | Appendix B-1 | Appendix B-2 | Appendix B-3 | Appendix C

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