1
InTRODUCTIOn
1.1.1
The 30-hectare Siu Ho Wan Depot (SHD) has been
highlighted in both 2015 and 2016 Policy Address as a potential railway site
which is being explored by MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) in collaboration
with the Government to provide housing supply.
1.1.2
In the 2017 Policy Address, the Chief Executive
announced the initiative to commence the statutory planning procedures for SHD
this year, with the aim to provide not less than 14,000 residential units in
the medium to long term.
1.1.3
The Lantau Development Advisory Committee
(LanDAC) has also recommended ¡°Strategic Economic and Housing Development¡± as
the planning theme for the North Lantau Corridor. The proposed comprehensive development
atop SHD is in line with the planning theme, which has been earmarked as one of
the medium-term projects in the First-term Working Report published by LanDAC
in January 2016.
1.1.4
In
support of the Government¡¯s
policy initiative to make better use of railway land to provide housing
supply, MTRCL has commissioned a
consultancy study to formulate scheme options for comprehensive residential and commercial development (hereinafter referred to as the ¡°SHD Topside Development¡±) to optimise the development potential of SHD. The SHD Topside Development, with a new Siu Ho Wan Station (SHO) proposed along
the Tung Chung Line (TCL) to meet the transportation needs of the development
and enable building of a sustainable community, is based on an indicative scheme and indicative
development/implementation programme formulated for providing the reference
parameters for this Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The arrangements for implementation will
be separately considered by the Government in due course.
1.1.5
Under the indicative scheme, to facilitate the
construction of the SHD Topside Development, the existing SHD will undergo
replanning works to make room for the phased construction of the SHD Topside Development,
while maintenance and supporting services to the existing Tung Chung Line (TCL),
Airport Express Line (AEL) and Disneyland Resort Line (DRL) should be
maintained without causing disruption to the normal operation. A new Siu Ho Wan Station (SHO) has been
proposed along the Tung Chung Line (TCL) tracks to meet the transportation needs
of the development and enable building of a sustainable community.
1.1.6
A Project Profile (No. PP-[544/2016]) for
SHO and SHD Replanning Works (hereafter referred to as the ¡°Project¡±) was
submitted to EPD for application of an EIA Study Brief which was subsequently
issued on 30 November 2016 (No. ESB-296/2016). The scope of the Project is shown
in Figure No. NEX1062/S/SHD/ACM/Z10/101.
1.1.7
This report presents the findings of an
environmental impact assessment (EIA) conducted for the proposed SHO and SHD
Replanning Works, in accordance with the EIA Study Brief and EIA
Ordinance. According to Section 5.1
of the ESB-296/2016, a summary highlighting relevant EIA sections fulfilling
respective requirements of the EIA study brief and TM-EIAO (in particular
Annexes 11 and 20 of TM-EIAO) has been prepared and included in Appendix
1.1. This EIA study has also addressed
potential environmental interface issues with the proposed SHD Topside
Development which is the subject of a separate con-current EIA study.
Project
Elements
1.2.1
The key elements of the Project as assessed in
this EIA Report are listed below:
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SHD Replanning Works within the existing SHD boundary;
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Construction of concrete slab which would also
provide support for construction of SHD Topside Development podium decking, as
well as property enabling works for SHD Topside Development;
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New SHO station and associated trackworks at
existing AEL/TCL, as well as western access and local accesses; and
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Sewerage network provision outside existing SHD
boundary to cater for sewage generated by the Project for treatment at the Siu
Ho Wan Sewage Treatment Works.
Designated Projects under EIA Ordinance
1.2.2
The SHO and SHD Replanning Works are classified
as the following Designated Projects (DPs) under Part I, Schedule 2 of the EIA Ordinance
(EIAO):
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Item A.2 ¨C A railway and its associated station
(i.e. SHO and associated trackworks on AEL/TCL); and
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Item A.4 ¨C A railway siding, depot, maintenance
workshop, marshalling yard or goods yard (i.e. the operation of SHD).
1.2.3
An Environmental impact assessment study was
conducted for the Lantau and Airport Railway (LAR) including SHD, and the study
report (EIA-029/BC) was approved before the enactment of the EIAO. The operation of the SHD is therefore classified
as an exempted designated project under Section 9(2) of EIAO. The proposed changes in the existing SHD
under the SHD Replanning Works would involve changes of layout and design to the
current SHD, and therefore the works would constitute a material change to an exempted
designated project.
Interface with SHD Topside Development EIA
1.2.4
A Project Profile (No. PP-[542/2016])
covering the SHD Topside Development (a DP under Item 1 of Schedule 3 of
EIAO),
SHO and associated trackworks, SHD Replanning Works and associated facilities was
submitted to the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) on 20 July 2016 for
application of an EIA Study Brief.
The EIA Study Brief (ESB-294/2016) was issued by EPD on 1 September
2016.
1.2.5
After the issue of the EIA Study Brief
(ESB-294/2016), more design details on the SHO and SHD Replanning Works were
developed. It was proposed to prepare
a separate EIA study for railway related works (Railway EIA). The arrangement of this separate EIA
study is to streamline the project implementation and for ease of reference of
the public. An EIA study brief focusing on
the railway EIA was therefore obtained, as mentioned in Section 1.1.6.
1.2.6
According to the latest arrangement, key
elements assessed in the SHD Topside Development EIA include same elements as
identified in the ESB-294/2016, while key elements of the SHO and SHD
Replanning Works listed in Section 1.2.1
are addressed in the Railway EIA. For
western access road bridge,
which would be the access to both SHD Topside Development and the Project, may
be constructed under the Project or the SHD Topside Development which would be
further delineated in the detailed design stage, both Railway EIA and SHD
Topside Development EIA assessed relevant impact associated with the construction
and operation of the western access road bridge as conservative case scenario.
1.2.7
This Railway EIA and the SHD Topside Development
EIA have been conducted concurrently.
Potential environmental interface issues as well as cumulative impacts
have been addressed in detail collaboratively in the course of the two EIA
studies, and findings presented to address the corresponding requirements of the
two EIA study briefs (ESB-296/2016 and ESB-294/2016).
i.
the overall acceptability of any adverse environmental consequences that
are likely to arise as a result of the Project;
ii.
the conditions and requirements for the detailed design, construction
and operation of the Project to mitigate against adverse environmental
consequences wherever practicable; and
iii.
the acceptability of residual impacts after the proposed mitigation
measures are implemented.
1.3.2
The objectives of the EIA study are as follows:
i.
to describe the Project and associated works together with the
requirements and environmental benefits for carrying out the proposed Project;
ii.
to identify and describe the elements of the community and environment likely
to be affected by the Project and/or likely to cause adverse impacts to the
Project, including both the natural and man-made environment and the associated
environmental constraints;
iii.
to identify and quantify emission sources and determine the significance
of impacts on sensitive receivers and potential affected uses;
iv.
to identify and quantify contaminated land within any project area for
development works, and to propose measures to avoid disposal in the first
instance;
v.
to propose the provision of
infrastructure or mitigation measures so as to minimize pollution,
environmental disturbance and nuisance during construction and operation of the
Project;
vi.
to investigate the feasibility,
effectiveness and implications of the proposed mitigation measures;
vii. to identify, predict and evaluate the residual (i.e. after
practicable mitigation) environmental impacts and the cumulative effects
expected to arise during the construction and operation phases of the Project in
relation to the sensitive receivers and potential affected uses;
viii. to identify, assess and specify methods, measures and standards, to
be included in the detailed design, construction and operation of the Project
which are necessary to mitigate these residual environmental impacts and
cumulative effects and reduce them to acceptable levels;
ix.
to design and specify the
environmental monitoring and audit requirements; and
x.
to identify any additional
studies necessary to implement the mitigation measures of monitoring and
proposals recommended in the EIA report.
1.4.1
This EIA Report comprises fourteen chapters, as
outlined below:
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Section 1 presents the background of the Project
and introduction of this EIA Study.
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Section 2 presents the description of the Project
and the consideration of alternatives.
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Section 3 assesses potential dust impacts
arising from the construction of the Project.
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Section 4 identifies and assesses potential
airborne noise impacts arising from the construction and operational phases of
the Project.
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Section 5 reviews potential water quality
impacts caused by the Project.
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Section 6 reviews the potential sewerage and
sewage treatment implications to cope with discharges from the Project and
concurrent projects.
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Section 7 identifies issues in relation to waste
management.
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Section 8 addresses potential land contamination
due to past and present land use.
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Section 9 identifies and assesses potential
landscape and visual impacts associated with the construction and operation of
the Project.
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Section 10 assesses the hazard to life issues.
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Section 11 highlights the Environmental
Monitoring and Audit (EM&A) requirements.
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Section 12 summarizes the key environmental
outcomes arising from the EIA study.
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Section 13 summarizes the assessment findings
and concludes the overall environmental acceptability of the Project.