The Project has adopted a three tierthree-tier approach to
nature conservation. With the overarching policy being MTR’s Environmental
Policy (as Tier
Level One
below) and the subsequent tiers becoming levels being more specific to the Cable Car
Project.
MTR Corporation Limited is committed to the conservation of Hong Kong's natural environment and the responsible management of all impacts arising from the Tung Chung Cable Car Project. The corporation will embrace its obligations for this environmental Policy as follows:
The Corporation will:
1. Comply with all relevant environmental laws or, in the absence of legislation, seek out and observe accepted best international practice as appropriate.
2. Employ a corporate-wide Environmental Management System (EMS) to continuously monitor and manage environmental impacts, and to conduct regular reviews on the range of environmental issues that require monitoring.
3. Conduct Environmental Impact Assessments for new projects, where required by law and suggested by best practice, and implement the recommendations.
4. Ensure that contractors and partners will implement any recommendation to achieve acceptable environmental standards, train and encourage all our suppliers to adopt environmental acceptable practices in the products and services provided.
5. Educate and train staff in environmental matters and raise their environmental awareness.
6. Educate passengers, legislators, opinion makers and the general public on the Environmental benefits of railways.
7. Set environmental performance goals, arrange regular third-party environmental audits and publish the results with the aim of continuous improvement.
The Corporation will also implement a series of policy directives and require all engaged contractors, directly or indirectly to abide by these.
The Corporation will:
1.
Fully
considered the any potential
impacts on
the natural environment and develop practical measures to avoid or mitigate their
impacts.
2. Promote environmental sustainability by the using sustainable practices including reuse of waste materials, the use of renewable materials and revegetation of disturbed areas.
3.
Ensure
that that . the design of the Project to . minimizes
impacts on ecology, landscape, Visual amenity and cultural heritage resources.
4. Develop and implement an Environmental Management Plan to ensure that environmental impacts are avoided, mitigated and assessed during the Project.
5. Develop and implement a Waste Management Plan to ensure that environmental baseline condition is not impacted by construction or operational activities and that the site is left similar state to which it is found.
6. Develop and implement an Emergency Response Plan for each operation to minimize the risk to the environment
7. Develop and implement a Fire Protection Procedure/ Plan to prevent or minimize the risk of uncontrolled fires in the Study Area.
8. Develop and implement a Vegetation Management Plan to prevent the unnecessary loss of ecological habitat and re-use any vegetation which has to be cleared as a consequence of implementing this Project, as appropriate.
9. Encourage the protection of connected habitat links in adjacent areas.
10. Prevent damage to rare or protected species in the Study Area where possible.
11. Promote environmental awareness in contractors and develop education and awareness programs and supporting materials.
12. Provide training of all employees to encourage environmental responsibility and awareness so that all operations will be carried out in such a way as to minimize undue disturbance to flora and fauna.
13. Prevent or minimize the use of using hazardous substances such as chemicals and petroleum products in construction and operational activities.
14. Liaise and consult with relevant local community groups and organizations to ensure that environmental concerns are considered and acted upon where appropriate.
15. Ensure that the contractor(s) shall provide for all necessary materials and practices on site be performed according to this Policy.
16. Ensure that a suitably qualified Ecologist is engaged during the Project to ensure environmental commitments and responsibilities are enforced.
17. Ensure that construction methods/ practices do not conflict with the Country Park requirements.
Specifically theThe following
suite of policies will apply:
1. Ensure that watercourses (particularly the diverted stream at Ngong Ping) will address water quality issues and have a similar or improved water quality after the completion of the Project.
2. Ensure that the potential presence (downstream) of protected and rare amphibian species (Romer’s Tree Frog) is taken into account in the design, construction and operation of the Project.
3. Ensure that watercourses shall not be polluted with soaps, detergents or excretion.
4. Ensure that water should is not sourced from any watercourses on site unless water flowrate is not significantly reduced by water extraction.
5. Liaise and consult with relevant community groups to ensure an acceptable outcome will result from stream diversion and stream rehabilitation.
6. Ensure that natural material will be used where possibly including the construction of the Emergency Rescue Trail and no concrete will be used as a main source of material on these trails.
7. Ensure that natural resource policies are being implemented. An ecologist and/or botanist will be present during clearing activities to ensure that the appropriate management strategies are followed and that fauna species are treated if injured and relocated to suitable habitat areas.
8. Provide secondary compensation for the approximate loss of 620m2 of the secondary woodland by the Emergency Rescue Trail and the Material Ropeway (if implemented).
9.
Design
the Emergency Rescue Trail to avoid any protectedion or
rare species or significant habitats by avoidance (diversion) of the trail
around these areas where possiblely.
10. Ensure that protected or rare flora and fauna species (including orchids and Camellia species) will not be adversely impacted upon (i.e. fenced off from construction work) to prevent any accidental damage.
11. Ensure that in locations where protected or rare flora species cannot be avoided, species be transplanted to similar environment as the original habitat (i.e. in the same habitat type in the local vicinity).
12.
Clearly
mark any vegetation
(that is considered to harbour sensitive habitat or of biological significance)
should
be undertaken by a qualified person for protection (to
prevent accidental damage during construction).
13. Ensure that a suitably trained person shall be present during clearing to relocate any terrestrial fauna located in the construction area (especially those that are rare or protected).
14. Ensure that appropriate construction measures for sensitive environments and fauna species such as vegetation (trees) should be tapped/ knocked prior to clearing to reduce the chance of faunal injury.
15. Ensure that cleared vegetation is re-used for landscaping and revegetation, where appropriate.
16.
Ensure
that the works be programmed to be carried out during the drier months
(preferably dry season) ,), to reduce the impact on aquatic flora and
fauna that rely on the watercourses and also to reduce the chance of soil erosion/
sedimentation..
17. Prevent unauthorized access to the site to be restricted by adequate signage and no work outside of the designated sites.
18. Restrict the passage of machinery outside the designated construction areas and a minimum number of machinery parking areas should be used and clearly designated.
19.
Ensure
that workers will not disturb birds and other animals (including feeding and no
pets/site dogs of any type shall be allowed on any site.).
20. Ensure that prior to works commencing on site, a complete photographic record shall be obtained of the site, its surroundings, any watercourses and any dams or pipes constructed by others.
21. Ensure that temporary work sites/ disturbed areas are reinstated to original conditions (where possible) immediately after completion of construction.
22. Ensure that no litter or waste materials remain on site after construction.
23. Ensure that all litter and waste will be removed off site (not be burned on site) according to the Waste Management Plan
24. Ensure that Fire Prevention Strategy will include measures to prevent hill fires including no smoking, cooking or use of open fires on any site, no cigarette lighters or matches shall be carried onto the site and that welding or hot work is not permitted and that temporary fire fighting equipment shall be provided in all work areas.
25. Ensure that regular cleaning and frequent watering of the construction sites during dry periods to avoid dust (as determined by the engineer), but attention should be paid to prevent washing waste materials off site.
26. Ensure that no fuel or oil shall be stored within the Country Park and no pesticides or herbicides will be used within the Country Park.
27. Ensure that details of drilling fluid additives confirming that they will not contaminate the water gathering grounds shall be deposited.