1. Introduction

1.1 Background

1.1.1 Citybus Limited is one of the major bus services operators in Hong Kong. To date, it still does not have its own permanent bus depot. The reliance of the company’s engineering and maintenance services on temporary depots build on short-term tenancy sites has proven over the past years not to be a preferable practice. The need to decommission the temporary depot at Aldrich Bay in near future will create an immediate demand. It would be difficult for Citybus to maintain its quality bus services to the Hong Kong public in the lack of stable facilities for bus maintenance, repairing, refuelling, washing, etc.

1.1.2 According to Part 1 Schedule 2 Section A.6 (Roads, railways and depot) of the EIA Ordinance (EIAO), a transport depot located in less than 200m from the nearest boundary of an existing or planned residential area and educational institution is classified as a Designated Project. An Environmental Permit issued by the Director of Environmental Protection (DEP) is required prior to the construction and operation of the proposed bus depot.

1.1.3 An application (No: ESB-065/2001) for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study Brief under Section 5(1) of the EIAO was submitted to DEP on 19^th January 2001 with a Project Profile. A Study Brief {No. ESB-065/2001} was issued by the Authority to the applicant (Citybus) under Section 5(7)(a) of the EIAO on 5^th March 2001 for the preparation of the EIA report.

1.1.4 Public inputs obtained during the public inspection period of the Project Profile, and issues related to the EIA study raised by some members of the Eastern District Council have been respected and taken account of in the study.

1.1.5 A consultancy team led by Ling Chan + Partners Limited (LCP) has been commissioned by Citybus in December 2000 to study the architectural design and engineering requirements of the proposed development. CH2M HILL (China) Limited (formerly named as EHS Consultants Limited) has been commissioned by Citybus as a sub-consultant of LCP to carry out an EIA Study for the proposed bus depot development. Input with respect to architectural, engineering traffic, landscape/ visual design of the development were provided by the team, including LCP, Wong Pak Lam & Associates, Thomas Anderson & Partners, LLA Consultancy Limited, EDAW Earthasia Limited, and MDA Hong Kong Limited through a series of design co-ordination meetings with Citybus.

1.2 Site Selection

1.2.1 Citybus currently operates about 90 routes with a fleet of about 790 buses on the Hong Kong Island. While over 400 buses are serving routes in the Southern District, some 300 buses are for routes running in the Eastern and Central Districts. Besides, around 50 buses are running on cross-harbour routes.

1.2.2 Operationally, Citybus needs two permanent bus depots. Location-wise, it would be more efficient and environmental friendly to have one depot in the Eastern District and another in the Southern District. As a significant portion of buses are heading towards the Central District from Eastern District when the bus service commences early in the morning, and returning from Central District to Eastern District for parking, establishment of a bus depot in the Eastern District will minimize the travelled routes, distance and time between the bus depot and the various bus terminuses. The establishment of a new bus depot in other districts may affect Citybus’ existing operation in serving the public. The operational needs of the buses running in the Southern District are currently met by the depot facility at Ap Lei Chau. A permanent depot facility in the Eastern District is in demand after the decommissioning of the temporary bus depot in Aldrich Bay.

1.2.3 Taking into consideration the operational requirements of the multi-storey bus depot in terms of the driveway and ramp system with 15-m turning radius, and areas required for bus parking, maintenance bays, sunken pits, workshops, storage areas, staff changing rooms, etc., the minimum size of the site needed for the construction of a multi-storey bus depot was identified to be about 1ha.

1.2.4 The bus depot need was discussed with the Government since early 2000. Bus depots are preferably to be located on industrial areas to ensure the compatibility of the landuses. Planning Department identified that available industrial areas in the Eastern District are extremely rare. These include A Kung Ngam Industrial Area in Shau Kei Wan, and Chai Wan East Industrial Area. Most industrial sites in A Kung Ngam have already been developed, leaving only three patches of undeveloped sites with a site area ranging from about 920m² to 1,900m². The available site area in A Kung Ngam industrial area is not sufficient for the construction of a multi-storey bus depot with sufficient number of bus parking spaces to meet the long-term operational need of Citybus.

1.2.5 The existing China Motor Bus (CMB) depot located at Chai Wan Road will be rented by Citybus for temporary use after decommissioning of its existing temporary bus depot at Aldrich Bay until the planned completion of the new depot in mid 2003. The CMB depot site has been rezoned into a Comprehensive Development Area (CDA) for redevelopment. Further use of the site as a bus depot is therefore not preferable. Besides, there are numerous existing residential buildings located in close proximity to the existing bus depot at Chai Wan Road. Longer-term use of the site as a permanent bus depot is not a preferred option from an environmental viewpoint given the close proximity of the existing bus depot to the nearby sensitive receivers.

1.2.6 A 0.78 hectare site located to the immediate south of New World First Bus Depot in the Chai Wan East Industrial Area was initially identified to be available by the Government. The site was not further considered as the site area involved is not sufficient. Two candidate sites, Site B and Site C, also located within the Chai Wan East Industrial Area were identified and considered with the Government departments. Site C was selected taking into consideration its likely better environmental performance as it is located farther away from most nearby sensitive receivers.

1.3 Objectives of the EIA

1.3.1 The main objective of this EIA study is to provide information on the nature and extent of the potential environmental impacts arising from the construction and operation of the proposed bus depot and related activities taking place concurrently. The study will provide information for DEP’s decisions on:

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

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

1.3.2 The objectives of this EIA study, as stated in Section 2.1 of the Study Brief, are as follows:

(a) to describe the proposed project and associated works together with the requirements for carrying out the proposed project;

(b) to consider alternative site(s) and to compare the environmental benefits and dis-benefits of each of the site in selecting a preferred site;

(c) to identify and describe the elements of the community and environment likely to be affected by the proposed project, including both the natural and man-made environment;

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

(e) to propose the provision of mitigation measures so as to minimize pollution, environmental disturbance and nuisance during construction and operation of the project;

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

(g) 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 environmental impacts and to reduce them to acceptable levels;

(h) to investigate the extent of the secondary environmental impacts that may arise from the proposed mitigation measures and to identify the constraints associated with the mitigation measures recommended in the EIA study as well as the provision of any necessary modification; and

(i) to design and specify the environmental monitoring and audit requirements, if required, to ensure the implementation and the effectiveness of the environmental protection and pollution control measures adopted.

2. Project Description

2.1 The Subject Site And Its Environs

2.1.1 Figure A shows the location of the available site for the construction of the proposed bus depot. The site has an approximate area of 1 hectare. Located at a minimum distance of 80m to the North-west of the future bus depot is Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE) (Chai Wan). Lying between the college and the bus depot site are the MTR railway tracks leading to the Chai Wan Station to the south and Shing Tai Road. To the immediate North of IVE is its associated Staff Quarters. Tsui Wan Estate is situated at more than 165m to the South-west of the site. The nearest residential blocks at Heng Fa Chuen is located at approximately 390m to the north of the site. The bus depot of New World First Bus is located at over 135m to the north-east of the subject site.

2.2 Bus Depot Design

2.2.1 The bus depot will be constructed in form of a low-rise building occupying a site area of approximately 1 hectare (approximately 100m long x 100m). The maximum building height is approximately 17m for the bus depot and 31m for the southern office block extension, respectively.

2.2.2 The development will provide spaces for bus parking, maintenance, and office areas. Figure B shows the preliminary design of the ground floor plan of the bus depot. Additional floor plans can be found in the EIA report. As shown with the design layout plans, the bus depot will consist of three stories located at ground floor (G/F), first floor (1/F) and roof floor (3/F). As shown on the preliminary plans, the G/F will house approximately 2 refuelling bays, 2 washing bays, 29 sunken pits, 4 brake testers and 5 maintenance bays. The 1/F will provide some 46 maintenance bays for annual maintenance works. The 3/F (bus parking roof) floor will provide about 100 bus parking areas. The 4/F and 5/F that will only be built at the southern portion of the site will be used for office areas.

2.3 Implementation Programme

2.3.1 Construction works are planned to start on 1 December 2001 to meet the urgent demand to have the constructed depot ready for operation in mid-2003. Figure C shows the preliminary construction programme of the project. The development is expected to be completed in mid-2003.

3. Air Quality Impact

3.1 Construction Phase

3.1.1 Dust generation from construction activities is identified to be of key interest during construction phase of the project. The major dust emission sources arising from the planned construction works have been are identified to include excavation, material handling and vehicle movement on unpaved haul roads.

3.1.2 Potential construction dust impact arising from the key dust emission sources on the nearby existing ASRs has been predicted using the air quality model “Fugitive Dust Model” (FDM).

3.1.3 Hourly meteorological data for a whole year has been inputted into the air quality model to give the worst-case maximum 1-hour and daily Total Suspended Particulate (TSP) concentrations at the representative assessment points. The modelled TSP concentrations were compared with the 1-hour and daily TSP limits of 500mg/m³ and 260mg/m³ respectively after summation of the relevant background TSP level. The modelling study indicates that construction dust impact on the nearby Air Sensitive Receivers will be kept well within acceptable levels when the dust mitigation measures required under the Air Pollution Control (Construction Dust) Regulation are implemented.

3.1.4 Various forms of practicable dust control measures, including frequent watering, enclosure of dust emission sources as well as establishment and use of vehicle wheel and body washing station at exit points, etc. will be included into the Contract Specification for implementation by the appointed Contractor. The implementation of sufficient dust mitigation measures by the contractor will be checked by an Environmental Monitoring and Audit (EM&A) Programme to be carried out by an Environmental Team. This will allow the contractor to react immediately and take actions to ensure protection of the nearby air sensitive landuses from unacceptable dust impact through implementation of sufficient dust mitigation measures.

3.2 Operational Phase

3.2.1 During the operational phase of the bus depot, vehicular emission from buses running within the depot and commuting to and from the depot have been assessed quantitatively using the air quality models ISCST3 and CALINE4. Representative Air Sensitive Receivers (ASRs) have been selected for the modelling study.

3.2.2 Potential cumulative air quality impact from the concurrent operation of the NWFB depot in the area, as well as traffic emissions from the nearby road carriageways have been taken account of quantitatively in the study. Traffics generated from the future landuses within the Chai Wan East Industrial Area have been considered in the traffic forecast by the Project Traffic Consultant.

3.2.3 Hourly meteorological data for a whole year has been used for the prediction of the worst case maximum 1-hour and daily Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂) concentrations, maximum 1-hour Carbon Monoxide (CO) and daily Respirable Suspended Particulate (RSP) levels at the representative ASRs. With summation of the background pollutant levels, the modelled pollutant concentrations at the representative ASRs were compared with the relevant Air Quality Objectives (AQOs).

3.2.4 All predicted air pollutant concentrations at various levels of the ASRs are well within the AQOs. The assessment results reveal that vehicular emissions from open road traffic and direct emission from the two bus depots will unlikely pose an unacceptable air quality impact on the surrounding ASRs.

4. Noise Impact ASSEssment

4.1 Construction Phase

4.1.1 During the construction phase, potential noise impact arising from the operation of powered mechanical equipment (PME) at the work sites is the key interest.

4.1.2 Construction noise is controlled under the Noise Control Ordinance (NCO) which prohibits the use of powered mechanical equipment (PME) during the restricted hours (7 p.m. to 7 a.m. on normal weekdays and any time on a public holiday, including Sunday) without a valid Construction Noise Permit (CNP) granted by the Authority. Relevant technical details are provided in the “Technical Memorandum on Noise From Construction Works Other than Percussive Piling”.

4.1.3 With effect from 1 November 96, the use of specified powered mechanical equipment (SPME) for carrying out construction work other than percussive piling and/ or the carrying out of prescribed construction work (PCW) within a designated area are also brought under control. The relevant technical details are provided in the “Technical Memorandum on Noise from Construction Work in Designated Areas”.

4.1.4 Percussive piling is controlled similarly by a noise permit system and described in the NCO and the “Technical Memorandum On Noise From Percussive Piling” (TM3) which restrict the number of hours during which piling can be conducted. No percussive piling may be carried out in the territory without a valid CNP issued by the Authority. Besides, a CNP will only be granted for percussive piling which is scheduled during normal working hours between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Monday to Saturday. The carrying out percussive piling is prohibited at any time on Sundays and public holidays as well as during the weekday from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. the next day.

4.1.5 Details on the PME to be used during the construction phase would not be available before the appointment of the Contractor. Nevertheless, a reasonable PME inventory (equipment types and number of equipment) has been developed by the Project Engineer based on the preliminary construction programme at this planning stage to enable the carrying out of a detailed quantitative assessment.

4.1.6 The assessment results demonstrated that with the combined use of various practicable noise control measures at locations close to the Noise Sensitive Receivers (NSRs), the construction noise impact on the nearby noise sensitive receivers (NSRs) can be mitigated to acceptable levels. The common and practicable noise mitigation options include use of quiet equipment, erecting temporary noise barriers and provision of noise enclosure, phasing of construction activities, reducing number of equipment operating together, as well as good site practice and noise management. The mitigated noise levels predicted demonstrated that the progressive increase in use of these measure shall be able to reduce the construction noise impact on all nearby NSRs to acceptable levels. The requirement to adopt these mitigation measures as far as practicable during the execution of the project shall be written to the contract specification.

4.1.7 Implementation of sufficient noise control measures by the contractor will also be checked through the recommended EM&A programme. Details on the EM&A Programme are presented in the EM&A Manual.

4.2 Operational Phase Fixed Noise Impact

4.2.1 Potential noise impact from fixed noise sources of the bus depot was assessed. Noise standards are given in the Technical Memorandum for the Assessment of Noise from Places other than Domestic Premises, Public Places or Construction Sites. To plan for a better environment, a “5dB(A) margin” has been considered in accordance with the requirement under Table 1A in Annex 5 of the EIAO-TM. For NSRs with an ASR “C”, the applicable noise assessment criteria, “Acceptable Noise Level – 5dB(A)” criteria, are L_eq(30min)65dB(A) and 55dB(A) during daytime/ evening (from 0700 to 2300 hours) and night-time (from 2300 to 0700 hours). For NSRs with an ASR “B”, the corresponding applicable noise criteria are 60dB(A) and 50dB(A). The Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE) (Chai Wan) is not expected to be sensitive during the night-time period when the noise criteria are most stringent.

4.2.2 The fixed noise sources and associated noise levels associated with their operation were identified and measured by the consultants through several visits to Citybus’ existing bus depot in Aldrich Bay. The major noise sources are identified to be engine noise generated during brake testing, engine testing and bus parking. The key time period of interest was the morning period when buses are leaving the bus depot to the bus terminuses for the commencement of the daily service to serve the public.

4.2.3 As a prudent approach to avoid potential noise impact generated from the roof level of the bus depot, a 3m high solid vertical wall will be provided near the southern, western and northern edge of the bus depot at roof level as shown in Figure D. Besides, the northern and southern façades of the bus depot building to which Heng Fa Chuen and Tsui Wan Estate are facing will be constructed as a solid façade.

4.2.4 The assessment results confirmed that the noise assessment criteria will be met at all NSRs.

4.3 Operational Phase Traffic Noise Impact

4.3.1 Operation of the proposed bus depot will inevitably generate some additional traffic on the adjacent road carriageways. As a prudent approach in avoiding significant traffic noise impact, the routeing plan for buses commuting to the depot was formulated with consideration on potential traffic and traffic noise impact, taking into account the existing traffic flows on the carriageways. The bus routeing plan has been agreed with the relevant Government departments and is presented in the final TIA report. Figure E shows the planned bus routing plan agreed with the Government.

4.3.2 Taking into account the public view, which is also considered appropriate from a traffic and environmental point-of-view, buses heading towards or arriving from Siu Sai Wan will not be allowed to use Wing Tai Road and Shing Tai Road at all time periods during normal operation.

4.3.3 A road traffic noise standard of L_10(1-hr)70dB(A) and L_10(1-hr)65dB(A) for domestic premises and educational institutions respectively is specified in Table 1 under Annex 5 of the EIAO-TM based on peak hour traffic. These noise limits are meant for the hour having the overall peak traffic flows, and apply to uses which rely on opened windows for ventilation. They are therefore not directly applicable in the current EIA study for the hours during which there will be maximum number of buses returning and/or leaving the bus depot.

4.3.4 To assess whether the future operation of the proposed bus depot will give a significant contribution to the overall traffic noise on the nearby NSRs, traffic forecast for the years 2003 and 2018 were considered to represent the worst-case scenarios. Traffic generation from other future developments in the area has been considered in the traffic forecast. The early morning and near mid-night scenarios were considered as these represent the worst-case scenarios when the highest traffic flows would be generated from the operation of the bus depot.

4.3.5 Traffic noise levels were predicted at all representative assessment points for the “with bus depot” and “without bus depot” scenarios. A comparison of the two scenarios for the year 2003 and 2018 scenarios indicated that noise contribution from the bus depot at all NSRs are less than 1.0dB(A), indicating that the contribution to the overall traffic noise impact is insignificant.

5. wASTE mANAGEMENT

5.1.1 The waste management implications during the construction and operational phases were evaluated and assessed.

5.1.2 Implementation of proper waste management during the construction phase is necessary. At this planning stage, appropriate disposal method for each type of waste was identified, along with consideration of opportunities for construction waste reduction, reuse or recycling. The potential impacts arising from the handling, collection, and disposal of construction wastes and the environmental mitigation measures required to mitigate these environmental impacts were identified and recommended.

5.1.3 The major source of Construction and Demolition (C&D) Material from the construction activities is expected to arise from the required excavation activities for the foundation works from bored piling activities, pile cap construction, manholes and other underground utilities and facilities, including underground fuel tanks and sunken pits.

5.1.4 A preliminary estimate is 28,000m³ for the bored piling works and 55,000m³ from other excavation activities. Based on the preliminary construction programme, the daily quantity of excavation material to be handled is estimated to be some 900m³/day on average. The building construction activities would generate some additional C&D waste, but the contribution to the overall quantity is expected to be insignificant and will be minimised by the Contractor through minimisation of waste generation, reuse and recycling as far as practicable. Chemical waste and general refuse generated from the construction activities shall also be properly disposed of. A waste management plan (WMP) is recommended to be developed by the Contractor based on the recommended control measures for the handling of C&DM.

5.1.5 The operation of the proposed bus depot is expected to generate limited and similar types of wastes as many other industrial undertakings. Significant environmental impact is not anticipated. Requirements on proper chemical waste management have been included in the EIA for future implementation.

6. lAND Contamination Impact

6.1.1 Operation of the proposed bus depot will inevitably involve storage and delivery of diesel fuel on-site. Chemicals will also be used, through not expected to be in a significant quantity. These facilities are identified in the EIA to have the potential to cause land contamination in the long run if the fuel and chemicals are not properly stored, handled, managed and disposed of during operation.

6.1.2 Potential sources of land contamination were identified. Appropriate operational practices, waste management strategies and precautionary measures have been formulated to prevent the occurrence of land contamination problem as far as practicable.

7. Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Facilities

7.1.1 Wastewater effluent generated from the construction work stage shall be managed in accordance with the requirements under ProPECC Note PN1/94 such that unacceptable water quality impact would not be resulted. No effluent shall be allowed to be discharged into the Cargo Handling Basin, or stormwater drain at road carriageways and other public areas durig the construction phase.

7.1.2 During the operational phase, wastewater effluent generated from designated bus washing areas may contain petrol and should be diverted to petrol interceptors before being discharged into government foul sewers. Sewage arising from the site such as kitchen area should also be diverted to grease traps before disposal to foul sewer. The design of the petrol interceptors and grease traps to be installed shall enable the treated effluent to meet the limits stipulated in the Technical Effluent Discharged into Drainage and Sewerage Systems, Inland and Coastal Waters.

7.1.3 Sufficient stormwater drainage facility should be provided for the development. All rainwater collected from the roof floor bus parking areas shall be diverted to petrol/oil interceptor before disposal. The design of the interceptors should allow stormwater bypass during peak flow periods.

8. Hazard Impact

8.1.1 An “Other Specified Uses” (“OU”) site located on the northern side of the development is zoned for the development of a petrol filling cum liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) filling station, as shown in the latest Draft Outline Zoning Plan (Plan No. S/H20/11).

8.1.2 Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) requires a minimum separation distance of 15m between LPG filling station and industrial/ commercial buildings to minimise potential hazard associated with operation of LPG filling station. Planning Department (PlanD) has advised that in identifying a suitable site for the LPG/ Petrol filling station, the requirement of providing a separation distance of 15m between the LPG filling station and the proposed bus depot has been observed.

8.1.3 Given the close proximity of the proposed bus depot to the future LPG/ Petrol filling station, as a prudent approach, a Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) has been conducted to ascertain if the risk posed by the LPG filling station on the bus depot is within acceptable level. Precautionary measures have also been identified and incorporated into the design of the bus depot.

8.1.4 The QRA study assessed and quantified the risk associated with the operation of the LPG/ petrol filling station in form of Societal Risk and Individual Risk for comparison with the risk guidelines. The calculated societal risk level is within the acceptable region as specified in the Risk Guidelines for PHI and the Potential Loss of Life (PLL) is 2.5 x 10^-5 per year. On the other hand the individual risk level also falls within the acceptable limit of 1 in 100,000 per year.

8.1.5 The findings of the study confirm that with the provision of standard risk control measures incorporated into the design of the LPG/ Petrol filling station, and the precautionary measure of providing a solid concrete wall for the entire northern façade of the bus depot building, the project will not be subject to unacceptable risk from the operation of the LPG/ Petrol filling station and the overall societal risk impact will be within acceptable level.

9. Landscape and visual impacts

9.1.1 A baseline study has been carried out and identify that the only landscape resource is the existing vegetation scattered throughout the study area. As such, a comprehensive tree survey has been carried out to identify the baseline conditions of the existing landscape resources. The trees are mainly common species with trunk diameter varies from 0.1m to 0.4m. The bus depot building has to cover the entire site due to the need to accommodate the following provisions onsite – driveway and ramp system, maintenance spaces, parking spaces and other supporting facilities. A total 88 number of trees will be required to be removed from the site during the site clearance period.

9.1.2 In order to mitigate the landscape impact, it is suggested to transplant 13 numbers of good quality trees to Chai Wan Park, Cape Collinson Chinese Permanent Cemetery, Yee Shing Lane Sitting Out Area or the proposed town park at Aldrich Bay.

9.1.3 In addition, a planting proposal is developed according to the proposed building layout with the intention to introduce greenery where possible to mitigate the landscape impact and further enhance the quality of the environment.

9.1.4 As the quality of streetscape is important to mitigate the landscape impact, it is further recommended that a row of heavy standard Delonix regia should be planted along the footpath of Road 20/4 and Shing Tai Road.

9.1.5 To avoid potential visual impact associated with the bus depot building design, strategies including the use of recessed grove lines to divide wall into panels to reduce its massive scale, and use of colours to further breakdown the scale by means of spray-painting on plaster. Metal cladding and tiling will also be used for the main elevations facing Road 20/4 and Shing Tai Road to add richness in texture and colour. It is expected that these measures will ensure visual compatibility with its environmental context.

9.1.6 Representative illustrations showing the landscape treatment and preliminary design of the depot are presented in Annex I. Additional drawings can be found in Appendix 9-2 of the EIA Report.

10. Environmental Management Plan

10.1.1 An Environmental Management Plan (EMP) has been prepared as part of the EIA Study. The EMP recommends the Environmental Monitoring and Audit (EM&A) requirements during the construction phase of the project, as well as the setting up of an “impact-mitigation oriented” Environmental Management System (EMS) during the operational phase.

10.1.2 Regular construction noise and dust monitoring are recommended to be carried out by an Environmental Team. The monitoring requirements in terms of locations, frequencies, monitoring equipment and parameters, action and limit levels, event/ action plan have been recommended. Site audit requirements have also been recommended.

10.1.3 The tree transplanting works will be carried out strictly according to the Transplanting Specification under the close monitoring by the ER who should be a qualified landscape architect or arboriculturist. The various responsible parties have been identified and reported in the implementation schedule.

10.1.4 An impact mitigation oriented EMS is recommended to be established to achieve the objectives that the long-term operation of the bus depot will not only satisfy the relevant environmental legislation and regulations and the environmental conditions, but also conform to the Environmental Policy of the project proponent. The establishment of this Environmental Policy is not a statutory requirement but reflects the project proponent’s commitment to taking the relevant environmental factors into consideration as appropriate in the operation of the bus depot development. An initial list of environmental factors and recommended mitigation strategy have been draw up for further review during the detailed design stage and operational phase by the project proponent to maintain their relevance, practicability and effectiveness in achieving the project proponent’s Environmental Policy.

11. Conclusion

11.1.1 This Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) covers all key environmental issues of the project, including air quality impact, noise impact, waste management implications, land contamination prevention, wastewater treatment and disposal, hazard impact, landscape and visual consideration. Quantitative and/or qualitative assessments have been undertaken as appropriate in accordance with the requirements of the Study Brief for comparison with the relevant standards and requirements. Practicable and cost-effective mitigation measures have been recommended where necessary to minimise the identified adverse impacts to acceptable levels. EM&A programme has been recommended for checking the implementation of sufficient mitigation measures with respect to the key environmental issues of concern during the construction phase. An EMS is also recommended to enable the consideration of relevant environmental factors during the operation of the bus depot.

11.1.2 In conclusion, with the implementation of the proposed environmental mitigation measures, potential environmental impacts associated with the construction of the Project will be alleviated to acceptable levels. With these measures, the construction and operation of the proposed bus depot should unlikely cause any unacceptable impact from an environmental perspective.