CONTENTS
11 ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND AUDITING (EM&A) REQUIREMENT
11.4 Environmental Mitigation Implementation Schedule
11.1.1.1
This section summarises the requirements on environmental monitoring
and audits for the construction and operation of the Project, based on the
assessment results of the various environmental issues.
11.1.1.2
Details of the Environmental Monitoring and Audit (EM&A)
programme are presented as part of this EIA Study in a separate stand-alone
EM&A Manual. The Environmental
Mitigation Implementation Schedules (EMIS) for the recommended mitigation
measures are also included in the EM&A Manual.
11.2.1.1
A project organisation consisting of the Project Manager (PM) or
Project Manager’s Representative (PMR) of AAHK, Independent Environmental
Checker (IEC), Environmental Team (ET) and Contractor should be established to
take on the responsibilities for environmental protection for the Project. The IEC will be appointed by the AAHK /
Project Proponent to conduct independent auditing on the overall EM&A
programme including environmental monitoring, implementation of mitigation
measures, EM&A submissions, and other submission required under the
Environmental Permit (EP). The
organisation, responsibilities of respective parties and lines of communication
with respect to environmental protection works are given in the EM&A Manual.
11.3.1.1
EM&A is an important aspect in the Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA) process which specifies the timeframe and responsibilities for
the implementation of environmental mitigation measures. The requirements on environmental
monitoring (including baseline and impact monitoring) are given in the EM&A
Manual.
11.3.1.2
A project specific EM&A Manual to the Project has been
prepared as part of the EIA Report based on the latest design information
available, EPD’s generic EM&A Manual and Annex 21 of the Technical
Memorandum. The project specific
EM&A Manual highlights the following issues:
·
Organisation, hierarchy and responsibilities of the Contractor,
the Engineer or ER, ET and IEC with respect to the EM&A requirements during
construction phase of the Project;
·
Information on project organisation and programming of
construction activities for the Project;
·
Requirements with respect to the construction schedule and
necessary EM&A programme to track the varying environmental impacts;
·
Full details of methodologies to be adopted, including all field,
laboratory and analytical procedures, and details on quality assurance;
·
Requirements for environmental monitoring and audit (e.g.
monitoring and audit frequency) throughout the construction phase;
·
Procedure for undertaking on-site environmental audits;
·
Definition of Action and Limit Levels;
·
Establishment of Event and Action Plans;
·
Requirements for reviewing pollution sources and working
procedures required in the event of non-compliance of environmental criteria
and complaints;
·
Requirements for reviewing the implementation of mitigation
measures, and effectiveness of environmental protection and pollution control
measures adopted; and
·
Presentation of requirements for EM&A data and appropriate
reporting procedures.
11.3.1.3 The Contractor shall be requested to review and adhere to the mitigation measures and Environmental Mitigation Implementation Schedule (EMIS) with respect to the design developments and construction methodology. Any proposed changes to the mitigation measures shall be certified by the ET Leader and verified by the IEC as conforming to the relevant information and recommendations contained in the EIA Report.
11.4.1.1
An EMIS has been prepared alongside the EM&A of this EIA to
summarise all mitigation measures required to be implemented during the design,
the construction and operational phases of the Project. The implementation responsibilities have
been identified in the EMIS.
11.5.1.1
The Contractor and AAHK/PM will be requested to implement an
environmental monitoring programme throughout the Project. In case exceedance is found, the Contractor,
AAHK/PM and ET should take immediate actions to implement remediation measures
following the procedures specified in the EM&A Manual.
11.5.1.2
Detailed requirements of the EM&A programme have been
described in the EM&A Manual.
Measurements and activities that shall be conducted in accordance with
the requirements in the EM&A Manual are summarised as follows:
·
Baseline monitoring (construction dust, noise, etc);
·
Impact monitoring (construction dust, noise, etc);
·
Remedial actions in accordance with the Event and Action Plans
within the timeframe in case the specified criteria in the EM&A Manual were
exceeded;
·
Logging and keeping records of monitoring results; and
·
Preparation and submission of Baseline, Monthly and Final EM&A
Reports.
11.5.2
Air Quality
Construction
Phase
11.5.2.1
The assessment has concluded that mitigated construction dust
impacts are within the acceptable levels and no adverse impacts will occur. However, construction dust monitoring,
regular site environmental inspection at least once per week should be carried
out in construction phase to ensure no adverse impacts occur during
construction activities and mitigation measures recommended in this EIA Report
and EM&A Manual are properly implemented.
Operational
Phase
11.5.2.2
No adverse air quality impact would be anticipated during
operational phase. Therefore,
EM&A is considered unnecessary.
11.5.3
Noise
Construction
Phase
11.5.3.1
The assessment has concluded that, with the implementation of
noise mitigation measures, no adverse construction noise impacts would be
anticipated during the construction phase.
However, construction noise monitoring, regular site inspection at least
once per week should be carried out during construction phase to ensure that
the construction noise levels will comply with the relevant criterion and the
mitigation measures recommended in this EIA Report and EM&A Manual are
properly implemented by the Contractor.
Operational
Phase
11.5.3.2
The assessment has indicated that the noise from zero emission
vehicles would comply with the EIAO-TM noise criteria. Monitoring of operational noise from the zero emission vehicle during the testing and commissioning
stage shall be conducted to check the compliance of the noise criteria, prior
to the operation of the ATCL. Further
details of the commissioning tests and monitoring programme are detailed in the
EM&A Manual.
11.5.4
Water Quality
Construction
Phase
11.5.4.1
Marine water quality monitoring at representative locations is
suggested for marine works for the marine viaduct and marine facilities during
construction phase. Regular site
audits at least once per week should be carried out throughout the marine-based
construction under this Project to ensure that the best management practices
and mitigation measures as recommended in this EIA Report and EM&A Manual
are properly implemented by the Contractor.
Operational
Phase
11.5.4.2
Marine water quality monitoring at representative locations is suggested
for the maintenance dredging at the marine facilities during operation phase.
11.5.5
Waste
Management
Construction
Phase
11.5.5.1
During the construction period, it is the Contractor’s
responsibility to ensure that all waste produced during the construction of the
Project are handled, stored and disposed of in accordance with good waste
management practices, relevant legislation and waste management guidelines.
11.5.5.2
It is recommended that the waste generated during the construction
activities should be audited regularly by the ET to determine if wastes are
being managed in accordance with approved procedures. Weekly site environmental inspection
should be carried out to ensure proper waste management measures recommended in
this EIA Report and EM&A Manual are implemented by the Contractor. Apart from site inspections, documents
including licenses, permits, disposal and recycling records should be reviewed
and audited for compliance with the legislation of the recommended good site
practice and other waste management mitigation measures. Moreover, the GPS tracking of construction dump truck routing / disposal record
for the transportation of C&D materials shall be reviewed and audited by ET
Leader and verified by the IEC.
Operational
Phase
11.5.5.3
No adverse environmental impact is anticipated with the
implementation of good waste management practices during the operation of the
Project. Hence, monitoring and
audit programme for the operational phase would not be required.
11.5.6
Ecology
Construction
Phase
11.5.6.1 During the
construction phase, all vessels used in this Project will be required to slow
down to 10 knots around the Project’s marine works
areas and areas with potential high dolphin usage, including existing and
proposed marine parks, based upon a precautionary approach to avoid vessel
collision with Chinese White Dolphins.
11.5.6.2
The recommended mitigation measures for alleviating terrestrial
and marine ecological impacts arising from construction and operation works
include the implementation of good site practice, water quality mitigation
measures and vessel speed restriction, to minimize disturbance to terrestrial
and marine resources near works area are detailed in the EM&A Manual. Ecological monitoring is considered not
necessary during construction of the Project.
Operational
Phase
11.5.6.3
During operation of the Project, ecological monitoring of marine
ecological resources is not considered necessary.
11.5.7
Fisheries
Construction
Phase
11.5.7.1
Monitoring activities designed to identify and mitigate impacts to
water quality during construction phase are also expected to serve to protect
against impacts to fisheries. The
details of the water quality monitoring programme are presented in the EM&A
Manual.
Operational
Phase
11.5.7.2
Monitoring activities designed to identify and mitigate impacts to
water quality during maintenance dredging are also expected to serve to protect
against impacts to fisheries. The
details of the water quality monitoring programme are presented in the EM&A
Manual.
11.5.8
Cultural
Heritage
Construction
Phase
11.5.8.1
No EM&A is required during the construction phase. However, as a precautionary measure, AAHK/PMR
and the Contractor are required to inform AMO immediately when any antiquities
or supposed antiquities under the A&M Ordinance are discovered during the
seabed disturbance works in the Project site. If there are any buildings / structures
both at grade level and underground which were built on or before 1969, the
applicant is required to alert AMO in any early stage or once identified.
Operational
Phase
11.5.8.2
As no adverse cultural heritage or marine archaeological impact
are anticipated during operational phase of the Project, mitigation measures as
well as impact monitoring and audit are not required.
11.5.9
Landscape and
Visual
Construction
Phase
11.5.9.1
Mitigation measures such as tree preservation, tree transplanting,
tree compensation, reinstatement of temporarily disturbed landscape areas, provision
of site hoarding, lighting control and management of construction activities
should be adopted during the construction phase. Regular site environmental inspection at
least once per week should be undertaken during the construction period to
ensure that the mitigation measures recommended in this EIA Report and EM&A
Manual are properly implemented by the Contractor.
Operational
Phase
11.5.9.2
Mitigation measures to be implemented, such as provision of
amenity planting and landscape features, aesthetically pleasing design of
aboveground / above sea structures should be integrated into the detailed
design and built as part of the construction works so that they would be in
place during the operation of the Project.