4        Summary of the Environmental Impacts

4.1      Introduction

4.1.1.1           The EIA report has assessed the following potential environmental impacts during construction and operation stages of the Proposed Helipad:

·                  Air Quality Impact;

·                  Noise Impact;

·                  Waste Management;

·                  Ecological Impact – Terrestrial; and

·                  Visual Impact

4.2      Air Quality Impact

4.2.1          Construction Stage

4.2.1.1           Construction dust shall be controlled through the proper implementation of control measures stipulated under the Air Pollution Control (Construction Dust) Regulation, and no adverse residual impacts are anticipated.

4.2.2          Operational Stage

4.2.2.1           According to the GFS’s flight records between 2011 and 2015, the average number of emergency helicopter operations at the helipad of PYNEH is less than once per day, and the operation during daytime period is about once every two days on average.  Moreover, the duration of landing and take-off of a helicopter would be less than 10 minutes.  Based on the assessment results, the air quality impact of the operation of the Proposed Helipad will comply with the Air Quality Objectives.  Hence, no adverse impact on nearby air sensitive receivers is anticipated.

4.3      Noise Impact

4.3.1          Construction Stage

4.3.1.1           The period of structural works for the Proposed Helipad would take approximately 4 months only.

4.3.1.2           Based on the latest information obtained, the unmitigated construction noise level at the representative Noise Sensitive Receivers (NSRs) will comply with the relevant noise criterion.

 

4.3.2          Operational Stage

4.3.2.1           Helicopter noise impact is the major consideration in the design of the Proposed Helipad and a key issue of this EIA study.  A detailed helicopter noise impact assessment was carried out based on the best available information.  Table 4.1 summarised all practicable approaches to minimise the helicopter noise impact.  With the implementation of direct noise mitigation measures, the predicted helicopter noise levels at representative NSRs comply with the daytime noise criterion (i.e. 85 dB(A) Lmax).  No adverse residual helicopter noise impact is anticipated during daytime period.  There is no standard on helicopter noise in evening and night-time periods in Hong Kong.  Nevertheless, noise from operation of the helipad in the above time periods may arise concern.  According to the GFS’s flight records between 2011 and 2015, the average number of emergency helicopter operations at the helipad of PYNEH is less than once per day, and operation during daytime period is about once every two days on average.  Under normal circumstances, the duration of helicopter idling at the Proposed Helipad will not be more than 5 minutes for casualty handover.  All practicable noise mitigation measures have been exhausted and adopted in the design of the Proposed Helipad.  Noise impacts on noise sensitive receivers have been minimised. 

Table 4.1    Design Considerations and Approaches for Helicopter Noise Mitigation

Design Considerations

Noise Mitigation Approach

Avoidance of Impact

·  Helipad siting with setback to north-eastern side on the rooftop of New Block can increase the separation distance from NSRs and provide noise screening to some NSRs.

 

·  Flight sectors have been carefully selected to avoid flying over densely populated areas during helicopter approaching and departure.

Impact Minimization

·  Existing GFS’s helicopter fleet will be replaced by seven new medium-sized helicopters (Airbus H175) which will be equipped with more advanced engines and will provide quieter helicopter operation in general.

 

·  Adopt quiet helicopter approaching/ departure procedure with steeper glide slope and larger take-off angle.

 

·  Avoid using same flight sector for both approaching and departure in each operation.

Direct Mitigation

·  Provide noise barriers and noise reducers at rooftop of the New Block to reduce the noise impact arising from helicopter during hovering, touchdown, lift-off and idling on or above the helipad.

 

4.4      Waste Management

4.4.1          Construction Stage

4.4.1.1           As the helipad will be built on the rooftop, limited quantity of waste would be generated during the construction stage.  As the handling and disposal of the construction wastes will follow relevant requirements, no adverse waste management related impact arising from the Project during the construction stage is anticipated.

4.4.2          Operational Stage

4.4.2.1           Given that no waste or by-products would be generated during the operation stage, waste management impacts arising from the operation of helipad would not be anticipated.

4.5      Ecological Impact – Terrestrial

4.5.1.1           During the construction stage, construction works and the operational area would not encroach into the area of the Lung Fu Shan Country Park and Pok Fu Lam Country Park.  During the operation stage, although the proposed flight sector overlaps with some woodland habitat within the Lung Fu Shan Country Park, the helicopter would only be flying over this area.  Hence, adverse ecological impact during both construction and operation phases on surrounding habitat particularly the Country Parks is not anticipated.

4.5.1.2           Given the short duration from approach to lift-off and the anticipated usage of the Proposed Helipad is less than one flight a day in average of a year, potential ecological impact on avifauna and bats, if any, is limited.  With the implementation of good site practice and current practice of GFS in avoiding bird strike, no significant impact to the avifauna and bats is anticipated.

4.6      Visual Impact

4.6.1.1           No high mass lighting and floodlight will be installed for the Project.  In summary, only two lights would be switched on during night time operation, including landing light of helicopter and perimeter lights on the helipad.  Nevertheless the operation time of those lights is short and the lights will be completely screened off by the helipad itself.  Moreover the helipad is at the highest altitude, there is no direct line of sight from the visual sensitive receivers to the lights.  Adverse visual impact from lights during night time operation of the Project is not anticipated.

4.7      Impact Summary

4.7.1.1           A summary of the environmental impacts for individual aspects in the EIA report is presented in Table 4.2.

Table 4.2    Summary of Environmental Impacts

Sensitive Receivers/ Assessment Points

Impact Prediction Results
(Without Mitigation)

Key Relevant Standards/Criteria

Extents of Exceedance
(Without Mitigation)

Impact Avoidance Measures/Mitigation Measures

Residual Impacts
(After Implementation of Mitigation Measures)

Air Quality - Construction Phase

ASRs located within 500m from the project boundary

·    Insignificant dust impact

·    AQO & Annex 4 of TM-EIAO:

- 1-hr average TSP Concentration: 500 μg/m3

- 24-hr average RSP Concentration: 100 μg/m3 (Number of exceedance allowed : 9)

- Annual average RSP Concentration: 50 μg/m3

- 24-hr Average FSP Concentration: 75 μg/m3 (Number of exceedance allowed : 9)

- Annual average FSP Concentration: 35 μg/m3

·    N/A

·    Implementation of dust control measures as recommended in Air Pollution Control (Construction Dust) Regulation

·    No residual impact

Air Quality - Operation Phase

New Block and Block K of QMH

·    4th Highest 10-min Average SO2 Concentration: 256.8 μg/m3

·    AQO:

- 10-min Average SO2 Concentration: 500 μg/m3 (Number of exceedance allowed : 3)

 

·    No exceedance of relevant AQO is predicted.

·    N/A

·    No residual impact

Noise - Construction Phase

Wei Lun Hall

(student hall)

·    No noise exceedance at the NSR

·    Annex 5 of TM-EIAO: 75 dB(A) Leq (30 mins) stipulated in TM-EIAO for domestic premises from 0700 to 1900 hours on any day not being a Sunday or general holiday.

·    N/A

·    N/A

·    No residual impact

Noise - Operation  Phase (Helicopter Noise)

NSRs located within 300m from the project boundary and areas potentially affected by the flight paths of helicopter

·    Predicted helicopter noise levels at the NSRs are in the range of Lmax 79 to 86 dB(A)

·    Annex 5 of TM-EIAO: Lmax 85dB(A) for domestic premises, hostels, educational institutions, places of public worship, convalescences and home for aged, etc. from 0700 to 1900 hours

·    Exceedance of the criterion by 1 dB(A)

·    Setback of helipad;

·    Adopt new GFS’s helicopters (Airbus H175);

·    Operate helicopters within the proposed flight sectors;

·    Quiet approaching/ departure procedures;

·    Avoid using same flight sector for approaching and departure in each operation;

·    Noise barriers and noise reducers at rooftop of the New Block in QMH.

·    No residual impact

 

Waste Management

Project area

·    Estimated quantity of waste generation

- Inert C&D Materials: 0m3

- Non-inert C&D Materials: 340.8m3

- Chemical Waste: <1 litre

- General Refuse: 0.3m3

·    TM-EIAO Annex 7 and Annex 15

·    Not applicable

 

·    The reuse/ recycling of all materials on-site shall be investigated prior to treatment/ disposal off-site;

·    Good site practices shall be adopted from the commencement of works;

·    All waste materials shall be sorted on-site into inert and non-inert C&D materials, and where the materials can be recycled or reused, they shall be further segregated;

·    The Contractor shall register as a Chemical Waste Producer if chemical wastes such as spent lubricants and paints are generated on-site;

·    A sufficient number of covered bins shall be provided on-site for the containment of general refuse;

·    Site specific induction training and tool-box talks should be provided to workers about the concepts of site cleanliness, environmental nuisance abatement and appropriate waste management procedures, including waste reduction, reuse and recycling.

·    No residual impact

 

Ecology - Terrestrial

Avifauna, bats and surrounding habitats

·    Overlap between the proposed flight sector and bird appearance locations.

 

·    Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance - Technical Memorandum (TM-EIAO), Annexes 8 and 16;

·    Country Parks Ordinance (Cap. 208) and its subsidiary legislation

·    Wild Animals Protection Ordinance (Cap. 170)

·    N/A

 

·    N/A

 

·    No residual impact

 

Visual

Residential premises, hiking trail

·    No direct line of sight from the VSRs to the perimeter lights;

·    Landing lights will be switched on to illuminate the helipad only during approaching and departure.  The overall operation of landing lights takes 2 minutes approximately.

·    Annex 10 and Annex 18 of the Technical Memorandum on EIA Process (TM-EIAO)

 

·    N/A

 

·    N/A

 

·    No residual impact