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Environmental impact assessment report for liquefied natural gas terminal approved with conditions
In response to the applications submitted by Castle Peak Power Company Ltd (CAPCO) under the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO), the Director of Environmental Protection (DEP) today (April 3) approved with conditions the EIA report and granted an Environmental Permit to the company for the construction and operation of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal and associated facilities at South Soko Island.
An EPD spokesman said that the approval was made after careful examination of the EIA report and full consideration of the comments from the Advisory Council on the Environment (ACE) as well as members of the public submitted under the EIAO during the public inspection period.
"EPD has fully considered, in conjunction with the relevant authorities, all the comments received from the public during the inspection period between December 27, 2006 and January 25, 2007. The ACE endorsed the EIA report with conditions at its Full Council meeting on February 12 this year," he said.
It was only after careful consideration of all relevant environmental issues that the ACE endorsed the EIA report insofar as the environmental impacts of the project were concerned, subject to a number of conditions. These conditions were fully incorporated into the conditions of approval for the EIA report and the Environmental Permit granted by the DEP.
The spokesman stressed that the statutory EIAO only dealt with the environmental acceptability of the project. The project proponent had to seek policy approval on the development of the project and approvals or consents under relevant legislation in Hong Kong before the project could proceed.
EPD, in consultation with the relevant authorities, has imposed a full package of stringent environmental requirements and mitigation measures as conditions under the Environmental Permit to ensure that all mitigation measures recommended in the EIA report will be properly and fully implemented.
With the mitigation measures in place, EPD and the relevant authorities are satisfied that the residual environmental impacts are acceptable and the relevant environmental requirements and standards can be met.
Under the Environmental Permit, CAPCO is required to set up an Environmental Monitoring Committee as well as a Scientific and Education Advisory Committee to advise and monitor the environmental performance of the construction and operation of the project.
To facilitate protection of the ecology and wildlife on and around Soko Island, CAPCO is also required to prepare and implement an Environmental Enhancement Plan for the marine life and environment of the Soko and report back the progress of its implementation to the ACE on a regular basis. CAPCO is required to fully implement and maintain all the measures in the Plan during the entire life of the project.
To ensure a high degree of transparency, CAPCO is required to set up a dedicated website for the project to facilitate public access to the monitoring and implementation information and to install a series of web cameras on the South Soko Island during the construction of the project to provide 24-hour real time visual monitoring.
The approved EIA report, the approval conditions as well as the Environmental Permit have been uploaded to http://www.epd.gov.hk/eia/english/register/index.html. Members of the public are also welcome to visit the EIAO Register Office at 27th floor, Southorn Centre, Wan Chai to inspect these documents.
Ends/Tuesday, April 3, 2007
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