9.1
Introduction
9.1.1
In this section, the
environmental monitoring and auditing (EM&A) requirements for the proposed Yau Tong Bay (YTB) reclamation are summarized. It is considered that an EM&A programme will be required to assess the effectiveness of
the mitigative measures employed during the
construction period of the proposed YTB reclamation, and to ensure compliance
with environmental regulatory requirements, standards and Government policies.
9.1.2
The EM&A requirements will
be developed in detail in the EM&A Manual (Volume 2 of 3 of the EIA Study
reports). This Manual will be
produced as a stand-alone document to be submitted with the EIA Final Assessment
Report. The objectives and
recommended outline of the EM&A programme are
presented in this section, and recommendations are given for the contents and
reporting requirements of the EM&A Manual.
9.2
Environmental Monitoring
and Audit Requirements
Environmental Monitoring Requirements
9.2.1
The primary objective of the
EM&A programme is to provide a means to determine
the efficacy of the recommended mitigatory measures
developed within the EIA study for the proposed YTB reclamation. This will be achieved through the
application of specified procedures and actions defined in Event and Action
Plans (EAPs) to manage the Project’s response to any
identified unacceptable environmental impacts.
9.2.2
The specific objectives of the
EM&A programme for the proposed YTB reclamation
include the following:
·
to provide a database which can
be used to determine any short or long-term environmental impacts of the
Project;
·
to verify the environmental
impacts predicted in the EIA study;
·
to monitor the performance and
effectiveness of mitigation measures employed;
·
to determine project compliance
with regulatory requirements, standards and Government policies;
·
to provide an early indication
and suggest appropriate additional or remedial measures should any of the
environmental mitigation measures or controls fail to achieve acceptable
standards; and
·
to provide data to enable an environmental audit of the Project.
9.2.3
Noise monitoring shall be
performed at the representative noise sensitive receivers in the residential
area and schools around YTB to ensure that the construction noise arising from
the identified sources, e.g. the operation of powered mechanical equipment and
the demolition of the existing building structures, are in compliance with the
noise control ordinance. The
location and number of monitoring stations to be used are described in details
in the EM&A manual.
9.2.4
During the dredging and sand
filling works for the YTB reclamation, it is recommended that a water quality
impact monitoring programme be undertaken. It is recommended that monitoring of
water quality be carried out in Victoria Harbour near Yau Tong Bay.
Noise Baseline and Impact Monitoring
9.2.5
It is recommended that baseline
noise monitoring be carried out at all of the identified monitoring stations
for at least two consecutive weeks prior to the commissioning of the construction
work. A baseline monitoring report
shall be produced. The baseline
level will be used as a basis for the noise impact and compliance auditing
during the implementation stage.
9.2.6
Noise measurement during the
project construction and implementation shall be carried out in accordance with
the relevant environmental regulatory requirements, in particular, the
Technical Memorandum on the Assessment of Noise from Construction Work other
than Percussive Piling. The
monitored result shall be compared with the baseline condition so as to detect
adverse impacts arising from the YTB reclamation.
Water Quality Baseline and Impact Monitoring
9.2.7
It is recommended that a
baseline water quality monitoring programme be
undertaken prior to the commencement of the construction works. The determined baseline levels would be
used as a basis for environmental impact and compliance auditing during the
implementation stage.
9.2.8
The location and number of
water quality monitoring stations will be identified in the EM&A Manual,
together with details of the monitoring parameters and frequencies and
equipment to be used. It is
recommended that monitoring stations be located in the vicinity of the
identified sensitive receivers and that control stations will be necessary to
compare the water quality from potentially impacted stations with the ambient
water quality. These control
stations should be located within the same body of water as the impact
monitoring stations but outside the area of influence of the works and, as far
as practicable, not affected by any other works.
Biogas Monitoring
9.2.9
It is also recommended to
establish gas boreholes for the monitoring of methane gas emissions immediately
after reclamation, prior to the development of YTB. Details of the recommended monitoring
requirements are given in the EM&A Manual.
9.2.10
The above recommended
monitoring and control requirements together with the organisational
arrangements for the EM&A program will be developed in detail in the
EM&A Manual.
Environmental Audit Requirements
9.2.11
In addition to routine
monitoring, environmental auditing is required to ensure that the proposed YTB
reclamation is in compliance with environmental regulatory requirements and
standards. The environmental auditing
will test the adequacy and effectiveness of the environmental monitoring programme adopted.
9.2.12
These audits should be
conducted on a regular basis with the following aims:
·
to review and verify
information available in records developed through the monitoring programme;
·
to identify specific issues of
non-compliance and to give recommendations to meet them; and
·
to check the effectiveness of
mitigation measures and to review the need for further mitigatory
measures.
9.2.13
In addition to the above, an
audit of the environmental complaints handling procedures should be conducted
to verify that any complaints are properly addressed and follow up procedures
taken. The detailed environmental
audit requirements will be described in the EM&A Manual.
Project Implementation Schedule
9.2.14
A schedule of all the
mitigation measures recommended in this EIA is presented in Chapter 11. This schedule lists the proposed
mitigation measure requirements for each environmental discipline, the location
where the mitigation measure is to be implemented and the timing for
implementation, the implementation agent and the key EM&A requirements for
the project. Details of the
recommended mitigation measures can be referred to in Chapter 11.
9.3
Environmental Monitoring
and Audit Manual
9.3.1
The purpose of the EM&A Manual
is to guide the set up of an EM&A programme to
ensure compliance with the 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. The Manual describes the monitoring and
audit programme to be undertaken during the
construction of YTB reclamation. It
aims to provide systematic procedures for monitoring, auditing and minimizing
environmental impacts.
9.3.2
Hong Kong environmental regulations together with the HKPSG have served as
environmental standards and guidelines in the preparation of the EM&A
Manual. In addition, the EM&A
Manual will be prepared in accordance with the requirements stipulated in Annex
21 of the Technical Memorandum on the EIA Process.
9.3.3
The EM&A Manual will
include, but not be limited to, the following:
·
Responsibilities of the
Contractor, the Engineer or Engineer’s Representative (ER), the Environmental
Team (ET) Leader and the Independent Checker (Environment) (IC(E)) with respect
to the environmental monitoring and audit requirements during the course of the
project;
·
Information on project
organization and management structure and programming of construction
activities for the project;
·
Full details of the methodologies
to be adopted, including all field laboratory and analytical procedures, and
details on quality assurance and quality control programme;
·
Rationale on which the
environmental monitoring data will be evaluated and interpreted and the details
of the statistical procedures that will be used to interpret the data;
·
Definition of Action and Limit
Levels for each of recommended monitoring parameters;
·
Establishment of Event and
Action Plans for impact and compliance monitoring;
·
Requirements of reviewing
pollution sources and working procedures required in the event of
non-compliance of the environmental criteria and complaints;
·
Requirements of presentation of
environmental monitoring and audit data and appropriate reporting procedures
and frequency; and
·
Requirements for review of EIA
predictions and effectiveness of the environmental monitoring and audit programme.