3.                 NOISE

 

Introduction

 

3.1               As identified in the EIA report, the proposed Project would not result in an adverse construction noise impact on sensitive receivers located in the vicinity of the Project site in view of a large separation distance and limited line of sight to the Project site. Therefore, no noise monitoring would be required during construction of the Project.

 

3.2               Environmental audit shall be carried out throughout the construction phase to ensure that appropriate noise control measures would be properly implemented with a view to minimizing the construction noise impact.

 

Construction Phase

 

3.3               Weekly site inspections should be carried out in order to ensure the noise control measures are implemented properly. Detailed requirements of site inspection are presented in Section 7 of this EM&A Manual. The Contractor shall be responsible for implementation of the good site practices recommended in the EIA Report.  A number of practical measures listed below should be followed during construction phase:

·         Only well-maintained plant should be operated on-site and plant should be serviced regularly during the construction program;

·         Silencers or mufflers on construction equipment should be utilized and should be properly maintained during the construction program;

·         Mobile plant, if any, should be sited as far from NSRs as possible;

·         Machines and plant (such as trucks) that may be in intermittent use should be shut down between work periods or should be throttled down to a minimum;

·         Plant known to emit noise strongly in one direction should, wherever possible, be orientated so that the noise is directed away from the nearby NSRs; and

·         Material stockpiles and other structures should be effectively utilised, wherever practicable, in screening noise from on-site construction activities.

3.4               Upon receipt of an environmental complaint, or as part of the environmental audit, the Contractor shall liaise with the ET on some other mitigation measures, propose to ER for approval, and implement the mitigation measures.

 

 

 

Operational Phase

 

3.5               It has been concluded in the EIA Report that the operation of proposed fixed plants would not cause adverse operation noise impact at the NSRs in vicinity of the Project Site, and would satisfy the requirements of the IND-TM. Thus, mitigation measures would not be required.

 

3.6               Although no adverse noise impact would be expected during the operation phase of the Project, it is recommended that the following noise reduction measures should be considered as far as practicable during detailed design:

·         Choose quieter plants such as those which have been effectively silenced. 

·         Include noise levels specification when ordering new plants.

·         Locate fixed plants away from any NSRs as far as practicable.

·         Locate fixed plants in plant rooms with thick walls or specially designed enclosure

·         Locate noisy machines in basement or a completely separate building

·         Develop and implement a regularly scheduled plant maintenance programme so that plants are properly operated and serviced in order to maintain controlled level of noise. The programme should be implemented by properly trained personnel.

 

3.7               The implementation schedule for the recommended noise mitigation measures is presented in Appendix B.