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1.2 Designated Projects under the EIA Ordinance 1.4 Objectives of the EIA Study 1.5.1 Potential Hazard to Life |
In March 2005, the Project Proponent, Profit Point Enterprises Limited, acquired a development site in Yuen Long at Wo Shang Wai. A comprehensive residential development was proposed at the site, of which the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report was approved on 31 July 2008 (AEIAR-120/2008). An environmental permit (EP) was granted on 9 September 2008 (EP-311/2008) for the construction and operation of the development.
Under the approved EIA report, it is understood that a number of sewage projects have been proposed to upgrade the existing system in North West New Territories. As such, it was anticipated that domestic effluent generated from the development would be discharged via public sewer and a dedicated sewage treatment plant (STP) on-site was considered not necessary. However, the implementation programme of the government sewerage system is currently uncertain. Therefore, a 1-storey high building structure with a footprint of approximately 225m2 with basement is proposed to house an interim STP on-site. This proposed interim STP is a temporary measure to handle the sewage generated from the development before the availability of public sewerage connection, which is considered to be the long term measure for the residential development. The reclaimed water is expected to be fully reused on-site for toilet flushing and irrigation. The Project will be decommissioned after the development is connected to the planned public sewerage system.
A Project Profile for the Proposed Interim Sewage Treatment Plant and Effluent Reuse Facility at Wo Shang Wai, Yuen Long (hereafter as the Project) was submitted to the Environmental Projection Department (EPD) on 10 September 2015 under Section 5(1)(a) of the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO). On 20 October 2015, EPD issued an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study Brief for the Project (ESB-289/2015).
This document is the EIA report for the Project, which was conducted in accordance to the EIA Study Brief Requirements (ESB-289/2015) with reference to the Technical Memorandum on Environmental Impact Assessment Process (TM-EIAO).
As stated in the Project Profile and the EIA Study Brief, the Project consists of one Designated Project (DP) under Part I, Schedule 2 of the EIAO: An activity for the reuse of treated sewage effluent from a treatment plant (Item F.4, Part I, Schedule 2).
In accordance with Clause 1.5 of the EIA Study Brief, the purpose of the EIA Study is to provide information on the nature and extent of environmental impacts arising from the construction, operation and decommissioning of the Project and associated works that will take place concurrently. This information will contribute to decisions by the Director on:
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, operation and decommissioning 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.
In accordance with Clause 2.1 of the EIA Study Brief, the objectives of the EIA are:
i. To describe the Project and associated works together with the requirements and environmental benefits for carrying out the 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 any potential losses or damage to flora, fauna and natural habitats;
v. To identify and evaluate any potential landscape and visual impacts and to propose measures to mitigate these impacts;
vi. To identify any potential human health impacts and to propose measures to mitigate these impacts;
vii. To propose the provision of infrastructure or mitigation measures so as to minimize pollution, environmental disturbance and nuisance during construction, operation and decommissioning of the Project;
viii. To investigate the feasibility, effectiveness and implications of the proposed mitigation measures;
ix. To identify, predict and evaluate the residual (i.e. after practicable mitigation) environmental impacts and the cumulative effects expected to arise during the construction, operation and decommissioning phases of the Project in relation to the sensitive receivers and potential affected uses;
x. To identify, assesses and specify methods, measures and standards, to be included in the detailed design, construction, operation and decommissioning of the Project which are necessary to mitigate these residual environmental impacts and cumulative effects and reduce them to acceptable levels;
xi. To identify the party responsible for the construction, operation and decommissioning of the Project, and to propose a mechanism to ensure proper operation;
xii. To design and specify the environmental monitoring and audit requirements; and
xiii. To identify any additional studies necessary to implement the mitigation measures or monitoring and proposals recommended in the EIA report.
This EIA report addresses all key potential environmental issues associated with the construction and operation phases of the Project, which are as specified under Clause 3.2 of the EIA Study Brief:
i. Potential air quality impact on sensitive receivers due to construction, operation and decommissioning of the Project and associated works;
ii. Potential noise impact on sensitive receivers due to the Project and associated works, including impact from construction equipment during construction and decommissioning, and operational noise impact;
iii. Potential water quality impact during construction, operation and decommissioning of the Project, including the scenario when there is emergency sewage overflow;
iv. Potential waste management issues and impacts during construction, operation and decommissioning of the Project;
v. Potential ecological impact during construction, operation and decommissioning of the Project;
vi. Potential landscape impact arising from the Project and potential visual impact arising from the above-ground structures of the Project;
vii. Potential human health impact during the effluent reuse activities;
viii. Potential hazard to life impact if chlorine gas containers will be stored and used in the Project; and
ix. Potential cumulative impacts of the Project, through interaction or in combination with other existing, committed and planned developments in the vicinity of the Project, and that those impacts may have a bearing on the environmental acceptability of the Project.
According to Item viii. under Clause 3.2 of the EIA Study Brief and summarised above, this EIA report is to address the potential hazard to life impact if chlorine gas containers will be stored and used in the Project. Since the submission of Project Profile, the Project Proponent has confirmed that sodium hypochlorite will be used and no chlorine gas containers will be store and used in the Project. As such, this EIA report will not include a hazard to life impact assessment as stipulated in the Study Brief.
This EIA report has been structured as follows:
Chapter 1 Introduction presents the background, designated project, purpose and scope of the Project.
Chapter 2 Project Description presents a description of the Project including concurrent projects.
Chapter 3 Air Quality Impact presents the approach, findings and recommendations from the air quality impact assessment.
Chapter 4 Noise Impact presents the approach, findings and recommendations from the noise impact assessment.
Chapter 5 Water Quality Impact presents the approach, findings and recommendations from the water quality impact assessment.
Chapter 6 Waste Management Implications presents the approach, findings and recommendations from the waste assessment and investigation for potential land contamination.
Chapter 7 Ecological Impact (Terrestrial and Aquatic) presents the approach, findings and recommendations from the ecology impact assessment.
Chapter 8 Landscape and Visual Impacts presents the approach, findings and recommendations from the landscape and visual impact assessment.
Chapter 9 Conclusions summaries the findings and recommendations from the EIA.
Chapter 10 Environmental Monitoring and Audit summaries the environmental monitoring and audit requirements specified in Chapters 3 to 9.
Chapter 11 Implementation Schedule summaries the schedule for implementation of mitigation measures specified in Chapters 3 to 10.