1                    INTRODUCTION

1.1           Purpose of the Manual

1.1.1        The purpose of this Environmental Monitoring and Audit (EM&A) Manual is to guide the set up of an EM&A programme to ensure compliance with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study recommendations, to assess the effectiveness of the recommended mitigation measures and to identify any further need for additional mitigation measures or remedial action.  This Manual outlines the monitoring and audit programme for the construction and operation of the proposed Central – Wan Chai Bypass and Island Eastern Corridor Link (CWB & IECL).  It aims to provide systematic procedures for monitoring, auditing and minimising environmental impacts associated with construction works and operational activities.

1.1.2        Hong Kong environmental regulations and the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines 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 the EIA Process (EIAO-TM).

1.1.3        This Manual contains the following information:

·        responsibilities of the Contractor, the Engineer or Engineer’s Representative (ER), Environmental Team (ET), and the Independent Checker (Environment) (IC(E)) with respect to the environmental monitoring and audit requirements during the course of the project;

·        project organisation and programming of construction activities for the project;

·        the basis for and description of the broad approach underlying the EM&A programme;

·        requirements with respect to the construction schedule and the necessary environmental monitoring and audit programme to track the varying environmental impact;

·        details of the methodologies to be adopted and details on quality assurance and quality control programme;

·        the rationale on which the environmental monitoring data will be evaluated and interpreted;  

·        definitions 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;

·        requirements for presentation of environmental monitoring and audit data and appropriate reporting procedures; and

·        requirements for review of EIA predictions and the effectiveness of the mitigation measures / environmental management systems and the EM&A programme.

1.1.4        For the purpose of this Manual, the ET leader, who shall be responsible for and in charge of the ET, shall refer to the person delegated the role of executing the EM&A requirements.

1.2           Project Background

1.2.1        The Project, “Design and Construction of Central – Wan Chai Bypass and Island Eastern Corridor Link”, involves the construction and operation of a trunk road that connects the Rumsey Street Flyover Extension (Route 7) and the Island Eastern Corridor (Route 8) to form an east-west strategic route along the Central and Wan Chai Reclamation (Figure 1.1).

1.2.2        The scope of the CWB includes:

·        an interchange (the Central Interchange) with slip roads to the distributor road system on the Central Reclamation Phase I (CRI);

·        a dual three-lane trunk road tunnel approximately 2.3 km in length between Central and Causeway Bay forming the Central – Causeway Bay Tunnel, with an eastbound exit to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) Area;

·        two separate two-lane single-way tunnels about 0.7 km in length from the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) to Causeway Bay forming the Wan Chai Bypass; and

·        tunnel control buildings, ventilation buildings, operations areas and parking for operation, maintenance and recovery vehicles.

1.2.3        The scope of the IECL includes:

·        a dual four-lane trunk road about 1 km in length linking the CWB and the Island Eastern Corridor;

·        slip roads from the trunk road connecting to Victoria Park Road and Hing Fat Street;

·        realignment of Victoria Park Road eastbound and provision of road connections to the reclamation area; and

·        associated road lighting, road signing, traffic control and surveillance systems.

1.2.4        Some of the works of the CWB & IECL will be constructed on land reclaimed under Territory Development Department (TDD) projects CRIII and WDII.  In order to minimise the construction interface with these projects, the construction of tunnel box structure within the CRIII and WDII areas are proposed to be entrusted to TDD’s CRIII and WDII projects, respectively.  Apart from the entrusted works, the works of the CWB & IECL will be divided into three work packages and constructed by HyD’s contractors.  All work packages for the CWB & IECL are summarised as follows:

 

·        Entrusted Works in CRIII Area

·        Entrusted Works in WDII Area

·        Central Interchange

·        IECL

·        Tunnel Building, E&M Installation and Ancillary Works (including the overall E&M works and tunnel cladding works in CRIII and WDII areas)

1.2.5        The construction of the Project will commence in March 2004 and will be completed in February 2012.  Figure 1.2 shows the CWB & IECL construction programme (with WDII reclamation using public fill and marine sand fill).

1.2.6        The proposed CRIII and WDII projects will provide land for the CWB & IECL.  Other major concurrent projects near the proposed Project are presented in Table 1.1.

Table 1.1         Projects that may be Undertaken Simultaneously with the CWB & IECL Project

Project

Year of Construction

Nature of Project

Remark

Central Reclamation Phase III (CRIII)

August 2002 – March 2007

Roadworks and infrastructural developments

Construction of the CWB within CRIII will be entrusted to a CRIII contract

Wan Chai Development Phase II (WDII)

March 2004 – February 2010

Roadworks and infrastructural developments

Construction of the CWB within WDII will be entrusted to a WDII contract

Causeway Bay Flyover

May 2003 – February 2006

Roadworks

-

1.3           Environmental Monitoring and Audit Requirements

1.3.1        The following sub-sections summarise the EM&A requirements recommended in the EIA Report.

Air Quality Impact

Construction Phase

1.3.2        The construction work will inevitably lead to dust emissions (as total suspended particulates, TSP), mainly from excavation, truck haulage and material handling.  It is predicted that the dust generated will exceed the hourly and daily criteria of 500 mg m-3 and 260 mg m-3, respectively, at ASRs from Sheung Wan to Causeway Bay.

1.3.3        Mitigation measures have been proposed and are presented in Section 2.10.  With implementation of the proposed dust suppression measures, good site practices and comprehensive dust monitoring and audit, the TSP levels at all ASRs will comply with the dust criteria.  Dust monitoring requirements are recommended in Section 2 of this EM&A Manual to ensure the efficacy of the control measures.

Operation Phase

1.3.4        Vehicle emissions during the operation of the CWB & IECL tunnel will generate air pollutants such as NO2, CO and sulphur dioxide (SO2).  Table 1.2 shows the air quality guidelines that should be attained and maintained inside a vehicle tunnel.  Assessment has shown that these requirements will be met.

Table 1.2         Tunnel Air Quality Guidelines

Air Pollutants

Averaging Time

Maximum Concentration

 

 

Micrograms Per Cubic Metre (mg m-3)

Parts Per Million (ppm)

CO

5 minutes

115,000

100

NO2

5 minutes

1,800

1

SO2

5 minutes

1,000

0.4

1.3.5        In addition, the visibility in the tunnel should be controlled to a level equivalent to an extinction coefficient of 0.005 per metre or less during any five-minute interval.

1.3.6        Effective control of air pollution within the tunnel section of the CWB & IECL requires proper supervision on the maintenance and operation of the ventilation system and the monitoring equipment.  Good preventive maintenance should be employed.

Noise Impact

Construction Phase

1.3.7        Construction noise impacts from this Project, in addition to the concurrent construction tasks of other projects including CRIII and WDII projects, are expected at NSRs identified in the EIA.  Appropriate mitigation measures will be required in order to alleviate the impacts to meet the EIAO-TM criteria.  Noise monitoring during construction phase will have to be carried out to ensure that such mitigation measures have been implemented properly. 

1.3.8        The construction activities will be carried out during the daytime (between 0700 and 1900 hours).  If there is construction work undertaken in restricted hours, measurements will be carried out during the following periods:

·                     between 1900 and 2300 hours;

·                     between 2300 and 0700 hours of next day; and

·                     between 0700 and 1900 hours on Sunday or public holidays.

1.3.9        Noise measurement should be undertaken at all monitoring stations for a 30-minute period during the daytime and a 5-minute period during restricted hours when the noisiest activities are being carried out.  Type 1 sound level meters, which comply with the International Electrochemical Commission (Publications 651:1979 and 804:1985), must be used for carrying out the noise measurement.

1.3.10    Ad hoc noise monitoring should also be carried out if necessary.  To establish the prevailing background noise level, one Leq (30 minutes), obtained between 0700 and 1900 hours of a normal weekday, and three consecutive Leq (5 minutes) measurements, obtained from each monitoring period (between 1900 and 2300 hours; and between 2300 and 0700 hours), are required.

1.3.11    Baseline monitoring to establish the background noise environment will be required and should be carried out for at least 14 consecutive days prior to the commencement of the Project.  During the construction phase, impact monitoring will be required in order to assess whether or not operations on site are in compliance with construction noise criteria stipulated in EIAO-TM.

Operational Phase

Road Traffic Noise

1.3.12    Traffic noise monitoring should be carried out after the completion of CWB & IECL at NSRs located along the CWB & IECL and in the vicinity of the recommended direct technical remedies.  The purpose of this monitoring is to ensure that the proposed mitigation measures are effective.  The Highways Department (HyD) will be responsible for the operational phase monitoring.  Qualified environmental team should be employed to carry out the proposed monitoring.  The parameters, monitoring equipment, locations and procedures are presented in detail in Section 3 of this Manual.

Fixed Plant Noise

1.3.13    Noise monitoring for ventilation shaft noise is recommended to be carried out to ensure that the sound power levels (SWLs) of the louvres meet the specified standard.  Noise measurements shall be made in accordance with the procedures outlined in the Technical Memorandum for the Assessment of Noise from Places other than Domestic Premises, Public Places and Construction Sites, and shall be conducted when the ventilation buildings are operating at their maximum capacity.  Further information for fixed noise monitoring is contained in Section 3 of this Manual.

Water Quality Impact

1.3.14    The potential water quality impacts arising from the construction works for the CWB & IECL have been assessed and are presented in the EIA Report.  As no reclamation will be undertaken directly for the CWB & IECL, the primary concern with regard to water quality will be the control of runoff during construction.  The water quality assessment has concluded that the potential water quality impacts could be controlled to comply with the WPCO standards by implementing the recommended mitigation measures (Appendix A).  No unacceptable residual water quality impact is expected.  Monitoring of marine water quality during the construction phase is therefore not considered necessary for the CWB & IECL site.

Waste Management

1.3.15    Waste management will be the Contractor’s responsibility to ensure that all wastes produced during the construction of the CWB & IECL are handled, stored and disposed of in accordance with good waste management practices, and regulations and requirements of the Environmental Protection Department (EPD).  The mitigation measures recommended in the EIA Report (also shown in Appendix A) should form the basis of the site Waste Management Plan to be developed by the Contractor at the construction stage.

1.3.16    It is recommended that the waste arisings generated during the construction activities should be audited periodically to determine if wastes are being managed in accordance with approved procedures and the site Waste Management Plan.  The audits should look at all aspects of waste management including waste generation, storage, recycling, transport and disposal.  An appropriate audit programme would be to undertake a first audit near the commencement of the construction works, and then to audit quarterly thereafter.  Details are presented in Section 5 of this Manual.

Landscape and Visual Impact

Pre-Construction

1.3.17    Checks should be carried out to ensure that the programme of implementation and all design input proposed for both hard and soft landscape mitigation measures have been incorporated into the design of the tender package.  This would include tree-felling application, design of noise barriers, design of screen and roadside planting, etc.  The requirements to preserve the existing trees will be clearly specified as contractual obligations for the contractor.  Design of ancillary buildings, portals, noise barriers and the elevated structures should be approved by Advisory Committee on the Appearance of Bridges and Associated Structures (ACABAS).

During Construction

1.3.18    Monitoring should be carried out to ensure the complete implementation of all landscape and visual mitigation measures and to ensure that the organisation of the works programme allows advance planting of screen and roadside planting.

Post-Construction

1.3.19    Audit by the ET and IC(E) should be carried out to ensure all proposed mitigation measures have been completed.

1.4           Project Organisation

1.4.1        The proposed project organisation and lines of communication with respect to environmental protection works are shown in Figure 1.4.

1.4.2        The leader of the ET shall be an independent party from the Contractor and have relevant professional qualifications, or have sufficient relevant EM&A experience subject to approval by the ER and the EPD.

1.4.3        It should be noted that as sections of the proposed CWB & IECL within the CRIII and the WDII will be entrusted under the corresponding CRIII and WDII contracts, the implementation of the proposed mitigation measures and the EM&A programme should be undertaken by the corresponding CRIII and WDII contractors and environmental teams.

1.4.4        The responsibility of respective parties are:

The Contractor:

·        employ an ET to undertake monitoring, laboratory analysis and reporting of environmental monitoring and audit;

·        provide assistance to ET in carrying out monitoring;

·        submit proposals on mitigation measures in case of exceedances of Action and Limit levels in accordance with the Event and Action Plans;

·        implement measures to reduce impact where Action and Limit levels are exceeded; and

·        adhere to the procedures for carrying out complaint investigation in accordance with Section 7.3.

Environmental Team:

·        monitor the various environmental parameters as required in the EM&A Manual;

·        analyse the environmental monitoring and audit data and review the success of EM&A programme to cost-effectively confirm the adequacy of mitigatory measures implemented and the validity of the EIA predictions and to identify any adverse environmental impacts arising;

·        carry out site inspection to investigate and audit the Contractors' site practice, equipment and work methodologies with respect to pollution control and environmental mitigation, and effect proactive action to pre-empt problems;

·        audit and prepare audit reports on the environmental monitoring data and site environmental conditions;

·        report on the environmental monitoring and audit results to the IC(E), Contractor, the ER and EPD or its delegated representative;

·        recommend suitable mitigation measures to the Contractor in the case of exceedance of Action and Limit levels in accordance with the Event and Action plans; and

·        adhere to the procedures for carrying out complaint investigation in accordance with Section 7.3.

Engineer or Engineer’s Representative:

·        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 impacts in accordance with the Event and Action Plans;

·        employ an IC(E) to audit the results of the EM&A works carried out by the ET; and

·        adhere to the procedures for carrying out complaint investigation in accordance with Section 7.3.

Independent Checker (Environment):

·        review the EM&A works performed by the ET (at not less than monthly intervals);

·        audit the monitoring activities and results (at not less than monthly intervals);

·        report the audit results to the ER and EPD in parallel;

·        review the EM&A reports (baseline comma monthly and quarterly summary reports) submitted by the ET;

·        review the proposal on mitigation measures submitted by the Contractor in accordance with the Event and Action plans; and

·        adhere to the procedures for carrying out complaint investigation in accordance with Section 7.3.

1.4.5        Sufficient and suitably qualified professional and technical staff shall be employed by the respective parties to ensure full compliance with their duties and responsibilities, as required under the EM&A programme for the duration of the Project.