5 WASTE MANAGEMENT

5.1 Contractor's Responsibilities

5.1.1 The Contractor is responsible for waste control within the construction site, removal of the waste material produced from the site and to implement any mitigation measures to minimise waste or redress problems arising from the waste from the site. The waste material may include any sewage, waste water or effluent containing sand, cement, silt or any other suspended or dissolved material to flow from the site onto any adjoining land, storm sewer, sanitary sewer, or any waste matter or refuse to be deposited anywhere within the site or onto any adjoining land.

5.1.2 A proper waste management plan should be implemented to promote waste minimisation at source. Where waste generation is unavoidable then the potential for recycling or reuse should be explored and opportunities taken. If wastes cannot be recycled then the recommended disposal routes should be followed.

5.1.3 Different types of construction waste generated from the site should be segregated, stored, transported and disposed of separately in accordance with EPD's required procedures. It is important that the sorting of wastes should be done on-site. All waste materials should be segregated into categories covering:

• excavated material or construction waste suitable for reuse on-site;
• excavated material or construction waste suitable for reclamation or public filling areas;
• good rock suitable for recycling;
• remaining waste for landfill;
• chemical waste; and
• general refuse.

5.1.4 During construction phase of the facility, on site measures promoting proper segregation and disposal of construction waste should be implemented, e.g. provide separate containers for inert (sand, stone etc) and non-inert (wood, organics etc) C&DM. The hard inert C&DM should be stored and recycled. The soft inert C&DM and the non-inert C&DM could be transported to public filling area and strategic landfills respectively for disposal. A trip ticket system should be implemented to control the disposal of construction and demolition material.

5.1.5 It will be the construction contractors' responsibility to dispose of excavated spoil and construction wastes. The construction contractors should make use of excavated spoil as much as possible to minimise off-site fill material requirements and disposal of spoil. During road transportation of excavated spoil, vehicles should be covered to avoid dust impacts.

5.1.6 The construction contractors/facility operator should pay attention to the Waste Disposal Ordinance, the Dumping at Sea Ordinance, the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance and the Water Pollution Control Ordinance, and WBTC No. 25/99, and carry out the appropriate waste management work. The relevant licence/permit, such as the effluent discharge licence, the chemical waste producer registration, etc. should be obtained. The construction contractors/ acility operator should refer to the relevant booklets issued by EPD when applying for the licence/permit.

5.1.7 During the site inspections and the document review procedures as mentioned in Section 6 of this Manual, the ET Leader should pay special attention to the issues relating to waste management, and check whether the construction contractor / facility operator has followed the relevant contract specifications and the procedures specified under the laws of Hong Kong, as well as the legislation and guidelines described in Section 5.1 above.

5.1.8 When handling and disposal of the construction waste material, the following recommended mitigation measures shall be undertaken during the construction stage of the proposed project in order to minimise the potential environmental impact:

5.2 Measures to be taken in the Construction Stage to reduce the Generation of C&DM

5.2.1 A proper waste management plan targeting towards i) waste identification; ii) waste minimisation at source; iii) waste reuse & recycle; iv) waste segregation; and v) waste disposal should be implemented to promote better waste management.

5.2.2 All waste materials shall be segregated into categories covering:

(a) Inert portion of construction & demolition material (C&DM) for reuse on-site,

(b) Inert portion of C&DM to be used as public fill,

(c) good rock suitable for recycling,

(d) remaining C&D waste for landfill,

(e) chemical waste, and

(f) general refuse.

5.2.3 On-site measures promoting proper segregation and disposal of construction waste should be implemented. e.g. provide separate containers for inert (sand, stone etc) and non-inert (wood, organics etc) wastes. The inert waste should be used on site before disposed of at public filling area and the non-inert waste should be sorted for re-use or recycling before being transported to strategic landfills.

5.2.4 Where waste generation is unavoidable then the potential for recycling or reuse should be explored and opportunities taken. If wastes cannot be recycled then the recommended disposal routes should be followed.

5.2.5 Training shall be provided for workers about the concepts of the site cleanliness and appropriate waste management procedure, including waste reduction, reuse and recycling.

5.2.6 Regular maintenance and cleaning of the waste storage areas.

5.3 Measures to be taken in the Construction Stage for C&DM Disposal

5.3.1 General

• To monitor the proper disposal of solid waste at landfills and control fly-tipping, a trip-ticket system on all solid waste transfer/disposal operations should be included as one of the contractual requirements (as described in WBTC No. 5/99) and implemented by the Environmental Team. The Independent Checker (Environment) should be responsible for auditing the result of the system. Since the amount of public fill to be generated by this project is less than 100,000 cu.m., the trip ticket system will not be required for public fill, but it will be applicable to other C&D waste.
• A recording system documenting the amount of wastes generated, recycled and disposed, and the disposal methods and sites should be implemented during the construction phase by the Environmental Team and audited by the Independent Checker (Environment) (IEC).
• Although the amount of public fill expected to be generated by the project is less than 100,000m3, if the public fill is to be disposed of at public filling facilities, the trip ticket system is still required to prevent illegal dumping.

5.3.2 Chemical Waste

• Spill absorbent material and emulsifiers should be available on site in case of spillage
•  The producer of chemical wastes should be registered as chemical waste producer in accordance with the CWR.
• The chemical waste generated should be labelled, stored and disposed of according to the CWR. Proper storage area shall be allocated on site for storage of chemical waste. Proper storage area should be allocated on site for storage of chemical waste. The chemical waste should only be collected by a licensed collector. An updated list of licensed chemical waste collector can be obtained from EPD.
• The construction contractors / facility operator should adopt the necessary mitigation measures to prevent the uncontrolled disposal of chemical and hazardous waste into air, soil, surface waters and ground waters. Spill adsorbent material and emulsifiers should be available on site in case of spillage. Any contaminated material such as absorbent or cleaning stuffs should be properly disposed of.

5.3.3 General Refuse

• Implement appropriate measures to minimise windblown litter and dust during transportation by covering trucks or transporting wastes in enclosed containers.
• Set up temporary refuse collection facility to store domestic waste and the waste should be collected frequently.

5.4 Other Measures

5.4.1 Excavated Spoil

• Locate stockpiles of spoils to minimise visual impacts and nuisance related to noise and dust;
• Designate appropriate haulage route; and
• Prevent elevated suspended solid levels in surface water by use of appropriate bunding, interceptors and direction of run-off into settling ponds.

5.4.2 Waste Minimisation During Construction Phase

• Suitable inert C&DM should be recycled or reused wherever possible. The waste management strategy to be employed should promote waste minimisation at source. Where waste generation is unavoidable then the potential for recycling or reuse should be explored and opportunities taken.
• Waste reduction measures should be introduced at the design stage and carried through the construction activities, wherever possible, by careful control on purchasing, reuse of formwork, and good site management.
• Training of construction staff should be given at the site to increase awareness and draw attention to waste management issues and the need to minimise waste generation. The training requirements should be included in the site management plan.

5.4.3 Waste Handling and Disposal

• Reputable waste collectors authorised to collect the specific category of waste should be used to collect and transport the wastes to the appropriate disposal points.
• Waste should be handled and stored properly to ensure that they are held securely without loss or leakage thereby minimising the potential for pollution. Release of pollutants into nearby water bodies during storage and handling should not be permitted.
• Appropriate measures should be employed to minimise windblown litter and dust during transportation of wastes by either covering the trucks or transporting wastes in enclosed containers.
• The necessary waste disposal permits should be obtained from the appropriate authorities for specific category of waste in accordance with the relevant regulations.
• Collection of municipal wastes should be carried out frequently, say on a daily basis.
• Trip ticket system for disposal of C&DM should be implemented in accordance with WBTC 5/99. Records of the quantities of wastes generated, recycled and disposed should be maintained, determined by weighing each load or by other appropriate methods.