9
Conclusion
9.1.1
General
9.1.1.1
The Proposed Helipad located at the rooftop of New Block of QMH
is planned for emergency uses only. With the provision
of a new helipad in QMH, it will help to maintain the speedy transfer of patients
/ organs to the hospital by helicopters and increase the flexibility for helicopter
landings during medical emergencies. This EIA Report
has provided an assessment of the potential environmental impacts associated
with the construction and operation of the project with all helipad design information
available at this stage. The assessment has been
conducted in accordance with the EIA Study Brief (No. ESB-284/2015) under the
EIAO for the Proposed Helipad, covering the below environmental issues:
·
Air Quality Impact
·
Noise Impact
·
Waste Management
·
Ecological Impact - Terrestrial
·
Visual Impact
9.1.1.2
The findings of this EIA study has determined the likely nature
and extent of environmental impacts and identified the suitable environmental
control measures for incorporation into the design and operation of the Proposed
Helipad to ensure compliance with environmental legislation and standards during
the construction and operation of the Proposed Helipad. The
Implementation Schedules for the recommended mitigation measures are presented
in Section 10 of this EIA report.
9.1.1.3
A summary of environmental impact associated with the Project
for each environmental aspect is provided in
Appendix
9.1.
9.1.1.4
A summary of key assessment assumptions, limitation of assessment
methodologies is provided in
Appendix 9.2.
9.1.2
Key Environmental Outcomes and Recommendations
9.1.2.1
Air Quality: The construction dust generated during
the construction of the Proposed is identified to be minimal, no specific construction
dust monitoring is required while regular environmental audits and implementing
relevant control measures as required in the Air Pollution Control (Construction
Dust) Regulation are recommended to ensure proper dust control.
In view of the less frequent HEMS and short operation duration, air quality
impact from air pollutant emission during helicopter operation is identified
insignificant.
9.1.2.2
Construction Noise Impact: The predicted construction
noise impact of the Proposed Helipad and the cumulative construction noise impact
on the representative NSR are both 67dB(A) which comply with the relevant construction
noise criterion. No adverse cumulative noise impact
due to the construction of the Project and the New Block is anticipated.
9.1.2.3
Helicopter Noise Impact:
The helicopter noise impacts on representative NSRs have been predicted
and found complying with the daytime helicopter noise criterion after the adoption
of noise mitigation measures as discussed in Section 4.
Adverse daytime helicopter noise impact is not anticipated.
There is no standard on emergency helicopter noise in evening and night
periods. The review on overseas / international practices shows that the operations
for HEMS during evening and night time periods should be exempted from the flight
noise restrictions. However, residual noise from
operation of the Proposed Helipad may be audible and cause concerns during evening
and night hours from 7pm to 7am. Apart from this,
the existing GFS’s helicopter fleet will be replaced with seven new helicopters
(Airbus H175), which will likely generate less noise in general.
The replacement of the GFS helicopter fleet will
be completed before the commencement of the operation of the Proposed Helipad.
The location and the proposed flight sectors of
the Proposed Helipad are carefully designed with various considerations including
operational requirements of helicopter, flight safety and environmental impacts
on the immediate surroundings. Through liaison with
the GFS, steeper helicopter approaching and departure angles will be adopted.
Noise barriers and noise reducers installed at the
rooftop of New Block are recommended for the Proposed Helipad to reduce the
noise impacts. Table 9.1
summarised the proposed noise barriers and noise
reducers. All practicable
noise mitigation measures have been exhausted and adopted in the Proposed Helipad
to minimise the helicopter noise impacts.
Table 9.1
Summary of Noise Barriers and Noise Reducers
|
Location1
|
Noise Mitigation
Measure
|
Barrier
Height, m
|
Top Level2,
mPD
|
|
Roof edge at
west
|
Noise Barrier
|
1.5 (Height)
x 6 (Width)
|
286.4
|
|
Roof edge at
west
|
Noise Barrier
|
4 (Height)
x 48 (Width)
|
286.4
|
|
Roof edge at
south-east
|
Noise Barrier
|
4 (Height)
x 60 (Width)
|
286.4
|
|
Perimeter at
roof edge / top edge of noise barrier / top edge of parapet wall at
rooftop
|
Noise Reducer
|
-
|
-
|
Note:
1.
Detail locations
of noise barriers and noise reducers are presented in
Figure 4.5.
2.
The level of
main roof of the New Block is 282.4mPD.
9.1.2.4
Waste Management: The project only involves the
construction of a rooftop helipad, only limited amount of C&D materials
are expected to be generated from the construction activities.
No inert C&D materials will be produced but small amount of non-inert
materials.
Table 9.2
summarised the estimated waste generation from the construction of the Proposed
Helipad. Good site practices are recommended to
implement during the construction phase to avoid and minimise the waste generation
and adopt waste recycling as far as practicable.
Provided that the handling and disposal of the C&D material would be followed
the relevant requirements as presented in Section 5, no adverse waste management
related impact arising from the Project during the construction stage is anticipated.
Table
9.2
Summary of Waste Generation
|
Material
Type
|
Source(s)
|
Handling
|
Disposal
/ Treatment
|
Estimated
Quantity
|
|
C&D Materials
|
Construction of Helipad
|
Sort on-site into inert
C&D material (public fill) and non-inert C&D waste
|
Inert C&D material
reused as backfilling materials on-site/ disposed to public fill reception
facilities for other beneficial uses
|
0 m3
|
|
Non-inert C&D waste
(comprising timber, paper, plastics, etc.) to be recycled / disposed
of at landfill
|
340.8 m3
|
|
Chemical Waste
|
Cleansing fluids, solvent,
lubrication oil and fuel from construction plant and equipment
|
Recycle on-site or
by licensed companies and stored on-site in the designed containers
|
To Chemical Waste Treatment
Centre or other licensed facility for treatment
|
< 1 litre
|
|
General Refuse
|
Waste paper, discarded
containers, etc. generated from staff
|
Provide on-site refuse
collection points
|
Disposal to landfill
|
0.3 m3
|
9.1.2.5
Ecological Impact - Terrestrial: Given the nature
of the operation of the Proposed Helipad, it is anticipated that there would
only be ecological impact upon avifauna and bats.
In addition to findings from the literature review, the site surveys
concluded that the avifauna, in particular Black Kites were present in the vicinity
of the Site. However, as the number of avifauna
sighted within the proposed flight sectors were relatively low, it is anticipated
there would be no adverse significant ecological impact arising from the construction
and operation phases of the Proposed Helipad.
9.1.2.6
Visual Impact:
No high mass lighting or floodlight will be installed, only limited light
source from the perimeter lights on helipad and landing light of helicopter
are identified. Given the highest altitude of the
Proposed Helipad and no direct line of sight from the VSRs to the perimeter
lights on helipad, adverse visual impact due the perimeter lights from the Proposed
Helipad is not anticipated. The landing light of
the helicopter will be switched on during approaching/ departure and only illuminate
the helipad for landing purposes. With the short
operation duration (i.e. 2 minutes) of the landing light, the visual impact
is minimized.
The recommended good practices
are proposed to alleviate the environmental impacts as shown in Section 10.
9.1.3
Estimated Population and Environmentally Sensitive Areas Protected
9.1.3.1
As discussed in Section 9.1.2.3, to avoid/ minimize environmental
impacts (in particular helicopter noise impact) at the outset, the EIA considered
numerous alternatives, which includes site selection, development options, optimization
of flight sectors, types of helicopters, and diversion of helicopter service
between other existing / planning hospitals. In addition, direct noise
mitigation measures (e.g. noise barriers/ reducers) are proposed. It is therefore
anticipated that the population in the vicinity of the Proposed Helipad (e.g.
Pok Fu Lam, Sandy Bay and Kong Sin Wan Tsuen) would be protected from the helicopter
noise impact.