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Ove Arup & Partners
Hong Kong Ltd 80 Tat Chee Avenue Kowloon Tong Kowloon Hong Kong |
14.1.1 This EIA Report has been prepared to
satisfy the requirements given in the EIA Study Brief ESB-247/2012 and the Technical
Memorandum on Environmental Impact Assessment Process. All the latest planning
information has been incorporated into the EIA process. Aspects that have been
considered in this EIA Report include:
(1) Air quality;
(2) Noise;
(3) Water quality;
(4) Sewerage and sewage implication;
(5) Waste management implication;
(6) Land contamination;
(7) Ecological impact;
(8) Landscape and visual impact; and
(9) Environmental monitoring and auditing.
14.1.2 All the existing and planned environmental
sensitive receivers within and in the vicinity of the Study Area have been
identified by conducting site surveys and reviewing relevant planning
information. The receivers identified include residential blocks, educational
institutions, clinics and place of worship etc. These receivers have all been
considered in this EIA study.
Construction
Phase
14.2.1 Potential dust impact would be
generated from the soil excavation activities, backfilling, site erosion,
storage of spoil on site, and transportation of soil during the construction
phase. Quantitative fugitive dust assessments have therefore been conducted for
the construction of ARQ in accordance with Annex 12, Guidelines for Air Quality
Assessment, of the TM-EIAO. The assessment result concluded that watering once
per hour with hourly equivalent intensity of no less
than 1.75 L/m2 to on all exposed worksites
during working hours (7am – 7pm) will be required to control the fugitive dust
impact. With the implementation of recommended mitigation measures, no
exceedance of criteria provided by Annex 4, Criteria for Air Quality
Assessment, of the TM-EIAO is anticipated during the construction phase.
Operational Phase
14.2.2 Cumulative
air quality impact arising from the vehicular emissions from the open roads,
tunnel portals and chimney emissions within the assessment area has been
assessed according to Annex 12, Guidelines for Air Quality Assessment of the
TM-EIAO. The assessment results concluded that all the predicted cumulative
1-hour NO2, 24-hour and annual RSP and FSP concentrations would
comply with the AQOs and Annex 4, Criteria for Air Quality Assessment, of the
TM-EIAO during the operational phase.
14.2.3 For
annual NO2, a marginal exceedance (i.e. 41 µg/m3) is recorded at 1.5m of ASMP-34
(Sau Fai House). The
ground level of this single aspect building was intentionally designed not for
residential purpose, but only for non-sensitive uses such as machinery and
transformers plant rooms etc. The assessment result at 1.5m of this ASR is
therefore for reference only. The floors occupied by residences are at least 5m
above the ground level, and all assessment results at 5m and other higher
levels of this ASR comply with the AQOs. Therefore, adverse cumulative air
quality impact within and in the vicinity of ARQ during the operational phase
is not anticipated.
Construction Phase
14.3.1 Construction noise assessment has been conducted. All practicable mitigation measures have been exhausted to minimise the noise impacts. These mitigation measures include the optimisation of construction methodology (i.e. schedule of using PME), quiet plant, temporary noise barrier and good site practices. However, given the site constraints, some of the receivers (See Table 5.14) would still be subject to residual impacts exceeding the construction noise criterion.
14.3.2 Residual impacts exceeding the construction noise criterion have been assessed and considered the impacts are temporary and reversible. With all the proposed mitigation measures, the residual impact exceeding the construction noise criterion has been reduced to be minimal.
Operational Phase
14.3.3 For the operational phase, mitigation
measures including setback from
road, provision of non-openable windows/ maintenance window that are not opened
for ventilation, use of non-sensitive structure and building orientation are required to fulfil the EIAO criteria. Besides, a semi-enclosure is also required
along Road L4 for mitigating the traffic noise impact, and approximately of 6 floors of planned dwellings and 9 floors of planned classrooms would be benefited from and protected
by the semi-enclosure.
14.3.4 Maximum sound power levels
allowed to be emitted from louvers of fixed noise sources at pumping
station for saltwater and freshwater and planned rock cavern developments were predicted. The public transport terminus would also be
designed to no direct line-of-sight of the noise
sources at the noise sensitive uses.
With the proper selection of plant and adoption of noise control measure
such as acoustic silencers, noise barriers, acoustic louvers, the NSRs located
in the vicinity of these fixed noise sources would not be affected.
14.4.1 With full implementation of the mitigation measures, no adverse impact is anticipated. No adverse residual impact and cumulative impact is anticipated during both construction and operational phases of the Project. In order to ensure the effectiveness of the implemented mitigation measures, regular site audit should be undertaken routinely to inspect the construction activities and works areas during construction phase.
14.5
Sewerage and Sewage Treatment Implication
14.5.1 After incorporated latest planning information with total 25,000 and
48,600 populations from ARQ and DAR developments in the hydraulic model network,
the discharge peak flow from East Kowloon catchment to KTPTW has been evaluated
as 10.93m3/s.
14.5.2 Based on the latest
available development parameters for the on-going
projects, the total discharge peak flow to KTPTW will be 12.82m3/s. It shows that KTPTW with 10.92m3/s capacity is inadequate to cater for the predicted
peak flow. It is understood that EPD’s “Upgrading of Kwun Tong Preliminary
Treatment Works – Feasibility Study, Agreement No. CE5/2008(DS)” recommended to
upgrade the peak capacity to 13.14m3/s and should be adequate.
The anticipated completion date of the KTPTW upgrading works is June 2021,
whilst the first population intake of the ARQ is planned in 2022, hence no
programme gap is anticipated between the completion of the KTPTW upgrading
works and the ARQ development.
14.5.3 Two routes are proposed in ARQ sewerage system (total 2.8km long from size 300mm to 450mm diameter) to collect the sewage generated from ARQ development and convey to downstream sewerage system. Sewerage layout plans of the proposed sewerage system are attached in Appendix 7.2.
14.5.4 Improvement recommendations
have been drawn for the surcharged sewers with less than 1 metre freeboard caused
by ARQ development. 400m of
the downstream sewers at Po Lam Road are recommended
to be upgraded from size 225mm to 450mm diameter. In addition, no other further downstream
sewers are proposed to be upgraded.
14.6
Waste Management Implication
Construction Phase
14.6.1 Potential waste management implications
from the generation of waste during the construction phase have been evaluated.
Measures, including the opportunity for on-site sorting, reusing C&D materials
etc., are devised in the construction methodology to minimise the surplus
materials to be disposed. Recommendations have been made for implementation by
the Contractor during the construction period to minimise waste generation and
off-site disposal.
14.6.2 It is estimated that 4,600m3
top soil, 390,000m3 inert soft C&D material and 222,000m3
rock would be generated from the Project. All generated top soil and C&D
material would be reused on-site and off-site disposal is not required. On the
other hand, 4,000m3 vegetation would also be generated from the
Project. 400m3 vegetation would need to be transplanted, and the
remaining 3,600m3 vegetation would be disposal of in landfill.
Operational Phase
14.6.3 The types 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. It is estimated that ARQ at full operation stage would recycle 35.0 tonne per day (tpd) out of 67.2 tpd of municipal solid waste (MSW), leaving 32.2 tpd of MSW that would need disposal to landfill.
14.7.1 A land contamination assessment has been
conducted to examine the potential contaminative land use within the Study Area
and their potential impacts to future land use. The assessment involved desktop
review, site surveys and proposed environmental SI.
14.7.2 The Study Area is located on top of rock
surface and fill materials. According to its geological profile, environmental
Site Investigation (SI) (i.e. borehole drilling, soil and groundwater sampling
and testing) is recommended to be carried out for the areas located on fill
material to determine the types and quantities of contaminants. A total of five
potentially contaminated areas within the Study Area were proposed for
environmental SI.
14.7.3 As all areas proposed for environmental SI
are privately owned and still in operation, undertaking the environmental SI
works at this EIA stage is not feasible. The proposed environmental SI works
for these areas should commence once the operation is terminated and the land
is resumed.
14.7.4 Following the completion of the
environmental SI works, a CAR to present the findings and evaluate the level
and extent of potential contamination. If land contamination is identified and
remediation is required, a RAP will be prepared to recommend specific
remediation measures. Upon completion of the remediation works, if any, a RR
that demonstrates the clean-up works are adequate would also be prepared. CAR,
RAP and RR would be submitted to EPD for approval prior to commencement of any
construction / development works.
14.8.1 No major ecological impacts are expected of the current project.
Habitats (mainly including the existing quarry site and developed area, and
small areas of plantation and secondary woodland) would be directly affected by
habitat loss, while disturbance impacts are restricted in scope due to the
nature of adjacent habitats and their isolation of nearby terrestrial habitats
from the proposed development site.
14.8.2 A Wooded Area of about 1.2 ha will be provided to compensate the loss of
small and young secondary woodlands due to the construction of the proposed
road and underpass. An updated vegetation survey identifying any potential
presence of floral of conservation importance within the inaccessible secondary
woodland and habitats to be directly impacted by the proposed development, as
well as transplantation of the affected individuals will be conducted prior to
the construction phase. Relocation of Hong Kong Newts (or other species of conservation
significance) found in the water channels or streams within the proposed development
area will also be carried out as a precautionary measure. Overall,
with mitigation measures all ecological impacts of
the implementation of the Project will be fully mitigated. Low or insignificant residual impacts are predicted after the
implementation of the mitigation measures. In particular,
there will be a positive enhancement on the existing habitat with the
compensatory planting in the future Quarry Park.
14.9
Landscape and Visual Impacts
14.9.1 The scale of ARQ Development, particularly ex-quarry barren land, will inevitably result in some landscape and visual impacts; which have been minimized through careful consideration of the layout plans for the development incorporate design mitigation measures such as, creation of new Quarry Park, creation of new open space and green spines, creation of, pedestrian corridors and breezeways, retention of views to ridgelines at strategic level, preservation of the Tai Sheung Tok Hill Rock Face as landmark for Kowloon East, aesthetic design of roads and streetscapes and provision of compensatory planting proposals, in the development. It is considered that the urban planning scheme on ARQ Development will have enhancement to both landscape and visual perspective.
14.9.2 Based on a very broad brush estimate, approximately 1,100 existing trees will be impacted by ARQ Development, of which approximately 1,021 no. of trees will be felled and 79 no. of trees will be transplanted. Approximately 5,000 nos. of trees will be planted within new open spaces and approximately 1,000 nos. of trees will be planted for new roadside amenity to compensate for the loss of existing trees. The overall residual impact on trees is considered acceptable with mitigation measures and in the longer term beneficial.
14.9.3 A Wooded Area of about 1.2 ha will be provided to compensate the loss of semi-natural hillside vegetation due to the proposed road and underpass. The loss of landscape resource will be compensated by the newly created landscape resources, such as buffer planting along new road when the trees in the new landscape resources matured. The permanent loss would be compensated by new trees planting, new recreational space, quarry park, green promenade, civic spine, streetscape and gateway at ARQ development. It is considered that the residual impact on this resource will be reduced to slight with implementation of compensation measures.
14.9.4 A series of open space
system that create landscape and visual connector with landscape elements to accommodate
a number of leisure, recreation and civic activities are proposed in the
development layout. These combine
different types and character of spaces, comprising Quarry Park, Green Spines,
Summit Outlook, Gateway features, Children Playground, Viewing Platform, Civic
Square, Viewing Deck, Rock Face, Rock Cavern, Hiking Trail
and Green Promenade. Key major open space provided at
the close vicinity includes, Jordan Valley Park, Shun Lee Tsuen Sports Centre
and Park, Sau Ngau Road Playground, Hong Ning Road Park
and Sau Ming Road Park. A total of
approximately 25 ha of open space and 37 ha of green belts (mainly on rock
face) will be provided within the ARQ development. These open spaces are well connected within
the development and to the adjacent surrounding districts. These new open
spaces network are provided within ARQ at the close vicinity of the adjacent
districts. Therefore
the residual impact on LR9 and LR9.1 will be substantially beneficial in the
future when all mitigation measures become mature.
14.9.5 Quarry Landscape Character Area LCA6 and LCA7 will be significantly enhanced by the proposed ARQ Development after 10 years of operation. As compared with
the barren quarry, with little landscape resources/interests, the proposed ARQ
Development with new open spaces interconnected with green corridors in a new
urban setting. It is considered that the
residual impact on LCA6 and LCA7 will be substantially beneficial
in the future when all landscape becomes mature.
14.9.6 The scale and the extent of ARQ development is extensive and
significantly alters the visual context of area, particularly due to partially
or fully loss of open view, enclosure and blocking or reduction of depth of
current view. There will unavoidably be moderate residual impact on the VSRs in
Sau Mau Ping local area (R1.1, R1.2, R1.3, R1.4, R1.5,
R1.6, R1.7, R1.8, R1.12, R1.15, O1.4, and P1.1). However, the impact will be slight after
10 years of operation. With implementation of mitigation measures, there will
be new open spaces and visual resources. These visual resources will bring
insubstantial visual impact to the VSRs in district and strategic levels.
14.9.7 Overall, the landscape and
visual impacts due to the ARQ Development
are considered to be acceptable with the implementation of the appropriate
mitigation measures, there will be insubstantial impact for visual and in the
long term be beneficial in respect of landscape.
14.10
Environmental Monitoring and Audit
Requirement
14.10.1 It is recommended to implement an EM&A
programme throughout the entire construction period and operation period (i.e.
noise commissioning test for fixed noise sources) to monitor the environmental
impacts on the neighbouring sensitive receivers regularly. An EM&A Manual was
prepared to specify the monitoring requirements for the implementation of the
environmental mitigation measures identified in the EIA process. All the
requirements specified in the EM&A Manual shall be complied with.
14.10.2 An Environmental Mitigation Implementation
Schedule has also been included in the EM&A Manual to summarise all the
measures, the implementation locations, timeframe, agency, etc.
