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 Agreement No. HMWSD 1/2021 (EP), ERM-Hong Kong, Limited (ERM) has been appointed as the Environmental Team (ET) by the Highways Department (HyD) to undertaken the implementation of post-construction monitoring for the Chinese White Dolphin (CWD) in accordance with Environmental Permit No. EP-354/2009/D for the Tuen Mun – Chek Lap Kok Link Project (TM-CLK Link Project). AECOM Asia Company Limited was appointed by HyD as the Supervising Officer while Ramboll Hong Kong Ltd. was employed by HyD as the Independent Environmental Checker (IEC) and Environmental Project Office (ENPO).

The post-construction monitoring for the CWD commenced on June 2020 and will be completed in May 2022.

In order to fulfil the EP’s and EM&A Manual’s requirements for TM-CLKL Project, Agreement No. HMWSD 1/2021 (EP) took over the responsibility for implementation of operational phase dolphin monitoring from Contract No. HY/2012/08 from 1 September 2021 to 31 May 2022.

1.2 Scope of Report

This is the First Quarterly EM&A Report under the Agreement No. HMWSD 1/2021 (EP) Post-Construction Monitoring of Chinese White Dolphin (Line-transect Vessel Surveys) for Tuen Mun – Chek Lap Kok Link in Northeast and Northwest Lantau Survey Area – Investigation. This report presents a summary of the environmental monitoring and audit works from 1 September to 30 November 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)	Senior Resident Engineer	K P Wong	2293 6403	2293 6300
ENPO / IEC (Ramboll Hong Kong Ltd.)	ENPO Leader	Y.H. Hui	3465 2850	3465 2899
ENPO / IEC (Ramboll Hong Kong Ltd.)	IEC	Brian Tam	9700 6767	3465 2899
ET (ERM-HK)	ET Leader	Jasmine Ng	2271 3311	2723 5660

2 EM&A Results

The EM&A programme required environmental monitoring for marine ecology. The EM&A requirements and related findings for the component are summarized in the following sections.

2.1 Dolphin Monitoring

2.1.1 Monitoring Requirements

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. According to the EM&A Manual, operational phase monitoring on dolphin monitoring shall be undertaken based upon the frequency of forty-eight, one-day survey events at a frequency of 2 per month over a period of 24 months following cessation of the construction.

In order to fulfil the EM&A requirements and make good use of available resources, Agreement No. HMWSD 1/2021 (EP) has taken over the responsibility for implementation of dolphin monitoring from HZMB HKLR Contract No. HY/2011/03 since October 2019 and Contract No. HY/2012/08 since September 2021.

2.1.2 Monitoring Equipment

Table 2.1 summarizes the equipment used for the post construction (operational) phase dolphin monitoring.

Table 2.1 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

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

2.1.3 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.

2.1.4 Monitoring Location

The operational phase dolphin monitoring was carried out in the NEL and NWL along the line transect as depicted in Figure 2.1. The co-ordinates of all transect lines are shown in Table 2.2 below.

Table 2.2 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.

2.1.5 Monitoring Schedule for the Reporting Period

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

2.1.6 Results & Observations

A total of 846.92 km of survey effort was conducted, with 100% 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, 335.20 km and 511.72 km of survey effort were conducted from NEL and NWL survey areas, respectively. The total survey effort conducted on primary and secondary lines were 582.80 km and 264.12 km, respectively. The survey efforts are summarized in Appendix C.

A total of three groups of five 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 all 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 2.3 and 2.4.

Table 2.3 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 (7 & 13 Sep 2021)	0.00	0.00
	Set 2 (14 & 21 Sep 2021)	0.00	0.00
	Set 3 (7 & 19 Oct 2021)	0.00	0.00
	Set 4 (26 & 27 Oct 2021)	0.00	0.00
	Set 5 (1 & 9 Nov 2021)	0.00	0.00
	Set 6 (16 & 17 Nov 2021)	0.00	0.00
NWL	Set 1 (7 & 13 Sep 2021)	1.60	1.60
	Set 2 (14 & 21 Sep 2021)	0.00	0.00
	Set 3 (7 & 19 Oct 2021)	0.00	0.00
	Set 4 (26 & 27 Oct 2021)	0.00	0.00
	Set 5 (1 & 9 Nov 2021)	0.00	0.00
	Set 6 (16 & 17 Nov 2021)	3.25	6.51

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

Table 2.4 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)
	September – November 2021	September – November 2011	September – November 2021	September – November 2011
Northeast Lantau	0.0	6.00 ± 5.05	0.0	22.19 ± 26.81
Northwest Lantau	0.81 ± 1.36	9.85 ± 5.85	1.35 ± 2.61	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

One limit level exceedance was observed for the quarterly dolphin monitoring data between September to November 2021.

2.2 Environmental Licenses and Permits

The status of environmental licensing and permit is summarized in Table 2.5 below.

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
Notes:
HyD = Highways Department VEP = Variation of Environmental Permit

Appendix A Project Organization for Environmental Works

Appendix B EM&A Monitoring Schedules

Appendix C Operational Phase Dolphin Monitoring Survey

Appendix D Cumulative Statistics On Exceedances, Complaints, Notifications of Summons and Successful Prosecutions

Executive Summary

1 Introduction

1.1 Background

1.2 Scope of Report

1.3 Organization Structure

2 EM&A Results

2.1 Dolphin Monitoring

2.1.1 Monitoring Requirements

2.1.2 Monitoring Equipment

2.1.3 Monitoring Parameter, Frequencies & Duration

2.1.4 Monitoring Location

2.1.5 Monitoring Schedule for the Reporting Period

2.1.6 Results & Observations

2.2 Environmental Licenses and Permits

2.3 Summary of Exceedances of the Environmental Quality Performance Limit

2.4 Summary of Complaints, Notification of Summons and Successful Prosecutions

3 Future Key Issues

3.1 Monitoring Schedule for the Coming Quarter

Post construction (operational) phase dolphin monitoring is scheduled to continue for the next reporting period.

4 Conclusions