Table of Contents
1.2 Purpose
and Scope of the EIA
1. introduction
1.1 Background
1.2 Purpose and Scope of the EIA
1.3 EIA Study Area
1.4 Structure of the Report
1.1.1
A Study Brief (No. ESB-037/1999) for a similar Project of a different
Project title namely “Tsuen Wan Road Upgrading” was issued under the EIAO on 14
September 1999. The current application
for a new study brief with a new project title was made as Civil Engineering
and Development Department (CEDD) considers that part of the project scope has
been changed while the new project title can better reflect the scope of the project.
1.1.2
An application (No. ESB-141/2006) for an Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA) study brief under Section 5(7)(1) of the Environmental
Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO) was submitted by CEDD on 9 February 2006
with a Project Profile (No. PP-277/2006).
According to Section 5(7)(a) of the EIAO, the Director
of Environmental Protection (the Director) issued a new EIA Study Brief
(ESB-141/2006) in March 2006 to CEDD to carry out an EIA study.
1.1.3
The Project title for the current EIA study is named
as “Tsuen Wan Bypass, Widening of Tsuen Wan Road between Tsuen Tsing
Interchange and Kwai Tsing Interchange and Associated Junction Improvement
Works”,( hereinafter
known as the “Project”).
Figure 2-1 shows site boundary and proposed roadworks of the Project.
1.2.1
The EIA is concerned with the environmental issues associated with the
proposed upgrading and widening of the Tsuen Wan Road (TWR). Scope of the Project
is described in Chapter 2. The
Project Profile prepared by CEDD, and subsequently assessed by Environmental
Protection Department (EPD), indicated that the proposals comprise a Designated
Project (DP) under Schedule 2, A.1 of the EIAO: “A road which is an
expressway, trunk road, primary distributor or district distributor road
including new roads, and major extensions or improvements to existing roads”. Under the requirements of the EIAO, the EIA
is undertaken in support of an application for an Environmental Permit (EP) to
construct and operate the DP. In
undertaking the EIA, the following components are addressed according to the
requirements stated in the new EIA Study Brief:
·
Noise Impact – construction noise and
operational noise such as road traffic noise and fixed noise sources;
·
Air Quality Impact – construction phase
air quality impact and operation phase air quality impact due to future road
traffic;
·
Water Quality Impact – construction phase
waste water treatment and management;
·
Waste Management Implications – construction
phase waste analysis and management and land contamination;
·
Landscape and Visual Impact;
·
Landfill Gas Hazard;
·
Hazard to Life;
·
Ecological Impact;
·
Impact on Cultural Heritage; and
·
Environmental Monitoring and Audit
(EM&A) Requirements.
1.2.2
Purpose of the EIA study is to provide information on the nature and
extent of environmental impacts arising from the construction and operation of
the Project and related activities that take place concurrently. This
information will contribute to decisions by the Director on:
a)
the overall acceptability of any adverse
environmental consequences that are likely to arise as a result of the Project;
b)
the conditions and requirements for the
detailed design, construction and operation of the Project to mitigate against
adverse environmental consequences wherever practicable; and
c)
the acceptability of residual impacts
after the proposed mitigation measures are implemented.
1.2.3
As detailed in the latest EIA Study Brief, objectives of the EIA are as
follows:
a) to
describe the Project and associated works together with the requirements for
carrying out the Project;
b) to
identify and describe elements of the community and environment likely to be
affected by the Project and / or likely to cause adverse impacts to the
Project, including natural and man-made environment and the associated
environmental constraints;
c) to
provide information on the consideration of alternatives to avoid and minimize
potential environmental impacts to sensitive uses; to compare the environmental
benefits and dis-benefits of each of different options; to provide reasons for
selecting the preferred option(s) and to describe the part environmental
factors played in the selection of preferred option(s);
d) to
identify and quantify emission sources and determine the significance of
impacts on sensitive receivers and potential affected uses;
e) to
identify and quantify any potential landscape and visual impacts and to propose
measures to mitigate these impacts;
f)
to identify any negative impacts on site
of cultural heritage and to propose measures to mitigate these impacts;
g) to
propose the provision of mitigation measures so as to minimize pollution,
environmental disturbance and nuisance during construction and operation of the
Project;
h) to
investigate the feasibility, practicability, effectiveness and implications of
the proposed mitigation measures;
i)
to identify, predict and evaluate the
residual environmental impacts (i.e. after practicable mitigation) and the
cumulative effects expected to arise during the construction and operation phases
of the Project in relation to the sensitive receivers and potential affected
uses;
j)
to identify, assess 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 cumulative effects and reduce them to acceptable levels;
k) to
investigate the extent of secondary environmental impacts that may arise from
the proposed mitigation measures and to identify constraints associated with
the mitigation measures recommended in the EIA study, as well as the provision
of any necessary modification; and
l)
to design and specify environmental
monitoring and audit requirements to ensure the effective implementation of the
recommended environmental protection and pollution control measures.
1.2.4
The EIA has been conducted in accordance with the requirements of the
Technical Memorandum on the EIA Process of the EIAO (EIAO-TM).
1.2.5
This EIA report has also reported on the need of the Project and
addressed alternative alignment and design options in Chapter 2.
1.3.1
The Assessment Areas for the purpose of this EIA study, as specified in
the EIA Study Brief, are as follows:
a)
Noise Impact – assessment area generally
includes all areas within 300m from the Project boundary, could be reduced
accordingly, subject to the agreement of the Director, if the first layer of
noise sensitive receivers (NSRs) closer than 300m from the outer Project limit
provides acoustic shielding to those receivers at distance away from the
Project;
b)
Air Quality Impact – assessment area
generally be defined by a distance of 500m from the boundary of the Project
site, yet shall be extended to include major emission sources that may have a
bearing on the environmental acceptability of the Project. Yeung Uk Road and Tuen Mun Road have be
taken into account as emission sources;
c)
Water Quality Impact – study area
includes all areas within 300m from the Project boundary, and covers relevant
sensitive receivers that have a bearing on the environmental acceptability of
the Project within the Western Buffer Water Control Zone;
d)
Land Contamination – study area includes
all land lots / sites within the Project boundary which, due to their past or
present land uses, are potentially contaminated sites;
e)
Landscape and Visual Impact – study areas
include all areas within 100m from the Project boundary, and to be defined by
the visual envelope of the Project;
f)
Landfill Gas Hazard – mainly at former
Gin Drinker’s Bay Landfill (Kwai Chung Park);
g)
Hazard to Life – mainly at Yau Kom Tau
Water Treatment Works (YKTWTW);
h)
Ecological Impact – study area (500m from the Project
Boundary) includes all lands lots / site within the Project boundary, or
likely to be directly associated with the construction and operation of the
Project; and
i)
Impact on Cultural Heritage – all sites
of cultural heritage that might be adversely affected by the impact due to the
construction and operation of the Project.
1.4.1
This report presents the results obtained from the assessment and
evaluation of the environmental impacts that may arise during the construction
and operation of the Project. Following impact prediction, requirements for
environmental remedial measures to address any unacceptable environmental
impacts are presented. This report also highlights where environmental
monitoring and audit (EM&A) programmes are considered to be required during
construction and operation for each environmental impact assessment
component. Specific requirements for
EM&A are presented in a separate EM&A Manual.
1.4.2
In accordance with the Study Brief, this EIA report includes the
following components:
Chapter 2 - Project Description
Chapter 3 - Noise Impact
Chapter 4 - Air Quality Impact
Chapter 5 - Water Quality Impact
Chapter 6 - Waste Management Implications
Chapter 7 - Landfill Gas Hazard
Chapter 8 - Landscape and Visual Impact
Chapter 9 - Hazard to Life
Chapter 10 - Ecological Impact
Chapter 11 - Cultural Heritage Impact
Chapter 12 - Environmental Monitoring and Audit
Chapter 13 - Conclusions
Chapter 14 - Implementation Schedule of
Recommended Mitigation Measures