1.1
Background
1.1.1
The revitalization of the Yau Tong Bay brownfield
site has been encouraged by Government under numerous planning studies and its
implementation has been largely established in the Outline Zoning Plan. The bay, upon completion not only satisfies
the community needs for school, open space, housing as introduced by
Government, but also will bring back the brownfield land for more
environmentally friendly and non-polluting productive use. The Yau Tong Bay Development project was initiated
by a group of owners who hold significant interests in Yau Tong Bay (YTB). The owners have joined together to form a
joint venture (the Joint Venture) and have appointed Main Wealth Development
Ltd as the Project Manager for the proposed redevelopment.
1.1.2
Maunsell Consultants Asia Ltd.
has been commissioned by Main Wealth Development Ltd as the EIA Co-ordinator
for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study of Yau Tong Bay
Development. A team of environmental consultants
have also been appointed to undertake the EIA Study in order to assess the
potential environmental impacts arising from the construction and operation
phases of Yau Tong Bay Development. The environmental team comprises the
following consultants:
·
CH2M Hill (China)
Limited
·
David C Lee Surveyors Ltd.
·
Dennis Lau & Ng Chun Man
Architects & Engineers (H.K) Ltd
·
Maunsell Consultants Asia Ltd.
·
Maunsell Environmental
Management Consultants Ltd.
·
Maunsell Geotechnical Services
Ltd.
·
MVA Hong Kong Ltd.
·
Westwood Hong & Associates
Ltd.
1.1.3
The Environmental Impact
Assessment Study for Yau Tong Bay Development is divided into two packages,
namely, “Reclamation of Yau Tong Bay” and “Engineering Feasibility Study for
the Comprehensive Development at Yau Tong Bay” under the
Study Brief No. ESB-0010/1998 and ESB-0028/1999 respectively.
1.1.1
Application for approval of the
EIA Reports for Package 1 (EIA-046/2000) and Package 2 (EIA-048/2000) EIA Study
were formally submitted under the EIA Ordinance on 25 July and 29 August 2000 respectively. Both of the
approval applications were unsuccessful because the EIA reports did not meet
the requirements of the EIA Study Brief and TM as advised by the Director of
Environmental Protection. Letters from
EPD stating the reasons of disapproval are attached in Appendix 1A.
1.1.2
Subsequently, a series of
discussions among EPD, various government departments and the environmental
consultants have been made. Several
working papers and Draft Final EIA Report have been submitted to substantiate
the assessment results on the environmental impacts of the development to the
environment. Taking into account the comments from EPD on the previous
submitted EIA reports, this Final EIA report has been revised to include the
assessment results on the environmental impacts generated from all possible
development scenarios. The responses to
comments from EPD on the previous Final EIA reports and draft Final EIA Reports
resubmission are summarized in Appendix 1B and Appendix 1C respectively.
1.1.3
To proceed with the Yau Tong
Bay Development, the YTB will be reclaimed and the existing marine lots will be
resumed for the future Comprehensive Development Area (CDA) development. The reclamation site is majority zoned as CDA
on the current Cha Kwo Ling, Yau Tong, Lei Yue Mun Outline Zoning Plan
No. S/K/15/13.
1.2
Purpose and Objective of
the EIA Study for the Reclamation of YTB
1.2.1
The purpose of this EIA study
is to assess the environmental issues arising from the construction and
operation phases of the Reclamation of YTB, and to propose mitigation measures
for all identified adverse environmental impacts.
1.2.2
The objectives of the EIA Study
are as follows:
·
to describe the Project and
associated works together with the requirements for carrying out the Project;
·
to identify and describe the
elements of the community and the environment likely to be affected by the
Project, and/or likely to cause adverse impacts to the Project, including both
the natural and man-made environment;
·
to identify and quantify
pollution sources and determine the significance of impacts on sensitive
receivers and potential affected uses;
·
to propose the provision of
infrastructure or mitigation measures so as to minimize pollution,
environmental disturbance and nuisance during construction and operation of the
Project;
·
to identify, predict and
evaluate the residual (i.e. after practicable mitigation) environmental impacts
and the cumulative effects to arise during the construction and operation
phases of the Project in relation to the sensitive receivers and potential
affected uses;
·
to identify, assesses and
specify methods, measures and standards, to be included in the detailed design,
construction and operation of the Project which are necessary to mitigate these
environmental impacts and reducing them to acceptable levels;
·
to investigate the extent of
side-effects of proposed mitigation measures that may lead to other forms of
impacts;
·
to identify constraints
associated with the mitigation measures recommended in this EIA study; and
·
to design and specify the
environmental monitoring and audit requirements necessary to ensure the
implementation and the effectiveness of the environmental protection and
pollution control measures adopted.
1.3
Report Structure
1.3.1
The details of this EIA study
has been organised into three separate volumes:
·
Volume 1 of 4 : Final EIA Report – Book 1 of 2;
·
Volume 2 of 4 : Final EIA Report – Book 2 of 2;
·
Volume 3 of 4 : Environmental Monitoring and Audit Manual;
and
·
Volume 4 of 4 : Executive Summary.
1.3.2
The structure of the Final EIA
Report is outlined below:
Section 1 Introduction
Section 2 Description
of the Project
Section 3 Noise
Section 4 Water
Quality
Section 5 Waste
Management and Mud Contamination
Section 6 Biogas
Risk Assessment
Section 7 Land
Contamination
Section 8 Visual
and Landscape
Section 9 Environmental
Monitoring and Audit
Section 10 Conclusion
Section 11 Implementation
Schedule of Recommended Mitigation Measures