table
of Contents
1.1 Background
1.2 Scope
of Report
1.3 Organization
Structure
1.4 Summary
of Construction Works
2.1 Air
quality
2.2 Water
Quality Monitoring
2.3 Dolphin
Monitoring
2.4 Post-translocation
Coral Monitoring
2.5 EM&A
Site Inspection
2.6 Waste
Management Status
2.7 Environmental
Licenses and Permits
2.8 Implementation
Status of Environmental Mitigation Measures
2.9 Summary
of Exceedances of the Environmental Quality Performance Limit
2.10 Summary
of Complaints, Notification of Summons and Successful Prosecutions
3.1 Construction
Activities for the Coming Month
3.2 Key
Issues for the Coming Month
3.3 Monitoring
Schedule for the Coming Month
4 Conclusions
and recommendations
4.1 Conclusions
Under Contract No. HY/2012/08,
Dragages ¡V Bouygues Joint Venture (DBJV) is commissioned by the Highways
Department (HyD) to undertake the design and construction of the Northern
Connection Sub-sea Tunnel Section of the Tuen Mun ¡V Chek Lap Kok Link Project (TM-CLK
Link Project) while AECOM Asia Company Limited was appointed by HyD as the
Supervising Officer. For
implementation of the environmental monitoring and audit (EM&A) programme
under the Contract, ERM-Hong Kong, Limited (ERM) has been appointed as the
Environmental Team (ET) in accordance with Environmental
Permit No. EP-354/2009/A. ENVIRON Hong Kong Ltd. was employed by HyD
as the Independent Environmental Checker (IEC) and Environmental Project Office
(ENPO). Another
application for variation of environmental permit (VEP) (EP-354/2009/B) was granted on 28 January 2014.
The
construction phase of the Project commenced on 1 November 2013 and will
tentatively be completed by the end of 2018. The impact monitoring of the EM&A
programme, including air quality, water quality, marine ecological monitoring and
environmental site inspections, were commenced on 1 November 2013.
This
is the Sixth Monthly EM&A report presenting the EM&A works carried out
during the period from 1 to 30 April 2014 for the Contract No. HY/2012/08 Northern
Connection Sub-sea Tunnel Section (the ¡§Project¡¨) in
accordance with the Updated EM&A Manual of the TM-CLK
Link Project. As informed by the
Contractor, major activities in the reporting period included:
Marine-based
Works
¡P
Dredging at Portion N-C;
¡P
Reclamation filling at Portion N-A;
¡P
Construction of Vertical Seawall and Sloping Seawall
at Portion N-B; and,
¡P
Marine Sheet Piling for Box Culvert extension at
Portion N-A.
Land-based
Works
¡P
CLP Substation structure works in Portion N6; and,
¡P
CLP Substation E&M works in Portion N6.
A summary of
monitoring and audit activities conducted in the reporting period is listed
below:
24-hour TSP Monitoring 6
sessions
1-hour TSP Monitoring 6
sessions
Impact Water
Quality Monitoring 13
sessions
Impact Dolphin
Monitoring 2
sessions
Joint
Environmental Site Inspection 5
sessions
Daily
marine mammal exclusion zone monitoring was undertaken during the period of
dredging works. No sighting of the
Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin Sousa
chinensis was recorded in April 2014 during the exclusion zone monitoring.
Summary of
Breaches of Action/Limit Levels
Breaches of Action and Limit Levels for Air Quality
One Action
Level exceedance for 1-hr TSP was recorded from the air quality monitoring in
this reporting period. No Limit
Level exceedances for 1-hr TSP were recorded. No Action or Limit Level exceedances for
24-hr TSP were record. The exceedance was considered to be due to the sporadic events
from cumulative anthropogenic activities in this area of Hong Kong and thus the
construction works under this Project were highly unlikely to be the major
cause of the recorded exceedance upon further investigation.
Breaches of Action and Limit Levels for Water Quality
No Action or
Limit Level of water quality exceedances were recorded in the water quality
monitoring of this reporting month.
Dolphin Monitoring
During this
month of dolphin monitoring, no unacceptable impact from the construction activities
of the TM-CLKL Northern Connection Sub-sea Tunnel Section on Chinese White
Dolphins was noticeable from general observations. Due to monthly variation in dolphin
occurrence within the study area, it would be more appropriate to draw
conclusion on whether any unacceptable impacts
on dolphins have been detected related to the construction activities of the
TM-CLKL Northern Connection Sub-sea Section in the quarterly EM&A reports,
where comparison on distribution, group size and encounter rates of dolphins
between the quarterly impact monitoring period and baseline monitoring period
will be made.
Post Translocation Coral
Monitoring
The Second
Quarterly Post-Translocation Coral Monitoring was conducted on 16 April 2014
and results were detailed in the Second
Quarterly Post-Translocation Coral Monitoring Report. The findings indicated that the Action
or Limit Levels for coral monitoring were not exceeded as increase in
percentage of partial mortality was not detected for both the tagged translocated
and natural coral colonies when comparing to the pre-translocation dataset.
Environmental
Complaints, Non-compliance & Summons
No
non-compliance with EIA recommendations, EP conditions and other requirements associated with
the construction of this Contract was recorded in this reporting period.
No
environmental complaint was received in this reporting period.
No
environmental summons was received in this reporting period.
Reporting
Change
There was no
reporting change required in the reporting period.
Upcoming Works for the Next Reporting Month
Works to be
undertaken in the next monitoring period of May 2014 include the following:
Marine-based
Works
¡P
Dredging;
¡P
Reclamation filling;
¡P
Vertical Seawall construction;
¡P
Sloping Seawall construction;
¡P
Marine Sheet Piling for Box Culvert extension; and
¡P
Predrilling for Box Culvert Foundation.
Land-based
Works
¡P
CLP Substation underground utilities works; and
¡P
CLP Substation Superstructure.
Future Key
Issues
Potential
environmental impacts arising from the above upcoming construction activities
in the next reporting month of May 2014 are expected to be mainly associated
with dust, marine water quality, marine ecology and waste management.
According to
the findings of the Northwest New Territories (NWNT) Traffic and Infrastructure
Review conducted by the Transport Department, Tuen Mun Road, Ting Kau Bridge,
Lantau Link and North Lantau Highway would be operating beyond capacity after
2016. This forecast has been based
on the estimated increase in cross boundary traffic, developments in the Northwest
New Territories (NWNT), and possible developments in North Lantau, including
the Airport developments, the Lantau Logistics Park (LLP) and the Hong Kong ¡V
Zhuhai ¡V Macao Bridge (HZMB). In
order to cope with the anticipated traffic demand, two new road sections
between NWNT and North Lantau ¡V Tuen Mun ¡V Chek Lap Kok Link (TM-CLKL) and Tuen
Mun Western Bypass (TMWB) are proposed.
An
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of TM-CLKL (the Project) was prepared in
accordance with the EIA Study Brief (No. ESB-175/2007) and
the Technical Memorandum of the
Environmental Impact Assessment Process (EIAO-TM). The
EIA Report was submitted under the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance
(EIAO) in August 2009. Subsequent
to the approval of the EIA Report (EIAO Register Number AEIAR-145/2009), an
Environmental Permit (EP-354/2009) for TM-CLKL was granted by the Director of
Environmental Protection (DEP) on 4 November 2009, and EP variation (VEP)
(EP-354/2009A) was issued on 8 December 2010. Another application for VEP
(EP-354/2009/B) was granted on 28 January 2014.
Under
Contract No. HY/2012/08,
Dragages ¡V Bouygues Joint Venture (DBJV) is commissioned by the Highways
Department (HyD) to undertake the design and construction of the Northern
Connection Sub-sea Tunnel Section of TM-CLKL while AECOM Asia
Company Limited was appointed by HyD as the Supervising Officer. For implementation of the environmental
monitoring and audit (EM&A) programme under the Contract, ERM-Hong Kong,
Limited (ERM) has been appointed as the Environmental Team (ET). ENVIRON Hong Kong
Ltd. was employed by HyD as the Independent Environmental Checker (IEC) and
Environmental Project Office (ENPO).
Layout of the
Contract components is presented in Figure 1.1.
The
organization structure of the Contract is shown in Appendix A. The key personnel contact names and contact
details are summarized in Table 1.1
below.
Table 1.1 Contact
Information of Key Personnel
Party |
Position |
Name |
Telephone |
Fax |
Highways
Department |
Engr
16/HZMB |
Kenneth Lee |
2762
4996 |
3188
6614 |
SOR (AECOM Asia
Company Limited) |
Chief
Resident Engineer |
Edwin
Ching Andrew
Westmoreland |
2450
3111 2450
3511 |
2450
3099 2450
3099 |
ENPO / IEC (ENVIRON
Hong Kong Ltd.) |
ENPO Leader |
Y.H. Hui |
3465 2888 |
3465 2899 |
IEC |
Dr. F.C. Tsang |
3465 2828 |
3465 2899 |
|
Contractor (Dragages ¡V
Bouygues Joint Venture) |
Environmental
Manager |
C.F. Kwong |
2293
7322 |
2670
2798 |
Environmental
Officer 24-hour
complaint hotline |
Bryan Lee Rachel Lam |
2293
7323 2293
7342 |
2670
2798 |
|
ET (ERM-HK) |
ET Leader |
Jovy Tam |
2271 3113 |
2723 5660 |
Table 1.2 Summary
of Construction Activities Undertaken during the Reporting Period
Construction Activities Undertaken |
Marine-based Works |
¡P
Dredging at Portion N-C; |
¡P
Reclamation filling at Portion N-A; |
¡P
Construction of Vertical Seawall and Sloping Seawall
at Portion N-B; and, |
¡P
Marine Sheet Piling for Box Culvert extension at
Portion N-A. |
Land-based Works |
Portion N6 |
¡P
CLP Substation structure works |
¡P
CLP Substation E&M works |
Figure
1.2 Locations
of Construction Activities ¡V April 2014
|
The EM&A
programme required environmental monitoring for air quality, water quality and marine
ecology as well as environmental site inspections for air quality, noise, water
quality, waste management, marine ecology and landscape and visual impacts. The EM&A requirements and related
findings for each component are summarized in the following sections
In accordance
with the Updated EM&A Manual and the Enhanced TSP Monitoring Plan, impact
1-hour TSP monitoring was conducted three (3) times every six (6) days and impact
24-hour TSP monitoring was carried out once every six (6) days when the highest
dust impact was expected.
High volume
samplers (HVSs) were used to carry out the 1-hour and 24-hour TSP monitoring on
3, 9, 15, 18, 24 and 30 April 2014 at the five (5) air quality monitoring
stations in accordance with the requirements stipulated in the Updated EM&A
Manual (Figure 2.1; Table 2.1).
Wind anemometer was installed at
the rooftop of ASR5 for logging wind speed and wind direction. Details of the equipment deployed are provided
in Table 2.2. Copies of the calibration certificates
for the equipment are presented in Appendix E.
Table 2.1 Locations
of Impact Air Quality Monitoring Stations and Monitoring Dates in this
Reporting Period
Monitoring Station |
Monitoring Dates |
Location |
Description |
Parameters &
Frequency |
ASR1 |
3,
9, 15, 18, 24 and 30 April 2014 |
Tuen
Mun Fireboat Station |
Office |
1-hour Total Suspended Particulates (1-hour TSP, µg/m3), 3
times in every 6 days 24-hour Total Suspended Particulates (24-hour TSP, µg/m3),
daily for 24-hour in every 6 days |
ASR5 |
|
Pillar
Point Fire Station |
Office |
|
AQMS1 |
|
Previous
River Trade Golf |
Bare
ground |
|
ASR6 |
|
Butterfly
Beach Laundry |
Office |
|
ASR10 |
|
Butterfly
Beach Park |
Recreational
uses |
Table 2.2 Air
Quality Monitoring Equipment
Equipment |
Brand and Model |
High Volume Sampler |
Tisch Environmental Mass Flow Controlled Total Suspended Particulate (TSP)
High Volume Sampler (Model No. TE-5170) |
Wind Anemometer |
MetPak, WindSonic (Wind Direction: WE570; Wind
Speed Sensor: WE550) |
The Action and
Limit Levels of the air quality monitoring is provided in Appendix D. The Event and Action plan is presented
in Appendix K.
The schedule
for air quality monitoring in April 2014 is provided in Appendix F.
The monitoring
results for 1-hour TSP and 24-hour TSP are summarized in Tables 2.3 and 2.4,
respectively. Detailed impact air
quality monitoring results and graphical presentations are presented in Appendix G.
Table 2.3 Summary
of 1-hour TSP Monitoring Results in this Reporting Period
Station |
Average (µg/m3) |
Range (µg/m3) |
Action Level (µg/m3) |
Limit Level (µg/m3) |
ASR1 |
162 |
79
- 261 |
331 |
500 |
ASR5 |
180 |
104
- 271 |
340 |
500 |
AQMS1 |
158 |
85
- 291 |
335 |
500 |
ASR6 |
145 |
92
- 211 |
338 |
500 |
ASR10 |
140 |
59
- 381 |
337 |
500 |
Table 2.4 Summary
of 24-hour TSP Monitoring Results in this Reporting Period
Station |
Average (µg/m3) |
Range (µg/m3) |
Action Level (µg/m3) |
Limit Level (µg/m3) |
ASR1 |
98 |
76
- 135 |
213 |
260 |
ASR5 |
110 |
81
- 133 |
238 |
260 |
AQMS1 |
87 |
49
- 129 |
213 |
260 |
ASR6 |
80 |
47
- 105 |
238 |
260 |
ASR10 |
73 |
54
- 95 |
214 |
260 |
The weather
condition during the monitoring period varied from sunny to cloudy. The major dust sources in the reporting
period include construction activities under the Contract as well as nearby
traffic emissions.
A total of six
monitoring events were undertaken in which one Action Level exceedance of 1-hr
TSP was recorded in this reporting month.
No Limit Level exceedances for 1-hr TSP were recorded. No Action or Limit Level exceedances for
24-hr TSP were record.
Meteorological
information collected at the ASR5, including wind speed and wind direction, is provided
in Appendix H.
In accordance
with the Updated EM&A Manual, impact water quality monitoring was carried
out three days per week during the construction period at nine (9) water
quality monitoring stations (Figure 2.2; Table 2.5).
Table 2.5 Locations
of Water Quality Monitoring Stations and the Corresponding Monitoring
Requirements
Station ID |
Type |
Coordinates |
*Parameters, unit |
Depth |
Frequency |
|
|
|
Easting |
Northing |
|
|
|
IS12 |
Impact
Station |
813218 |
823681 |
Temperature(¢XC)
pH(pH unit)
Turbidity (NTU)
Water depth (m)
Salinity (ppt)
DO (mg/L and % of saturation) ¡P
SS (mg/L) |
3 water depths: 1m below sea surface, mid-depth and 1m above sea bed.
If the water depth is less than 3m, mid-depth sampling only. If water depth less than 6m, mid-depth
may be omitted. |
Impact monitoring: 3 days per week, at mid-flood
and mid-ebb tides during the construction period of the Contract. |
IS13 |
Impact Station |
813667 |
824325 |
|||
IS14 |
Impact Station |
812592 |
824172 |
|||
IS15 |
Impact Station |
813356 |
825008 |
|||
CS4 |
Control /
Far Field Station |
810025 |
824004 |
|||
CS6 |
Control /
Far Field Station |
817028 |
823992 |
|||
SR8 |
Sensitive
receiver (Gazettal beaches in Tuen Mun) |
816306 |
825715 |
|||
SR9 |
Sensitive
receiver |
813601 |
825858 |
|||
SR10A |
Sensitive
receiver |
823741 |
823495 |
|||
*Notes: In addition to the parameters presented monitoring location/position,
time, water depth, sampling depth, tidal stages, weather conditions and any
special phenomena or works underway nearby were also recorded. |
Table 2.6 summarizes the equipment used in the impact water
quality monitoring programme. Copies
of the calibration certificates are attached in Appendix E.
Table 2.6 Water
Quality Monitoring Equipment
Equipment |
Model |
Qty. |
Water Sampler |
Kahlsico Water-Bottle Model 135DW 150 |
1 |
Dissolved Oxygen Meter |
YSI Pro 2030 |
1 |
pH Meter |
HANNA HI 8314 |
1 |
Turbidity Meter |
HACH 2100Q |
1 |
Monitoring Position
Equipment |
¡§Magellan¡¨ Handheld GPS
Model eXplorist GC |
4 |
DGPS Koden KGP913MK2 (1) |
1 |
The Action and Limit levels of water quality impact
monitoring are shown in Appendix D. The Event and Action plan is presented
in Appendix K.
The schedule
for water quality monitoring in April 2014 is provided in Appendix F.
During this
reporting period, major marine works included dredging at Portion N-C and
reclamation filling at Portion N-A.
A closed grab dredger was used and silt curtains (cage-type and single
floating type) were deployed during dredging works. The level of dredging activities was within
the working rate described in the EP and the approved EIA Report. In addition, reclamation filling was
undertaken between the 200 m of leading seawalls using filling materials specified
in the EP and the approved EIA Report with a single layer silt curtain being
deployed as a precautionary measure to reduce dispersion of suspended solids. It is useful to note that heavy marine
traffic (not associated with the Project) was commonly observed nearby the
Project site and its vicinity.
Impact water
quality monitoring was conducted at all designated monitoring stations in the
reporting month. Results and
graphical presentations of impact water quality monitoring are presented in Appendix I.
In this
reporting period, a total of thirteen monitoring events were undertaken in
which no Action or Limit Level of water quality exceedance
was recorded.
Impact dolphin monitoring is
required to be conducted by a qualified dolphin specialist team to evaluate
whether there have been any effects on the dolphins. In order to fulfil the EM&A
requirements and make good use of available resources, the on-going impact line
transect dolphin monitoring data collected by HyD¡¦s Contract No. HY/2011/03 Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. Hong Kong
Link Road - Section between Scenic Hill and Hong Kong Boundary Crossing
Facilities on the monthly basis is adopted to avoid duplicates of survey
effort.
Table 2.7 summarises the equipment used for the impact dolphin
monitoring.
Table 2.7 Dolphin
Monitoring Equipment
Equipment |
Model |
Global Positioning
System (GPS) |
Garmin 18X-PC Geo One Phottix |
Camera |
Nikon D90 300m 2.8D fixed focus Nikon D90 20-300m zoom lens |
Laser
Binocular |
Infinitor LRF 1000 |
Marine
Binocular |
Bushell 7 x 50 marine binocular with compass and
reticules |
Vessel for
Monitoring |
65 foot single
engine motor vessel with viewing platform 4.5m above water level |
Dolphin monitoring
should cover all transect lines in Northeast Lantau (NEL) and the Northwest
Lantau (NWL) survey areas twice per month throughout the entire construction
period. The monitoring data should
be compatible with, and should be made available for, long-term studies of
small cetacean ecology in Hong Kong. In order to provide a suitable long-term
dataset for comparison, identical methodology and line transects employed in
baseline dolphin monitoring was followed in the impact dolphin monitoring.
The impact
dolphin monitoring was carried out in the NEL and NWL along the line transect
as depicted in Figure 2.3. The co-ordinates of all transect lines
are shown in Table 2.8 below.
Table 2.8 Impact
Dolphin Monitoring Line Transect Co-ordinates
Line
No. |
Easting |
Northing |
Line
No. |
Easting |
Northing |
||
1 |
Start
Point |
804671 |
814577 |
13 |
Start
Point |
816506 |
819480 |
1 |
End
Point |
804671 |
831404 |
13 |
End
Point |
816506 |
824859 |
2 |
Start
Point |
805475 |
815457 |
14 |
Start
Point |
817537 |
820220 |
2 |
End
Point |
805477 |
826654 |
14 |
End
Point |
817537 |
824613 |
3 |
Start
Point |
806464 |
819435 |
15 |
Start
Point |
818568 |
820735 |
3 |
End
Point |
806464 |
822911 |
15 |
End
Point |
818568 |
824433 |
4 |
Start
Point |
807518 |
819771 |
16 |
Start
Point |
819532 |
821420 |
4 |
End
Point |
807518 |
829230 |
16 |
End
Point |
819532 |
824209 |
5 |
Start
Point |
808504 |
820220 |
17 |
Start
Point |
820451 |
822125 |
5 |
End
Point |
808504 |
828602 |
17 |
End
Point |
820451 |
823671 |
6 |
Start
Point |
809490 |
820466 |
18 |
Start
Point |
821504 |
822371 |
6 |
End
Point |
809490 |
825352 |
18 |
End
Point |
821504 |
823761 |
7 |
Start
Point |
810499 |
820690 |
19 |
Start
Point |
822513 |
823268 |
7 |
End
Point |
810499 |
824613 |
19 |
End
Point |
822513 |
824321 |
8 |
Start
Point |
811508 |
820847 |
20 |
Start
Point |
823477 |
823402 |
8 |
End
Point |
811508 |
824254 |
20 |
End
Point |
823477 |
824613 |
9 |
Start
Point |
812516 |
820892 |
21 |
Start
Point |
805476 |
827081 |
9 |
End
Point |
812516 |
824254 |
21 |
End
Point |
805476 |
830562 |
10 |
Start
Point |
813525 |
820872 |
22 |
Start
Point |
806464 |
824033 |
10 |
End
Point |
813525 |
824657 |
22 |
End
Point |
806464 |
829598 |
11 |
Start
Point |
814556 |
818449 |
23 |
Start
Point |
814559 |
821739 |
11 |
End
Point |
814556 |
820992 |
23 |
End
Point |
814559 |
824768 |
12 |
Start
Point |
815542 |
818807 |
|
|
|
|
12 |
End
Point |
815542 |
824882 |
|
|
|
|
The Action and
Limit levels of impact dolphin monitoring are shown in Appendix D. The Event and Action plan is presented
in Appendix K.
Dolphin
monitoring was carried out on 4, 14, 16 and 24 April 2014. The dolphin monitoring schedule for the
reporting month is shown in Appendix F.
A total of 296.94
km of survey effort was collected, with 79.8% of the total survey effort being
conducted under favourable weather conditions (ie Beaufort Sea State 3 or below
with good visibility) in April 2014. Amongst the two areas, 117.60 km and 179.34
km of survey effort were collected from NEL and NWL survey areas, respectively.
The total survey effort conducted
on primary and secondary lines were 213.95 km and 82.99 km, respectively. The survey efforts are summarized in Appendix J.
A total of 8 groups of 30 Chinese
White Dolphin sightings were recorded
during the two sets
of surveys in April 2014. All
sightings were made in NWL during the two sets of surveys in April
2014, with no dolphin being sighted in NEL.
Five of the eight sightings were made on primary lines during
on-effort search and none of the dolphin groups was associated with
operating fishing vessel.
None of these 8 sightings was made in the
vicinity of the TM-CLKL Northern Landfall. The distribution of
dolphin sightings during the reporting month is shown in Figure 2.4.
Encounter
rates of Chinese White Dolphins are deduced from the survey effort and
on-effort sighting data made under favourable conditions (Beaufort 3 or below
with good visibility) in April 2014 with the results present in Tables 2.9 and 2.10.
Table 2.9 Individual
Survey Event Encounter Rates
|
Encounter rate (STG) (no. of on-effort dolphin sightings per 100 km of survey effort) |
Encounter rate (ANI)
(no. of dolphins from all on-effort sightings per
100 km of survey effort) |
|
Primary Lines Only |
Primary Lines Only |
||
NEL |
Set 1: Apr 4th/14th |
0.0 |
0.0 |
Set 2: Apr 16th/24th |
0.0 |
0.0 |
|
NWL |
Set 1: Apr 4th/14th |
4.9 |
26.9 |
Set 2: Apr 16th/24th |
4.9 |
11.5 |
Note:
Dolphin Encounter Rates
are deduced from the Two Sets of Surveys (Two Surveys in Each Set) in April 2014
in Northeast (NEL) and Northwest Lantau (NWL)
Table 2.10 Monthly
Average Encounter Rates
|
Encounter rate (STG)
(no. of on-effort dolphin sightings per
100 km of survey effort) |
Encounter rate (ANI)
(no. of dolphins from all on-effort sightings per 100 km of survey
effort) |
||
Primary Lines Only |
Both Primary and Secondary Lines |
Primary Lines Only |
Both Primary and Secondary Lines |
|
Northeast Lantau |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
Northwest Lantau |
4.9 |
5.2 |
17.7 |
20.8 |
Note: Overall dolphin encounter rates (sightings per
100 km of survey effort) from all four surveys are conducted in April 2014 on
primary lines only as well as both primary lines and secondary lines in
Northeast and Northwest Lantau.
The average
group size of Chinese White Dolphins in April 2014 was 3.75 individuals per
group. Most dolphin groups were
composed of only 1 - 4 animals with only two larger groups of 8 - 9 animals being
sighted.
No
unacceptable impact from the construction activities of the TM-CLKL Northern
Connection Sub-sea Tunnel Section on Chinese White Dolphins was noticeable from
general observations during the dolphin monitoring in this reporting month.
Due to monthly
variation in dolphin occurrence within the survey area, it would be more
appropriate to draw conclusion on whether any unacceptable impacts on dolphins
have been detected related to the construction activities of this Project in
the quarterly EM&A reports, where comparison on distribution, group size
and encounter rates of dolphins between the quarterly impact monitoring period
and baseline monitoring period will be made.
Daily 250 m marine
mammal exclusion zone monitoring was undertaken during the period of marine
works under this Contract. No sighting of the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin Sousa chinensis (i.e. Chinese White
Dolphin) was recorded in April 2014 during the exclusion zone monitoring.
The Second
Quarterly Post-Translocation Coral Monitoring was conducted on 16 April 2014
and results were detailed in the Second
Quarterly Post-Translocation Coral Monitoring Report. The findings indicated that the Action
or Limit Levels for coral monitoring were not exceeded as increase in
percentage of partial mortality was not detected for both the tagged translocated
and natural coral colonies when comparing to the pre-translocation dataset.
Site
inspections were carried out on a weekly basis to monitor the implementation of
proper environmental pollution control and mitigation measures under the
Contract. In the reporting month, five
(5) site inspections were carried out on 1, 8, 16, 22 and 30 April 2014.
Key
observations and recommendations during the site inspections in this reporting
period are summarized in Table 2.11.
Table 2.11 Specific
Observations and Recommendations during the Weekly Site Inspection in this
Reporting Month
Inspection Date |
Observations |
Recommendations/ Remarks |
1 April 2014 |
Barge
¡V Tai Hip 2 Chemical containers on the barge was
observed without drip tray.
Oil
spillage was observed in the water adjacent to the barge. Portion
N6 Bunds
should be provided to avoid sediment runoff into the sea. |
Barge
¡V Tai Hip 2 The
Contractor was reminded to provide drip tray for the chemical containers to
avoid chemical spillage.
The
Contractor was reminded to clean up the oil spill as chemical waste. Portion
N6 The
Contractor was reminded to provide bunds. |
8
April 2014 |
Barge - GBFC
Chemical containers and oil drum on the barge were observed without
drip tray. Reclamation Area ¡V Zone E
Sandy materials were observed on the seawall block next to the barge. Leader F53
Acoustic decoupling measures should be placed underneath all
generators. |
Barge - GBFC
The Contractor was reminded to provide drip tray for chemical
containers and oil drum on the barge. Reclamation Area ¡V Zone E
The Contractor was reminded to regularly clear the sandy materials on
the seawall block. Leader F53 The
Contractor was reminded to check all generators for acoustic decoupling
measures on newly arrived vessels.
|
16 April
2014 |
Reclamation
Area ¡V Zone E Drip
tray should be provided to the chemical containers.
|
Reclamation
Area ¡V Zone E
The
Contractor was reminded to provide drip tray for the chemical containers. |
22
April 2014 |
Barge ¡V
CA1
Acoustic
decoupling measures should be properly installed underneath the generator.
Barge ¡V
Wing Ko
Excess
materials were observed on the deck of the barge and on top of seawall
blocks. Portion N6
Excess
materials were observed on the edge of the site area. |
Barge ¡V
CA1
The
Contractor was reminded to check all the generators for proper implementation
of acoustic decoupling measures.
Barge ¡V
Wing Ko
Excess
materials should be cleared regularly on the deck of the barge and on top of
seawall blocks. Portion
N6
Excess
materials should be cleared regularly on the edge of the site area to avoid
runoff. |
30
April 2014 |
Portion
N6 Silty
water was observed near the drilling machine. Excess
materials were observed on the edge of the site area. |
Portion
N6
The
Contractor was reminded to clean up the silty water. The
Contractor was reminded to clear the excess materials to avoid runoff. |
The Contractor
has rectified all of the observations as identified during environmental site
inspections in the reporting month.
The Contractor
had submitted application form for registration as chemical waste producer under
the Contract. Sufficient numbers of
receptacles were available for general refuse collection and sorting.
Wastes
generated during this reporting period include mainly construction wastes
(inert and non-inert), imported fill, recyclable materials and marine sediments
(Category L and Category M).
Reference has been made to the waste flow table prepared by the
Contractor (Appendix M). The quantities of different types of
wastes are summarized in Table 2.12.
Table 2.12 Quantities
of Different Waste Generated in the Reporting Month
Month/Year |
Inert Construction Waste (a)
(tonnes) |
Imported Fill (tonnes) |
Inert Construction Waste
Re-used (tonnes) |
Non-inert Construction Waste (b)
(tonnes) |
Recyclable Materials (c) (kg) |
Chemical Wastes (kg) |
Marine Sediment (m3) |
|
Category L |
Category M (Mp
& Mf) |
|||||||
April 2014 |
22 |
467,867 |
0 |
26 |
160 |
0 |
28,600 |
15,400 |
Notes: |
||||||||
(a) Inert
construction wastes include hard rock and large broken concrete, and
materials disposed as public fill. (b) Non-inert
construction wastes include general refuse disposed at landfill. (c) Recyclable
materials include metals, paper, cardboard, plastics, timber and others. |
The Contractor
was advised to properly maintain on site C&D materials and waste
collection, sorting and recording system, dispose of C&D materials and
wastes at designated ground and maximize reuse/ recycle of C&D materials
and wastes. The Contractor was also
reminded to properly maintain the site tidiness and dispose of the wastes
accumulated on site regularly and properly.
For chemical
waste containers, the Contractor was reminded to treat properly and store temporarily
in designated chemical waste storage area on site in accordance with the Code
of Practice on the Packaging, Labelling and Storage of Chemical Wastes.
The status of
environmental licensing and permit is summarized in Table 2.13 below.
Table 2.13 Summary
of Environmental Licensing and Permit Status
License/
Permit |
License
or Permit No. |
Date
of Issue |
Date
of Expiry |
License/
Permit Holder |
Remarks |
Environmental Permit |
EP-354/2009/B |
28 January 2014 |
Throughout the Contract |
HyD |
Application for VEP on 20 January 2014 to replace EP-354/2009/A |
Construction Dust Notification |
363510 |
19 August 2013 |
Throughout the Contract |
DBJV |
- |
Chemical Waste Registration |
5213-422-D2516-01 |
10 September 2013 |
Throughout the Contract |
DBJV |
- |
Construction Waste Disposal Account |
7018108 |
19 August 2013 |
Throughout the Contract |
DBJV |
Waste disposal in Contract No. HY/2012/08 |
Waste Water Discharge License |
WT00017707-2013 |
18 November 2013 |
30 November 2018 |
DBJV |
For site WA18 |
Waste Water Discharge License |
WT00018433-2014 |
6 March 2014 |
31 March 2019 |
DBJV |
For site Portion N6 |
Construction Noise Permit |
GW-RW0822-13 |
14 November 2013 |
10 May 2014 |
DBJV |
For site WA18 |
Construction Noise Permit |
GW-RS0814-13 |
15 November 2013 |
10 May 2014 |
DBJV |
For site WA23 |
Construction Noise Permit |
GW-RW0077-14 |
17 February 2014 |
16 August 2014 |
DBJV |
For Portion N6 |
Construction Noise Permit |
GW-RW0223-14 |
29 March 2014 |
28 September 2014 |
DBJV |
For Portion N6 |
Construction Noise Permit |
GW-RW0234-14 |
29 March 2014 |
28 September 2014 |
DBJV |
For Dredging and Reclamation Works |
Marine Dumping Permit |
EP/MD/14-072 |
1 November 2013 |
30 April 2014 |
DBJV |
For Type 1 |
Marine Dumping Permit |
EP/MD/14-157 |
3 April 2014 |
30 April 2014 |
DBJV |
For Type 1 (Dedicated site) and Type
2 |
Notes: |
|||||
HyD = Highways Department DBJV = Dragages ¡V Bouygues Joint Venture VEP = Variation of Environmental
Permit |
In response to
the site audit findings, the Contractors carried out all corrective actions.
A summary of
the Implementation Schedule of Environmental Mitigation Measures (EMIS) is
presented in Appendix C. The necessary mitigation measures relevant
to this Contract were implemented properly.
One Action
level exceedance of 1-hr TSP was recorded on 3 April 2014. No Limit Level exceedances for 1-hr TSP
were recorded. No Action or Limit
Level exceedances for 24-hr TSP were record. Further to the investigation, the
recorded exceedance for air quality monitoring was considered to be sporadic
event from the cumulative anthropogenic activities (eg traffic emissions from
Lung Mun Road and River Trade Terminal) in this area of Hong Kong, thus the
Project works were highly unlikely to be the major cause of the recorded
exceedance. The investigation
findings are detailed in Appendix L.
No Action or
Limit Level exceedances were recorded in the water quality ([1]) and
coral monitoring of this reporting month.
The
Environmental Complaint Handling Procedure is provided in Figure 2.5.
No complaints,
notification of summons and prosecution were received in the reporting period.
Statistics on
complaints, notifications of summons and successful prosecutions are summarized
in Appendix L.
As informed by
the Contractor, the major works for the Project in May 2014 are summarized in Table 3.1.
Table
3.1 Construction
Works to Be Undertaken in the Coming Month
Works to be undertaken |
Marine-based Works |
¡P
Dredging |
¡P
Reclamation filling |
¡P
Vertical Seawall construction |
¡P
Sloping Seawall construction |
¡P
Marine Sheet Piling for Box Culvert extension |
¡P
Predrilling
for Box culvert Foundation |
Land-based Works |
Portion N6 |
¡P
CLP Substation underground utilities works |
¡P
CLP
Substation Superstructure |
Potential
environmental impacts arising from the above upcoming construction activities in
the next reporting month of May 2014 are mainly associated with dust, marine
water quality, marine ecology and waste management issues.
The tentative
schedule for environmental monitoring in May 2014 is provided in Appendix F.
This Sixth
Monthly EM&A Report presents the findings of the EM&A activities
undertaken during the period from 1 to 30 April 2014, in accordance with the
Updated EM&A Manual and the requirements of EP-354/2009/B.
Air quality
(including 1-hour TSP and 24-hour TSP), water quality, dolphin monitoring and second
quarterly post-translocation coral monitoring were carried out in this
reporting month. No Action
or Limit Level exceedances were recorded in the water quality monitoring and
coral monitoring of this reporting month. One (1) Action Level exceedance of 1-hr
TSP was record in this reporting month. No Limit Level exceedances for
1-hr TSP were recorded. No Action
or Limit Level exceedances for 24-hr TSP were record. Investigation findings suggested
that the Project works were not the major cause of the recorded exceedance for
air quality monitoring.
Nevertheless, the Contractor was reminded to ensure all dust mitigation
measures are implemented at the construction site and the proper deployment of
silt curtains during the period of marine works under this Contract.
A total of eight
(8) groups of thirty (30) Chinese
White Dolphin sightings were recorded
during the two sets
of surveys in April 2014. All
sightings were made in NWL during the two sets of surveys in April, with no
dolphin being sighted in NEL. Five
of the eight sightings were made on primary lines during on-effort search, and
none of the dolphin groups was associated with operating fishing vessel. No unacceptable
impact from the construction activities of the TM-CLKL Northern Connection
Sub-sea Tunnel Section on Chinese White Dolphins was noticeable from general
observations during the dolphin monitoring in this reporting month.
Environmental
site inspection was carried out five (5) times in April 2014. Recommendations on remedial actions recommended
for the deficiencies identified during the site audits were properly
implemented by the Contractor.
No
non-compliance event was recorded during the reporting period.
No complaint
and summons/ prosecution was received during the
reporting period.
The ET will
keep track on the construction works to confirm compliance of environmental
requirements and the proper implementation of all necessary mitigation
measures.
([1]) With
reference to Section 2.8 of the Fifth
Monthly Environmental Monitoring & Audit Report (dated 11 April 2014),
the investigation findings for exceedances recorded in the water quality
monitoring on 31 March 2014 is supplemented in Appendix L.