table of Contents

                        Executive Summary                                                              

1                      Introduction                                                                         

1.1                   Background                                                                            

1.2                   Scope of Report                                                                    

1.3                   Organization Structure                                                  

1.4                   Summary of Construction Works                               

2                      EM&A Results                                                                          

2.1                   Air quality                                                                               

2.2                   Water Quality Monitoring                                             

2.3                   Dolphin Monitoring                                                          

2.4                   EM&A Site Inspection                                                           

2.5                   Waste Management Status                                               

2.6                   Environmental Licenses and Permits                         

2.7                   Implementation Status of Environmental Mitigation Measures

2.8                   Summary of Exceedances of the Environmental Quality Performance Limit                                                                                            

2.9                   Summary of Complaints, Notification of Summons and Successful Prosecutions                                                                         

3                      Future Key Issues                                                                  

3.1                   Construction Activities for the Coming Quarter  

3.2                   Key Issues for the Coming Quarter                             

3.3                   Monitoring Schedule for the Coming Quarter   

4                      Conclusions                                                                           

 

 

Appendix A                        Project Organization

Appendix B                        Construction Programme

Appendix C                        Environmental Mitigation And Enhancement Measure Implementation Schedules (EMIS)

Appendix D                       Action And Limit Levels

Appendix E                        Monitoring Schedule

Appendix F                        Air Quality Monitoring Results

Appendix G                       Operational Phase Water Quality Monitoring Results

Appendix H                       Post Construction (Operational) Dolphin Monitoring Survey

Appendix I                         Event And Action Plan                               

Appendix J                         Cumulative Statistics On Exceedance And     Complaint

Appendix K                        Waste Flow Table

 

Executive Summary

Under Contract No. HY/2012/08, Dragages – 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 – 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. Ramboll Hong Kong Ltd. was employed by HyD as the Independent Environmental Checker (IEC) and Environmental Project Office (ENPO).  Subsequent applications for variation of environmental permits (VEP), EP-354/2009/B, EP-354/2009/C and EP-354/2009/D, were granted on 28 January 2014, 10 December 2014 and 13 March 2015, respectively.  

The construction phase of the Contract commenced on 1 November 2013 and will tentatively be completed in 2021.  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 Twenty-ninth Quarterly EM&A report presenting the EM&A works carried out during the period from 1 December 2020 to 28 February 2021 for the Contract No. HY/2012/08 Northern Connection Sub-sea Tunnel Section (the “Contract”) in accordance with the Updated EM&A Manual of the TM-CLK Link Project.  As informed by the Contractor, the major activities in the reporting quarter included:

Land-based Works

·         Installation of green roof system & chain fence - South Ventilation Building;

·         Defect works for reinstatement at Box culvert – Northern Landfall; and

·         Demolition works and backfilling works of CLP substation.

A summary of monitoring and audit activities conducted in the reporting period is listed below:    

24-hour TSP Monitoring                                   16 sessions

1-hour TSP Monitoring                                      16 sessions

Operational Phase Water Quality Monitoring 3 sessions

Operational Phase Dolphin Monitoring           6 sessions

Joint Environmental Site Inspection                 12 sessions

                                       

Implementation of Marine Mammal Exclusion Zone

No marine works were undertaken since 30 December 2019, therefore, daily 250 m marine mammal exclusion zone monitoring was not undertaken since 30 December 2019. 

Summary of Breaches of Action/Limit Levels

Breaches of Action and Limit Levels for Air Quality

Three (3) Action Level exceedances of 1-hour TSP were recorded in this reporting period.  No Action and Limit Level exceedance of 24-hour TSP monitoring was recorded.  Investigation reports are provided in Appendix J.

Dolphin Monitoring

One (1) Limit Level exceedance was observed for the quarterly dolphin monitoring data between December 2020 and February 2021.

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 in the reporting period. 

Upcoming Works for the Next Reporting Period

As informed by the Contractor, there was no major activities undertaken in the coming quarterly period.

 

Future Key Issues

Potential environmental impacts in the coming quarterly period are expected to be mainly associated with waste management issues.

 


1                                            Introduction

1.1                                       Background

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 – Zhuhai – Macao Bridge (HZMB).  In order to cope with the anticipated traffic demand, two new road sections between NWNT and North Lantau – Tuen Mun – 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-146/2009), 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-354/2009/A) was issued on 8 December 2010.  Subsequent applications for variation of environmental permits (VEP), EP-354/2009/B, EP-354/2009/C and EP-354/2009/D, were granted on 28 January 2014, 10 December 2014 and 13 March 2015, respectively.

Under Contract No. HY/2012/08, Dragages – 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) in accordance with Environmental Permit No. EP-354/2009/A.  Ramboll 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 construction phase of the Contract commenced on 1 November 2013 and will tentatively be completed in 2021.  The impact monitoring phase of the EM&A programme, including air quality, water quality, marine ecological monitoring and environmental site inspections, were commenced on 1 November 2013.

1.2                                       Scope of Report

This is the Twenty-ninth Quarterly EM&A Report under the Contract No. HY/2012/08 Tuen Mun – Chek Lap Kok Link – Northern Connection Sub-sea Tunnel Section.  This report presents a summary of the environmental monitoring and audit works from 1 December 2020 to 28 February 2021.

1.3                                       Organization Structure

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 24/SD

Ken T.M. Cheng

2762 4062

3188 6614

SOR

(AECOM Asia Company Limited)

 

Chief Resident Engineer

Roger Man

 

 

2293 6388

 

 

2293 6300

 

 

ENPO / IEC

(Ramboll Hong Kong Ltd.)

ENPO Leader

 

Y.H. Hui

3465 2850

3465 2899

IEC

 

Manson Yeung

9700 6767

3465 2899

Contractor

(Dragages – Bouygues Joint Venture)

Deputy Environmental Manager

Bryan Lee

 

2293 7323

 

2293 7499

 

24-hour hotline

 

 

2293 7330

 

ET (ERM-HK)

ET Leader

Jasmine Ng

2271 3311

2723 5660

1.4                                       Summary of Construction Works

The construction phase of this Contract was commenced on 1 November 2013.  The construction programme is shown in Appendix B.

As per DBJV’s information, details of major construction works carried out in this reporting period are summarized in Table 1.2.

The general layout plan of the site showing the detailed works areas is shown in Figure 1.2.  The Environmental Sensitive Receivers in the vicinity of the Contract are shown in Figure 1.3.

The implementation schedule of environmental mitigation measures is presented in Appendix C.

Table 1.2        Summary of Construction Activities Undertaken during the Reporting Period

Construction Activities Undertaken

Land-based Works

·         Installation of green roof system & chain fence - South Ventilation Building;

·         Defect works for reinstatement at Box culvert – Northern Landfall; and

·         Demolition works and backfilling works of CLP substation.

 

Figure 1.2       Locations of Construction Activities – December 2020 to February 2021

 

 

 

2                                            EM&A Results

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

2.1                                       Air quality

As per the requirements under Condition 2.4 of EP-354/2009/D, the Enhanced TSP Monitoring Plan has been prepared under Contract No. HY/2012/08.  Details of the monitoring plan are presented in the Enhanced TSP Monitoring Plan ([1]).  

2.1.1                                 Monitoring Requirements and Equipment

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.  1-hr and 24-hr TSP monitoring frequency was increased to three times per day every three days and daily every three days, respectively, as excavation works for launching shaft commenced on 24 October 2014.

Excavation works for launching shaft were completed and notification of change on air quality monitoring frequency was submitted to EPD on 14 September 2020.  1-hr and 24-hr TSP monitoring frequency was changed to three times per day every six days and daily every six days, respectively, since 14 September 2020.

High volume samplers (HVSs) were used to carry out the 1-hour and 24-hour TSP monitoring in the reporting quarter 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.

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

4, 10, 16, 22 and 28 December 2020

Tuen Mun Fireboat Station

 

Office

TSP monitoring

Ÿ  1-hour Total Suspended Particulates (1-hour TSP, µg/m3), 3 times in every 6 days

Ÿ  24-hour Total Suspended Particulates (24-hour TSP, µg/m3), daily for 24-hour in every 6 days

Enhanced TSP monitoring (commenced on 24 October 2014)

Ÿ  1-hour Total Suspended Particulates (1-hour TSP, µg/m3), 3 times in every 3 days

Ÿ  24-hour Total Suspended Particulates (24-hour TSP, µg/m3), daily for 24-hour in every 3 days

ASR5

2, 8, 14, 20 and 26 January 2021

Pillar Point Fire Station

 

Office

AQMS1

1, 5, 10, 16, 22 and 27 February 2021

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
(1-hour TSP and 24-hour TSP)

Tisch Environmental Mass Flow Controlled Total Suspended Particulate (TSP) High Volume Sampler (Model No. TE-5170)

Wind Meter

Davis (Model: Vantage Pro 2 (S/N: AS160104014)

Wind Anemometer for calibration

Lutron (Model No. AM-4201)

2.1.2                                 Action & Limit Levels

The Action and Limit Levels of the air quality monitoring is provided in Appendix D.  The Event and Action plan is presented in Appendix H.

2.1.3                                 Monitoring Schedule for the Reporting Quarter

The schedules for air quality monitoring in the reporting quarter are provided in Appendix E.

2.1.4                                 Results and Observations

Impact air quality monitoring was conducted at all designated monitoring stations in the reporting period under favorable weather conditions.  The major dust sources in the reporting period include construction activities under the Contract as well as nearby traffic emissions. 

The monitoring results for 1-hour TSP and 24-hour TSP are summarized in Tables 2.3 and 2.4, respectively.  Monitoring results are presented graphically in Appendix G and detailed impact air quality monitoring data were reported in the Eighty-sixth to Eighty-eighth Monthly EM&A Reports

Table 2.3        Summary of 1-hour TSP Monitoring Results in this Reporting Period

Month/Year

Station

Average (µg/m3)

Range (µg/m3)

Action Level  (µg/m3)

Limit Level  (µg/m3)

December 2020 to February 2021

ASR 1

130

78 - 237

331

500

ASR 5

165

85 - 472

340

500

AQMS1

119

48 - 240

335

500

ASR6

154

61 - 261

338

500

ASR10

97

39 - 246

337

500

Table 2.4        Summary of 24-hour TSP Monitoring Results in this Reporting Period

Month/Year

Station

Average (µg/m3)

Range (µg/m3)

Action Level  (µg/m3)

Limit Level  (µg/m3)

December 2020 to February 2021

ASR 1

103

47 - 147

213

260

ASR 5

99

47 - 166

238

260

AQMS1

79

37 - 130

213

260

ASR6

108

62 - 167

238

260

ASR10

72

46 - 121

214

260

Three (3) Action Level exceedances of 1-hour TSP were recorded in this reporting period.  No Action and Limit Level exceedance of 24-hour TSP monitoring was recorded.  Investigation reports are provided in Appendix J.  Summary of Exceedances for Air Quality Impact Monitoring in this Reporting Quarter is detailed in Table 2.15.

2.2                                       Water Quality Monitoring

2.2.1                                 Monitoring Requirements & Equipment

According to the Updated EM&A Manual, an operational phase water quality monitoring shall be performed monthly during the first year of Project operation at all designated monitoring stations including control stations.  The operation phase water quality monitoring shall be ceased after the first year of operation of the Project subject to the first year review.  Operational phase water quality monitoring commenced in June 2020.  Locations of water quality monitoring stations presented in Figure 2.2 and in 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

 

 

 

IS(Mf)11

Impact Station (Close to HKBCF construction site)

813562

820716

Ÿ Temperature(°C)

Ÿ pH(pH unit)

Ÿ Turbidity (NTU)

Ÿ Water depth (m)

Ÿ Salinity (ppt)

Ÿ DO (mg/L and % of

saturation)

·    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.

 

 

Monthly at each station, at mid-flood and mid-ebb tides during the construction period of the Contract.

SR4(N2)

Sensitive receiver

(Tai Ho Inlet)

814688

817996

CS2(A)

Control Station

805232

818606

CS(Mf)5

Control Station

817990

821129

 

 

*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.

 

With reference to the EM&A Report under Contract No. HY/2011/03, water quality monitoring station SR3 was relocated to SR3(N) since 1 September 2017.

With reference to the EM&A Report under Contract No. HY/2011/03, water quality monitoring station SR4 was relocated to SR4(N) since 1 January 2018.

With reference to the EM&A Report under Contract No. HY/2011/03, water quality monitoring station SR4(N) was relocated to SR4(N2) since 21 August 2019.

With reference to the EM&A Report under Contract No. HY/2011/03, water quality monitoring station CS2 was relocated to CS2(A) since 23 August 2017.

Table 2.6 summarizes the equipment used in the impact water quality monitoring programme. 

Table 2.6       Water Quality Monitoring Equipment

Equipment

Model

Multi-Parameters

YSI ProDss 17H105557; YSI 6920V2 0001C6A7;

YSI ProDss 15M100005; YSI ProDss 16H104234

YSI ProDss 18A104824

Positioning Equipment

Furuno GP-170

Water Depth Detector

Lowrance Mark 5x / Garmin Striker 4

2.2.2                                 Monitoring Schedule for the Reporting Period

The schedule for water quality monitoring in the reporting quarter is provided in Appendix E.

2.2.3                                 Results and Observations

In total of 3 monitoring events for operational phase water quality monitoring were conducted at all designated monitoring stations in the reporting period.  Results and graphical presentations of impact water quality monitoring are presented in Appendix G.  Detailed operational phase water quality monitoring results were reported in the Eighty-sixth to Eighty-eighth Monthly EM&A Reports.

2.3                                       Dolphin Monitoring

2.3.1                                 Monitoring Requirements

Post construction (operational) phase 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, Contract No. HY/2012/08 has taken over the responsibility for implementation of dolphin monitoring from HZMB HKLR Contract No. HY/2011/03 since October 2019.

2.3.2                                 Monitoring Equipment

Table 2.7 summarizes the equipment used for the impact dolphin monitoring.

Table 2.7        Dolphin Monitoring Equipment

Equipment

Model

Global Positioning System (GPS)

 

Camera

 

Laser Binoculars

Marine Binocular

 

Vessel for Monitoring

 

Garmin 18X-PC

Geo One Phottix

Nikon D90 300m 2.8D fixed focus

Nikon D90 20-300m zoom lens

Infinitor LRF 1000

Bushell 7 x 50 marine binocular with compass and reticules

65 foot single engine motor vessel with viewing platform 4.5m above water level

 

2.3.3                                 Monitoring Parameter, Frequencies & Duration

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 and operational phase.  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 and operational phase dolphin monitoring.

2.3.4                                 Monitoring Location

The operational phase 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        Operational Phase Dolphin Monitoring Line Transect Co-ordinates

Line No.

Easting

Northing

Line No.

Easting

Northing

1

Start Point

804671

815456

13

Start Point

816506

819480

1

End Point

804671

831404

13

End Point

816506

824859

2

Start Point

805476

820800*

14

Start Point

817537

820220

2

End Point

805476

826654

14

End Point

817537

824613

3

Start Point

806464

821150*

15

Start Point

818568

820735

3

End Point

806464

822911

15

End Point

818568

824433

4

Start Point

807518

821500*

16

Start Point

819532

821420

4

End Point

807518

829230

16

End Point

819532

824209

5

Start Point

808504

821850*

17

Start Point

820451

822125

5

End Point

808504

828602

17

End Point

820451

823671

6

Start Point

809490

822150*

18

Start Point

821504

822371

6

End Point

809490

825352

18

End Point

821504

823761

7

Start Point

810499

822000*

19

Start Point

822513

823268

7

End Point

810499

824613

19

End Point

822513

824321

8

Start Point

811508

821123

20

Start Point

823477

823402

8

End Point

811508

824254

20

End Point

823477

824613

9

Start Point

812516

821303

21

Start Point

805476

827081

9

End Point

812516

824254

21

End Point

805476

830562

10

Start Point

813525

821176

22

Start Point

806464

824033

10

End Point

813525

824657

22

End Point

806464

829598

11

Start Point

814556

818853

23

Start Point

814559

821739

11

End Point

814556

820992

23

End Point

814559

824768

12

Start Point

815542

818807

24*

Start Point

805476*

815900*

12

End Point

815542

824882

24*

End Point

805476*

819100*

Remarks: The coordinates of several starting and ending points have been revised since August 2017 due to the presence of a work zone to the north of the airport platform with intense construction activities in association with the construction of the third runway expansion for the Hong Kong International Airport.  Co-ordinates in red and marked with asterisk are revised co-ordinates of transect line.

2.3.5                                 Action & Limit Levels

The Action and Limit levels of operational phase dolphin monitoring are shown in Appendix D.  The Event and Action plan is presented in Appendix I.

2.3.6                                 Monitoring Schedule for the Reporting Period

The dolphin monitoring schedules for the reporting period are shown in Appendix E.

2.3.7                                 Results & Observations

A total of 777.67 km of survey effort was conducted, with 98.3% of the total survey effort being conducted under favourable weather conditions (ie Beaufort Sea State 3 or below with good visibility) in this reporting quarter.  Amongst the two areas, 290.80 km and 486.87 km of survey effort were conducted from NEL and NWL survey areas, respectively.  The total survey effort conducted on primary and secondary lines were 579.21 km and 198.46 km, respectively.  The survey efforts are summarized in Appendix H.

A total of 14 groups of 40 Chinese White Dolphins sightings were recorded during the six sets of surveys in this reporting quarter.  All dolphin sightings were made during on-effort search and 11 of the dolphin groups were made on primary lines.  During this reporting quarter, all dolphin groups were sighted in NWL, while no dolphin was sighted in NEL.

Encounter rates of Chinese White Dolphins are deduced from the survey effort and on-effort sighting data made under favorable conditions (Beaufort 3 or below with good visibility) in the reporting quarter with the results and comparison with baseline 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 (1 & 3 Dec 2020)

0.00

0.00

Set 2 (8 & 10 Dec 2020)

0.00

0.00

Set 3 (25 & 26 Jan 2021)

0.00

0.00

Set 4 (27 & 28 Jan 2021)

0.00

0.00

Set 5 (2 & 8 Feb 2021)

0.00

0.00

Set 6 (18 & 23 Feb 2021)

0.00

0.00

NWL

Set 1 (1 & 3 Dec 2020)

0.00

0.00

Set 2 (8 & 10 Dec 2020)

0.00

0.00

Set 3 (25 & 26 Jan 2021)

6.50

19.51

Set 4 (27 & 28 Jan 2021)

5.08

11.86

Set 5 (2 & 8 Feb 2021)

4.87

17.84

Set 6 (18 & 23 Feb 2021)

1.62

1.62

Note: Dolphin Encounter Rates are deduced from the Two Sets of Surveys (Two Surveys in Each Set) in the reporting quarter in Northeast (NEL) and Northwest Lantau (NWL)

Table 2.10      Quarterly 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)

December 2020 –         February 2021

September – November 2011

December 2020 –         February 2021

September – November 2011

Northeast Lantau

0.0

6.00 ± 5.05

0.0

22.19 ± 26.81

Northwest Lantau

3.01 ± 2.83

9.85 ± 5.85

8.47 ± 9.07

44.66 ± 29.85

Note: Encounter rates deduced from the baseline monitoring period have been recalculated based only on survey effort and on-effort sighting data made along the primary transect lines under favourable conditions.

Table d 4.6

nd limit levels of dolphin impact monitoring are shown in Table  

Group size of Chinese White Dolphins were singletons in North Lantau region during December 2020 to February 2021.  The average dolphin group sizes from these three months were compared with the ones deduced from the baseline period in September to November 2011, as shown in Table 2.11.

 

Table 2.11     Average Dolphin Group Size

 

Average Dolphin Group Size

December 2020 – February 2021

September – November 2011

Overall

2.86 ± 2.45 (n = 14)

3.72 ± 3.13 (n = 66)

Northeast Lantau

---

3.18 ± 2.16 (n = 17)

Northwest Lantau

2.86 ± 2.45 (n = 14)

3.92 ± 3.40 (n = 49)

One limit level exceedance was observed for the quarterly dolphin monitoring data between December 2020 to February 2021.

2.3.8                                 Implementation of Marine Mammal Exclusion Zone

No marine works were undertaken since 30 December 2019, therefore, daily 250 m marine mammal exclusion zone monitoring was not undertaken since 30 December 2019. 

2.4                                       EM&A Site Inspection

Site inspections were carried out on a weekly basis to monitor the implementation of proper environmental pollution control and mitigation measures under the Contract.  Twelve (12) site inspections were carried out in the reporting quarter on 9, 16, 23 and 28 December 2020; 6, 14, 20 and 27 January 2021 and 3, 10, 17 and 24 February 2021.

Key observations during the site inspections in this reporting period are summarized in Table 2.12.     

Table 2.12       Specific Observations and Recommendations during the Weekly Site Inspection in this Reporting Period

Inspection Date

Environmental Observations

Recommendations/ Remarks

9 December 2020

Northern Landfall (CLP Substation)

Ÿ   Nil.

 

Northern Landfall (CLP Substation)

Ÿ   Nil.

 

16 December 2020

South Ventilation Building carpark (southern landfall)

Ÿ   NRMM label on the generator was faded.

Ÿ   Chemical containers were observed not placed in drip tray.

Ÿ   Over 20 bags of cement bag were observed without proper cover.

 

South Ventilation Building carpark (southern landfall)

Ÿ   The Contractor was reminded to replace the NRMM label on the generator.

Ÿ   The Contractor was reminded to place chemical containers in drip tray.

Ÿ   The Contractor was reminded to cover the cement bag with tarpaulin sheet to avoid windblown dust.

23 December 2020

Storage area (Northern landfall)

Ÿ   Chemical containers were observed not placed in drip tray.

Storage area (Northern landfall)

Ÿ   The Contractor was reminded to place chemical containers in drip tray.

28 December 2020

CLP Substation

Ÿ   Chemical container was observed not placed in the drip tray.

Northern Landfall (Zone C)

Ÿ   Chemical containers were observed not placed in drip tray.

 

CLP Substation

Ÿ   The Contractor was reminded to place chemical container in drip tray.

Northern Landfall (Zone C)

Ÿ   The Contractor was reminded to place chemical container in drip tray.

6 January 2021

Northern Landfall (Storage Area)

Ÿ   Chemical containers were observed not placed in drip tray.

Northern Landfall (Storage Area)

Ÿ   The Contractor was reminded to place chemical containers in drip tray.

14 January 2021

Northern Landfall (Storage Area)

Ÿ   Chemical containers were observed not placed in drip tray.

CLP Substation

Ÿ   Chemical containers were observed not placed in drip tray.

Northern Landfall (Storage Area)

Ÿ   The Contractor was reminded to place chemical containers in drip tray.

CLP Substation

Ÿ   The Contractor was reminded to place chemical containers in drip tray.

20 January 2021

Storage area (Northern landfall)

Ÿ   Chemical containers were observed not placed in drip tray.

Ÿ   Dust was observed on public road.

Storage area (Northern landfall)

Ÿ   The Contractor was reminded to place chemical containers in drip tray.

Ÿ   The Contractor was reminded to water the wheels of the vehicles before leaving the construction site.

27 January 2021

Northern Landfall (Storage Area)

Ÿ   Chemical containers were observed not placed in drip tray.

Ÿ   A faded NRMM label was observed on site.

Northern Landfall (Storage Area)

Ÿ   The Contractor was reminded to place chemical containers in drip tray.

Ÿ   The Contractor was reminded to replace the NRMM label.

3 February 2021

CLP Substation

Ÿ   Empty chemical containers were not disposed properly.

CLP Substation

Ÿ   The Contractor was reminded to dispose chemical containers properly.

10 February 2021

CLP Substation

Ÿ   Chemicals were not placed in drip tray.

Northern Landfall (N6)

Ÿ   Oil leakage was observed on site.

Northern Landfall (Storage Area)

Ÿ   Chemicals were not placed in drip tray.

Ÿ   Bags of cement were not covered properly.

CLP Substation

Ÿ   The Contractor was reminded to place the chemicals in drip tray.

Northern Landfall (N6)

Ÿ   The Contractor was reminded to clean the oil and prevent oil leakage.

Northern Landfall (Storage Area)

Ÿ   The Contractor was reminded to place the chemicals in drip tray.

Ÿ   The Contractor was reminded to cover the cements properly.

17 February 2021

Northern Landfall (N6 and Zone C)

Ÿ   Chemical containers were observed not placed in drip tray.

Northern Landfall (N6 and Zone C)

Ÿ   The Contractor was reminded to place chemical containers in drip tray.

24 February 2021

CLP Substation

Ÿ   Chemicals were not placed in drip tray.

Northern Landfall (Storage Area)

Ÿ   Chemicals were not placed in drip tray.

CLP Substation

Ÿ   The Contractor was reminded to place the chemicals in drip tray.

Northern Landfall (Storage Area)

Ÿ   The Contractor was reminded to place the chemicals in drip tray.

The Contractor has rectified all of the observations as identified during environmental site inspections in the reporting quarter.

2.5                                       Waste Management Status

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). Reference has been made to the waste flow table prepared by the Contractor (Appendix K).  The quantities of different types of wastes are summarized in Table 2.13

Table 2.13    Quantities of Different Waste Generated in the Reporting Period

Month/Year

Inert Construction Waste (a) (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)

Mixed

(L+M)

December 2020

554

0

173

0

0

0

0

0

January 2020

1,031

0

71

0

0

0

0

0

February 2020

210

0

11

0

0

0

0

0

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.

2.6                                       Environmental Licenses and Permits

The status of environmental licensing and permit is summarized in Table 2.14 below.  


Table 2.14      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/D

13 March 2015

Throughout the Contract

HyD

Application for VEP on 3 March 2015 to supersede EP-354/2009/C

Construction Dust Notification

435068

27 June 2018

Throughout the Contract

DBJV

Northern Landfall

Construction Dust Notification

 

435505

12 July 2018

Throughout the Contract

DBJV

Southern Landfall

Chemical Waste Registration

5213-422-D2516-02

18 January 2017

Throughout the Contract

DBJV

Northern Landfall

 

Chemical Waste Registration

5213-951-D2591-01

25 May 2016

Throughout the Contract

DBJV

Southern Landfall

Construction Waste Disposal Account

7018108

28 August 2013

Throughout the Contract

DBJV

Waste disposal in Contract No. HY/2012/08

Waste Water Discharge License

WT00031435-2018

2 August 2018

31 August 2023

DBJV

Southern Landfall

Waste Water Discharge License

WT00034060-2019

25 July 2019

30 June 2024

DBJV

Northern Landfall (4 Discharge Point)

Notes:

HyD = Highways Department

DBJV = Dragages – Bouygues Joint Venture

VEP = Variation of Environmental Permit


Implementation Status of Environmental Mitigation Measures

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.

2.7                                       Summary of Exceedances of the Environmental Quality Performance Limit

For air quality impact monitoring, a total of sixteen monitoring events for both 1-hour TSP and 24-hour TSP were undertaken in which three (3) Action Level exceedances of 1-hour TSP monitoring were recorded (Table 2.15).

Table 2.15      Summary of Exceedances for Air Quality Impact Monitoring in this Reporting Quarter

Station

Exceedance Level

Date of Exceedances

Number of Exceedances

1-hr TSP

24-hr TSP

1-hr TSP

24-hr TSP

AQMS1

Action Level

-

-

-

-

Limit Level

-

-

-

-

ASR1

Action Level

-

-

-

-

Limit Level

-

-

-

-

ASR5

Action Level

2020-12-10

2021-02-16

2021-02-22

-

3

-

Limit Level

-

-

-

-

ASR6

Action Level

-

-

-

-

Limit Level

-

-

-

-

ASR10

Action Level

-

-

-

-

Limit Level

-

-

-

-

Total number of Action level Exceedances:

3

0

Total number of Limit level Exceedances:

0

0


One (1) Limit Level exceedance was observed for the quarterly dolphin monitoring data between December 2020 and February 2021.

Cumulative statistics are provided in Appendix J.

2.8                                       Summary of Complaints, Notification of Summons and Successful Prosecutions

The Environmental Complaint Handling Procedure is provided in Figure 2.4.

No environmental complaint was received in this reporting period.

No environmental summons was received in this reporting period.

Statistics on complaints, notifications of summons and successful prosecutions are summarized in Appendix J.

 

                                           

3                                            Future Key Issues

3.1                                       Construction Activities for the Coming Quarter

As informed by the Contractor, there was no major activities undertaken in the coming quarterly period.

3.2                                  Key Issues for the Coming Quarter

Potential environmental impacts in the coming quarterly period are expected to be mainly associated with waste management issues.

3.3                                       Monitoring Schedule for the Coming Quarter

Impact monitoring for air quality, operational phase water quality monitoring and post construction (operational) phase dolphin monitoring are scheduled to continue for the next reporting period.

The monitoring programme has been reviewed and was considered as adequate to cater for the nature of works in progress.  Change to the monitoring programme was thus not considered to be necessary at this stage.  The monitoring programme will be evaluated as appropriate in the next reporting period. 

 

4                                            Conclusions

This Twenty-ninth Quarterly EM&A Report presents the findings of the EM&A activities undertaken during the period from 1 December 2020 to 28 February 2021, in accordance with the Updated EM&A Manual and the requirements of EP-354/2009/D.   

Air quality (including 1-hour TSP and 24-hour TSP), operational phase water quality monitoring and post construction (operational) phase dolphin monitoring were carried out in the reporting period.  Three (3) Action Level exceedances of 1-hour TSP monitoring were recorded in this reporting period. No Action and Limit Level exceedance of 24-hour TSP monitoring was recorded.

A total of 14 groups of 40 Chinese White Dolphins sightings were recorded during the six sets of surveys in this reporting quarter.  All dolphin sightings were made during on-effort search and 11 of the dolphin groups were made on primary lines.  One limit level exceedance was observed for the quarterly dolphin monitoring data between December 2020 and February 2021.

Twelve weekly environmental site inspections were carried out in the reporting period.  Recommendations on remedial actions provided for the deficiencies identified during the site audits were properly implemented by the Contractor.  No non-compliance event was recorded during the reporting period.

The monitoring programme has been reviewed and was considered as adequate to cater for the nature of works in progress.  Change to the monitoring programme was thus not recommended at this stage.  The monitoring programme will be evaluated as appropriate in the next 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])     ERM (2013) Enhanced TSP Monitoring Plan.  Submitted on 28 October 2013 and subsequently approved by EPD on 1 November 2013.