15. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND AUDIT.. 15-1

15. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND AUDIT

15.1 Introduction

15.1.1.1 The development of appropriate environmental monitoring and audit (EM&A) programmes and methodologies are a vital part of the environmental management and control of the Project. This chapter provides an outline of the EM&A requirements for the Project, highlighting the environmental parameters to be monitored, timing of the monitoring work and the frequency of the monitoring and audit work. A detailed scope of work will be provided in the EM&A Manual, prepared in accordance with Annex 21 of the TMEIA and EPD’s EM&A Guidelines for Development Projects in Hong Kong.

15.1.1.2 The broad objectives of the monitoring and audit process are:

(i) to clarify and identify sources of pollution, impact and nuisance arising from the works;

(ii) to establish a record of change associated with the implementation of a project;

(iii) to verify all or selected parameters measured are in compliance with legal and contract specifications, internal policies and standards;

(iv) to provide an early warning system for impact prevention;

(v) to provide a database of environmental parameters against which to determine any short term or long term environmental impacts;

(vi) to propose timely, cost-effective and viable solutions to actual or potential environmental issues;

(vii) to setup event and action plans and determine the degree and scope of any necessary remedial measures in case of exceedance of compliance, for which environmental monitoring forms the basis, or the recommendation of environmental controls in the event that the environmental objectives are not achieved;

(viii) to monitor performance of the mitigation and enhancement measures and to assess their effectiveness and, whenever necessary, identify any further need for additional measures;

(ix) to verify the EIA predicted impacts and compare the impact predictions with actual impacts for the purpose of assessing accuracy of impact predictions in EIA;

(x) to collate information and evidence for use in public and Government consultation; and

(xi) to audit the environmental performance.

15.2 EM&A Requirements

15.2.1.1 In accordance with the EIA, EM&A procedures are required during the design, construction and operational phases of the project implementation and a summary of the requirements for each of the environmental parameters is detailed in Table 15.1 below.

Table 15.1 Summary of EM&A Requirements

Parameter	EM&A Phase
Parameter	Design	Construction Phase	Operational Phase
Air Quality		U
Noise		U
Ecology	U	U	U
Water Quality		U	Y
Landscape and Visual	U	U	U
Waste/Contaminated Land		U
Cultural Heritage	Y	U
Landfill Gas	Y	Y	Y

15.2.1.2 The EM&A works during the design phase shall comprise the preparations of various specifications during the detailed design and, also, the audit of various design elements to ensure the recommended mitigation or enhancement measures have been included. These tasks could require the input of specialists. This role shall be filled by suitably qualified specialists as part of the Design Auditor. The specifications will include:

· bored piling monitoring;

· pre, during and post construction dolphin monitoring;

· 250m dolphin exclusion zone for use during dredging, reclamation, sheet and bored piling works;

· acoustic decoupling methods for use during reclamation and dredging works;

· marine vessel control specifications;

· deployment of an artificial reef;

· hoarding for the protection of pitcher plants and surrounding habitat;

· coral translocation;

· design of toll plaza for grave G1 set back and protection;

· landscape design drawings; and

· Detailed LFG hazard assessment, design of LFG protection measures and detailed LFG monitoring programme.

15.2.1.3 The design audit of the landscape works shall be undertaken as and when the relevant design aspects are produced and the Design Auditor will be required to prepare a Design Audit Report at the end of the detailed design which will confirm that the requirements of the EIA have been fully taken into account in the project design. The Design Audit report and the detailed specifications should be submitted to EPD, AFCD and the proponent at least. Other relevant parties should be identified at the time of issue.

15.2.1.4 Before construction and during the construction and operational phases, the EM&A requirements are divided into environmental monitoring and/or project auditing in the form of site inspection and supervision. The environmental monitoring will be conducted in three distinct stages, as follows:

(i) baseline (pre-construction);

(ii) construction phase impact; and

(iii) operational phase impact.

15.2.1.5 Environmental monitoring for dust, noise, ecology and water quality during the construction phase is recommended in order to ensure all proposed mitigation or enhancement measures are implemented and effective. Obtaining a suitable and representative baseline data set will be critical to the whole monitoring and audit process because it forms the standard against which environmental impacts are assessed. Thus, baseline monitoring for dust, noise, ecology and water quality will be required prior to the start of construction. All four of these parameters will also be subject to audit through site supervision.

15.2.1.6 Site supervision and audit will be required during the construction phase to ensure the proper handling, storage, transportation and disposal of the various waste arising from the project.

15.2.1.7 Audit of the implementation of the design elements and mitigation and enhancement measures to avoid ecological, heritage and landscape and visual impacts have also been recommended by the EIA, and thus, monitoring in the form of regular site inspections shall also be required to ensure mitigation measures are being implemented and are effective. EM&A for both ecology and landscape and visual resources will extend through the construction phase and into the operational phase to ensure landscaping planting has been effective and operational EM&A for water quality will also extend into operational phase monitoring to ensure major sensitive receivers will not be adversely affected. , post-construction ecological monitoring of dolphin abundance will be undertaken for 2 days per month for a 24 month period after cessation of the works.

15.2.1.8 The details of monitoring during the various phases are summarised in Table 15.2 below and the Action Plan to trigger implementation of any necessary revision to works practice or provision of supplementary mitigation measures are presented in detail in the EM&A Manual.

Table 15.2: Framework for Environmental Monitoring Plan

Monitoring	Period	Parameters	Monitoring Frequency	Responsibility
Noise	Baseline (1 occasion)	L_eq L₁₀ L₉₀	Continuous sampling for two consecutive weeks analysed every 24 hours plus one hour sampling three times per day during the same period	Environmental Team
Noise	Construction Phase Impact	L_eq L₁₀ L₉₀	(i) One set of measurements between 0700-1900 hours on normal weekdays once per 6 days; (ii) One set of measurements between 1900-2300 hours;⁽¹⁾ (iii) One set of measurements between 2300-0700 hours of next day; and⁽¹⁾ (iv) One set of measurements between 0700-1900 hours on holidays⁽¹⁾ For (i) one L_eq(30 minute) reading is required. One set of measurements for (ii), (iii) and (iv) shall include at least three consecutive L_eq (5 min) results (Note (1): as an when required if work in unrestricted periods is undertaken only)	Environmental Team
Dust	Baseline	Total Suspended Particulates, wind speed/ direction	Continuous 24 hour sampling and 1 hour sampling 3 times a week for 2 consecutive weeks	Environmental Team
Dust	Construction Phase Impact	Total Suspended Particulates, wind speed/ direction	24 hour TSP at least once every 6 days and 1hour TSP three times every 6 days	Environmental Team
Ecology and Fisheries	Design	Specifications for: · bored piling monitoring; · pre, during and post construction dolphin abundance monitoring; · dolphin exclusion zones; · acoustic decoupling methods; · marine vessel control specifications; · artificial reef deployment; · hoarding for protection of the Pitcher Plants and surrounding habitat; and · coral translocation.	Audit as and when designs are prepared	Auditor(s) designated by the Design Consultants (Note: Artificial Reef is a joint measure by the TM-CLKL and HKBCF)
	Baseline	Walk over survey of area of disturbance and surrounding area.	Once immediately prior to commencement of construction works.	Ecologist/Landscape Architect (members of the Environmental Team)
		Pre-construction dolphin monitoring	3 x 2 day monthly surveys	Dolphin Specialist/ Biologist (member of the Environmental Team)
		Bored piling monitoring	30 days before bored piling works for land based dolphin tracking (to be confirmed by specification)	Theodolite/behavioural data gathering operators

Ecology and Fisheries	Baseline	Coral receptor site survey and coral translocation	Once immediately prior to commencement of marine construction works. Audit compliance at least once per week during translocation works. Audit once after translocation is complete	Coral specialist (member of Environmental Team)
	Construction Phase Impact	Walk over survey of area of disturbance and surrounding area.	Once a week during construction works	Ecologist/Landscape Architect (members of the Environmental Team)
		Construction phase dolphin monitoring	2 days per month surveys for the duration of the marine works construction period	Dolphin Specialist/ Biologist (member of the Environmental Team)
		250m Dolphin Exclusion Zone	During dredging, reclamation, sheet and bored piling works
		Bored piling monitoring	30 days during and 30 days after bored piling works for land based dolphin tracking. Underwater noise levels measurements from bored piling activities for 10 days from the start of bored piling activities; Study the acoustic behaviour of dolphins from a small boat during periods with and without bored piling for 30 days from the start of bored piling activities. (all to be confirmed by specification)	Theodolite/behavioural data gathering operators Bio-acoustician.
Ecology and Fisheries	Construction Phase Impact	Audit of noise reduction measures for dredging and reclamation works	Once per month	Environmental Team
		Post-translocation coral audit	Once every 3 month at receiver site for a period of 12 months.	Coral specialist (member of Environmental Team)
	Operational Phase Impact	Post-Construction dolphin monitoring	48 x 1 day surveys at a frequency of twice per month within a 24 month period	Dolphin Specialist/ Biologist (member of the Environmental Team)
Water	Baseline	Walk-over survey of potential affected water courses to establish baseline conditions	Once immediately prior to commencement of construction works.	Environmental Team
		Marine water measurements of current speed, current direction, turbidity, suspended solids, dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity and pH. Nutrients and metals to also be monitored at Mf stations.	Baseline data daily on both mid-flood and mid-ebb tides for at least 3 days per week for a period of 4 weeks before the start of the construction for all monitoring stations.
	Construction Phase Impact	Audit of watercourses in North Lantau during slope works	Audit of all water course once per week during slope works
		Marine water measurements of current speed, current direction, turbidity, suspended solids, dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity and pH. Nutrients and metals to also be monitored at Mf stations.	Measurements three times per week on both mid-flood and mid-ebb tides for all monitoring stations.
Water	Post-construction Monitoring	Marine water measurements of current speed, current direction, turbidity, suspended solids, dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity and pH. Nutrients and metals to also be monitored at Mf stations.	Baseline data daily on both mid-flood and mid-ebb tides for at least 3 days per week for a period of 4 weeks following completion of all marine works for all monitoring stations. Nutrient and metals should be monitored at the “Mf” locations up until one month after the pits have been capped.
	Operation Phase	Marine water measurements of current speed, current direction, turbidity, suspended solids, dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity and pH.	Measurements once per month for 12-month. Each measurement event shall cover both mid-flood and mid-ebb tides at specified sensitive receivers.
Landscape/ Visual Resources	Design	Detailed landscape proposals and specifications	As and when designs are produced.	Auditor(s) designated by the Design Consultants
	Baseline	Walk-over survey of potential affected areas to establish baseline conditions	Once immediately prior to construction works.	Landscape Architect (members of the Environmental Team)
	Construction Phase Impact	Survey of protection measures for trees and landscaping.	Twice a month during construction works	Landscape Architect (members of the Environmental Team)
	Operational Phase Impact	Survey of coverage and growth of plantings.	Once every two months for a one year period after completion of construction works	Landscape Architect (members of the Environmental Team)
Cultural Heritage	Design	Toll plaza design for protection of Grave G1	Audit as and when designs are prepared	Auditor(s) designated by the Design Consultants
	Baseline	Walkover survey of Grave G1 at Tuen Mun Areas 46	Once immediately prior to construction works.	Heritage Specialist (member of the Environmental Team)
	Construction Phase Impact	Survey of protection measures for Grave G1 at Tuen Mun Areas 46 and any areas identified in baseline survey.	As per site inspection schedule	Heritage Specialist (member of the Environmental Team)
Waste	Baseline	n/a	n/a	n/a
Waste	Construction Phase Impact	Routine supervision of construction works	As per site inspection schedule	Environmental Team
Landfill Gas	Detailed design study	Detailed LFG protective measures; Detailed LFG hazard assessment; Detailed Monitoring Programme	During detailed design study, LFG protective measures should be designed by a competent person. The consultant should review the preliminary LFG hazard assessment and conduct a detailed hazard assessment. A detailed monitoring programme should also be proposed. The detailed design of protective measures, the detailed assessment and monitoring programme should be submitted to EPD for vetting.	Detailed Design Consultant
	Construction Phase	Oxygen, Methane, Carbon dioxide	Before commencement of work and during work in confined area and other area at risk. Exact location, frequency and monitoring plan to be determined by the appointed Safety Officer.	Safety Officer
	Operation Phase	Oxygen, Methane, Carbon dioxide	Prior to operation; Monthly for first year operation; Quarterly (or any frequency agreed with EPD) for second year and onward.	Operator

15.3 EM&A Responsibilities

15.3.1.1 In respect of the design phase EM&A, the Consultant commissioned to undertake the Detailed Design contract will be required to designate an auditor(s) to undertake the preparation of the design specifications as detailed above, in addition to an environmental audit of the design of the specified landscape measures in order to ensure that the recommendations of the EIA have been fully and properly specified. The Consultant shall use suitably qualified staff to undertake the audit requirements to the satisfaction of the EPD, and the AFCD as appropriate.

15.3.1.2 During the construction and operational phases of the project, an Environmental Team (ET) is to be employed by the Contractor. The ET will be headed by an Environmental Team Leader (ETL). He shall ensure the Contractor’s compliance with the project’s environmental performance requirements during construction and undertake the post construction EM&A works and his responsibilities will include field measurements, sampling, analysis of monitoring results, reporting and auditing. The ETL shall be approved by the ER and the Director of Environmental Protection (DEP) and shall be competent and shall have at least 7 years relevant environmental monitoring and audit experience on projects of a similar scale and nature.

15.3.1.3 The ET will comprise suitably qualified support staff to carrying out the EM&A programme. The ET shall be independent and shall not be in any way connected to the Contractor’s company. Due to the specialist nature of some of the EM&A works required for this project, the ET should comprise professionals proficient to undertake the tasks involved. Thus, the ET should include personnel experienced in noise, dust and water quality monitoring and mitigation, supervision of waste management, compensatory tree planting, coral relocation and dolphin monitoring and supervision.

15.3.1.4 Accordingly, a qualified dolphin specialist(s), together with a suitably experienced team of dolphin spotters, theodolite/behavioural data gathering operators, bio-acoustician and a coral specialist, to the satisfaction of AFCD, will be required as part of the ET to undertake the dolphin abundance monitoring, implement the dolphin exclusion zones and undertake the coral translocation process. In addition, a Registered Landscape Architect, as defined by the Landscape Architect’s Registration Board, will be required on the ET to monitor and audit the landscaping installation works and assist in the audit of the ecological transplantation and restoration works.

15.3.1.5 In addition to the ET, an Independent Environmental Checker (IEC) shall be employed to advise the ER on environmental issues related to the project. The role of the IEC shall be independent from the management of construction works, but the IEC shall be empowered to audit the environmental performance of the construction activities and operational mitigation. The IEC shall have project management experience in addition to the requirements of the ET specified above and the appointment of the IEC will be subject to the approval of the ER and the DEP. The IEC may require specialist support staff in order to properly carry out his duties.

15.3.1.6 Notwithstanding the above, given that the TM-CLKL, HKBCF and HKLR will be constructed concurrently, an Environmental Protection Office (ENPO) or equivalent to oversee the cumulative construction projects in North Lantau area will be established by the Project Proponent. The responsibility of the ENPO would be similar to that of the IEC but should also include:

· coordination of the monitoring and auditing works for all the on-going projects in the area in order to identify possible sources/causes of exceedances and recommend suitable remedial actions where appropriate;

· identify and assess cumulative impacts including possible sources/causes of exceedance and recommending suitable remedial actions;

· undertake liaison with the mainland project teams counterparts to identify and assess any cross-boundary cumulative impacts; and

· coordinate the assessment and response to complaints/enquires from locals, green groups, district councils or the public at large.

15.3.1.7 The exact responsibilities and organisation of the ENPO will be defined during the detailed design stage.

15.4 Reporting

15.4.1.1 Deliverables during the design phase will the detailed specifications, in addition to a Design Audit Report at the end of the detailed design which will confirm that the landscape requirements of the EIA have been fully taken into account in the project design. Construction and operational reporting will be in the form of the baseline survey report and regular and summary EM&A Reports which should be prepared in accordance with the requirements of Annex 21 of the TMEIA. It is recommended that EM&A Reports are issued monthly and bi-monthly for the construction and operational stages respectively. Further details on the contents of these reports are provided in the EM&A Manual.

15.5 Implementation Schedules

15.5.1.1 The recommended mitigation and enhancement measures specified in this EIA report have been summarised in the Environmental Mitigation and Enhancement Measure Implementation Schedules provided in Appendix A1 for air quality, noise, water quality, waste, ecology, landscape and visual and cultural heritage.