15.                          CONCLUSIONS

15.1                      Introduction

15.1.1.1          This EIA Report has provided an assessment of the potential environmental impacts associated with the construction and operation of the KTE project, based on the preliminary engineering design information available.  The EIA has been conducted, in accordance with the EIA Study Brief (No: ESB-188/2008) issued under the EIAO for this Project.

15.1.1.2          The findings of this EIA study have determined the likely nature and extent of environmental impacts predicted to arise from the construction and operation of the KTE project.  During the EIA process, environmental control measures were identified and incorporated into the planning and design of the KTE project, to achieve compliance with environmental legislation and standards during both the construction and operation phases.  The Environmental Mitigation Implementation Schedules are presented in Section 16 of this EIA report.  Details of individual environmental aspects are summarised below. 

15.2                      Cultural Heritage Impact

15.2.1.1          There are no Declared Monuments within the KTE project study area. No impacts on Sites of Cultural Heritage are expected during the construction or operational phases under the EIAO and no specific mitigation measures for archaeological resources will be required.

15.3                      Landscape and Visual Impacts

15.3.1.1          Identified impacts to landscape resources, landscape character, visual receivers and the landscape planning framework have been considered. Significant Adverse residual impacts to a number of landscape resources and visual receivers are anticipated during Construction Phase which cannot be adequately mitigated.

15.3.1.2          During Operation Phase residual landscape and visual impacts are able to be mitigated adequately and no Significant Adverse impacts remain by Year 10 of Operation. A number of beneficial impacts are also noted to landscape resources and visual receivers by Year 10 of Operation.

15.3.1.3          Impacts to landscape character are generally negligible during both construction and operation phases however By Year 10 of Operation Slight Beneficial landscape character impacts will be evidenced in the areas surrounding HMT Station.

15.3.1.4          Cumulative impacts to identified landscape resources may occur from the Shatin to Central Link, EPIW and Chung Hau Street PTF and will see further erosion to landscape resources in the greater area. A number of VSRs are likely to have compounded visual impacts resulting from construction of other concurrent and future planned projects, particularly the development of the HK PolyU Student Dormitory at Valley Road and the potential property development above HOM Station, which may cause a slight increase in the adversity of visual impact during the construction and operation stages respectively to nearby receivers.

15.3.1.5          The Wylie Road Ancillary Building (WAB) is in conflict with the approved Yau Ma Tei Outline Zoning Plan. S/K2/20. However this is deemed to be approved under S13A of the TPO.

15.4                      Air Quality Impact

15.4.1.1          Potential air quality impacts from the construction works for the KTE project would mainly be related to construction dust from excavation, materials handling, spoil removal and wind erosion, as well as operation of the rock crushing facilites and the barging point.  With the implementation of mitigation measures in the Air Pollution Control (Construction Dust) Regulation, proposed dust suppression measures, and good site practices, With the implementation of mitigation measures in the Air Pollution Control (Construction Dust) Regulation, proposed dust suppression measures, and good site practices, no 1-hour and 24 hour residual impacts would occur.  However, some marginal annual average TSP exceedances would occur at locations around the HOM Station works sites and Finger Pier works area.  The exceedances are marginal, short-term and in most cases transient and based upon worst case assumptions.   Based upon these factors, the residual impacts associated with the annual dust exceedances for the KTE project within the study area would be considered minor and acceptable.

15.5                      Air-borne Noise Impact

15.5.1.1          Construction noise assessment has been conducted.  Results indicate that the noise impacts after the implementation of all practical direct mitigation measures would still exceed the stipulated noise criteria.  Residual impacts have been assessed and concluded to be temporary, reversible and unlikely to induce public health concern and as such, are considered to be minor and acceptable.

15.5.1.2          For the operational phase, it is anticipated that if the Contractor complies with the specific allowable SWL from the respective louvers, the operational noise impact would be within acceptable noise impact criteria.

15.6                      Ground-borne Noise Impact

15.6.1.1          Construction ground-borne noise assessment was conducted and the prediction results indicated that the PME induced ground-borne noise levels at NSRs comply with the EIAO-TM noise limit.

15.6.1.2          Operational ground-borne noise levels were predicted based on the maximum operation capacity of the railway system and the predicted results at all NSRs comply with the stipulated EIAO-TM noise criteria without mitigation measures.

15.6.1.3          Although no trackform upgrade is required to mitigate ground-borne noise levels, it is noted that the tunnel is of sufficient diameter to accommodate a number of low noise trackforms, including the high performance isolated slab track (IST) which would reduce noise levels by approximately 13–15dB on those predicted.

15.7                      Water Quality Impact

15.7.1.1          Potential water pollution sources have been identified as construction run-off, sewage from workforce, wastewater discharge from tunnelling and excavation, and groundwater contamination. Mitigation measures including covering of excavated construction materials, carrying out excavation during dry seasons as far as practicable, and provision of sedimentation tanks etc, are recommended to mitigate any adverse water quality impacts.

15.7.1.2          There will be no sea water-cooled chiller plant for the KTE.  The track run-off and tunnel seepage during the operational phase of the project would not be expected to have any adverse water quality impacts, provided that the recommended mitigation measures have been incorporated in the design.

15.8                      Waste Management Implications

15.8.1.1          The quantity and timing for the generation of waste during the construction phase have been estimated.  Measures, including the opportunity for on-site sorting, reusing excavated fill materials (on-site and off-site) etc., have been devised in the construction methodology to minimise the surplus materials to be disposed off-site via the barging facility.  The annual disposal quantities for C&D materials and their disposal methods have also been assessed.  Recommendations have been made for the Contractor for implementation of measures during the construction period to minimise the waste generation and any off-site disposal.

15.8.1.2          The types and quantities of waste that would be generated during the operational phase have been assessed.  Recommendations have been made to ensure proper treatment and disposal of these wastes.

15.9                      Land Contamination

15.9.1.1          There were no exceedances of the RBRGs determined for any of the soil and groundwater samples collected in the SI.  In addition, as the operation of Concord kerosene store would be a potential hotspot of land contamination, it is recommended that when the permission for access is granted at the time when the land is resumed, a reconnaissance site visit should be carried out to review whether further SI would be required.  In accordance with Clause 3.4.5.6 of the EIA Study Brief, if there is potential contaminated site which is inaccessible for preparing sampling and analysis during the course of the EIA study, e.g. due to site access problem, the information summarised in Table 11.5 were provided.

15.10                  Hazard to Life

15.10.1.1      A QRA has been carried out to assess the hazard to life issues arising from the storage and transport of explosives during construction of the KTE project.

15.10.1.2      The criterion of Annex 4 of the EIAO-TM for Individual Risk is met with regards to the hazards to life posed by the storage and transport of explosives. The assessment results show that the societal risk lies within the ALARP region when compared to the criteria stipulated in the EIAO-TM. A detailed ALARP assessment has been undertaken considering a wide range of mitigation measures and the results show compliance with the ALARP principles provided that the recommendations as described in Section 12.12 are followed.

15.10.1.3      The location of all relevant Potentially Hazardous Installations (PHIs) have been reviewed with regards to the KTE alignment, temporary explosives magazine and other works areas for both the construction phase and the operation phase of the project.  As neither the overnight storage nor use of explosives for rock blasting is in close vicinity to a PHI, and no PHI lies within the “hazard zone” of the transport routes, no PHI requires assessment under the conditions of the EIA Study Brief.