TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Introduction. 1-1

1.1 Background. 1-1

1.2 The Project 1-1

1.3 Objectives of the EIA Study. 1-2

1.4 Structure of the EIA Report 1-3

LIST OF FIGURES

C1502/C/TME/ACM/M50/101	Proposed TME alignment
C1502/C/TME/ACM/M50/102	Proposed Works Areas and Works Sites (Sheet 1 of 2)
C1502/C/TME/ACM/M50/103	Proposed Works Areas and Works Sites (Sheet 2 of 2)

1 Introduction

1.1 Background

1.1.1 The Tuen Mun South Extension (TME) (hereinafter referred to as “the Project”) is one of the seven recommended railway schemes in the Railway Development Strategy 2014 (“RDS-2014”). The Project will extend the Tuen Ma Line (TML), from Tuen Mun (TUM) Station southwards by about 2.4 km, terminating at a new station near Tuen Mun Ferry Pier (i.e. Tuen Mun South (TMS) Station) with an intermediate station at Tuen Mun Area 16 (i.e. A16 Station).

1.1.2 The Project will improve railway access for the community south of the current Tuen Mun town centre (near Wu King Estate, Siu Hei Court and Yuet Wu Villa) and connectivity to Tuen Mun Ferry Pier. It is anticipated that approximately 60,000 existing residents within the 500-m catchment of the TMS Station, which is one of the major residential areas in Tuen Mun district, and about 49,000 existing residents within the 500-m catchment area around the A16 Station will be served by the Project^[1].

1.1.3 A Project Profile (No. PP-604/2020) for the Project was submitted to Environmental Protection Department (EPD) for application of an EIA Study Brief, which was subsequently issued on 23 July 2020 (No. ESB-332/2020). The alignment of the Project is shown in Figure No. C1502/C/TME/ACM/M50/101, while the proposed works areas/works sites are shown in Figure No. C1502/C/TME/ACM/M50/102 and Figure No. C1502/C/TME/ACM/M50/103.

1.1.4 This report presents the findings of an environmental impact assessment (EIA) study conducted for the Project in accordance with the requirements of the EIA Study Brief and the Technical Memorandum on Environmental Impact Assessment Process (EIAO-TM).

1.2 The Project

Project Element

1.2.1 The key elements of the Project as assessed in this EIA Report are:

i. Construction and operation of 2.4-km extension of the viaduct structure from TUM Station to the new TMS Station;

ii. Construction and operation of two new stations, namely TMS Station and A16 Station;

iii. Construction and operation of Stations associated facilities; and

iv. Construction and operation of a railway siding adjacent to A16 Station.

Designated Projects under EIA Ordinance

1.2.2 The Project will comprise the following Designated Projects (DPs) under Part I, Schedule 2 of the EIA Ordinance (EIAO):

· Item A.2 – A railway and its associated station;

· Item A.4 – A railway siding, depot, maintenance workshop, marshalling yard or goods yard; and

· Item A.8 – A railway bridge more than 100m in length between abutments.

1.3 Objectives of the EIA Study

1.3.1 The purpose of this EIA study is to provide information on the nature and extent of environmental impacts arising from the construction and operation of the Project and associated works that will take place concurrently. The information obtained in the EIA Study will contribute to decisions by Director of Environmental Protection 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 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, and any option(s) of alignment 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 potential waste management issues and impacts arising as a result of the construction and operation activities of the Project;

v. to identify and quantify contaminated land within any project area for development works, and to propose measures to avoid disposal in the first instance;

vi. to identify and quantify any potential ecological impacts arising from the construction and operation of the Project, including potential losses or damage to flora, fauna and natural habitats, and to propose measures to mitigate these impacts;

vii. to identify any potential landscape and visual impacts and to propose measures to mitigate these impacts;

viii. to identify any negative impacts on cultural heritage and to propose measures to mitigate these impacts;

ix. to identify potential hazard to life from the ExxonMobil Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) store in Tuen Mun Area 44 as defined in the Gas Safety Ordinance (Cap.51), and to proposed mitigation measures;

x. to propose the provision of infrastructure or mitigation measures so as to minimise pollution, environmental disturbance and nuisance during construction and operation of the Project;

xi. to investigate the feasibility, effectiveness and implications of the proposed mitigation measures;

xii. 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;

xiii. 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;

xiv. to investigate the extent of the secondary environmental impacts that may arise from the proposed mitigation measures and to identify constraints associated with the mitigation measures recommended in the EIA study, as well as the provision of any necessary modification;

xv. to design and specify the environmental monitoring and audit requirements; and

xvi. to identify any additional studies necessary to implement the mitigation measures of monitoring and proposals recommended in the EIA report.

1.4 Structure of the EIA Report

1.4.1 After this introductory section, this EIA Report is organised as follows:

· Section 2 presents the description of the Project and the consideration of alternatives;

· Section 3 identifies and assesses the potential dust impacts arising from the construction of the Project;

· Section 4 identifies and assesses the potential airborne noise impacts arising from the construction and operational phases of the Project;

· Section 5 identifies and assesses the potential water quality impacts caused by the Project;

· Section 6 identifies and quantifies the potential waste management issues and impacts arising from the construction and operation of the Project;

· Section 7 addresses potential land contamination due to past and present land use;

· Section 8 identifies and assesses the potential terrestrial ecological impact arising from the construction and operation of the Project;

· Section 9 identifies and assesses the potential landscape and visual impacts associated with the construction and operation of the Project;

· Section 10 identifies and assesses the potential cultural heritage impacts due to the construction and operation of the Project;

· Section 11 identifies and assesses the potential hazard to life;

· Section 12 highlights the Environmental Monitoring and Audit (EM&A) requirements;

· Section 13 summarises the key environmental outcomes arising from the EIA study; and

· Section 14 summarises the assessment findings and concludes the overall environmental acceptability of the Project.

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^[1] https://www.legco.gov.hk/yr19-20/english/panels/tp/tp_rdp/papers/tp_rdp20200605cb4-646-1-e.pdf