Environmental Guidance Note for Sewage Pumping Stations which is not a Designated Project

6. Environmental Considerations and Mitigation Measures for Sewage Pumping Station

6.2 e. Conservation, Ecology and Visual/Landscaping

i.	adopt the principles of mitigation in this order of priority : avoidance, minimisation and compensation;
ii.	the sewage pumping station, including any new access road, the associated gravity sewers and pumping mains, should be suitably sited as far away from the following areas as possible :- Country Park, Special Area, Restricted Area, Marine Park, Marine Reserve, Site of Special Scientific Interest, Ramsar Site, Inner Deep Bay, Deep Bay Wetland Conservation Area and Site of Cultural Heritage
iii.	site, plan and design the sewage pumping station to avoid and minimise impacts/damage to the following important habitats: woodland, natural coast, inter-tidal mudflat, mangrove, marsh, natural stream course and coral community. Site surveys should be conducted as appropriate to inspect the range of habitats affected and determine the significance of the impacts on the habitats identified. Alternative design must be considered to minimise the extent of impact to woodland and other wildlife habitats. Where the construction site adjoins important habitats, the latter should be fenced off to prevent construction vehicles from entering the wildlife habitats. Chemical storage areas should be suitably located and construction activities should be strictly controlled to avoid oil, pollutants or chemicals from spilling into adjacent wetland, natural stream or seabed that receives the drainage;
iv.	control fire and major weed infestation. All disturbed habitats should be reinstated through back-filling, hydro seeding, tree and shrub planting/transplanting, re-provision of water course or water source, and so forth as individual cases warrant. Government-listed landscape contractors should be employed for woodland reinstatement works of sewage pumping stations located adjacent to sensitive areas. Maintenance work as well as establishment work should be allowed for in design and financing;
v.	site, plan and design the sewage pumping station in appropriate form, colour, scale, texture, materials and orientation to avoid or minimize adverse impacts/damages to both natural and man-made environments including flora, fauna, wild life habitats and physical features such as woodland, top soil, coastlines, rivers, valleys, ponds and marshes, as well as cultural heritages sites and townscape;
vi.	avoid the felling of trees as far as practicable. ETWB Technical Circular (Works) No. 3/2006 "Tree Preservation" should be followed;
vii.	implement landscaping works, where appropriate, as part of the project to enhance the landscape/visual compatibility of surrounding environment and/or to reduce the associated visual impact arising from the facilities. Government-listed contractors are recommended to be engaged for landscape works;
viii.	where applicable, a minimum planting strip of 1m width to accommodate screen planting along periphery of the site is recommended to mitigate landscape and visual impacts arising from the project.