Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report 

for

Decommissioning of West Portion of the Middle Ash Lagoon at Tsang Tsui, Tuen Mun

   

Prepared By:

         

Allied Environmental Consultants Ltd.

 

Table of Contents

1.      Introduction

1.1.  Background

1.2.  Objectives of the EIA Study

1.3.  Detailed Requirements of the EIA study

1.4.  Approach of Assessment

1.5.  Structure of EIA Report

 

2.      Description of the Project     

2.1.  Nature, Scope and Benefits of the Project

2.2.  Size, shape and design of the Project

2.3.  Background and History of the Project     

2.4.  Need of the Project    

2.5.  Project Programme     

2.6.  Construction Activity

2.7.  Consideration of Alternative Decommissioning Methods 

2.8.  Any Related Projects 

2.9.  Description of Scenarios With or Without the Proposed Project      

 

3.      Air Quality Impact Assessment

3.1.  Introduction

3.2.  Environmental Legislation, Policies, Plans, Standards, and Criteria

3.3.  Description of the Existing Environment

3.4.  Identification of Assessment Area and Air Sensitive Receivers

3.5.  Identification of Pollution Source

3.6.  Description of Assessment Methodology

3.7.  Identification, Prediction and Evaluation of Environmental Impacts (Construction Phase)    

3.8.  Mitigation of Environmental Impacts

3.9.  Definition and Evaluation of Residual Environmental Impact

3.10. Identification and Evaluation of Operational Phase Environmental Impact

3.11. Environmental Monitoring and Audit

3.12. Conclusions and Recommendations

 

4.      Health Impact

4.1.  Introduction

4.2.  Environmental Legislation, Policies, Plans, Standards, and Criteria

4.3.  Description of the Environment

4.4.  Exposure Scenarios

4.5.  Chemicals of Potential Concern (COPCs)

4.6.  Radon Emissions from Pulverized Fly Ash

4.7.  Conservative Assumptions, Uncertainties and Limitations

4.8.  Definition and Evaluation of Residual Environmental Impact

4.9.  Identification and Evaluation of Operational Phase Environmental Impact

4.10. Environmental Monitoring and Audit

4.11. Conclusions and Recommendations

4.12. Reference

 

5.      Noise Impact Assessment

5.1.  Introduction

5.2.  Environmental Legislation, Policies, Plans, Standards, and Criteria

5.3.  Identification of Assessment Area and Noise Sensitive Receivers (NSRs)      

5.4.  Good Site Practices and Noise Management Techniques

5.5.  Definition and Evaluation of Residual Environmental Impact

5.6.  Identification and Evaluation of Operational Phase Environmental Impact     

5.7.  Environmental Monitoring and Audit

5.8.  Conclusion and Recommendations

 

6.      Water Quality Impact

6.1.  Introduction

6.2.  Environmental Legislation, Policies, Plans, Standards, and Guidelines

6.3.  Description of the Environment

6.4.  Water Sensitive Receivers (WSRs)

6.5.  Description of Assessment Methodologies

6.6.  Identification, Prediction and Evaluation of Environmental Impacts

6.7.  Mitigation of Adverse Environmental Impacts

6.8.  Definition and Evaluation of Residual Environmental Impact

6.9.  Identification and Evaluation of Operational Phase Environmental Impact

6.10. Environmental Monitoring and Audit

6.11. Conclusion and Recommendation

 

7.      Waste Management Implications

7.1.  Introduction

7.2.  Environmental Legislation, Policies, Plans, Standards and Criteria

7.3.  Description of the Existing Environment

7.4.  Description of Assessment Methodology

7.5.  Identification, Prediction and Evaluation of Environmental Impacts

7.6.  Mitigation of Adverse Environmental Impacts

7.7.  Definition and Evaluation of Residual Environmental Impacts

7.8.  Identification and Evaluation of Operational Phase Environmental Impact

7.9.  Environmental Monitoring & Audit

7.10. Conclusions and Recommendations

 

8.      Land Contamination Assessment

8.1.  Introduction

8.2.  Environmental Legislation, Policies, Plans, Standards and Guidelines

8.3.  Description of the Environment

8.4.  Description of Assessment Methodology

8.5.  Identification, Prediction and Evaluation of Environmental Impacts

8.6.  Mitigation of Adverse Environmental Impacts

8.7.  Good Site Practices

8.8.  Definition and Evaluation of Residual Environmental Impacts

8.9.  Identification and Evaluation of Operational Phase Environmental Impact

8.10. Environmental Monitoring & Audit

8.11. Conclusions and Recommendations

 

9.      Ecological (Terrestrial and Aquatic) Impact Assessment

9.1.  Introduction

9.2.  Environmental Legislation, Policies, Plans, Standards and Guidelines

9.3.  Key Ecological Issues

9.4.  Literature Review

9.5.  Scope and Methodology

9.6.  Survey Results

9.7.  Evaluation of Habitats and Species

9.8.  Impact Identification and Evaluation

9.9.  Cumulative Impacts

9.10. Impact Avoidance and Mitigation Measures

9.11. Residual Impacts

9.12. Environmental Monitoring and Audit Requirement

9.13. Conclusion

9.14. References

 

10.    Landfill Gas Hazard 

10.1. Introduction

10.2. Environmental Legislation, Policies, Plans, Standards and Criteria

10.3. Description of the Environment

10.4. Description of Assessment Methodology

10.5. Identification, Prediction and Evaluation of Environmental Impacts

10.6. Mitigation of Adverse Environmental Impacts

10.7. Definition and Evaluation of Residual Environmental Impacts

10.8. Identification and Evaluation of Operational Phase Environmental Impact

10.9. Environmental Monitoring & Audit

10.10. Conclusion

 

11.    Summary of Environmental Outcomes

11.1. Introduction

11.2. Air Quality Impact

11.3. Health Impact

11.4. Noise Impact

11.5. Water Quality Impact

11.6. Waste Management

11.7. Land Contamination

11.8. Ecological (Terrestrial and Aquatic) Impact

11.9. Landfill Gas Hazard

11.10. Environmental Outcomes

11.11. Population Protected

11.12. Environmentally Sensitive Areas Protected

11.13. Environmentally Friendly Options and Designs

11.14. Key Environmental Problems Avoided

11.15. Environmental Benefits of the Environmental Protection Measures

11.16. Site Constraint

 

12.    Environmental Monitoring and Audit (EM&A) Requirement

12.1. Introduction       

12.2. Project Organization  

12.3. EM&A Manual and Implementation Schedule 

12.4. EM&A Programme    

12.5. Method Statements    

 

List of Tables

 

Table 2.1        Construction Programme

Table 2.2        Construction Site Plant Equipment Schedule

Table 3.1         Hong Kong Air Quality Objectives (AQOs)

Table 3.2        Air Pollutant Concentration measured at CLP¡¦s Lung Kwu Tan Air Quality Monitoring Station

Table 3.3         Air Pollutant Concentration measured at AA¡¦s Lung Kwu Chau/Sha Chau Air Quality Monitoring Station

Table 3.4        Identified Air Sensitive Receivers

Table 3.5        Construction Programme of the Project and other Approved EIA

Table 3.6        Construction Works and Plant Equipment Schedule

Table 4.1        Trace Elements Concentration in PFA from Castle Peak and Other Sources

Table 4.2        Toxicity Factor for COPCs

Table 4.3        Calculated Cancer Risk (Unmitigated)

Table 4.4        Calculated Long term Non-carcinogenic Hazard (Unmitigated)

Table 4.5        Exposure Limits/Reference Levels for COPCs Acute Exposure

Table 4.6        Cumulative Non-carcinogenic Health Impact Arising from Acute COPC Exposure (Unmitigated)

Table 4.7        Calculated Long-term Non-carcinogenic Hazard (mitigated)

Table 4.8        Cumulative Acute Non-carcinogenic Health Hazard (mitigated)

Table 4.9        Radium Equivalent Activities of PFA, FBA and Coal from the Castle Peak Power Station

Table 4.10      Radium Equivalent Activities of PFA, FBA and Coal from Power Plant in other Countries

Table 4.11      Summary of Estimates of Annual Effective Dose Equivalents

Table 5.1        Daytime Construction Noise Standards

Table 5.2        Representative Noise Sensitive Receivers (NSRs)

Table 5.3        Predicted Maximum Construction Noise Levels at the NSRs

Table 6.1        Summary of Water Quality Objectives for Deep Day WCZ

Table 6.2        Summary of Water Quality Monitoring Results for Tsang Kok Stream in 2012

Table 6.3        Summary of Marine Water Quality in Outer Deep Bay in 2012

Table 7.1     Government Waste Disposal Facilities for Construction Waste

Table 9.1        Avifauna species of conservation concern previously recorded within the current Study Area

Table 9.2        Summary of breeding activities and abundance of Little Grebe recorded in the ash lagoons during previous studies

Table 9.3        Summary of observations of Little Grebe in the Middle Ash Lagoon (STF EM&A)

Table 9.4a      Ecological Survey Programme (2012)

Table 9.5        Habitats Recorded within the Study Area

Table 9.6        Summary of observations of Little Grebe in the Middle and West Ash Lagoons during additional surveys (2013)

Table 9.7        Abundance, number of species, Shannon diversity index (H¡¦) and evenness (J) of epifauna in the rocky shore (mean of two-day survey)

Table 9.8        Evaluation of Ash Lagoon

Table 9.9        Evaluation of Grassland/Shrubland

Table 9.10      Evaluation of Orchard

Table 9.11      Evaluation of Plantation

Table 9.12      Evaluation of Woodland

Table 9.13      Evaluation of Watercourse

Table 9.14      Evaluation of Urbanised/Disturbed

Table 9.15      Evaluation of Seawall and Coastal Waters

Table 9.16      Evaluation of floral species of conservation concern within the Study Area

Table 9.17      Evaluation of faunal species of conservation concern within the Study Area

Table 9.18      Estimated Habitat Loss

Table 9.19      Construction Phase Impacts

Table 9.20      Overall Impacts to Habitats

Table 9.21      Overall Impacts to Flora and Fauna Species of Conservation Concern during Construction Phases (species recorded by others only indicated by ¡§*¡¨)

Table 10.1      Qualitative Risk Assessment Matrix

Table 10.2      Summary of General Categorization of Risk

Table 10.3      Generic Protection Measures for Planning Stage Categorization

Table 10.4      Definition of Control Terms

Table 10.5      Qualitative Risk Assessment Matrix

Table 10.6      Actions in the Event of Landfill Gas Detected in Confined Areas

 

List of Figures

 

Figure 1.1               Site Location of the Project

Figure 3.1                Locations of the Air Sensitive Receivers

Figure 3.2                Hung Shing Temple Site Visit Photos

Figure 4.1                Radionuclide Content in the Samples

Figure 5.1                Noise Assessment Areas

Figure 5.2                Locations of the Noise Sensitive Receivers

Figure 6.1               Locations of Water Sensitive Receivers

Figure 8.1                Aerial Photo of Site (1982)

Figure 8.2               Aerial Photo of Site (1992)

Figure 8.3                Aerial Photo of Site (2002)

Figure 8.4               Aerial Photo of Site (2012)

Figure 9.1                Location of Aquatic Ecology Sensitive Receivers

Figure 9.2                Aerial images of Ash Lagoons taken at various years and seasons

Figure 9.3a              Fauna Sampling Locations (2012)

Figure 9.3b              Fauna Sampling Locations (2013)

Figure 9.4a              Habitat Map and Locations of Species of conservation concern (except Little Grebe)

Figure 9.4b              Habitat Map and Locations of Little Grebe nests (May to July 2013)

Figure 9.5                Photos of Habitats

Figure 9.6                Photos of Species of Conservation Interest

Figure 9.7               Change of Site Conditions of the Middle Ash Lagoon (June 2012, March 2013, June 2014) (cont.)

Figure 10.1             Consultation Zone of the Proposed WENT Landfill Extensions

 

list of Appendices

 

Appendix 2.1          Retaining Structure to Existing Slope along Water Channel

Appendix 2.2         Construction of Surface Drainage Outfall System

Appendix 4.1          CLP Monitoring Results

Appendix 4.2          Detailed Calculation of Emission Rate

Appendix 4.2a        Detailed Calculation of Radon Emission and Gamma Rate

Appendix 5.1          Noise Source Emission Inventory

Appendix 8.1          Site Walkover Checklist Annex C1 of Practice Guide for Investigation and Remediation of Contaminated Land

Appendix 9.1          Plant Species Recorded Within the Study Area

Appendix 9.2          Bird species and their abundance recorded within the Study Area

Appendix 9.3          Amphibian and reptile recorded in the Study Area

Appendix 9.4          Mammal recorded in the Study Area

Appendix 9.5         Dragonfly and their abundance recorded within the Study Area

Appendix 9.6          Butterfly and their abundance recorded within the Study Area

Appendix 9.7         Aquatic fauna survey observations

Appendix 9.8          Intertidal fauna survey observations

Appendix 10.1        Landfill Gas Hazard Assessment Guidance Note - Chapter 8 Hazards Arising During Construction

Appendix 12.1        Implementation Schedule of Proposed Mitigation Measures