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Chapter Title Page
At the second meeting of the Hong
Kong-Shenzhen Joint Task Force on Boundary District Development on 18 September
2008, the Hong Kong Government and the Shenzhen Government endorsed the major
findings of a joint study that confirmed the need for a new Boundary Control
Point (BCP) at Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai (LT/HYW). The two Governments jointly
announced after the meeting to implement the LT/HYW BCP.
The LT/HYW BCP (hereafter referred to as “the
Project”) is comprised of a Boundary Control Point near Heung Yuen Wai, with an
11 km connecting road alignment from the BCP to
This Executive Summary presents the key findings of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Project as required under the EIA Ordinance (EIAO).
The current scope of the Project comprises:
(i)
site
formation for the construction of a BCP building in the area of
(ii)
drainage
facilities discharging into the
(iii)
cargo
processing facilities including processing kiosks for clearance of goods
vehicles, vehicle holding areas, customs inspection platforms, cargo
examination buildings, X-ray building, weigh stations etc.;
(iv)
passenger
related facilities including processing kiosks and examination facilities for
private cars and coaches, passenger clearance building and halls, etc.;
(v)
accommodation
for and facilities of the Government departments providing services in
connection with the BCP;
(vi)
provision
of transport related facilities inside the BCP including public transport
interchange, and transport drop-off and pick-up areas;
(vii)
other
peripheral structures and supporting facilities such as bridges across Shenzhen
River, border road and fences, water supply system, utilities, culvert,
drainage and sewerage etc.;
(viii)
construction
of a dual two-lane trunk road with traffic control and surveillance system
connecting the BCP with Fanling Highway adjacent to Wo Hop Shek - which
comprises approximately 5.3 km of viaduct and/or at grade sections, and two
tunnel sections totalling 5.7 km in length, tunnel administration building and tunnel
ventilation system;
(ix)
associated
diversion / modification works at
(x)
associated
environmental mitigation measures, landscaping works, drainage/ sewerage,
waterworks, utilities and traffic engineering works; and
(xi)
collection,
treatment and disposal of sewage generated from the BCP via
provision of an on-site sewage treatment facility to a tertiary level with proposed Membrane Bioreactor (MBR)
treatment and effluent reuse.
The
Project is classified as Designated
Projects (DPs) based on items A.1 and F.4 in Part 1 of Schedule 2 of the
EIA Ordinance:
¡
A dual
two-lane trunk road connecting the BCP with Tolo/Fanling Highway – about 5.3km
on viaduct or at grade and 5.7km in tunnels (item A.1); and
¡
Reuse
of treated sewage effluent from a tertiary treatment plant for irrigation at
the BCP (item F.4.).
The proposed establishment of a new BCP is
of strategic importance to support the long-term economic growth of Hong Kong
by enhancing movements between Hong Kong and the eastern part of
Given the above considerations and in the
absence of the Project, it is anticipated that traffic congestion at the two existing
crossing points on the eastern side would increase, with associated increased
local air and noise pollution from idling vehicles and longer journey times. Due to such an increase in waiting and
commuting time, some commuters may resort to detouring to the crossing points
on the western side, which would cause knock-on effects on the western crossing
points and create unnecessary increases in vehicular emissions and energy
wastage. The development potential of
the North East New Territories (NENT) region and the proposed Ping Che/Ta Kwu
Ling New Development Area (NDA) would also be restricted in the absence of the
high speed and efficient
With the establishment of the proposed new
BCP at LT/HYW, the handling capacity of the BCPs in the east will be improved and
a direct linkage to the Guangdong highway network via the Eastern Corridor in
Shenzhen will be provided, resulting in much shorter journey times and greater
connection to major cities in both Guangdong and adjacent provinces such as
Jiangxi and Fujian. The proposed
In view of the above justifications, it is
clear that the Project is essential for strategic reasons and for achieving the
long term development prospect for NENT.
2.3 Consideration of Alternatives
As
part of the extensive public consultations conducted throughout the preliminary
design stage of the Project, a number of alternative options for routing the
connecting road alignment has been considered and evaluated, particularly at
the Sha Tau Kok Road section, where an interchange with Sha Tau Kok Road is
proposed. Key environmental concerns for the alignment include direct and
indirect impacts to villagers and village zones (including air, noise and
visual impacts);
A total of 10 refined alignment options were assessed according to the aforementioned environmental criteria, and the two best performing alignments were selected to undergo further assessment relating to other technical issues such as traffic implications, impact on surrounding land uses, engineering construction and operation and maintenance issues among others. The resulting best performing alignment was subsequently put forward during public consultations, and the feedback received from the stakeholder groups led to further refinements including the change to a mainly tunnel based alignment south of Sha Tau Kok Road and re-positioning of the proposed Sha Tau Kok Road interchange to be as far away from major sensitive receivers as practicable.
As a
result of the public consultations and alignment assessments, the current
alignment of the proposed
The construction of the BCP and connecting alignment is targeted for commencement in mid 2013 with an anticipated completion in mid 2018.
3.1.1 Construction Phase
The main construction activities that would contribute to construction dust impacts include excavation/earth works, road works, slope works, site formation and construction of superstructures such as the buildings within the BCP and the tunnel ventilation buildings. A total of 46 air sensitive receivers (ASRs) were identified for the construction phase assessment. The hourly and daily total suspended particulates (TSP) were modelled using a tiered approach, with a hypothetical Tier 1 screening that assumes 100% active area of construction site with dust mitigation measures in place, followed by a Tier 2 assessment for those ASRs showing non-compliance during the Tier 1 stage. The Tier 2 assessment conservatively assumes 30% active areas would be located closest to the ASRs. Annual TSP concentrations were assessed using 10% active work area with dust mitigation measures in place. The TSP background level of 66.6µg/m³ and the dust emissions from concurrent projects within the assessment area were factored into the prediction of hourly, daily and annual TSP concentrations at the ASRs.
For
the hourly TSP assessment, the Tier 1 screening results identified 20 ASRs that
would potentially be subject to exceedance of the 1-hour TSP criterion (500
μg/m3). These ASRs were
then selected to undergo the Tier 2 assessment, and the results of the Tier 2
assessment shows that all ASRs would comply with the 1-hour TSP criterion. For
the daily TSP assessment, the Tier 1 screening results identified 4 ASRs that would
potentially be subject to exceedance of the daily TSP criterion (260 μg/m3). The
subsequent Tier 2 assessment showed that these ASRs would comply with the daily TSP criterion. The predicted
annual TSP concentrations at all ASRs would comply with the corresponding AQO
(80 μg/m3).
To ensure compliance with the TSP criteria during the construction phase, recommended mitigation measures include water spraying of up to 8 times a day for active construction areas, covering 80% of the stockpiling area with impervious sheeting, limiting the speed of construction vehicles manoeuvring within the site to about 10 km/hour, and paving all haul roads within the site. In addition, the relevant requirements stipulated in the Air Pollution Control (Construction Dust) Regulation and good practices for dust control should be implemented to reduce the dust impact. With the implementation of these mitigation measures, no adverse residual impacts are predicted during the construction phase.
3.1.2 Operation Phase
During the operational phase, there would be potential cumulative air quality impacts upon the ASRs due to the vehicular emissions from the open roads, ventilation shafts, mid-ventilation building in Hong Kong as well as kiosks, loading and unloading areas and public transport interchange (PTI) of the BCPs on both Hong Kong side and Shenzhen side. The key air pollutants of concern from vehicle emissions are nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and respirable suspended particulates (RSP). The proposed location of the on-site sewage treatment works at the BCP may also generate potential odour impact on nearby ASRs.
The results of the operational phase air quality assessment showed that the predicted hourly, daily and annual NO2 levels as well as the daily and annual RSP concentrations at all 49 ASRs were in compliance with the corresponding AQOs (which are respectively 300 μg/m3, 150 μg/m3 and 80 μg/m3 for NO2 and 180 μg/m3 and 55 μg/m3 for RSP). The predicted maximum hourly, daily and annual NO2 levels as well as the maximum daily and annual RSP concentrations are respectively 229 μg/m3, 120 μg/m3 and 72 μg/m3 for NO2, and 64 μg/m3 and 55 μg/m3 for RSP. Hence no adverse operational phase air quality impacts from road traffic is anticipated.
For the on-site sewage treatment works at the BCP, odour containment and control measures including negative pressure ventilation, total containment of sewage channels and provision of deodorisation facilities will be implemented. Given the aforementioned control measures and that the nearest ASRs are at least 490m away from the sewage treatment works, it is anticipated that there would not be significant odour impact on the nearby ASRs.
3.2.1 Construction Phase
The main
construction activities that would contribute to construction airborne noise
impacts are site formation at the BCP, and road construction from the BCP to
Potential ground-borne noise impact during the construction phase could be caused by drill and blast activities and mechanical excavation for tunnelling works. Detailed assessments have been conducted for three construction equipment (hydraulic breaker, hand-held breaker and drilling rig), and the results of the assessment shows that the predicted ground-borne noise levels from the tunnelling work will not exceed the daytime ground-borne noise criterion of 65 dB(A) and hence no mitigation measures are required.
3.2.2 Operation Phase
During the operational phase, the LT/HYW BCP connecting road may pose traffic noise impact on the nearby NSRs. In 2018 when operation of the Project will commence (Scenario 1), the road traffic noise assessment of “with” and “without” the Project has predicted that 10 NSRs would receive noise levels in exceedance of the noise criterion of 70 dB(A) and would receive ‘significant’ noise contribution from the Project (i.e., the predicted noise level with the Project would be greater than that without the Project by 1.0 dB(A) or more). In 2033 when the predicted traffic flow will reach the maximum levels within the 15-year operation period (Scenario 2), it has been assessed that the potential unmitigated road traffic noise impacts at 17 NSRs would exceed the noise criterion, with significant contribution from the proposed roads of the Project. To mitigate these impacts, it is recommended to adopt low noise road surfacing for the proposed link roads and slip roads, and to install noise barriers of up to 5m in height for affected sections of the proposed roads. With the application of these mitigation measures, the noise criterion will be met at all the representative NSRs with traffic noise impact dominated by the proposed Project roads.
During the operational phase, fixed plants such as noisy facilities within the BCP, the administration building at Loi Tung and the ventilation shafts/building for tunnels may also cause noise impact. In the absence of any detailed information and noise specifications for the proposed fixed plants, the maximum permissible sound power levels of all such facilities have been determined for incorporation into their future detailed designs. The assessed maximum permissible sound power levels range from 81 dB(A) for a building within the BCP to 115 dB(A) for a ventilation shaft at one of the tunnel portals. With the fixed plants properly designed to meet these maximum sound power levels, the noise criteria at night-time, evening time and daytime (ranging from 36 to 65 dB(A)) will be met at all NSRs. Nevertheless, noise reduction measures, including choosing quieter plants; housing noisy plants in walled plant rooms, basement or specially designed enclosures; locating fixed plant louvers away from any NSRs; and regular maintenance of fixed plants, should also be considered as far as practicable.
3.3.1 Construction Phase
Potential sources of water quality impact associated with the construction works proposed for the Project include construction site runoff and drainage; drainage diversion; general construction activities; sewage effluent from construction workforce; and potential tunnel water inflow and groundwater drawdown. Discharge during construction phase would be collected by a temporary drainage system and treated or desilted on-site before discharge to nearby drains or watercourses. Provided adequate construction site drainage and sediment removal facilities is implemented and site practices outlined in ProPECC Note PN 1/94 are followed as far as practicable, no unacceptable water quality impact is anticipated.
Temporary drainage channel diversion would be conducted properly prior to the commencement of works to ensure that the flow of drainage channels is not affected. Good construction and site management practices should be observed to ensure that litter, fuels and solvents do not enter the public drainage system and existing streams and rivers. Domestic sewage generated by the workforce will be handled by portable chemical toilets provided within the construction site. Potential drawdown of groundwater level due to inflow of water during the tunnelling works would be carefully controlled by pre-injection grouting, supplemented by post-injection grouting where necessary to enhance the groundwater inflow control. Any groundwater ingress pumped out from the tunnels with high suspended solid content would be treated on-site to prior to off-site discharge. With the implementation of the recommended mitigation measures, no residual water quality impact is anticipated.
3.3.2 Operation Phase
Potential
operation phase water quality impacts of the proposed BCP and associated
facilities include surface and stormwater runoff and sewage effluents and
sewerage impact. While the additional runoff generated at the BCP will be
discharged into
Where the proposed alignment will cross existing rivers as viaducts (at the upstream branches of River Ganges near Nga Yiu Ha and at Ma Wat Channel at Kau Lung Hang), no piers will be erected within the existing drainage channel/stream courses hence no adverse impacts are anticipated. Where the alignment will cross existing rivers as at-grade/depressed roads (at upstream branches of River Ganges near Wo Keng Shan and at upstream branches of River Indus near Loi Tung), a drainage system including channels, pipeline and cross road drains where applicable would be proposed to maintain the flow path. Thus, no adverse impacts are anticipated.
Sewage and wastewater effluents generated from the staff, food and beverage outlets at the proposed BCP as well as from the Resite of Chuk Yuen Village would be connected to the foul sewerage system of the on-site sewage treatment facility at the BCP. With the proposed sewerage and sewage treatment facilities as well as partial reuse of treated effluent, no adverse water quality impact is anticipated from sewage and wastewater effluents generated during operation phase.
3.4 Sewerage and Sewage Treatment Impact
The Project will generate sewage flow of
Apart from the sewage to be generated by the
proposed BCP and Chuk Yuen Village Resite, a small amount of sewage (12.56 m3/day)
will also be generated by the
3.5 Waste Management Implications
3.5.1 Construction Phase
Tunnelling
works and earth works for the BCP and the connecting road construction are
anticipated to generate approximately 3,414,239
m3 of Construction and Demolition (C&D) materials, of which about
27.1% or 924,992 m3 would be reused on site as earthworks
for site formation and fill embankments.
The surplus rock and other inert C&D material would be disposed of
at the Government’s Public Fill Reception Facilities (PFRFs) at Tuen Man Area
38 for beneficial use by other projects in the
Other types of waste generated during construction include general refuse from the construction workforce, which is estimated to be approximately 585 kg per day, and chemical waste such as cleaning fluids, solvents, lubrication oil and fuel, which is anticipated to be in the order of a few cubic metres per month.
Adverse impacts related to waste management such as potential hazard, air, odour, noise, wastewater discharge and public transport are not expected to arise, provided that good site practices for proper handling and storage of construction waste are strictly followed. Good management and control measures including on-site sorting, segregation and storage of different waste materials to facilitate waste reuse/recycling are also recommended to reduce the amount of waste requiring disposal. General refuse should be appropriately stored and a reputable waste collector employed to remove general refuse, and similarly, a licensed Chemical Waste collector should be employed to transport and dispose of chemical wastes to a licensed Chemical Waste Treatment Centre, or other licensed facilities, in accordance with the Waste Disposal (Chemical Waste) (General) Regulation. A Waste Management Plan should be accordingly prepared and implemented in accordance with the ETWB TC(W) No. 19/2005 Environmental Management on Construction Site.
3.5.2
Operation
Phase
The main types of waste that would be
generated during operation phase are general refuse and chemical waste. Effective
collection of general wastes
would be required to prevent waste materials from creating an odour nuisance or pest and vermin problem. Chemical wastes should be disposed of in an
appropriate manner as stipulated in the Waste Disposal (Chemical Waste)
(General) Regulations, with special handling and storage arrangements in accordance with the relevant
regulations before removal for appropriate treatment at a licensed Chemical Waste Treatment
Facility.
With
the implementation of the recommended mitigation measures for the handling,
transportation and disposal of the identified waste arising, residual impacts
are not expected for both construction and operation phases.
A desktop
study and a site reconnaissance survey have been conducted to determine the
current land uses, including potentially contaminative uses, within or in the
vicinity of the Project area. Based on the findings, the anticipated
significance in terms of land contamination along the whole BCP connecting road
alignment as well as the BCP site is minimal. Only the open area at
During operation phase, there will be no industrial activities taking place at the connecting road. A sewage treatment plant, which could be a potential contaminative land use, is proposed for the BCP. However, provided with the implementation of good practices of works and concrete-paved land surface, no contaminated land issue is anticipated.
An ecological impact assessment for the proposed project was conducted in accordance with Annexes 8 and 16 of the EIAO-TM. Baseline information on ecological resource was derived from literature review and suitably designed field survey. Ecological field survey was carried out between May 2009 and September 2010, covering both the wet and dry seasons.
A
total of 12 habitat types were identified within the Assessment Area, including
woodland, shrubland, plantation, freshwater wetland, active agricultural land,
abandoned agricultural land, hillside grassland, pond, drainage channel,
watercourse, open field and developed area. Literature records revealed a few ecological hotspots within the
Assessment Area including a diverse ecological resource in Pat Sin Leng CP, an
identified dragonfly hotspot in
Six fung shui woods namely Heung Yuen
Wai, Tsung Yuen Ha, Kan Tau Wai, Man Uk Pin, Loi Tung and Tan Chuk Hang Lo Wai and three Ecologically Important
Streams namely Man Uk Pin,
The identified potential impacts comprise
mainly direct loss of habitat and direct/indirect impact on flora and fauna
species of conservation concern. Permanent loss of some area (6.2 ha) of secondary woodland would be resulted from the construction of the
tunnel portals and sections of the connecting roads but it will be fully mitigated by the provision of 18.6 ha woodland compensation
area. For the permanent loss of a total area of 1.4 ha freshwater wetland originated
from abandoned agricultural land, it will be compensated with a wetland area of
at least 1.4 ha. Details of the above mitigation measures would be formulated
and further provided in “Woodland Compensation Plan” and “Habitat Creation and
Management Plan” respectively under the project during the detailed design
stage.
Four
floral species of conservation interest were recorded within the Works Area: Aquilaria sinensis, Cibotium barometz,
Euonymus kwangtungensis and Pavetta
hongkongensis. Potential impact on Aquilaria
sinensis and Euonymus kwangtungensis
is anticipated to be of ecological significance and mitigation measures are
considered necessary. Healthy and young individuals as well as seedlings of the
tree species Aquilaria sinensis
should be considered for transplanting.
Including the species into the planting schedule for woodland
compensation is recommended to mitigate the impact on those individuals unable
to be transplanted. The affected shrub species of Euonymus kwangtungensis will be transplanted to undisturbed
habitats for preservation. A pre-construction
vegetation survey is recommended to be conducted prior to the commencement of
construction works to confirm the updated status of these affected plant
species of conservation interest in the site and to identify appropriate
reception site.
A total of 122 fauna species of conservation
interest were identified within the Assessment Area of which only 14 of them
were recorded within the Works Area. Given that the area affected under the
project are not identified as optimal habitats for the above fauna species and
that extensive similar habitat is available in the close vicinity of the
project site, potential adverse impacts on fauna species of conservation
interest is evaluated as minor under the project. In respect of the major
mammal community found in the Frontier Closed Area which is mostly located to
the east of the proposed BCP location, the habitat loss impact and
fragmentation effect have been minimized through adopting the currently
proposed BCP location. Impact on breeding ardeid is minor because the closet
egretry in Ping Che is far away from the Works Area and their main flight path
will not be obstructed by the proposed Project. Indirect impact on the aquatic community
in watercourse is minimal because no channelization and watercourse training
works are required, hence no significant hydrological disruption will be resulted.
Habitat fragmentation impact would be
minimized with the proposed viaduct design of the
In the northeast
With proper implementation of the control measures for site drainage, surface runoff and sewage discharge during construction and operational phases of the Project, it is unlikely that there would be any indirect impact on fish ponds that exist outside of the Study Area (e.g, in the Northwest New Territories Deep Bay area) due to such effluent discharge into the Shenzhen River. As such, fisheries impact arising from the construction or operation of the Project is not anticipated.
3.9 Landscape, Visual and Glare
3.9.1
Landscape and Visual Impacts
A baseline study was
conducted and 24 landscape resources (LRs), eleven landscape character areas (LCA),
and 39 visual sensitive receivers (VSRs) representing seven VSR categories were
identified and their sensitivity assessed. In the absence of mitigation
measures, significant landscape impacts are predicted for two LRs and two LCAs
at different sections of the Project during construction: woodland on hillside
and woodland on lowland around the Sha Tau Kok interchange and woodland on
hillside in the Fanling intersection area as well as the agricultural lowland
landscape and natural vegetated hillside landscape towards the north of the
Project Study Area. During operation, without mitigation measures, significant
impacts are still predicted to remain the same for these LRs for the
agricultural lowland landscape towards the north of the Project Study Area, but
the impact on the natural vegetated hillside landscape in this area is
predicted to reduce to moderate. In the absence of mitigation measures,
significant visual impacts are predicted for 13 VSRs during construction and 8
VSRs during operation of the Project.
To mitigate the
potential landscape and visual impacts, recommended construction phase
mitigation measures include tree protection, preservation and transplantation; decorative
screen hoarding; topsoil reuse; watercourse impact mitigation; and night time
lighting control at the construction sites. Operation phase mitigation measures
include minimising landscape footprint and visibility of structures through
detailed design considerations; adopting an aesthetically pleasing design;
compensatory planting; buffer tree planting; aesthetic improvement planting on
and under Viaduct Structures; landscaped slopes; green roofing; vertical
greening; roadside amenity planting; reinstatement, reprovisioning and
revegetation of disturbed areas; specific reprovisioning of the LCSD garden at
Wo Keng Shan and night time lighting control on future roads and structures
during operation.
With implementation of
the recommended mitigation measures, no significant or moderate residual
landscape impacts are anticipated by Year 10 of operation. The
3.9.2
Glare Impact
A glare impact
assessment was also carried out on representative residential and villager
VSRs. The potential sources of glare would be from the BCP perimeter lighting
and those from the connecting road alignment. The predicted glare ratings for
each of the representative VSRs were assessed and in the absence of mitigation,
one VSR (
3.10.1 Archaeology
The
Project is located near two sites of archaeological interest, namely Ping Che and Queen’s Hill. Due to the limited
information on the archaeological potential of the Study Area, an
archaeological survey was conducted on accessible land to collect sufficient
archaeological data. A total of 37 auger holes and 16 test pits were conducted,
while the remaining 25 auger holes and 24 test pits could not be conducted due
to site access constraints and will need to be carried out after land
resumption and before the commencement of construction works.
In
the alignment section between Lin Ma Hang and Frontier Closed Area Boundary,
although artefacts were not found, the test pits results indicated the presence
of a layer with human activities. It is
therefore recommended that additional test pits and auger holes are conducted
in the concerned area to confirm the archaeological potential.
In the
section between Ping
In the remaining alignment sections, due to site access constraint, some areas have not yet been surveyed during the EIA Study of the Project. A further archaeological survey should be conducted after land resumption and before commencement of construction works to complete the outstanding survey proposed for the EIA Study to obtain data to verify the EIA findings. Subject to the findings of the archaeological survey to be conducted after land resumption, additional mitigation measures, if required, would be designed and implemented before the commencement of construction works to mitigate the adverse impact.
3.10.2 Built Heritage
Literature review supplemented by built heritage survey identified 1 Declared Monument, 6 grade 3 historic buildings, 5 nil grade historic buildings, 1 proposed grade 3 historic building, 70 built structures, 20 graves and 8 cultural/historical landscape features within the Study Area. Among the identified built heritage features, 13 grave sites, 2 built structures and a cultural/historical landscape feature (a well within the BCP site) have been identified to be located within the works area of the Project, and thus direct impact on these built heritage sites is anticipated.
While preservation in-situ has been assessed for these built heritage features, it is considered impractical to retain these features, hence relocation/removal of the affected grave sites as well as removal of the affected built structures and cultural/historical landscape feature prior to commencement of the construction work are considered necessary as a last resort. However, it is recommended to conduct photographic and cartographic records for these features before the removal in order to preserve them by record. Moreover, the access to one grave (GR03) will be temporary affected during construction works of the Project. The affected access will be temporarily diverted to maintain access to the grave during construction phase. After completion of the construction works, the affected access route will be re-provided.
No construction or operation vibration impacts have been identified due to the Project. However, during the detailed design stage of the Project, in case any potential vibration impact on any nearby built heritage features are identified due to any changes or refinement of design of the development, it is recommended that prior to commencement of the construction works, a baseline condition survey and baseline vibration impact assessment should be conducted to define the vibration limit and to evaluate if construction vibration monitoring and structural strengthening measures are required during the construction phase.
An environmental monitoring and audit (EM&A) programme to check the effectiveness of the recommended mitigation measures and compliance with relevant statutory requirements should be implemented. Details of the EM&A works are given in the separately prepared EM&A Manual for the Project, with the specific EM&A requirements highlighted as follows:
Air
¡ dust monitoring during construction phase;
Noise
¡ noise level monitoring during construction phase;
¡ commissioning (noise level) test on major fixed plant during operation phase;
¡ road traffic noise monitoring during the first year of road opening;
Water and Sewage
¡ water quality monitoring of construction works near Kong Yiu Channel, River Ganges, River Indus, Ma Wat Channel and streams at Kau Lung Hang;
¡ groundwater level monitoring for the tunnel construction;
¡ monitoring of the quality of treated effluent discharged from the proposed sewage treatment works during operation phase;
Waste
¡ regular site inspections to determine if wastes are being managed in accordance with the Waste Management Plan;
Ecology
¡ checking the implementation of transplanting of floral species of conservation interest and provision of wetland compensation area;
¡ ecological monitoring of woodland compensation in accordance with the Woodland Management Plan;
Landscape and Visual
¡ checking implementation of the landscape mitigation measures during and after the construction works;
Cultural Heritage
¡ additional archaeological survey and survey-cum-rescue excavation to be conducted by a professional archaeologist after land resumption and prior to commencement of the construction works;
¡ archaeological survey at the test pits and auger holes that were not accessible during the EIA stage would be conducted after land resumption and prior to commencement of the construction works; and
¡ baseline condition survey and baseline vibration impact assessment on built heritage to be conducted by a specialist in case any potential vibration impacts on any nearby built heritage features are identified as a result of any changes or refinement during the detailed design stage.
Throughout the feasibility and preliminary design stages of the Project, environmental considerations have been a key component for assessment of different options with a view to arriving at a more environmentally friend alternative for the Project that will be able to meet the relevant planning, transport and engineering requirements. As a result, the proposed location of BCP; the proposed alignment of Connecting Roads and the proposed construction methods of the Project have been determined to, as far as practicable, avoid environmentally sensitive areas such as the Pat Sin Leng Country Park, Kong Yiu Channel, Tan Chuk Hang River, fung shui woodlands, permitted burial grounds, densely populated areas, sites of archaeological interest, declared monuments or graded cultural heritage sites, etc.
This EIA study has identified and assessed the potential environmental impacts that may arise from construction and operation of the Project in accordance with the guidelines of the EIAO-TM and the EIA study brief. Based on the results of the assessments, the EIA study concludes that the Project would be environmentally acceptable and in compliance with the environmental legislation and standards. With the implementation of the recommended environmental mitigation measures, no significant adverse residual impacts from the Project are anticipated. A comprehensive environmental monitoring and audit programme should be implemented to check the implementation of mitigation measures and environmental compliance.