1.                  INTRODUCTION

 

Background

 

1.1               Based upon on-going developments along the Castle Peak Road in Yau Kom Tau, Sham Tseng and Tsing Lung Tau, it is anticipated that the road network in the area will become increasingly overloaded by the year 2011. Castle Peak Road is at present a two-lane single carriageway, with narrow footways at discrete locations and is generally characterised by sub-standard geometry and frequent entry / egress points offering insufficient visibility. The exception to this is through the centre of Sham Tseng, where the road is already built to a dual two-lane carriageway standard.

 

1.2               As a result of this, the Government has decided that, in order to enhance the level of service for the increasing number of users, the road needs to be improved to cope with traffic growth predicted by the year 2011. Meinhardt Halcrow Joint Venture (MHJV) has been commissioned by Highways Department (HyD) under Agreement CE 1/96 to, in broad terms, review the findings, conclusions and recommendations of the Feasibility Study, complete the detailed design of the project taking into account any modifications noted during the review, prepare the pre-qualification and tender documents and implement the project.

 

1.3               China State Construction Engineering (Hong Kong) Ltd. (CSHK) was appointed as the Contractor under Contract No. HY/99/19 – Middle Section to carry out the construction for “Castle Peak Road Improvement between Ting Kau and Sham Tseng, Tsuen Wan” (hereafter called the “Project”).

 

1.4               Maunsell Environmental Management Consultants Limited (MEMCL) was employed by CSHK as the Environmental Team (ET) to undertake EM&A works for the Project. In accordance with the EM&A Manual, environmental monitoring of air quality, noise, water quality, landscape and visual, and environmental site inspections would be required for this Project.

 

1.5               Under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) on the Feasibility Study for the Castle Peak Road Improvements completed in 1996, reclamation at Sham Tseng East was defined as designated works. An Environmental Permit (EP No.: EP-095/2001) was issued under the EIAO on 29 March 2001.

 

1.6               A few minor comments were received from EPD on the Marine Water Quality Baseline Monitoring Report (Rev.2) on 27 August 2003. The upstream control stations of MW5 & MW6 had been revised to MR5 & MR6 while there would not be any upstream control station for WFCZF1 during mid-flood tide. The revised pages were submitted after the verification of the IC(E) to all the relevant parties on 1 September 2003.

 

Scope of Report

 

1.7               This is the fifty-first monthly Environmental Monitoring and Audit (EM&A) Report under Contract HY/99/19 – Castle Peak Road Improvement between Ting Kau and Sham Tseng. This report presented a summary of the environmental monitoring and inspection works, list of activities, and mitigation measures carried out by the ET for the Project for September 2006.

 

Project Organization

 

1.8               The project organization is shown in Appendix A. The responsibilities of respective parties are detailed in Section 1.10 of EM&A Manual.

 

1.9               The key personnel contact names and numbers are summarised in Table 1.1

 

Table 1.1         Contact Information of Key Personnel

 

Party

Position

Name

Telephone

Fax

HyD

Engineer

Mr. Simon Lau

2762 3593

2714 5289

ER (MHJV)

SRE

Mr. M S Harfoot

2417 9305

2417 4547

IC(E) (Hyder)

IC(E)

Mr. Coleman Ng

2911 2719

2827 2891

Contractor
(CSHK)

Project Manager

Mr. Dave Chan

2492 8029

2404 9290

Environmental Officer

Mr. Leo Chung

ET (MEMCL)

ET Leader

Mr. Y T Tang

3105 8537

2891 0305

 

Summary of Construction Works

 

1.10            The construction works under Contract HY/99/19 – Middle Section commenced in July 2002, the main scope of the proposed works as a whole are as follows:

 

·         Improvement to Castle Peak Road between Area 2 and Ka Loon Tsuen, Tsuen Wan to a dual two-lane carriageway;

·         Provision of pedestrian facilities in the form of footpaths, subways, footbridges and crossings;

·         Road junction and signal design and re-provisioning of access roads and connections to existing road networks;

·         Construction of associated drainage and landscaping works;

·         Environmental mitigation measures;

·         Design and construction of water mains; and

·         Construction of entrusted sewerage works.

 

1.11            The Contractor has carried out major activities in the reporting month. Details of the works undertaken in this reporting period are listed hereunder:

 

·            Landscaping works;

·            Road paving;

·            Slope works;

·            Retaining wall construction;

·            Backfilling; and

·            E&M works.

 

1.12            The general layout plan of the Project site showing the contract area is shown in Figure 1.1.

 

1.13            The construction activities related to the environmental mitigation measures for the reporting period are briefly summarised in Table 1.2. The detail mitigation measures are presented in Appendix H.

 

Table 1.2         Construction Activities and the Corresponding Environmental Mitigation Measures

 

Activity

Construction Activities

Recommended Environmental Mitigation Measures

1.

Backfilling, Retaining wall construction, slope works, pipe and utility installation

·             Excavated area and soil material should be dampened/covered

·             Continuous water spraying should be provided for breaking or drilling activity

·             Properly schedule site construction activities and plants to avoid cumulative noise impact

·             Erection of noise barrier

2.

E&M works

·             Waste material to be disposed of from the construction site should be properly covered

·             Sufficient water spraying provided on the main haul roads and exposed areas

·             Properly schedule site construction activities and plants to avoid cumulative noise impact

·             Use silent equipment

·             Reuse all formworks

3.

Backfilling & road paving

·             Water spray the fill material before operation

·             Use silent equipment

·             Protect the backfilled area by hydroseeding or shotcreting, etc.

4.

Landscape work

·             Provide proper bio-net on top of the hydroseeded surfaces

 

Summary of EM&A Requirements

 

Sensitive Receivers

 

1.14            The description and detailed locations of sensitive receivers and monitoring stations for air quality and noise, and water quality are shown in Figure 2.1 and 4.1 respectively and relevant sections of this Report.

 

EM&A Programmes

 

1.15            The EM&A programme requires environmental monitoring for air quality, noise and water quality and environmental site inspections for air quality, noise, water quality, landscape and visual, and waste management. The EM&A requirements for each parameter described in the following sections include:

 

·         All monitoring parameters;

·         Monitoring schedules for the reporting month and forthcoming months

·         Action and Limit levels for all environmental parameters;

·         Event/Action Plans;

·         Environmental mitigation measures, as recommended in the Project EIA study final report; and

·         Environmental requirements in contract documents.

 

1.16            The advice on the implementation status of environmental protection and pollution control/mitigation measures is summarised in Section 6 of the Report.

 

1.17            The portable noise barrier design as submitted by the ER under Condition 2.3 of the Environmental Permit Number EP-095/2001 was approved by EPD on 30 December 2002.