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Mission:
To pre-empt environmental problems
associated with development projects, plans and strategies,
by assessing their environmental implications and ensuring that
measures are implemented to avoid any potential problems that
are identified. |
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Launched the web-based Strategic Environmental Assessment knowledge
centre and interactive 3-D continuous public engagement in EIA.
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Organised two seminars for practitioners on SEAs.
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Received a merit award for our 3-D tool for public engagement
at the Hong Kong Outstanding Software Applications competition.
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Included 3-D visualisation of key EIA findings as part of the
requirement for major EIA studies.
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Received the first delegation of officials from the State Environmental
Protection Administration (SEPA) under a formal agreement on
staff exchanges that was reached between SEPA and the EPD in
2004.
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Saw the successful commissioning of Hong Kong Disneyland, meeting
all relevant environmental requirements.
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Saw Long Valley protected during and after completion of the
Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation Spur Line tunnels.
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Information on Strategic Environmental Assessments
is accessible through the EPD web site. |
The Environmental
Protection Department (EPD) seeks to secure a sustainable
environment for Hong Kong. Planning and prevention are central
tools for achieving this goal and we have established frameworks
for assessing the environmental consequences of new policies,
plans and projects. However, these alone cannot fully resolve
all differences and problems. Responsible behaviour by both
proponents and the public, and a willingness to communicate,
are also essential ingredients for achieving a consensus on
development.
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Proponents have a responsibility to provide information,
and the public to be informed. Both parties also have to demonstrate
a commitment to work together to resolve issues. To facilitate
this process, the EPD has created a level playing field through
the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO), a tool
that requires all major projects to properly assess and mitigate
potential impacts. We have also developed Strategic Environmental
Assessments (SEAs) for policy-making and planning so the environmental
consequences of different options, for instance, rail versus
road transport, can be considered before any development decisions
are made. In both cases, the EPD has sought to ensure information
is presented in an accessible, easily understood format so
the public can participate in a meaningful dialogue with proponents.

The EIAO has made a measurable difference to Hong Kong’s
environment. Proponents are required to conduct detailed studies,
consult the public, avoid adverse environmental effects to the maximum
extent possible and carry out mitigation where necessary. Since
being enacted in 1998 the EIAO has protected 1.5 million people
from adverse environmental consequences and been applied to projects
worth a total $340 billion, such as new roads, railways, reclamation,
power lines and major building developments. Significant environmental
problems have been avoided and natural habitats protected as a result
of the findings.
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The pagoda at Ping Shan
is a site of cultural interest. Ground vibration is monitored
there during construction of the KCRC's West Rail.
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The EIAO has brought
many benefits to Hong Kong since being implemented in 1998. |
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No. of EIAs approved |
: |
93, worth approximately
$340 billion |
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No. of permits issued |
: |
476 |
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No. of project profiles or reports
exhibited for public and ACE comment |
: |
371 |
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No. of people protected |
: |
approximately 1.5 million |
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Approximate aggregate size of
fish ponds protected by a change of alignment |
: |
14 ha |
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No. of documents on the EIAO
web site |
: |
847 |
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No. of visitors to EIAO web site |
: |
approximately 1.2 million |
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No. of site inspections to identify
issues/check compliance |
: |
approximately 5 500 |
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Types of projects covered
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: |
approximately 150 km of roads,
80 km of railways, 660 ha of development projects, 100 km of
drainage works, 24 km of power lines, 1 power station, 164 ha
of airport decommissioning. |
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A flood control channel in Yuen Long
has been re-routed (section coloured in light blue) to avoid
fragmenting fish ponds. |
Kam Tin River has mangroves planted
along some sections. |
One case that has received much media coverage is the Kowloon-Canton
Railway Corporation’s (KCRC) Spur Line at Lok Ma Chau. This
was the first case to go through the EIAO appeal process and the
end result has set an encouraging precedent for other developers.
The KCRC was required to modify its project to protect the sensitive
habitat at Long Valley and it embraced this task wholeheartedly.
It set up an environment committee with multi-stakeholder involvement
to monitor its work, installed a 24-hour webcam and carried out
a range of mitigation measures to reduce the impact of the new rail
line (see box). Significantly, in 2005, large
numbers of migrating birds flocked to the area. The disruption was
so minimal that some villagers were unaware the work was underway.
Government projects also submit themselves to the EIA process.
For example, one of the largest land de-contamination projects in
Asia has been underway at the old Kai Tak airport site. Aircraft-related
work, such as maintenance and re-fuelling, has contaminated the
site with oil and chemicals. The Government, through a combination
of on- and off-site measures conducted under highly controlled conditions,
has de-contaminated the land, thereby protecting the 200 000 people
who live near the site. The cleanup will enable another 100 000
people to live on the site in future.
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The old Kai Tak airport
site is going through the EIA process before re-development.
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The KCRC development at Lok Ma Chau has resulted
in a number of mitigation measures to reduce impacts on the
ecologically sensitive Long Valley. Key mitigation measures
of the Spur Line EIA include:
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The EIAO provides a framework for assessing and preventing problems
from projects like these. It cannot, however, address the environmental
sustainability of policy issues. These issues are best explored
through a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), a new and evolving
tool that is being adopted by a growing number of governments around
the world.

Strategic Environmental Assessments are used to analyse and evaluate
the environmental impacts of major policies, plans and programmes
at an early stage, when it is much easier to devise alternative
options and avoid or minimise the impacts. The profile of SEAs was
boosted in Hong Kong in 2005 when the Chief Executive, Mr Donald
TSANG, announced in his October policy address that all major government
policies would be subject to environmental protection scrutiny.
The Government had already applied SEAs in several obvious areas.
Now their application is to be systemised, broadened and deepened.
Since 2002 SEA reports have been posted on the EPD web site, starting
with the Territorial Development Strategy Review, the Second Railway
Development Study, the Third Comprehensive Transport Study and the
Study on Sustainable Development for the 21st Century. We also have
an on-going SEA for "Hong Kong 2030: Planning Vision and Strategy"
to assess long-term policies and directions, in which the public
has been widely consulted.
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Mr Elvis AU, Assistant Director
of EPD, speaks at the Workshop on Strategic Environmental Assessment. |
Professor K C LAM, Chairman of the Advisory
Council on the Environment (left), Mr ZHU Xingxiang, Director
of SEPA of China (centre), and Mr K K KWOK, Permanent Secretary
for the Environment, Transport and Works (Environment) (right),
launch a new web-based centre on Strategic Environmental Assessments. |
Public participation is a cornerstone of our approach to the SEA
process. Apart from posting SEAs on the EPD web site, we have set
up a separate web-based SEA knowledge centre to provide guidelines,
information, local examples and practices, best international practices
and other material of use to both the lay person and the SEA practitioner.
The SEA knowledge centre was launched in December 2005 by the Director
General of the State Environmental Protection Administration of
China, Mr ZHU Xingxiang, and the Chairman of the Advisory Council
on the Environment, Professor K C LAM. A version of the site in
simplified Chinese is also being developed so we can share our knowledge
and experience with our counterparts and the public on the Mainland.

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The Strategic Environmental Assessment process
provides a framework for assessing policies, programmes and
plans. In order to succeed, it requires a body of professionals
who understand the responsibilities and implications of that
process. The EPD is working to build capacity in Hong Kong
in this field. In June 2005 we held a workshop for 200 people
from the private sector and Government with the Hong Kong
Institute of Planners, the Hong Kong Institute of Environmental
Impact Assessment and the Chartered Institute of Water and
Environmental Management Hong Kong. In December a gathering
for 100 was held with the Hong Kong Institute of Engineers.
We also disseminated information, best practices and Hong
Kong experiences in SEAs through a dedicated SEA web site.
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Strategic Environmental
Assessment is the focus of an EPD workshop in June 2005.
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The posting of SEAs on the EPD’s web site was part of our
overall strategy to improve public access to information and empower
the community to be involved in planning and development in Hong
Kong. EIA reports are also posted online and public comment is invited,
a measure that has drawn much praise. However, meaningful dialogue
is not achieved solely by making information available. That information
has to be understandable, too. The EPD therefore promotes Continuous
Public Involvement (CPI) in the planning process.
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A virtual reality model shows the predicted
impacts of a project. |

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The EPD has developed a 3-D public engagement
tool that creates visualisations of the environmental impacts
of different options for projects, and provides an interactive
platform for the public to contribute comments. This public
engagement initiative received praise and interest from around
the world in 2005, for example at the International Association
for Impact Assessment annual conference held in Boston in
May 2005 and the Hong Kong Government’s Innovation Festival.
It also won a merit award at the Hong Kong Outstanding Software
Applications Competition, competing against major local and
multinational companies. We were the only Government body
to receive an award.
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The primary objective of CPI is to facilitate public engagement
during the inception stage of the planning process, in order to
avoid insurmountable environmental problems at later stages when
changes in design may be costly. CPI also gives project proponents
better control over their programmes by reducing unforeseeable delays
or objections. The EPD has applied the latest technologies in promoting
CPI. A 3-D EIA public engagement tool has been developed by the
department, which enables users to enter a virtual reality model,
inspect a project from any angle and review the predicted impacts.
This gives everyone a much better understanding of the project and
its associated environmental impacts. It also breaks down barriers
between professionals and the general public by doing away with
technical jargon. The 3-D EIA tool also has a user-friendly feedback
mechanism so people can input their comments onto the model and
send them via email.
The use of advanced technologies such as the 3-D tool can greatly
enhance public understanding of EIA studies and promote informed
and constructive discussions for building consensus and identifying
better alternatives. By the end of 2005 eight major proposed projects
had indicated they would incorporate the 3-D tool into their EIA
reports. These included the four landfill extensions, CLP Power
Hong Kong Ltd’s liquefied natural gas terminal, the Logistics
Park, the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme and the Sha Tin-Central
Link.
Sustainable development in Hong Kong requires co-operation, communication
and above all a sense of responsibility towards the environment.
A systematic and transparent process has been established for assessing
environmental impacts. Proponents have an obligation to follow the
process and do their utmost to ensure their projects and policies
can meet the needs of the community. The public also has a responsibility
to be informed and be willing to discuss options. The EPD, for its
part, is committed to facilitating discussion between all parties
to resolve differences over future developments. Through EIAs and
SEAs, we have a framework that enables everybody in the community
to participate in protecting their environment and that of future
generations.

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Implement a commitment in the Chief Executive’s 2005
Policy Address that "all new major government policies
will be subject to environmental protection scrutiny".
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Continue to apply Strategic Environmental Assessments to major
policies, strategies and plans to pre-empt environmental issues
at an early stage.
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Maximise the contribution of the EIAO in protecting the environment
and communicating environmental outcomes to the public and other
stakeholders.
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Continue to promote and facilitate Continuous Public Involvement
for various stages of the EIA process and further apply the
3-D EIA public engagement tool to enhance public involvement.
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