Contents

Executive Summary. i

1      Introduction. 1

1.1      Project Background. 1

1.2      Project Organisation. 2

1.3      Construction Works Programme and Construction Works Area. 2

1.4      Summary of Environmental Status. 3

2     Air Quality Monitoring.. 5

2.1      Monitoring Requirement. 5

2.2      Monitoring Location. 5

2.3      Monitoring Parameter and Frequency and Duration. 6

2.4      Monitoring Equipment. 6

2.5      Monitoring Methodology and QA/QC Procedure. 6

2.6      Action and Limit Level for Air Quality Monitoring.. 7

2.7      Results and Observations. 8

2.8      Event and Action Plan. 8

3     Construction Noise Monitoring.. 10

3.1      Monitoring Requirements. 10

3.2      Monitoring Locations. 10

3.3      Noise Monitoring Parameter, Frequency and Duration. 11

3.4      Monitoring Equipment, Methodology and QA / QC Procedure. 12

3.5      Maintenance and Calibration. 13

3.6      Action and Limit Levels. 13

3.7      Results and Observations. 13

3.8      Event and Action Plan. 15

4     Water Quality. 16

4.1      Monitoring Requirement. 16

4.2      Result and Observations. 16

5     Waste Management. 17

6     Ecology. 19

6.1      Introduction. 19

6.2      Monitoring Requirements. 19

6.3      Results and Observations. 21

6.4      Event and Action Plan. 30

7     Landscape and Visual. 31

7.1      Audit Requirements. 31

7.2      Results and Observations. 31

7.3      Event and Action Plan. 31

8     Land Contamination (Ambient Arsenic Monitoring) 32

8.1      Monitoring Requirements. 32

8.2      Monitoring Locations. 32

8.3      Monitoring Equipment. 33

8.4      Monitoring Parameters, Frequency and Duration. 33

8.5      Monitoring Methodology and QA/QC Procedure. 34

8.6      Maintenance/Calibration. 35

8.7      Laboratory Measurement / Analysis. 35

8.8      Result and Observations. 36

8.9      Event and Action Plan. 36

9     Landfill Gas Monitoring.. 37

9.1      Monitoring Requirements. 37

9.2      Monitoring Locations. 37

9.3      Result and Observations. 37

10       Environmental Site Inspection and Audit. 38

10.1       Implementation Status of Environmental Mitigation Measures. 38

11       Summary of Monitoring Exceedance, Complaints, Notification of Summons and Prosecutions. 40

11.1       Summary of Exceedance. 40

11.2       Summary of Environmental Non-Compliance. 40

11.3       Summary of Environmental Complaint. 40

11.4       Summary of Environmental Summon and Successful Prosecution. 40

12       Future Key Issues. 42

12.1       Works and Potential Environmental Issues in the next Reporting Period  42

12.2       Recommendation. 43

13       Conclusions. 45

13.1       Conclusion. 45

13.2       Comments/ Recommendations. 46

  

Figures

Figure 1.1         Location and Site Layout Plan (KTN)

Figure 1.2         Location and Site Layout Plan (FLN)

Figure 2.1         Location of Air Quality Monitoring Stations for KTN NDA

Figure 2.2         Location of Air Quality Monitoring Stations for FLN NDA

Figure 3.1         Location of Noise Monitoring Stations for KTN NDA

Figure 3.2         Location of Noise Monitoring Stations for FLN NDA

Figure 6.1         Transect Routes for Non-aquatic Fauna Monitoring of Measures to Minimise Impacts on Ecological Sensitive Habitats from Disturbance and Pollution (T1, T4 and T6) and Waterbirds Monitoring of Measures to Minimise Disturbance to Waterbird (T3 and T5) for KTN NDA

Figure 6.2         Transect Routes for Non-aquatic Fauna Monitoring of Measures to Minimise Impacts on Ecological Sensitive Habitats from Disturbance and Pollution (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6) and Waterbirds Monitoring of Measures to Minimise Disturbance to Waterbird (T1, T2 , T3, T4 and T5) for FLN NDA

Figure 8.1         Location of Ambient Arsenic Monitoring Stations for KTN NDA

 

Appendices

Appendix 1.1    Construction Programme

Appendix 1.2    Project Organization Chart

Appendix 1.3    Implementation Status of Environmental Mitigation Measure

Appendix 2.1    Impact Monitoring Schedule during the reporting period

Appendix 2.2    Impact Air Quality Monitoring Data & Graphical Presentations & Calibration Certificates (sourced from the First Phase ET)

Appendix 2.3    Weather Information during the Reporting Period

Appendix 2.4    Event and Action Plan for Construction Dust

Appendix 3.1    Impact Noise Monitoring Data & Graphical Presentations & Calibration Certificates (sourced from the First Phase ET)

Appendix 3.2    Event and Action Plan for Construction Noise

Appendix 5.1    Summary of Monthly Waste Flow Table

Appendix 6.1    Detailed Results of the Ecological Waterbirds Monitoring during this reporting month (sourced from the First Phase ET)

Appendix 6.2    Detailed Results of the Ecological Non-aquatic Fauna Monitoring during this reporting month (sourced from the First Phase ET)

Appendix 6.3    Event and Action Plan for Ecological Monitoring

Appendix 7.1    Event and Action Plan for Landscape and Visual

Appendix 8.1    Impact Ambient Arsenic Monitoring Data & Graphical Presentations &Calibration Certificates (sourced from the First Phase ET)

Appendix 8.2    Event and Action Plan for Ambient Arsenic Monitoring

Appendix 11.1  Statistical Summary of Environmental Complaints, Summons and Prosecution

Appendix 12.1  Impact Monitoring Schedule of Next Reporting Month

Executive Summary

Introduction

A1.    This is the 2nd Monthly Environment Monitoring and Audit (EM&A) Report for Remaining Phase Development of Kwu Tung North and Fanling North New Development Areas (the Project). This report was prepared by Aurecon Hong Kong Limited (Aurecon) under Service Contract No. NDO 05/2024 Remaining Phase Development of Kwu Tung North and Fanling North New Development Areas - Environmental Team (hereinafter called the “Service Contract”).

A2.    Since only construction works were undertaken under Works Contract No. ND/2024/01 and Works Contract No. ND/2024/07 during the reporting month, this report documents the findings of EM&A works at Works Contract No.  ND/2024/01 and Works Contract No. ND/2024/07 under the Project during the reporting period only. No construction works occurred in the remaining contracts during the reporting period for Works Contract No. ND/2024/02, ND/2024/03, ND/2024/04, ND/2024/05, ND/2024/06 and ND/2024/08.

A3.    This Project involves nine (9) Environmental Permits (EPs) (i.e. EP-465/2013/A, EP-466/2013/A, EP-467/2013/A, EP-468/2013/A, EP-470/2013/A, EP-471/2013/A, EP-472/2013/A, EP-473/2013/A and EP-476/2013). Details of each EPs are summarised in Table A1.

 

Table A1 Works Contracts under relevant Environmental Permits in the Reporting Month

Environmental Permit No.

Works Contracts

Title of Designated Project

Designated Project (DP)

EP-465/2013/A

ND/2024/03
ND/2024/04
ND/2024/05

NENT - San Tin Highway and Fanling Highway Kwu Tung Section Widening (Between San Tin Interchange and Po Shek Wu Interchange)

DP1

EP-466/2013/A

ND/2024/03
ND/2024/05

NENT - Castle Peak Road Diversion

DP2

EP-467/2013/A

ND/2024/01
ND/2024/03
ND/2024/05

NENT - Kwu Tung North New Development Area Road P1 and P2 and Associated New Kwu Tung Interchange and Pak Shek Au Interchange Improvement

DP3

EP-468/2013/A

ND/2024/01
ND/2024/02

Kwu Tung North New Development Area Road D1 to D5

DP4

EP-469/2013

-

Sewage Pumping Stations in Kwu Tung North New Development Area

DP5

EP-470/2013/A

ND/2024/06

Utilization of Treated Sewage Effluent (TSE) from Shek Wu Hui Sewage Treatment Works

DP7

EP-471/2013/A

ND/2024/04

Po Shek Wu Interchange Improvement

DP8

EP-472/2013/A

ND/2024/08

Fanling Bypass Western Section

DP9

EP-473/2013/A

-

Fanling Bypass Eastern Section

DP10

EP-474/2013

-

Shek Wu Hui Sewage Treatment Works - Further Expansion at Fanling North New Development Area

DP11

EP-476/2013

ND/2024/07

ND/2024/08

NENT - Sewage Pumping Stations in Fanling North New Development Area (FLNDA)

DP13

Key Construction Works in the Reporting Period

A4.    Apart from the construction works undertaken under Works Contract No. ND/2024/01 since 20 January 2025, construction works under Works Contract No. ND/2024/07 has also been commenced since 27 February 2025. No construction works occurred in the remaining Works Contracts (i.e. Works Contract No. ND/2024/02, ND/2024/03, ND/2024/04, ND/2024/05, ND/2024/06 and ND/2024/08) during the reporting period. The commencement dates of each Works Contracts are summarized in Table A2.

Table A2 Commencement Dates of Each Works Contracts

Works Contracts

Commencement Dates

ND/2024/01

20 January 2025

ND/2024/02

Not Commenced

ND/2024/03

Not Commenced

ND/2024/04

Not Commenced

ND/2024/05

Not Commenced

ND/2024/06

Not Commenced

ND/2024/07

27 February 2025

ND/2024/08

Not Commenced

 

A5.    A summary of construction activities undertaken during the reporting period is presented below:

 

Works Contract No. ND/2024/01:

·         All Site Resumption Area(s)

1.     Tree survey

2.     Site Clearance

·         Portion XL (40)

1.     Site Clearance

2.     Ground Investigation Works

3.     Preparation Work for Site Formation Work

 

Works Contract No. ND/2024/07:

·         Site Clearance for works areas

·         Construction of Site Accommodation

·         Pre-bored Socketed H Pile Construction

·         Trial Pit Excavation

·         Tree Felling

·         Land Contamination Investigation

·         Internal Movement / Exportation of C&D materials

 

Works Contract No. ND/2024/02, ND/2024/03, ND/2024/04, ND/2024/05, ND/2024/06 and ND/2024/08.

·         No Construction Work during reporting period.

Environmental Monitoring and Audit Programme

A6.    The environmental monitoring activities, including 1-hour Total Suspended Particulates (TSP) monitoring, 24-hour TSP monitoring, noise monitoring, ecological survey, 24-hour Respirable Suspended Particulates (RSP) (Ambient Arsenic) monitoring for land contamination and environmental site inspection, were undertaken by Environmental Team (ET) under Service Contract No. NDO 04/2019 (i.e. First Phase ET – Wellab) during the reporting period in accordance with the approved Updated EM&A Manual. A summary of the monitoring and audit activities during the reporting period is presented in Table A3.

Table A3 Summary of EM&A Activities in the Reporting Period

 

 

Works Contract(s)(5)

EM&A
 Activities

Monitoring Station(s)

ND/2024/01

ND/2024/02

ND/2024/03

ND/2024/04

ND/2024/05

ND/2024/06

ND/2024/07

ND/2024/08

1-hour TSP Monitoring(1)

KTN-DMS1(2)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

KTN-DMS2(2)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

KTN-DMS3(2)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

KTN-DMS4(B)(2)(3)

3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 28 Feb 2025(4)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

FLN-DMS1(2)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A(8)

N/A

FLN-DMS2(2)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

FLN-DMS3(2)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

FLN-DMS4(2)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

FLN-DMS5(2)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

28 Feb 2025(13)

N/A

FLN-DMS6(A)(2)(3)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

FLN-DMS7(2)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

24-hour TSP Monitoring(1)

KTN-DMS1(2)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

KTN-DMS2(2)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

KTN-DMS3(2)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

KTN-DMS4(B)(2)(3)

3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 28 Feb 2025(4)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

FLN-DMS1(2)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

28 Feb 2025(13)

N/A

FLN-DMS2(2)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

FLN-DMS3(2)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

FLN-DMS4(2)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

FLN-DMS5(A)(2)(3)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

28 Feb 2025(13)

N/A

FLN-DMS6(A)(2)(3)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

FLN-DMS7(2)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Noise Monitoring(1)

CP-KTN-NMS1(2)(7)

N/A(1)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

CP-KTN-NMS2(2)

3, 12, 18, 24 Feb 2025(4)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

CP-KTN-NMS3(2)

3, 12, 18, 24 Feb 2025(4)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

CP-KTN-NMS4(2)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

CP-KTN-NMS5(2)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

CP-KTN-NMS6(2)

3, 12, 18, 24 Feb 2025(4)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

CP-KTN-NMS7(2)(9)

N/A(1)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

CP-FLN-NMS1(2)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A(10)

N/A

CP-FLN-NMS3(2)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

CP-FLN-NMS4(A)(2)(3)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

CP-FLN-NMS5(2)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A(11)

N/A

CP-FLN-NMS6(2)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A(11)

N/A

Ecological Monitoring (6)

Monitoring of Measures to Minimise Disturbance to Water Birds on Ng Tung River, Sheung Yue River, and Long Valley

Weekly monitoring: 03, 04, 11, 13, 17, 18, 27, and 28 Feb 2025(4) (Transect T1, T2, T3, and T5)

 

Additional nighttime monitoring at Long Valley: 03 and 13(4) Feb 2025 (Transect T3 and T5)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Monitoring of Measures to Minimise Impacts to Ma Tso Lung Stream and Siu Hang San Tsuen Stream

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Monitoring of Measures to Minimise Impacts on Ecological Sensitive Habitats from Disturbance and Pollution

Monthly Monitoring: 26 Feb 2025(4) (Transect T1)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

24-hour  RSP (Ambient Arsenic) Monitoring for Land Contamination (1)

KTN-DMS-4A(2)(3)

03, 06, 12, 18, 24, 28 Feb 2025(4)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Water Quality Monitoring

KTN-IS1

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

KTN-CS1

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Landfill Gas Monitoring

250m Landfill Consultation Zone of Ma Tao Lung Landfill

N/A(12)

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Environmental Site Inspection

Site Area under Works Contract No. ND/2024/01

04, 11, 18, 25 Feb 2025

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Site Area under Works Contract No. ND/2024/07

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

27 Feb 2025

N/A

Remarks:

(1)       For 1-hour and 24-hour TSP & 24-hour RSP (Ambient Arsenic) monitoring, monitoring stations that are specifically within the 500m buffer area projected from the site boundary of works contract(s) will be considered being the representative monitoring stations for the corresponding works contract(s) and the associated impact monitoring exercises will be kicked off once the nearest works contracts have been commenced and undertaken during the reporting period/month.

 

For Noise Monitoring, monitoring stations that are specifically within the 300m buffer area projected from the site boundary of works contract(s) will be considered being the representative monitoring stations for the corresponding works contract(s) and the associated impact monitoring exercises will be kicked off once the nearest works contracts have been commenced and undertaken during the reporting period/month.

 

For Water Quality Monitoring, monitoring stations at which inland waters runs into the major water systems, including their tributaries, passing through the site boundary of works contract(s) involving construction of channelisation works, potentially causing water quality impacts as a result of water bodies contamination, will be considered being the representative monitoring stations for the corresponding works contract(s) involving construction of channelisation works as the rationale for determination of contract involvement in terms of environmental monitoring.

 

(2)       New monitoring station IDs are presented. The corresponding monitoring station IDs are as follows:

1-hr and 24-hr TSP & 24-hr RSP (Ambient Arsenic)

KTN-DMS1 = DMS1
KTN-DMS2 = DMS2
KTN-DMS3 = DMS3
KTN-DMS4(A)/4(B) = DMS4
FLN-DMS1 = DMS7
FLN-DMS2 = DMS9
FLN-DMS3 = DMS11
FLN-DMS4 = DMS6
FLN-DMS5/5(A) = DMS8
FLN-DMS6(A) = DMS10
FLN-DMS7 = DMS5

Noise

CP-KTN-NMS1 = CP-NMS1
CP-KTN-NMS2 = CP-NMS2
CP-KTN-NMS3 = CP-NMS3
CP-KTN-NMS4 = CP-NMS5
CP-KTN-NMS5 = CP-NMS7
CP-KTN-NMS6 = N/A

CP-KTN-NMS7 = CP-NMS4
CP-FLN-NMS1 = CP-NMS10
CP-FLN-NMS3 = CP-NMS12
CP-FLN-NMS4(A) = CP-NMS6
CP-FLN-NMS5 = CP-NMS8
CP-FLN-NMS6 = CP-NMS9

 

(3)       Alternative monitoring stations to the corresponding original monitoring stations.

(4)       The monitoring date for February 2025 was conducted by the ET from the First Phase of KTN/FLN NDAs Project.

(5)       N/A – No relevant monitoring is required according to the approved updated EM&A Manual.

(6)       Monitoring of Measures to Minimise Disturbance to Water Birds on Ng Tung River, Sheung Yue River, and Long Valley and additional nighttime ecological monitoring at Long Valley and Monitoring of Measures to Minimise Impacts on Ecological Sensitive Habitats from Disturbance and Pollution were conducted by the First Phase ET of the KTN/FLN NDAs Project. The monitoring activities in Transects T1, T2, T3, and T5 under Measures to Minimise Disturbance to Water Birds on Ng Tung River, Sheung Yue River, and Long Valley were conducted prior to the commencement date of Works Contract No. ND/2024/07 (but for Transects T1 and T2 on 28 February); hence, not all monitoring data under this requirement is relevant to this contract.  Also, monitoring for Transect T4 Shek Sheung River under Measures to Minimise Disturbance to Water Birds on Ng Tung River, Sheung Yue River, and Long Valley and for Transect T3 Area west of Siu Hang San Tsuen stream under Monitoring of Measures to Minimise Impacts on Ecological Sensitive Habitats from Disturbance and Pollution were not conducted. No additional monitoring activities were undertaken due to the short period between the commencement date of construction works for Works Contract No. ND/2024/07 (27 February 2025) and the end of the reporting month (28 February 2025). This interval is insufficient to coordinate and execute these additional ecological monitoring activities. This situation is only specific to this reporting month. Regular monitoring will commence in March 2025.  No ecological monitoring was conducted for the Monitoring of Measures to Minimize Impacts to Ma Tso Lung Stream and Siu Hang San Tsuen Stream for this reporting period as this monitoring is only conducted during wet season (April – October).

(7)       As confirmed by the Supervisor Team, the works area within Portion 51 was not acquired from relevant stakeholder(s)* during the reporting period February 2025. Such that no noise monitoring at CP-KTN-NMS1 adjacent to Portion 51 was carried out in the reporting period. *Relevant stakeholders refer to parties owning the works areas to be acquired by works contract(s) (e.g. landlords, premises owners, relevant authorities, etc.)

(8)       For 1-Hour TSP monitoring at FLN-DMS1, it was conducted by the First Phase ET dated on 1, 7, 13, 19 and 25 February 2025. The last monitoring event in February 2025 occurred prior to the commencement of ND/2024/07 (i.e., before 27 February 2025). Only monitoring data during reporting period would be presented and no impact monitoring was conducted during the reporting period of 27 to 28 February 2025. Monitoring will resume in March 2025 under ND/2024/07. Therefore, Not Applicable(N/A).

(9)       For CP-KTN-NMS7, baseline monitoring for CP-KTN-NMS7 will be conducted in March 2025. Therefore, no impact noise monitoring at CP-KTN-NMS7 was carried out in the reporting period and would be resumed in March 2025.

(10)     For Noise monitoring at CP-FLN-NMS1, it was conducted by the First Phase ET on 7, 13, 19 and 25 February 2025. The last monitoring event in February 2025 occurred prior to the commencement date of ND/2024/07 (i.e. before 27 February 2025).  Only monitoring data during the reporting period would be presented and no impact monitoring was conducted during the reporting period of 27 to 28 February 2025. Monitoring will resume in March 2025 under ND/2024/07. Thus, Not Applicable(N/A).

(11)     For CP-FLN-NMS5 and CP-FLN-NMS6 were not monitored as the interval was insufficient to coordinate and execute the noise monitoring under the Works Contract No. ND/2024/07 during the reporting month, monitoring will resume in March 2025. Thus, Not Applicable(N/A).

(12)     As confirmed by the Supervisor Team, no ground disturbance works were carried out in the work area within 250m Landfill Consultation Zone of Ma Tso Lung Landfill including construction of the infrastructure, development works, excavation works and works involve confined spaces. Routine gas monitoring should be undertaken during groundwork construction and in all excavations.

(13)     For 1-Hour TSP monitoring at FLN-DMS5 and 24-Hour TSP monitoring at FLN-DMS1 and FLN-DMS5A, it was conducted by the First Phase ET on 3, 6, 12, 18, 24 and 28 February 2025. Only monitoring data during the reporting period would be presented and no impact monitoring was conducted during the reporting period of 27 to 28 February 2025. Monitoring will resume in March 2025 under ND/2024/07. Therefore, Not Applicable(N/A).

Breaches of Action Levels (AL) and Limit Levels (LL)

A7.    Summary of the environmental exceedances of the reporting period is tabulated in Table A4.

 

Table A4 Summary of Exceedances in the Reporting Period

Environmental Monitoring

Parameter(s)

No. of Exceedances

Total No. of Exceedances

No. of Non-project Related Exceedances

Total No. of Non-project Related Exceedances

No. of Exceedances

Related to

the Project

Total No. of Exceedances

Related to

the Project

AL

LL

 

AL

LL

 

AL

LL

 

Air Quality

1-hour TSP

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

24-hourTSP

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

24-hour RSP

(Ambient Arsenic)

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Noise

Leq(30mins)

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Ecological Monitoring

Avifauna

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Non-aquatic fauna

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

 

Air Quality

A8.    No AL or LL exceedance was recorded for air quality monitoring in the reporting period.

 

Noise

A9.    No AL or LL exceedance was recorded for construction noise monitoring in the reporting period.

 

Ambient Arsenic

A10.  No AL or LL exceedance was recorded for ambient arsenic monitoring in the reporting period.

 

Ecological Monitoring

A11.  Action and Limit Levels for monitoring of Measures to Minimise Disturbance to Water Birds on Ng Tung River, Sheung Yue River, and Long Valley and Monitoring of Measures to Minimise Impacts on Ecological Sensitive Habitats from Disturbance and Pollution could not be completely assessed during the reporting month. Avifauna monitoring for Transects T1, T2, T3, and T5 were only relevant to Works Contract No. ND/2024/01 as monitoring for these transects were conducted before the commencement of Works Contract No. ND/2024/07 (except for Transects T1 and T2 conducted on 28 February 2025); and monitoring for Transect T4 Shek Sheung River and Transect T3 west of Siu Hang San Tsuen Stream during the reporting period were not conducted.  No additional monitoring was conducted due to insufficient time between the commencement date (27 February 2025) of Works Contract No. ND/2024/07 and the close of the reporting month (28 February 2025). Regular ecological monitoring for these transects will commence in March 2025 and Action and Limit Levels for these monitoring requirements will be subsequently reported. No exceedances are reported under Monitoring of Measures to Minimize Impacts to Ma Tso Lung Stream and Siu Hang San Tsuen Stream as monitoring activities for this requirement are scheduled during wet season (April-October).

Complaint Log

A12.  No environmental complaint was received in the reporting period.

Notification of Summons and Successful Prosecutions

A13.  No notification of summons or successful prosecutions was received in the reporting period.

Reporting Changes

A14.  There was no change to be reported that may affect the on-going EM&A programme.

Future Key Issues

A15.  The major site activities for the next reporting period are summarized below and shown in Appendix 1.1:

 

Contract No. ND/2024/01:

•       All Site Resumption Area(s)

1.     Tree survey

2.     Site Clearance

•       Portion XXll (22) and Portion XLIV (44)

1.     Site Clearance and Demolition

•       Portion XL (40)

1.     Site Clearance and Tree Felling

2.     Excavation, Mixing with General fill & Backfilling

3.     Construct Retaining Wall & Backfilling

 

Contract No. ND/2024/06

 

•       Forming haul road for excavation works of Portion A;

•       Tree felling of Portion A;

•       Transplantation of fern (2nd batch);

•       General excavation to +108 mpd platform of Portion A;

•       Ground investigation works (borehole BH01-05 and piezometer B1

•       Slope trimming and soil nailing works of cut slope S1 & S2 / access road of Portion A;

•       Trial run for Temporary Traffic Arrangement (TTA) of Portion C;

•       Demolition of DN2000 pipes and associated thrust blocks of Portion D &

•       Watermains laying works at Fu Tei Au Road of Portion C & Portion D.

 

Contract No. ND/2024/07

 

•       Site Clearance for works areas

•       Construction of Site Accommodation

•       Pre-bored Socketed H Pile Construction

•       Trial Pit Excavation

•       Tree Felling

•       Land Contamination Investigation

•        Internal Movement / Exportation of C&D materials


1           Introduction

1.1      Project Background

1.1.1      The KTN/FLN NDAs development are implemented in two phases, comprising First Phase and Remaining Phase developments.  The construction works for the First Phase development commenced in December 2019. The construction works for the Remaining Phase development (the Project), including site clearance and formation, roads, drainage, sewerage and water supply systems, commenced progressively from the January 2025.

1.1.2      The Project is delivered under eight (8) Works Contracts as below. 

·       Contract No. ND/2024/01: Site Formation and Infrastructure Works (South); 

·       Contract No. ND/2024/02: Site Formation and Infrastructure Works (North); 

·       Contract No. ND/2024/03: Improvement Works of Fanling Highway (Kwu Tung Portion) and Associated Works; 

·       Contract No. ND/2024/04: Improvement Works of Tai Tau Leng Roundabout and Po Shek Wu Road and Associated Works; 

·       Contract No. ND/2024/05: Improvement Works of Fanling Highway (Pak Shek Au Portion) and Associated Works; 

·       Contract No. ND/2024/06: Fresh Water and Flushing Water Service Reservoirs and Associated Works; 

·       Contract No. ND/2024/07: Site Formation and Infrastructure Works (East); and  

·       Contract No. ND/2024/08: Site Formation and Infrastructure Works (West). 

1.1.3      The EIA Report (AEIAR-175/2013) for NENT NDA was approved with conditions under EIAO in 2013. The Environmental Permits for corresponding Designated Projects were also issued by DEP in November 2013. Subsequent to the findings of preliminary design and P&E Review for accommodating additional population in KTN and FLN NDAs, VEP were subsequently applied for nine EPs under the Project (i.e. EP-465/2013/A, EP-466/2013/A, EP-467/2013/A, EP-468/2013/A, EP-470/2013/A, EP-471/2013/A, EP-472/2013/A, EP-473/2013/A and EP-476/2013). 

 

1.1.4      Aurecon was commissioned by Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) to provide EM&A services for the works contracts in relation to the Project pursuant to the requirements as specified in relevant EPs, the EM&A Manual issued in the EIA stage, the Updated EM&A Manual prepared for Contract No. NDO 14/2018 and the approved EIA Report for the Project to discharge the duties of the ET for the Project. 

1.1.5      This is the 2nd Monthly EM&A Report summarizing the findings of EM&A works at Contract No. ND/2024/01 under the Project with EP-467/2013/A and EP-468/2013/A during the reporting period from 01 to 28 February 2025 and Works Contract No. ND/2024/07 under Environmental Permit No. EP-476/2013 during the reporting period from 27 February 2025 to 28 February 2025. No construction works occur in the remaining contracts during the reporting period for Contract No. ND/2024/02, ND/2024/03, ND/2024/04, ND/2024/05, ND/2024/06 and ND/2024/08.

1.2      Project Organisation

1.2.1      Parties with different levels of involvement in the Project organisation for Works Contracts are summarized in Table 1.1.

Table 1.1 Parties Involved in Project Organization for all Works Contracts

 

Works Contract(s)

Parties

ND/2024/01

ND/2024/02

ND/2024/03

ND/2024/04

ND/2024/05

ND/2024/06

ND/2024/07

ND/2024/08

Project Proponent

CEDD

Supervisor / Engineer’s Representative (ER)

AECOM Asia Co. Ltd.

-

-

-

-

-

Atkins China Ltd.

-

Contractor

Build King  – Richwell Engineering Joint Venture (BKJV)

-

-

-

-

-

Build King  – Richwell Engineering Joint Venture (BKJV)

-

ET

Aurecon Hong Kong Limited

Independent Environmental Checker (IEC)

Mott MacDonald Hong Kong Limited

1.2.2      The key personnel contact names and numbers are summarized in Appendix 1.2.

1.3      Construction Works Programme and Construction Works Area

1.3.1      The construction phase EM&A programme commenced since 20 January 2025 progressively. The construction works programme, and the construction works area of the Project are shown in Appendix 1.1 and Figure 1.1 respectively. A summary of construction activities undertaken during the reporting period is presented below:

 

Works Contract No. ND/2024/01:

•       All Site Resumption Area(s)

1.     Tree survey

2.     Site Clearance

•       Portion XL (40)

1.     Site Clearance

2.     Ground Investigation Works

3.     Preparation Work for Site Formation Work

Work Contract No. ND/2024/07:

•       Site Clearance for works areas

•       Construction of Site Accommodation

•       Pre-bored Socketed H Pile Construction

•       Trial Pit Excavation

•       Tree Felling

•       Land Contamination Investigation

•       Internal Movement / Exportation of C&D materials

1.4      Summary of Environmental Status

1.4.1      A summary of the relevant permits, licences, and/or notifications on environmental protection for the work contracts that are involved in this reporting period is presented in Table 1.2 and Table 1.3.

Table 1.2 Status of Environmental License, Notifications and Permits for Works Contract No. ND/2024/01

Permit / License Name/No.

Valid Period

Status

From

To

Environmental Permit

EP-467/2013/A

27/01/2017

N/A

Valid

EP-468/2013/A

27/01/2017

N/A

Valid

Notification pursuant to Air Pollution Control (Construction Dust) Regulation

10008709

02/09/2024

N/A

Valid

Billing Account for Disposal of Construction Waste

7052236

20/09/2024

N/A

Valid

Registration of Chemical Waste Producer

WPN: 5213-548-B2781-01

06/12/2024

N/A

Valid

Effluent Discharge License under Water Pollution Control Ordinance

WT00045924-2024

15/01/2025

31/01/2030

Valid

Construction Noise Permit (CNP)

 

 

 

GW-RN0060-25

20/01/2025

19/07/2025

Valid

 

Table 1.3 Status of Environmental License, Notifications and Permits for Works Contract No. ND/2024/07

Permit / License Name/No.

Valid Period

Status

From

To

Environmental Permit

EP-476/2013

21/11/2013

N/A

Valid

Notification pursuant to Air Pollution Control (Construction Dust) Regulation

10007874

09/08/2024

N/A

Valid

Billing Account for Disposal of Construction Waste

7051974

20/08/2024

N/A

Valid

Registration of Chemical Waste Producer

WPN:5213-625-B2775-01

19/08/2024

N/A

Valid

Effluent Discharge License under Water Pollution Control Ordinance

WT00045532-2024

10/12/2024

31/12/2029

Valid

WT00046059-2025

14/02/2025

28/02/2030

Valid

Construction Noise Permit (CNP)

 

 

 

GW-RN1230-24

28/10/2024

30/04/2025

Valid

 

2           Air Quality Monitoring

2.1      Monitoring Requirement

2.1.1      In accordance with the EM&A Manual, the approved updated EM&A Manual for the First Phase, the ET shall carry out impact monitoring during the construction phase of the Project. 1-hour and 24-hour TSP to monitor the air quality for the Works Contacts.

2.1.2      Impact 1-hour TSP monitoring was conducted for at least three times every 6 days, while the impact 24-hour TSP monitoring was conducted for at least once every 6 days at the designated air quality monitoring stations.

2.2      Monitoring Location

2.2.1      According to the EM&A Manual, the approved updated EM&A Manual for the First Phase, the designated locations for impact air quality monitoring in related to the work contracts in the reporting period are listed in Table 2.1 and their locations are shown in Figure 2.1 and 2.2.

Table 2.1 Summary of Impact Air Quality Monitoring Stations in related to the Works Contracts in the Reporting Period

Monitoring Station(s)

Works Contract(s)

ASR ID in EIA

Planned(3) or Existing

Monitoring Location(s)

KTN-DMS1

ND/2024/01

KTN-19

Planned

Nursery Classes and Kindergarten; Post Offices

KTN-DMS2

ND/2024/01

KTN-90

Planned

Nursery Classes and Kindergarten (2 nos); District Elderly Community Centre

KTN-DMS3

ND/2024/01

KTN-326

Planned

Village Resite

KTN-DMS4(B)(1)(2)

ND/2024/01

KTN-E-162

Existing

Temporary Structure at Pak Shek Au

FLN-DMS1

ND/2024/07

FLN-E62

Existing

Scattered Village Houses North of Proposed Potential Ecopark

FLN-DMS2

ND/2024/07

FLN-E243

Planned

Residential Building, Nursery Classes and Kindergartens, Neighbourhood Elderly Community Centre, Residential Home for the Elderly, Post Office

FLN-DMS5, FLN-DMS5(A)

ND/2024/07

FLN-E124

Existing

Noble Hill / Good View New Village

FLN-DMS7

ND/2024/07

FLN-20

Planned

Planned premise for Weapon Training Division

Remarks:

(1)    KTN-DMS4(B) is the alternative air monitoring stations proposed to replace KTN-DMS4.

(2)    As KTN-DMS4 - Temporary structure near Fanling Highway (near Pak Shek Au) is no longer as existing ASR, air quality monitoring station should be relocated to the alternative dust monitoring location according to the updated EM&A Manual, Section 2.6.2. According to Figure 3.1 of Approved EIA report and site visits conducted in June 2022, ASR at near KTN-E70 – Temporary Structure near Fanling Highway near Pak Shek Au is considered as the most representative alternative station KTN-DMS4(B) for air quality monitoring for KTN-DMS4 (i.e. KTNE162).

(3)    Impact monitoring will be carried out when the planned sensitive receivers are commissioned.

 

2.3      Monitoring Parameter and Frequency and Duration

2.3.1      In accordance with the requirements for placement of equipment, as set out of the EM&A Manual of the Project, the approved updated EM&A Manual for the First Phase, the monitoring parameter, frequency and duration of impact air quality monitoring are listed in Table 2.2.

Table 2.2 Parameters Measured in the Impact Air Quality Monitoring

Parameter(s)

Frequency(1)

1-hour TSP

Three times / 6 days

24-hour TSP

Once / 6 days

  Remark:

   1)    The air quality monitoring (1-hour and 24-hour TSP) was conducted by First Phase ET during the reporting period.

2.4      Monitoring Equipment

2.4.1      Direct reading dust meters were used for measuring the impact air quality monitoring (i.e. 1-hour TSP and 24-hour TSP) during the reporting period in accordance with the Service Contract No. NDO 04/2019 Monthly EM&A Report.  According to Section 2.4.5 of the EM&A Manual, the approved updated EM&A Manual for First Phase ET, the proposed use of direct reading dust meter was submitted to and agreed by the First Phase IEC. HVS for 24-hour TSP monitoring will be adopted once secured apply of electricity become available at corresponding monitoring stations.

2.4.2      Table 2.3 summarizes the equipment used in the air quality monitoring programme. Copies of the calibration certificates for air quality monitoring equipment are shown in Appendix 2.2.

Table 2.3 Air Quality Monitoring Equipment

Monitoring

Station(s)

Manufacturer

Model

Equipment

Quantity

KTN-DMS4(B)(1), FLN-DMS1(1), FLN-DMS5(1), FLN-DMS5(A)(1)

Met One Instruments

AEROCET-831

Dust Monitor

(1-hour and 24-hour TSP)

3

      Remark:

           (1)     The air quality monitoring (1-hour and 24-hour TSP) was conducted by First Phase ET during the reporting period.

 

2.5      Monitoring Methodology and QA/QC Procedure

Instrumentation

2.5.1      Direct reading dust meter was deployed for the air quality monitoring as shown in Table 2.3.

2.5.2      The measuring procedures of the dust meters were in accordance with the Manufacturer’s Instruction Manual as follows:

•       Place the dust meter at least 1.3 meters above ground;

•       Press and hold the Power key momentarily to power on the unit and make sure that the battery level was not flash or in low level;

•       Allow the instrument to stand for about 3 second to display the Sample Screen minutes;

•       Press the START / STOP key to run the internal vacuum pump for 1 minute and be ready to use;

•       Use the select dial to select the PM range and press the START / STOP key to start a measurement;

•       Finally, push the START/STOP key to stop the measurement after 24-hour sampling;

•       Information such as sampling date, time, value and site condition were recorded during the monitoring period; and

•        All data were recorded in the data logger for further data processing.

 

Maintenance/Calibration

2.5.3      The following maintenance/calibration was required for the direct dust meters:

•       Check and calibrate the meters by High Volume Sampler (HVS) to check the validity and accuracy of the results measured by direct reading method at 2-month intervals throughout all stages of the air quality monitoring.

2.6      Action and Limit Level for Air Quality Monitoring

2.6.1         The baseline monitoring results formed the basis for determining the air quality criteria for the impact monitoring. The ET shall compare the impact monitoring results with air quality criteria set up for 1-hour TSP and 24-hour TSP. Based on the baseline dust monitoring data and the derivation criteria specified above, the Action/Limit Levels for 1-hour TSP and 24-hour TSP are presented in Table 2.4 and Table 2.5 respectively.

Table 2.4 Action and Limit Levels for 1-hour TSP Air Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Station

AL (μg/m3)

LL (μg/m3)

KTN-DMS4(B)

297

500

FLN-DMS1

303

500

FLN-DMS5

279

500

 

Table 2.5 Action and Limit Levels for 24-hour of TSP Air Quality Monitoring

Monitoring Station

AL (μg/m3)

LL (μg/m3)

KTN-DMS4(B)

192

260

FLN-DMS1

150

260

FLN-DMS5(A)

153

260

 

2.7      Results and Observations

2.7.1      Air quality monitoring was conducted as scheduled in the reporting period. The air quality monitoring schedule during the reporting period is shown in the Appendix 2.1.

2.7.2      The 1-hour and 24-hour TSP air quality monitoring result in the reporting period are summarized in Table 2.6 and 2.7.  No Action or Limit levels exceedance was recorded in the reporting period.  Details of the results and graphical presentation are shown in Appendix 2.2.

2.7.3      The weather information during the reporting period is presented in Appendix 2.3.

Table 2.6 Summary Table of 1-hour TSP Monitoring Result during the Reporting Month

Monitoring

Station

Averaged Measured Value (μg/m3)

Minimum Measured Value (μg/m3)

Maximum Measured Value (μg/m3)

Action Level (μg/m3)

Limit Level, (μg/m3)

KTN-DMS4(B)(1)

77

48

142

297

500

FLN-DMS1(1)(2)

N/A

N/A

N/A

303

500

FLN-DMS5(1)

46

56

41

279

500

Remark:

(1)     The air quality monitoring (1-hour and 24-hour TSP) was conducted by First Phase ET during the reporting period.

(2)     For 1-Hour TSP monitoring at FLN-DMS1, it was conducted by the First Phase ET dated on 1, 7, 13, 19 and 25 February 2025. The last monitoring event in February 2025 occurred prior to the commencement of ND/2024/07 (i.e., before 27 February 2025). Only monitoring data during reporting period would be presented and no impact monitoring was conducted during the reporting period of 27 to 28 February 2025. Monitoring will resume in March 2025 under ND/2024/07. Therefore, Not Applicable(N/A).

 

Table 2.7 Summary Table of 24-hour TSP Monitoring Result during the Reporting Month

Monitoring

Station

Averaged Measured Value (μg/m3)

Minimum Measured Value (μg/m3)

Maximum Measured Value (μg/m3)

Action Level (μg/m3)

Limit Level, (μg/m3)

KTN-DMS4(B)(1)

79

54

125

192

260

FLN-DMS1(1)

58

58

58

150

260

FLN-DMS5(A) (1)

73

73

73

153

260

Remark:

(1)     The air quality monitoring (1-hour and 24-hour TSP) was conducted by First Phase ET during the reporting period.

2.7.4      According to the observation record from Monthly EM&A Report (February 2025) prepared under Service Contract No. NDO 04/2019, the major dust source KTN-DMS4(B), FLN-DMS1 and FLN-DMS5/5(A) included excavator, crane, roller, sheet piling, dump truck, concrete mixer truck etc.

2.8      Event and Action Plan

2.8.1      Should any non-compliance of the criteria occur, action in accordance with the Event and Action Plan in Appendix 2.4 shall be followed. Investigation of the exceedances of environmental quality performance limits should be conducted, and the ET will immediately notify the IEC and EPD, as appropriate.  The notification should be followed up with advice to the IEC and EPD on the results of the investigation, proposed actions and success of the action taken, with any necessary follow-up proposals.

3           Construction Noise Monitoring

3.1      Monitoring Requirements

3.1.1      In accordance with the approved Updated EM&A Manual, the ET shall carry out impact monitoring during the construction phase of the Project in terms of the A-weighted equivalent continuous sound pressure level (Leq) to monitor the construction noise arising from the construction activities. The regular monitoring frequency for each monitoring station was on a weekly basis and one set of measurements between 0700 and 1900 hours on normal weekdays shall be conducted.

3.2      Monitoring Locations

3.2.1      According to the approved Updated EM&A Manual, the monitoring designated locations for construction noise monitoring in related to the works contracts in the reporting period are listed in Table 3.1 and shown in Figure 3.1 and 3.2.

Table 3.1 Construction Noise Monitoring Stations near in related to the Works Contracts in the Reporting period

Monitoring Station(s)

Works Contract(s)

NSR

EIA ID(s)

Location(s)

Planned

Or

Existing(2)

Type of Measurement

CP-KTN-NMS1(3)

ND/2024/01

CP-NMS1

Residential Building at Ma Tso Lung

Existing

Free-Field(1)

CP-KTN-NMS2

ND/2024/01

CP-NMS2

Residential Building at Ma Tso Lung

Existing

Free-Field(1)

CP-KTN-NMS3

ND/2024/01

CP-NMS3

Fung Kong Garden

Existing

CP-KTN-NMS4(4)

ND/2024/01

CP-NMS5

Primary School

Planned

CP-KTN-NMS6

ND/2024/01

N/A

Ho Sheung Heung, Hau Ku ShekAncestral Hall, Hung Shing Temple & Pai Fung Temple and Sin Wai Nunnery

Existing

Faηade

CP-KTN-NMS7(6)

ND/2024/01

CP-NMS4

Oi Lok Home

Existing

Free-Field(1)

CP-FLN-NMS1

ND/2024/07

CP-NMS10

Belair Monte

Existing

Facade

CP-FLN-NMS3(4)

ND/2024/07

CP-NMS12

Secondary School

Planned

Free-Field(1)

CP-FLN-NMS5(7)

ND/2024/07

CP-NMS8

Man Kok Village

Existing

Free-Field(1)

CP-FLN-NMS6(7)

ND/2024/07

CP-NMS9

Woodland Crest

Existing

Faηade

Remarks:

(1)     For Free Field measurement, +3 dB(A) should be added to the measured results.

(2)     Impact monitoring will be carried out when the planned sensitive receivers are commissioned.

(3)     As confirmed by the Supervisor Team, the works area within Portion 51 was not acquired from relevant stakeholder(s)* during the reporting period February 2025. Such that no noise monitoring at CP-KTN-NMS1 adjacent to Portion 51 was carried out in the reporting period. *Relevant stakeholders refer to parties owning the works areas to be acquired by works contract(s) (e.g. landlords, premises owners, relevant authorities, etc.)

(4)     As confirmed with Engineer Representative, the planned school at CP-KTN-NMS4 and CP-FLN-NMS3 are not constructed yet.  Thus, the impact noise monitoring will be carried out at monitoring station CP-KTN-NMS4 and CP-FLN-NMS3 after the construction and occupation of the planned school.  No noise monitoring of the mentioned station was carried out in this reporting period.

(5)     The monitoring date at CP-FLN-NMS1 conducted by the First Phase ET was before the commencement date of ND/2024/07, no monitoring conducted during the reporting period for FLN-NMS1 under ND/2024/07 and monitoring will resume in March 2025. Thus, Not Applicable(N/A).

(6)     For CP-KTN-NMS7, baseline monitoring for CP-KTN-NMS7 will be conducted in March 2025. Therefore, no impact noise monitoring at CP-KTN-NMS7 was carried out in the reporting period and would be resumed in March 2025.

(7)     For CP-FLN-NMS5 and CP-FLN-NMS6 were not monitored as the interval was insufficient to coordinate and execute the noise monitoring under the Works Contract No. ND/2024/07 during the reporting month, monitoring will resume in March 2025.

 

3.3      Noise Monitoring Parameter, Frequency and Duration

3.3.1      Construction noise level was measured by the ET and measured in terms of the A-weighted equivalent continuous sound pressure level (Leq).  Leq(30mins) used as the monitoring parameter for the construction noise monitoring.

3.3.2      As supplementary information for data auditing, statistical results such as L10 and L90 were also obtained for reference.

3.3.3      Table 3.2 summarizes the monitoring parameters, duration, and frequency of construction noise monitoring.

Table 3.2 Construction Noise Monitoring Parameter, Frequency and Duration

Monitoring Station

Parameter

Frequency and Duration

CP-KTN-NMS2(1), CP-KTN-NMS3(1), CP-KTN-NMS6(1), CP-FLN-NMS1

Leq(30mins), L10 and

L90  (as six consecutive Leq,5min readings)

Once every week throughout the construction phase

Remark:

(1)     The noise monitoring was conducted by First Phase ET during the reporting period.

 

3.4      Monitoring Equipment, Methodology and QA / QC Procedure

3.4.1      As referred to the technical memorandum issued under the Noise Control Ordinance (NCO), sound level meters in compliance with the International Electrotechnical Commission Publications 651: 1979 (Type 1) and 804: 1985 (Type 1) specifications were used for carrying out the construction noise monitoring.

3.4.2      Noise measurements were not made in fog, rain, wind with a steady speed exceeding 5 m/s or wind with gusts exceeding 10 m/s. The wind speed was checked with a portable wind speed meter capable of measuring the wind speed in m/s.

3.4.3      Sufficient numbers of noise measuring equipment and associated instrumentation were prepared by the ET. All the equipment and associated instrumentation were clearly labelled.

3.4.4      The monitoring procedures are as follows:

•       For faηade measurement, the monitoring station was set at a point 1 m from the exterior of the sensitive receivers buildING faηade and set at a position 1.2 m above the ground. For free-field measurement, the monitoring station was set at a position 1.2 m above the ground.

•       The battery condition was checked to ensure good functioning of the meter.

•       Parameters such as frequency weighting, the time weighting and the interval were set as follows:

-       Frequency weighting: A

-       Time weighting: Fast

-       Interval: 30 minutes (Leq(30mins))

•       Prior to and after each noise measurement, the meter was calibrated using an acoustic calibrator for 94.0 dB at 1000 Hz.  If the difference in the calibration level before and after measurement is more than 1.0 dB, the measurement was considered invalid and repeat of noise measurement will be required after re-calibration or repair the equipment.

•       At the end of the monitoring period, the values of Leq, L10 and L90 were recorded.  In addition, noise sources were recorded on a standard record sheet.

3.4.5      Table 3.3 summarizes the noise monitoring equipment used during the reporting period. Copies of the calibration certificates for noise monitoring are shown in Appendix 3.1 

Table 3.3 Construction Noise Monitoring Equipment

Equipment(1)

Manufacturer

Model

No. of Equipment

Serial No.

Sound Level Meter

BSWA

BSWA 308

2

580005

580006

Acoustic Calibrator

SVANTEK

SV30A

1

24803

Bruel & Kjaer

B&K 4231

1

2412367

Remark:

(1)     The noise monitoring was conducted by First Phase ET during the reporting period.

3.5      Maintenance and Calibration

3.5.1      Maintenance and calibration procedures are as follows:

•       The microphone head of the sound level meter and calibrator were regularly cleaned with a soft cloth;

•       The sound level meter and acoustic calibrator were calibrated annually; and

•       The accuracy of the sound level meter was checked using an acoustic calibrator generating a known sound pressure level at a known frequency immediately prior to and following each noise measurement. Measurements were accepted as valid only if the calibration level from before and after the noise measurement agree to within 1.0 dB(A).

3.6      Action and Limit Levels

3.6.1      The Action and Limit levels were established in accordance with the Updated EM&A Manual. Table 3.4 presents the Action and Limit Levels for construction noise. Should non-compliance of the criteria occur, action in accordance with the Event and Action Plan presented in Appendix 3.2 shall be carried out.

Table 3.4 Action and Limit Levels for Construction Noise Monitoring

Time Period

Action

Limit Level

07:00 – 19:00 on normal weekdays

When one or more documented complaints are received

75 dB(A)

3.7      Results and Observations

3.7.1      All noise monitoring was conducted as scheduled in the reporting month. The noise monitoring schedule during the reporting period is shown in the Appendix 2.1.

3.7.2      No Action or Limit levels exceedance was recorded in the reporting period.  Details of the results and graphical presentation are shown in Appendix 3.1. The construction noise monitoring results are summarized in Table 3.5. The major noise sources observed during impact noise monitoring are summarized in Table 3.6.

Table 3.5 Summary of Construction Noise Monitoring Results during the Reporting Month

Works Contracts

Monitoring Stations

Noise Levels, Leq(30min), dB(A)

Baseline Levels, dB(A)

Limit Levels, dB(A)

ND/2024/01

CP-KTN-NMS1(3)

N/A(4)

65.7

75

CP-KTN-NMS2(1)(2)

53.5 – 59.1

58.6

CP-KTN-NMS3(1)(2)

49.6 – 53.1

51.6

CP-KTN-NMS6(2)

52.6 – 65.2

55.1

CP-KTN-NMS7(6)

N/A

N/A(4)

ND/2024/07

CP-FLN-NMS1(2)

N/A(5)

69.9

CP-FLN-NMS5(2)

N/A(7)

N/A(4)

CP-FLN-NMS6(2)

N/A(7)

 N/A(4)

Remarks:

(1)     For Free Field measurement, +3 dB(A) was added to the measured results.

(2)     The noise monitoring was conducted by First Phase ET during the reporting period.

(3)     As confirmed by the Supervisor Team, the works area within Portion 51 was not acquired from relevant stakeholder(s)* during the reporting period February 2025. Such that no noise monitoring at CP-KTN-NMS1 adjacent to Portion 51 was carried out in the reporting period. *Relevant stakeholders refer to parties owning the works areas to be acquired by works contract(s) (e.g. landlords, premises owners, relevant authorities, etc.)

(4)     The baseline level is under establishment.

(5)     For Noise monitoring at CP-FLN-NMS1, it was conducted by the First Phase ET on 7, 13, 19 and 25 February 2025. The last monitoring event in February 2025 occurred prior to the commencement date of ND/2024/07 (i.e. before 27 February 2025).  Only monitoring data during the reporting period would be presented and no impact monitoring was conducted during the reporting period of 27 to 28 February 2025. Monitoring will resume in March 2025 under ND/2024/07. Thus, Not Applicable(N/A).

(6)     For CP-KTN-NMS7, baseline monitoring for CP-KTN-NMS7 will be conducted in March 2025. Therefore, no impact noise monitoring at CP-KTN-NMS7 was carried out in the reporting period and would be resumed in March 2025.

(7)     For CP-FLN-NMS5 and CP-FLN-NMS6 were not monitored as the interval was insufficient to coordinate and execute the noise monitoring under the Works Contract No. ND/2024/07 during the reporting month, monitoring will resume in March 2025. Thus, Not Applicable(N/A).

 

 

Table 3.6 Summary of Observations at Noise Monitoring Stations

Works Contracts

Monitoring Stations

Location

Major Noise Sources

ND/2024/01

CP-KTN-NMS1(1)

Residential Building at Ma Tso Lung

N/A(5)

CP-KTN-NMS2

Residential Building at Ma Tso Lung

Road Traffic Noise, Excavator

CP-KTN-NMS3

Fung Kong Garden

Road Traffic Noise

CP-KTN-NMS6

Ho Sheung Heung, Hau Ku ShekAncestral Hall, Hung Shing Temple & Pai Fung Temple and Sin Wai Nunnery

Road Traffic Noise, Excavator, Breaker

CP-KTN-NMS7(2)

Oi Lok Home

N/A(5)

ND/2024/07

CP-FLN-NMS1(3)

Belair Monte

N/A(5)

CP-FLN-NMS5(4)

Man Kok Village

N/A(5)

CP-FLN-NMS6(4)

Woodland Crest

N/A(5)

Remarks:

(1)    As confirmed by the Supervisor Team, the works area within Portion 51 was not acquired from relevant stakeholder(s)* during the reporting period February 2025. Such that no noise monitoring at CP-KTN-NMS1 adjacent to Portion 51 was carried out in the reporting period. *Relevant stakeholders refer to parties owning the works areas to be acquired by works contract(s) (e.g. landlords, premises owners, relevant authorities, etc.)

(2)    For CP-KTN-NMS7, baseline monitoring for CP-KTN-NMS7 will be conducted in March 2025. Therefore, no impact noise monitoring at CP-KTN-NMS7 was carried out in the reporting period and would be resumed in March 2025.

(3)    For Noise monitoring at CP-FLN-NMS1, it was conducted by the First Phase ET on 7, 13, 19 and 25 February 2025. The last monitoring event in February 2025 occurred prior to the commencement date of ND/2024/07 (i.e. before 27 February 2025).  Only monitoring data during the reporting period would be presented and no impact monitoring was conducted during the reporting period of 27 to 28 February 2025. Monitoring will resume in March 2025 under ND/2024/07. Thus, Not Applicable(N/A).

(4)    For CP-FLN-NMS5 and CP-FLN-NMS6 were not monitored as the interval was insufficient to coordinate and execute the noise monitoring under the Works Contract No. ND/2024/07 during the reporting month, monitoring will resume in March 2025.

(5)    No impact noise monitoring was carried out at the monitoring station. Thus, not applicable (N/A).

 

3.7.3      No complaint on construction noise was received during the reporting month, therefore no Action/Limit Level exceedance was recorded.

3.8      Event and Action Plan

3.8.1      Should non-compliance of the noise monitoring criteria occur, actions in accordance with the Event and Action Plan in Appendix 3.4 shall be carried out.

 

4           Water Quality

4.1      Monitoring Requirement

4.1.1      In accordance with the approved Updated EM&A Manual and EM&A Manual for impact water quality monitoring shall be carried out three days per week at all the designated monitoring stations in during the construction of channel. The measurement periods are specified in Table 4.1. The interval between two sets of monitoring shall not be less than 36 hours.

Table 4.1 Summary of Water Quality Monitoring Locations

New Monitoring Station(s)

Original Monitoring Station ID(s)

Description

Location(s)

Measurement

Period

KTN NDA

KTN-CS1

CS1

Control Station for KTN NDA

Centreline of river, upstream of the channel

During construction of channel

KTN-IS1

IS1

Impact Station for KTN NDA

Centreline of river, downstream of the channel

During construction of channel

FLN NDA

FLN-CS1

CS2

Control Station for FLN NDA

Centreline of river, upstream of the channel

During construction of channel

FLN-IS1

IS2

Impact Station for FLN NDA

Centreline of river, downstream of the channel

During construction of channel

 

4.2      Result and Observations

4.2.1      No construction of natural stream between KTN-CS1, KTN-IS1, FLN-CS1 and FLN-IS1 were undertaken during the reporting period. Therefore, no water quality monitoring was carried out.

 

5           Waste Management

5.1.1      Waste generated from the Project include inert construction and demolition (C&D) materials and non-inert C&D wastes in the reporting period. The summarized amount of waste generated by the construction works in related to the Works Contracts in the reporting period is shown in Table 5.1. The cumulative waste flow table of the Project was presented in in Appendix 5.1.  

5.1.2      Sorting of construction and demolition (C&D) materials was carried out on site.  Sufficient numbers of receptacles were provided for general refuse collection and sorting.  Excavated inert C&D materials were reused to minimize the disposal of C&D waste to public fill.

5.1.3      The Contractor is advised to minimize the wastes generated through recycling or reusing.  All applicable mitigation measures stipulated in the Updated EM&A Manual and waste management plans will be fully implemented.

Table 5.1 Summary of Waste Generated by the Construction Works from Works Contracts in the Reporting Period

Works Contract(s)

Month

Total Quantity Generated

Actual Quantalities of Inert C&D Materials Generated Monthly

 

Actual Quantities of C&D Wastes Generated Monthly

 

Hard Rock and Lage Broken Concrete

Reused in the Contract

Reused in other Projects

Disposed as Public Fill

Imported Fill

Metals

Paper / Carboard Packing

Plastics

Chemical Waste

Yard Waste recycled in Shredding Facility

Others e.g., general refuse

(in ‘000m3)

(in ‘000m3)

(in ‘000m3)

(in ‘000m3)

(in ‘000m3)

(in ‘000m3)

(in ‘000kg)

(in ‘000kg)

(in ‘000kg)

(in ‘000kg)

(in ‘000kg)

(in ‘000m3)

ND/2024/01

February 2025

0.000

0.000

0.000

0.000

0.000

437.356

0.001

0.375

0.001

0.000

0.000

170.667

ND/2024/07

February 2025

0.003

0.000

0.000

0.000

0.000

0.000

0.000

0.000

0.000

0.000

0.003

0.003

6           Ecology

6.1      Introduction

6.1.1      This section was derived from the ecological monitoring conducted during the construction phase by the First Phase ET under Service Contract No. NDO 04/2019 Environmental Team for Environmental Monitoring and Audit Works in Construction Phase for the First Phase Development of Kwu Tung North and Fanling North New Development Areas. This approach was undertaken to prevent redundancy in survey efforts.

6.2      Monitoring Requirements

Weekly Site Inspection

6.2.1      Weekly site inspections by the ET from the First Phase of the KTN/FLN NDAs Project for ecological mitigation measures are conducted as part of the overall weekly environmental site inspections. These inspections audit the ecological mitigation measures implemented within the active works area to ensure that the activities do not significantly impact the ecologically sensitive receivers in the active works areas.

Monitoring of Measures to Minimise Disturbance to Water Birds in Ng Tung River, Sheung Yue River, Shek Sheung River and Long Valley

6.2.2      As stipulated in Section 12.3.2.5 of the Updated EM&A Manual, if development under the NDAs project occurs within 200m of Sheung Yue River, Ng Tung River, Shek Sheung River and Long Valley, weekly transect monitoring at high and low tides (above/below 1.5m at Tsim Bei Tsui Station) should be conducted. The monitoring aims to identify and count bird species in the river channels and Long Valley Nature Park (LVNP) and detect any disturbances from construction activities, following the methodology in Table 12.1 of the Updated EM&A Manual. Monitoring in Long Valley should follow the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society (HKBWS) bird monitoring programme's methodology for comparable and comprehensive results.

Monitoring of Measures to Minimise Impacts to Ma Tso Lung Stream and Siu Hang San Tsuen Stream, and Long Valley

6.2.3      As stipulated in Section 12.3.2.14 of the Updated EM&A Manual, aquatic fauna monitoring should be conducted monthly during the wet season of the construction phase.

Monitoring of Measures to Minimise Impacts on Ecological Sensitive Habitats from Disturbance and Pollution

6.2.4      As stipulated in Section 12.3.2.17 of the Updated EM&A Manual, measures to minimize impacts should be monitored during the construction phase. The purpose of these surveys is to assess the effectiveness of measures aimed at reducing disturbances and pollution in ecologically sensitive habitats through standard fauna transect surveys.

6.2.5      For this reporting month, only transects that are relevant to the active works of Works Contract ND/2024/01 and Contract No. ND/2024/07, were included. The active works for the mentioned contracts are described in Section 1.3.1 of this report and shown in Figure 1.1 and Figure 1.2.

6.2.6     Table 6.1 summarizes the relevant transects and monitoring station to each contract under the remaining phase, categorised under the column “First Phase ET” and “Remaining Phase ET” according to the current survey efforts. The locations of these contracts relative to the monitoring locations are shown in Figure 6.1 and Figure 6.2.

Table 6.1 Summary of Monitoring Activities, Relevant Contracts, and Corresponding Transects

Monitoring Activity

Relevant Works Contract(s)

Relevant Transect(s)/Monitoring Station(s)

First Phase ET

Remaining Phase ET

Monitoring of Measures to Minimise Disturbance to Water Birds on Ng Tung, Sheung Yue, and Shek Sheung Rivers and Long Valley

 ND/2024/01*

T1, T2, T3, T5

-

ND/2024/02

T1, T2, T3, T5

T4

ND/2024/03

T1, T2, T3, T5

-

ND/2024/04

-

T4

ND/2024/05

N/A(1)

N/A(1)

ND/2024/06

T1, T2, T3

-

ND/2024/07*

T1, T2, T3

T4

ND/2024/08

T1, T2, T3

T4

Monitoring of Measures to Minimise Impacts to Ma Tso Lung Stream and Siu Hang San Tsuen Stream, and Long Valley

ND/2024/01*^

MS_01, MS_02, MS_03, MS_04, MS_05, MS_06,  MS_07, MS_08, MS_09, MS_10

-

ND/2024/02

MS_01, MS_02, MS_03, MS_04, MS_05, MS_06,  MS_07, MS_08, MS_09, MS_10

-

ND/2024/03

N/A(2)

N/A(2)

ND/2024/04

N/A(2)

N/A(2)

ND/2024/05

N/A(2)

N/A(2)

ND/2024/06

N/A(2)

N/A(2)

ND/2024/07*^

MS_11, MS_12, MS_13, MS_14, MS_15

-

ND/2024/08

N/A(2)

N/A(2)

Monitoring of Measures to Minimise Impacts on Ecological Sensitive Habitats from Disturbance and Pollution

ND/2024/01*

T1

-

ND/2024/02

T1, T6

-

ND/2024/03

T4

-

ND/2024/04

N/A(3)

N/A(3)

ND/2024/05

T4, T6

-

ND/2024/06

-

T2

ND/2024/07*

T3

-

ND/2024/08

T3

-

Remarks:

(1)     Contracts that are located relatively far from river channels.

(2)     Contracts that are located relatively far from Ma Tso Lung and Siu Hang San Tsuen streams.

(3)     Contracts that are located relatively far from the Ecological Sensitive Habitats as identified in the EIA.

(4)     * = active works contracts (ND/2024/01 and ND/2024/07); ^ = monitoring only in April – October.

6.2.7      The details of the relevant monitoring activities are discussed in the succeeding sections.

6.3      Results and Observations

Monitoring of Measures to Minimise Disturbance to Water Birds in Ng Tung River, Sheung Yue River, Shek Sheung River and Long Valley

 

Monitoring Methodology

6.3.1      Birds identified by their calls but not visually located were recorded as "heard," while those observed flying over the survey area were noted as "flight." Species of conservation importance were also specified. Additional information at the time of the survey, such as weather conditions, tidal conditions, tide levels, and noticeable natural or anthropogenic activities, were documented. For the avifauna survey, ornithological nomenclature referenced The Avifauna of Hong Kong (Carey et al., 2001), The Birds of Hong Kong and South China (Viney et al., 2005), and the most recent updated lists from other sources (e.g., Hong Kong Bird Watching Society).

 

Monitoring Parameters

6.3.2      The monitoring parameters are as follows:

•       Abundance of birds;

•       Types of habitats utilized by birds; and

•       Notable bird behaviours such as roosting, feeding, nesting and presence of juveniles.

 

Monitoring Location

6.3.3      For this reporting month, the First Phase ET conducted avifauna monitoring at Ng Tung River, Sheung Yue River, and Long Valley. Specifically, the transect routes relevant for the active works under Works Contract ND/2024/01 are:

•       T1. Ng Tung River

•       T2. Ng River

•       T3. Sheung Yue River and

•       T5. Long Valley

and the relevant transects for Works Contract ND/2024/07 are:

•       T1. Ng Tung River

•       T2. Ng River

•       T3. Sheung Yue River and

•       T4. Shek Sheung River

6.3.4      The above transect routes are summarized in Table 6.1 and shown in Figure 6.2. As the sensitive receivers are large waterbirds and are easily visible, the transect routes only needed to follow one riverbank.

 

Monitoring Frequency

6.3.5      Avifauna monitoring at high and low tides should be conducted weekly. Additionally, nighttime monitoring in Long Valley should be conducted twice a month from September to April.

6.3.6      For this reporting month, avifauna monitoring were conducted by the First Phase ET on the following periods and as shown in Table 6.2.

Table 6.2 Monitoring Programme for Waterbirds Monitoring, February 2025

Week

Date

Transect(1)

1

03 February

T3 and T5

04 February

T1 and T2

2

11 February

T1 and T2

13 February

T3 and T5

3

17 February

T3 and T5

18 February

T1 and T2

4

27 February

T3 and T5

28 February(2)

T1 and T2

Additional nighttime monitoring in Long Valley

03 February

T5

13 February

Remarks:

(1)    Transects T1, T2, T3, and T5 are relevant to Works Contract ND/2024/01; Transects T1, T2, and T3 are relevant to Works Contract ND/2024/07. No monitoring was conducted in Transect T4 as Works Contract ND/2024/07 commenced on 27 February; hence, there is no sufficient time to carry out additional monitoring before the end of the reporting month.

(2)    Monitoring activities that were conducted after the commencement of Works Contract ND/2024/07.

6.3.7      The monitoring data collected during the above monitoring periods are not applicable to Works Contract ND/2024/07 (except for those collected on 28 February in Transects T1 and T2), as the monitoring activities were conducted prior to the commencement of this contract.

 

Monitoring Results

6.3.8      For this reporting month, only monitoring results in Transects T1, T2, T3, and T5 are reported as not all of these monitoring data are relevant to Works Contract ND/2024/07 as stated in Section 6.3.7.

6.3.9      No additional monitoring in Transect T4 was conducted due to the short period between the commencement date of construction works for Works Contract No. ND/2024/07 (27 February 2025) and the end of the reporting month (28 February 2025). This interval is insufficient to coordinate and execute the additional ecological monitoring. This situation is only specific to this reporting month and monitoring in Transect T4 by the Remaining Phase ET will commence in March 2025. 

6.3.10    This reporting month, a total of 62 avifauna species were recorded, including 21 species of waterbirds. Transect T5 exhibited higher species diversity (61 species) and abundance (4,141 individuals), which could be attributed to the heterogeneous habitat types within Long Valley. These habitats include dry and wet agricultural lands, shallow water habitats, and ponds. Large waterbirds, such as the Great Egret (19 individuals), Grey Heron (10 individuals), and Little Egret (78 individuals), were commonly observed across these habitats. Chinese Pond Heron and Little Egret were commonly observed foraging in agricultural lands and shallow water habitats.  Additional nighttime surveys in Long Valley recorded a dominance of the Black-winged Stilt, which were commonly observed in shallow water habitats. This species is a passage migrant in Hong Kong. In addition, Black-faced Spoonbill classified as ‘endangered' species under the IUCN’s Red List was also observed in shallow water habitat in the reporting month.

 

6.3.11    Transect T3 was conducted along the Sheung Yue River, recording 24 species with a total abundance of 302 individuals.  The large waterbirds Great Egret (22 individuals), Grey Heron (35 individuals) and Little Egret (49 individuals)  were frequently observed foraging and roosting along the riverbank and riverbed. These large waterbirds are the most abundant species in Transect 3, consisting of about 35% of the waterbirds species recorded in T3.

6.3.12    Transects T1 and T2 were conducted along the Ng Tung River. In Transect T1, 13 species were recorded with a total abundance of 266 individuals. Large waterbirds observed in Transect T1 were Great Egret (69 individuals), Grey Heron (11 individuals), Little Egret (123 individuals), and Great Cormorants (11 individuals).   In Transect T2, 13 species were recorded with a total abundance of 485 individuals.  Large waterbirds recorded in this transect were Great Egret (86 individuals), Grey Heron (8 individuals), Little Egret (261 individuals), and Great Cormorants (1 individual). In both transects, large waterbirds were the most abundant species, which were commonly observed foraging and roosting along the Ng Tung River.

6.3.13    The Chinese Pond Heron, the most abundant waterbird species during the baseline survey and that is strictly associated with wetlands, was recorded with 13 individuals in Transect T1, 17 in Transect T2 , 11 in Transect T3, and 40 in Transect T5.

6.3.14    The relevant results of the avifauna monitoring conducted by the First Phase ET during this reporting month are detailed in Appendix 6.1a to Appendix 6.1g.

6.3.15    Table 6.3 summarizes the results of the monitoring of measures to minimize disturbance to waterbirds in Ng Tung River, Sheung Yue River, Shek Sheung River and Long Valley for the reporting month.

Table 6.3 Summary Table of Waterbird Monitoring Results Relative to Corresponding Action and Limit Levels, February, Transects T1, T2, T3, and T5

Monitoring Parameter

Result in Reporting Month (February 2025)

Baseline Level in Corresponding Month (February 2020)

Action Level

Limit Level

T1, T2, and T3(1)

Mean abundance of large waterbirds(2) using Ng Tung River, Sheung Yue River and Shek Sheung River

169

31

21

15

Mean abundance of Chinese Pond Heron using Ng Tung River, Sheung Yue River and  Shek Sheung River

10

11

8

5

T5. Long Valley(1)

Mean Abundance of birds (all species) recorded in LVNP

1035

596

417

298

Mean abundance of the Chinese Pond Heron(3)

10

11

8

5

Environmental disturbance and damage from activities in LVNP

-

-

Activity likely to cause unacceptable

environmental

disturbance or

damage noted in LVNP.

Activity likely to cause unacceptable

environmental

disturbance or

damage noted in LVNP.

Remarks:

(1)     Only relevant to Works Contract ND/2024/01. These monitoring activities were conducted prior to the commencement of Works Contract ND/2024/07 (except for those collected on 28 February 2028 in Transects T1 and T2) and monitoring in Transect T4 was not carried out. No additional monitoring was undertaken due to the short period between the commencement date of construction works for Works Contract No. ND/2024/07 (27 February 2025) and the end of the reporting month (28 February 2025). This interval is insufficient to coordinate and execute the additional ecological monitoring. This situation is only specific to this reporting month. Regular monitoring will commence in March 2025.

(2)     Large waterbirds: Great Egret (Ardea alba), Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), Chinese Egret (Egretta eulophotes), Little Egret (Egretta garzetta), Intermediate Egret (Ardea intermedia), and Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo).

(3)     Chinese Pond Heron (Ardeola bacchus) was the most abundant waterbird species recorded in Long Valley during the baseline survey and was strictly associated with wetland habitats.

6.3.16    Action and Limit Levels for monitoring waterbird disturbances in Ng Tung River, Sheung Yue River, Shek Sheung River, and Long Valley could not be completely assessed during the reporting period. This is because monitoring activities were carried out before the commencement of Works Contract No. ND/2024/07 (except in Transects T1 and T2 that were conducted on 28 February) and no monitoring was conducted in Transect T4. Exceedance in Action Level or Limit Level will be determined in March 2025 reporting period.

Monitoring of Measures to Minimise Impacts to Ma Tso Lung Stream and Siu Hang San Tsuen Stream, and Long Valley

6.3.17    As stipulated in Section 12.3.2.14 of the Updated EM&A Manual, aquatic fauna monitoring should be conducted monthly during the wet season of the construction phase. Therefore, no aquatic fauna monitoring was carried out during the reporting month. Monitoring activities will be resumed in April 2025.

 

Monitoring of Measures to Minimise Impacts on Ecological Sensitive Habitats from Disturbance and Pollution

 

Monitoring Methodology

 

Terrestrial Mammal

6.3.18    Mammal surveys were conducted both during the day and at night along transect routes that may be potentially utilized by terrestrial mammals. Observations included field signs such as droppings, footprints, diggings, and burrows left by larger terrestrial mammals. Any mammals directly observed were recorded, and identification was as accurate as possible based on the field signs.

6.3.19    Bat surveys were conducted along the transect routes shortly after sunset using a bat detector to record echolocation calls. The relative abundance of the species encountered were estimated with reference to the baseline monitoring results, using a scale from one (species recorded within transect routes) to three (dominant species within transect routes), for comparison between baseline and current monitoring results. Mammal nomenclature followed Shek (2006).

6.3.20    Echolocation calls of bats were recorded using a bat detector, which listed possible bat species with similar call patterns and frequencies. The structure of the recorded echolocation calls was later analysed to identify species as accurately as possible. Due to the lack of literature on echolocation call structures, field identification of some bat species in Hong Kong is challenging, and some species could only be identified to the genus level or remain unidentified from the recordings.

6.3.21    Identification of bat species encountered in the surveys was made by considering the possible species suggested by the bat detector, their distribution in Hong Kong, previous records in the EIA Report and Baseline Monitoring Report, and the structure of the echolocation calls (including call structure, frequency, duration, and inter-pulse interval) with reference to relevant literature.

 

Herpetofauna (Amphibians and Reptiles)

6.3.22    Both daytime and nighttime amphibian surveys were conducted whenever possible following or during periods of rainfall, focusing on areas suitable for amphibians (e.g., forests, shrublands, grasslands, streams, ponds, marshes, etc.). Calling amphibians were recorded, supplemented by visual observations of eggs, tadpoles, adult frogs, and toads.

6.3.23    Active searches of appropriate microhabitats, such as stones, pond bunds, crevices, and leaf debris, was primarily conducted. Observations of exposed, basking, and foraging reptiles were also carried out. Nomenclature for amphibians and reptiles followed Chan et al. (2005) and Karsen et al. (1998), respectively.

 

Butterfly and Odonates

6.3.24    Butterflies and dragonflies observed along the transects were identified and counted. Special attention was given to their preferred habitats, such as watercourses, fishponds, and vegetated areas. Nomenclature and protection status of the species followed Lo et al. (2005) for butterflies and Tam et al. (2011) for dragonflies.

 

Monitoring Parameters

6.3.25    The monitoring parameters are as follows:

•       Species composition;

•       Abundance;

•       Distribution for fauna observed; and

•       Species of conservation importance would be specified.

 

Monitoring Location

6.3.26    According to the Updated EM&A Manual, the transect routes for monitoring of ecologically sensitive receivers should follow the following:

•       T1. Ma Tso Lung riparian zone and associated wetland habitats; green belt areas E1-8, D1-8 and G1-3 in KTN NDA; AGR zone C2-4 and C2-2 in KTN NDA, and area north of Ng Tung River;

•       T2. Fanling North Freshwater Service Reservoir

•       T3. Area west of Siu Hang San Tsuen Stream;

•       T4. South side of Fanling Highway and Castle Peak Road in the vicinity of Pak Shek Au;

•       T5. Area west and east of the southern limit of the FLN NDA work area; and

•       T6. Areas in the western part of KTN.

6.3.27    The above transects are shown in Figure 6.1 and Figure 6.2. Relevant transect to Works Contract ND/2024/01 is Transect T1 which covers areas of Ma Tso Lung riparian zone and associated wetland habitats, green belt areas E1-8, D1-8 and G1-3 in KTN NDA, AGR zone C2-4 and C2-2 in KTN NDA, and areas North of Ng Tung River; and for Works Contract ND/2024/07 is Transect T3 which covers the area west of Siu Hang San Tsuen stream.

 

Monitoring Frequency

6.3.28    Monthly monitoring should be conducted for non-aquatic fauna, including terrestrial mammals, insects (butterflies and odonates), and herpetofauna.

6.3.29    For this reporting month, monthly monitoring for non-aquatic fauna were conducted by the First Phase ET on 21 February 2025 in Transect T3 and 26 February 2025 in Transect T1. Since the monitoring activities in Transect T3 were conducted prior to the commencement of Works Contract ND/2024/07 (27 February 2025), monitoring results in this transect is not included in this reporting month.

 

Monitoring Results

6.3.30    For this reporting month, monitoring results in Transect T1 which is only relevant to Works Contract ND/2024/01, is reported. As mentioned in Section 6.3.28, monitoring in Transect T3 was carried out before Works Contract ND/2024/07 commenced and no additional surveys were conducted due to the short period between the commencement date of construction works for Works Contract No. ND/2024/07 (27 February 2025) and the end of the reporting month (28 February 2025). Regular monitoring at and reporting in Transect T3 under Works Contract No. ND/2024/07 will commence in March 2025.

 

Terrestrial Mammals

6.3.31    A total of five species of terrestrial mammals were recorded in Transect T1, of which three were native species (Eurasian Wild Pig, Japanese Pipistrelle, and Short-nosed Fruit Bat) and two were of conservation interest (the Japanese Pipistrelle and Short-nosed Fruit Bat). Both bat species are protected under Cap. 170.  The species observed included domestic dogs and cats that are commonly associated with human settlements.

 

Herpetofauna (Amphibians and Reptiles)

6.3.32    A total of three herpetofauna species were recorded in Transect T1, including two amphibians (Asian Common Toad and Ornate Pigmy Frog) and one reptile (Bowring’s Gecko). All three species are native in Hong Kong. There were no species of conservation interest recorded.

 

Butterfly and Dragonfly

6.3.33    A total of 17 butterfly species were recorded in Transect T1. Among these, one species is of conservation interest, the Small White, which is classified as Rare by Chan et el. (2011).  Three native dragonfly species were recorded in Transect 1.  There were no species of conservation interest.

 

Summary of Monitoring Results

6.3.34    Monitoring for non-aquatic (terrestrial mammals, butterflies, dragonflies, and herpetofauna) was conducted by the First Phase ET. The relevant results for this reporting month are detailed in Appendices 6.2a to 6.2d.

6.3.35    Table 6.4 summarizes the monitoring results in Transect T1 this reporting month.

Table 6.4 Summary Table of Monitoring Results for Non-aquatic Fauna Relative to Action and Limit Levels, Transect T1

Monitoring Parameter

Result in Reporting Month (February 2025)

Baseline Level in Corresponding Month (February 2020)

Action Level(3)

Limit Level(4)

Terrestrial Mammals (1)

3

1

N/A

N/A

Herpetofauna (1)

3

3

2

1

Dragonflies (1)

3

4

3

2

Butterflies (2)

17

8

6

4

Notes:

(1)     Number of native species recorded

(2)     Number of species recorded

(3)     Exceedance of Action Level occurs when the monitoring result is lower than the Action Level.

(4)     Exceedance of Limit Level occurs when the monitoring result is lower than the Limit Level.

 

6.3.36    Action and Limit Levels for monitoring of impacts on ecologically sensitive habitats from disturbance and pollution could not be completely assessed during the reporting period. This is because the monitoring activities reported under this requirement only pertain to Works Contract No. ND/2024/01, as monitoring in Transect T3 was conducted prior to the commencement of Works Contract No. ND/2024/07. Exceedance of Action or Limit Levels will be determined in the March 2025 reporting period, following the completion of monitoring activities for this transect.

 

Details of the Influencing Factors

6.3.37    The details of the influencing factors were adopted from the observations of the First Phase ET. During the monitoring of measures to minimize disturbance to waterbirds in Long Valley and Sheung Yue River, anthropogenic activities such as excavation and other construction activities were observed near Long Valley. It should also be noted that the Long Valley Nature Park has been opened to the public since 09 November 2024. Potential increase in people visiting the park may potentially impact the habitats in Long Valley and cause disturbances to the bird communities in this area. Construction works were also observed along Sheung Yue River.

6.3.38    During the monitoring of measures to minimize disturbance to waterbirds in Ng Tung River, various anthropogenic activities were observed, such as construction works along Transect T2, recreational use of remote-control boats and toy helicopters in both Transects T1 and T2, and recreational fishing along these two transects.

6.4      Event and Action Plan

6.4.1      Should non-compliance of the ecological monitoring criteria occur, actions in accordance with the Event and Action Plan in Appendix 6.3 shall be carried out.

 

7           Landscape and Visual

7.1      Audit Requirements

7.1.1      According to the approved EM&A manual and Updated EM&A Manual for the First Phase, site audits should be undertaken at least once every two weeks during the construction period, by a Registered Landscape Architect (RLA). Particularly, to check that the proposed landscape and visual mitigation measures are properly implemented and maintained as per their intended objectives. Mitigation measures recommended in the EIA Report as the audit requirements including, preservation of existing vegetation, transplanting of affected trees, compensatory tree planting, control of night-time lighting glare, erection of decorative screen hoarding and management of construction activities and facilities.

7.2      Results and Observations

7.2.1      Bi-weekly landscape and visual site audits were carried out by a Registered Landscape Architect (RLA) on 2 and 11 February 2025 for ND/2024/01, 27 February 2025 for ND/2024/07.  No particular observation was recorded in this reporting period.

7.3      Event and Action Plan

7.3.1      Should any non-compliance of the criteria occur, action in accordance with the Event and Action Plan in Appendix 7.1 shall be followed.


 

8           Land Contamination (Ambient Arsenic Monitoring)

8.1      Monitoring Requirements

8.1.1      According to the approved EM&A Manual and Updated EM&A Manual for the First Phase, an ambient arsenic monitoring is required to be conducted in KTN during the clean-up processes of arsenic containing soil and the construction phase.

8.1.2      The RSP concentration was measured by HVS equipped with PM10 selector (PM10 HVS) following the "Reference Method for the Determination of Particulate Matter as PM10 in the Atmosphere" Part 50 Chapter 1 Appendix J, Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations of the USEPA.

8.1.3      The Dust-laden air was drawn through PM10 HVS fitted with a conditioned pre-weighting filter paper, at a controlled rate. After sampling for 24-hour, the filter paper with retained PM10 particulates was collected and returned to the laboratory for drying in a desiccators followed by accurate weighting. 24-hour average RSP levels were calculated from the ratio of the mass of PM10 particulates retained on the filter paper to the total volume of air sampled.

8.1.4      The weighted filter paper was prepared for arsenic testing through a "Hot Acid Extraction Procedure". The extracted material was tested for arsenic by using Inductively Coupled Plasma/Mass Spectrometry (ICP/MS). The extraction and testing was referenced to the following methods:

•       Compendium Method 1O-3.1 Selection, Preparation and Extraction of Filter Material, Center for Environmental Research Information, Office of Research and Development, USEPA, June 1999; and Compendium Method 1O-3.5 determination of Metals in Ambient Particulate Matter using Inductively Coupled Plasma/Mass Spectrometry (ICP/MS., Center for Environmental Research Information, Office of Research and Development, USEPA, June 1999.

8.2      Monitoring Locations

8.2.1      Ambient arsenic monitoring was conducted at the monitoring station(s) under the Work Contract(s), as shown in Table 8.1 describes the location of the ambient arsenic monitoring station. The location of the ambient arsenic monitoring station is presented in Figure 8.1.

Table 8.1 Location of Ambient Arsenic Monitoring station

Monitoring Station(s)

Location(s)

Works Contract(s)

KTN-DMS-4A(1)(2)

Temporary Structure at Pak Shek Au

ND/2024/01

Remarks:

(1)    Monitoring at the original location of KTN-DMS-4 (originally proposed in the approved EM&A Manual) was denied as there was no electricity supply. An alternative location (KTN-DMS-4A) was proposed by First Phase ET.

(2)    The ambient arsenic monitoring was conducted by First Phase ET during the reporting period.

8.3      Monitoring Equipment

8.3.1      Table 8.2 summarises the equipment used in the ambient arsenic monitoring. Copies of the calibration certificates for ambient arsenic monitoring are shown in Appendix 8.1

Table 8.2 Ambient Arsenic Monitoring Equipment

Monitoring

Station

Equipment

Manufacturer

Model

No. of Equipment

KTN-DMS-4A(1)(2)

Calibrator

TISCH

TE-5025A

1

HVS Sampler (RSP)

TISCH

TE-6070X

1

Remarks:

(1)    Monitoring at the original location of KTN-DMS-4 (originally proposed in the approved EM&A Manual) was denied as there was no electricity supply. An alternative location (KTN-DMS-4A) was proposed by First Phase ET.

(2)    The ambient arsenic monitoring was conducted by First Phase ET during the reporting period.

8.4      Monitoring Parameters, Frequency and Duration

8.4.1      Table 8.3 summarises the monitoring parameters and frequencies of ambient arsenic during the clean-up processes of arsenic-containing soil and construction. The ambient arsenic monitoring schedule for the reporting month shown in Appendix 2.1.

Table 8.3 Impact Ambient Arsenic Monitoring Parameters, Frequency and Duration

Parameters

Frequency(1)

24-hr RSP (Ambient Arsenic)

Once/ 6 days

Remark:

1.     The ambient arsenic monitoring was conducted by First Phase ET during the reporting period.

8.5      Monitoring Methodology and QA/QC Procedure

 

Instrumentation

8.5.1      HVS (GMW PM10 (TE6070X)) complete with appropriate sampling inlets was employed for 24-hour RSP monitoring. The sampler was composed of a motor, a filter holder, a flow controller and a sampling inlet and its performance specification complied with that required by USEPA Standard Title 40, Code of Federation Regulations Chapter 1 (Part 50).

8.5.2      The following guidelines were adopted during the installation of HVS:

•       a horizontal platform with appropriate support to secure the samplers against gusty wind was provided;

•       no two samplers was placed less than 2 meters apart;

•       the distance between the sampler and an obstacle, such as buildings, was at least twice the height that the obstacle protrudes above the sampler;

•       a minimum of 2 meters of separation from walls, parapets and penthouses was required for rooftop samplers;

•       a minimum of 2 meters separation from any supporting structure, measured horizontally was required;

•       no furnace or incinerator flue was nearby;

•       airflow around the sampler was unrestricted;

•       the sampler was more than 20 meters from the dripline;

•       any wire fence and gate, to protect the sampler, were not cause any obstruction during monitoring;

•       permission was obtained to set up the samplers and to obtain access to the monitoring stations; and

•       a secured supply of electricity was needed to operate the samplers

 

Operating/analytical procedures for the operation of HVS

 

•       Prior to the commencement of the dust sampling, the flow rate of the high volume sampler was properly set (between 1.1 m3 /min. and 1.4 m3 /min.) in accordance with the manufacturer's instruction to within the range recommended in USEPA Standard Title 40, CFR Part 50;

•       The power supply was checked to ensure the sampler worked properly. On sampling, the sampler was operated for 5 minutes to establish thermal equilibrium before placing any filter media at the designated air monitoring station;

•       The filter holding frame was then removed by loosening the four nuts and a weighted and conditioned filter was carefully centered with the stamped number upwards, on a supporting screen;

•       The filter was aligned on the screen so that the gasket formed an airtight seal on the outer edges of the filter. The filter holding frame was then tightened to the filter holder with swing bolts. The applied pressure was sufficient to avoid air leakage at the edges;

•       The shelter lid was closed and secured with the aluminum strip;

•       The timer was then programmed. Information was recorded on the record sheet, which included the starting time, the weather condition and the filter number (the initial weight of the filter paper can be found out by using the filter number);

•       After sampling, the filter was removed and sent to the Wellab Ltd. for weighing. The elapsed time was also recorded; and

•       Before weighing, all filters were equilibrated in a conditioning environment for 24 hours. The conditioning environment temperature was between 25°C and 30°C and did not vary by more than ±3°C; the relative humidity (RH) was < 50% and did not vary by more than ±5%. A convenient working RH was 40%. Weighing results were further analysis of RSP concentrations collected by each filter.

8.6      Maintenance/Calibration

8.6.1      The following maintenance/calibration was required for the HVS:

•       The high volume motors and their accessories were properly maintained. Appropriate maintenance such as routine motor brushes replacement and electrical wiring checking were made to ensure that the equipment and necessary power supply were in good working condition; and

•       High volume samplers were calibrated at bi-monthly intervals using TE-5025A Calibration Kit throughout all stages of the ambient arsenic monitoring.

8.7      Laboratory Measurement / Analysis

8.7.1      Quartz filters of size 8” x 10” were labelled before sampling. A HOKLAS accredited laboratory, Wellab Ltd., was responsible for the preparation of 24-hour conditioned and pre-weighed filter papers for the monitoring team. The balance for weighting filter paper was regularly calibrated against a traceable standard.

8.7.2      All filters, which were prepared and equilibrated in the conditioning environment for 24 hours before weighing. The conditioning environment temperature was around 25 °C and not variable by more than ±3 °C; the relative humidity (RH) was < 50% and not variable by more than ±5%. A convenient working RH was 40%.

8.7.3      Wellab Ltd. (HOKLAS Registration No. HOKLAS083), was responsible for the extraction and testing procedure for Arsenic and comprehensive quality assurance and quality control programmes were conducted.

8.8      Result and Observations

8.8.1      The ambient arsenic monitoring results are summarised in Table 8.4.

Table 8.4 Result Summary Against Action and Limit Levels for 24-hour RSP Monitoring Results (Ambient Arsenic)

Contract No.

Monitoring

Date

Monitoring

Station

Concentration

(ƞg/m3)

AL

(ƞg/m3)

LL

(ƞg/m3)

ND/2024/01

03/02/2025

KTN-DMS4A*

3.87

9.36

11.7

06/02/2025

5.63

12/02/2025

4.21

18/02/2025

6.08

24/02/2025

4.99

28/02/2025

5.60

Remark:

* The 24-hour RSP monitoring for ambient arsenic was conducted by First Phase ET during the reporting period.

8.8.2      All ambient arsenic monitoring was conducted as scheduled in the reporting month. No AL or LL exceedances were recorded.

8.9      Event and Action Plan

8.9.1      Should any non-compliance of the criteria occur, actions in accordance with the Event/Action Plan in Appendix 8.2 shall be carried out.

 

9           Landfill Gas Monitoring

9.1      Monitoring Requirements

9.1.1      In accordance with the updated EM&A Manual, monitoring of landfill gas (LFG) is required for the construction works within the 250m Landfill Consultation Zone of Ma Tso Lung (MTLL, close to KTN NDA) during the construction phase. This section presents the results of landfill gas measurements performed by the Contractor.

9.1.2      The Ma Tso Lung Landfill is situated in the vicinity of the KTN NDA. A portion of the development falls within the 250m Landfill Consultation Zone of Ma Tso lung Landfill.

9.2      Monitoring Locations

9.2.1      As confirmed by the Supervisor Team, no ground disturbance works were carried out in the work area within 250m Landfill Consultation Zone of Ma Tso Lung Landfill including construction of the infrastructure, development works, excavation works and works involve confined spaces. Routine gas monitoring should be undertaken during groundwork construction and in all excavations. Thus, in this reporting month, the area is not required to be monitored for landfill gas are shown below.

 

Ψ     Excavation Locations:               N/A

Ψ     Manholes and Chambers:          N/A

Ψ     Relocation of monitoring wells:   N/A

Ψ     Any other Confined Spaces:      N/A

9.3      Result and Observations

9.3.1      As confirmed by the Supervisor Team, no ground disturbance works were carried out in the work area within 250m Landfill Consultation Zone of Ma Tso Lung Landfill including construction of the infrastructure, development works, excavation works and works involve confined spaces. Routine gas monitoring should be undertaken during groundwork construction and in all excavations. Therefore, no landfill gas monitoring was carried out.

10      Environmental Site Inspection and Audit

10.1  Implementation Status of Environmental Mitigation Measures

10.1.1    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 period, site inspections at Works Contract No. ND/2024/01 were carried out on 4, 11, 18 and 25 February 2025. For Works Contract No. ND/2024/07 were carried out on 27 February 2025.

10.1.2    No major environmental deficiency was observed during weekly site inspection in the report period, however, general reminders regarding environmental aspects were given to the Contractor. Key observations and reminders observed during the site inspections at Works Contract No. ND/2024/01 in the reporting period are summarized in Table 10.1.

Table 10.1 Site Observations at Works Contract No. ND/2024/01 and ND/2024/07 during the Reporting Period

Works Contracts

Inspection Date

Key Observations/ Reminders

Follow-up Action

ND/2024/01

04 February 2025

Observation:

 

Nil

 

 

Nil

Reminder:

 

Nil

Nil

 11 February 2025

Observation:

 

Nil

 

 

Nil

Reminder:

 

1.   The contractor was reminded to cover stockpile of dusty rocks at Portion XL in order to avoid fugitive dust emission.

Nil

18 February 2025

Observation:

 

Nil

 

 

Nil

Reminder:

 

Nil

Nil

25 February 2025

Observation:

 

Nil

 

 

Nil

Reminder:

 

Nil

Nil

ND/2024/07

27 February 2025

Observation:

 

1.   Construction solid waste, debris and rubbish on site should be collected, handled and disposed of properly at Portion 1a (Footbridge FB-4 (South)) to avoid water quality impacts

 

 

1.   Soil and debris on the u-channel have been removed and the u-channel has been covered by plastic board to prevent further contamination. (Rectified on 28 February 2025)

Reminder:

 

1.   The Contractor was reminded that stockpile should be covered with tarpaulin sheet at Portion 9b to avoid fugitive dust emission.

Nil

10.1.3    According to the EIA Study Report, Environmental Permit, contract documents and Updated EM&A Manual, the mitigation measures detailed in the documents should be implemented as much as practical during the reporting period. An updated implementation status of environmental mitigation measures is provided in Appendix 1.3.

 

11      Summary of Monitoring Exceedance, Complaints, Notification of Summons and Prosecutions

11.1   Summary of Exceedance

11.1.1    No Action Level or Limit Level exceedance was recorded for air quality monitoring in the reporting period.

11.1.2    No Action Level or Limit Level exceedance was recorded for construction noise monitoring in the reporting period.

11.1.3    No Action Level or Limit Level exceedance was recorded for ambient arsenic monitoring in the reporting period.

11.1.4    Action and Limit Levels for monitoring measures to minimize disturbance to waterbirds and impacts on ecologically sensitive habitats from disturbance and pollution could not be completely assessed during the reporting month. Results of waterbirds monitoring in Transects T1, T2, T3, and T5 was only relevant to Works Contract No. ND/2024/01, as it was conducted prior to the commencement of Works Contract No. ND/2024/07 (except for data collected on 28 February 2025 in Transects T1 and T2). No additional monitoring was conducted for waterbirds in Transect T4 (Shek Sheung River) and for non-aquatic fauna in Transect T3 (west of Siu Hang San Tsuen Stream) due to the limited time between the start of Works Contract No. ND/2024/07 (27 February 2025) and the end of the reporting month (28 February 2025). Regular ecological monitoring for lacking transects under each active works contract, will begin in March 2025, with Action and Limit Levels to be reported subsequently. No exceedances were reported for Ma Tso Lung Stream and Siu Hang San Tsuen Stream, as monitoring for these areas is scheduled for the wet season (April-October).

11.2   Summary of Environmental Non-Compliance

11.2.1    No environmental non-compliance was recorded in the reporting period.

11.3   Summary of Environmental Complaint

11.3.1    No environmental complaint was received in the reporting period. The summary of environmental complaint is presented in Appendix 11.1.

11.4   Summary of Environmental Summon and Successful Prosecution

11.4.1    There was no successful environmental prosecution or notification of summons received since the Project commencement. The summary of environmental summon and successful prosecution is presented in Appendix 11.1.

 

12      Future Key Issues

12.1   Works and Potential Environmental Issues in the next Reporting Period

12.1.1    The upcoming construction works programme, and the construction works area of the Project are presented in Appendix 1.1. Works to be undertaken in the next reporting period are summarized below:

Contract No. ND/2024/01

 

•       All Site Resumption Area(s)

1.     Tree survey

2.     Site Clearance

•       Portion XXll (22) and Portion XLIV (44)

1.     Site Clearance and Demolition

•       Portion XL (40)

1.     Site Clearance and Tree Felling

2.     Excavation, Mixing with General fill & Backfilling

3.     Construct Retaining Wall & Backfilling

 

Contract No. ND/2024/06

 

•       Forming haul road for excavation works of Portion A;

•       Tree felling of Portion A;

•       Transplantation of fern (2nd batch);

•       General excavation to +108 mpd platform of Portion A;

•       Ground investigation works(borehole BH01-05 and piezometer B1

•       Slope trimming and soil nailing works of cut slope S1 & S2 / access road of Portion A;

•       Trial run for Temporary Traffic Arrangement (TTA) of Portion C;

•       Demolition of DN2000 pipes and associated thrust blocks of Portion D &

•       Watermains laying works at Fu Tei Au Road of Portion C & Portion D.

 

Contract No. ND/2024/07

 

•       Site Clearance for works areas

•       Construction of Site Accommodation

•       Pre-bored Socketed H Pile Construction

•       Trial Pit Excavation

•       Tree Felling

•       Land Contamination Investigation

•       Internal Movement / Exportation of C&D materials

12.1.2    Potential environmental impacts arising from the above construction activities are mainly associated with construction noise impact, water quality impact, ecological impact, waste management, and landscape and visual.

12.2   Recommendation

12.2.1    The key environmental mitigation measures for the Project in the coming reporting period expected to be associated with the construction activities include:

Dust

 

•       Regular watering to reduce dust emissions from exposed site surface;

•       Stockpile of dusty materials shall be covered entirely by impervious sheeting;

•       Provide vehicles washing facilities at all site exits to wash away any dusty materials from vehicle body;

•       NRMM Labels should be displayed on the applicable equipment on site by the Contractor;

•       Provision of water sprinklers along the haul road for dust suppression.

 

Noise

 

•       Only well-maintained plant should be operated on-site, and plant should be maintained regularly during the construction programme; and

•       Quality Powered Mechanical Equipment (QPME) should be adopted as far as possible.

 

Water Quality

 

•       No effluent discharge would be allowed before acquired the effluent discharge license;

•       Surface run-off from construction sites should be discharged into dedicated discharge point via adequately designed sand/ silt removal facilities;

•       Channels/ earth bunds/ sandbags barriers should be provided on site to properly direct stormwater to silt removal facilities;

•       Silt removal facilities, channels and manholes should be maintained, and the deposited silt and grit should be removed regularly;

•       Open stockpiles of construction materials on sites should be covered with tarpaulin or similar fabric during rainstorms; and

•       Perimeter channels should be provided on site boundaries where necessary to intercept stormwater run-off from outside the site so that it will not wash across the site.

 

Waste Management

 

•       Provision of sufficient waste disposal points and regular collection of waste;

•       Regular cleaning and maintenance programme for drainage system; and

•       Chemical containers shall be stored with drip tray underneath.

 

Landscape and Visual

 

•       Construction activities shall be carefully designed to minimize impact on existing retained trees

 

Land Contamination

 

•       Stockpiling site(s) should be lined with impermeable sheeting and bunded. Stockpiles should be properly covered by impermeable sheeting to reduce dust emission during dry season or contaminated run-off during rainy season. Watering should be avoided on stockpiles of soil to minimise runoff.

 

Landfill Gas Hazard

•       “No Smoking” and “No Naked Flame” notices in Chinese and English should be posted prominently around the construction site.

 

Ecology

 

•       Properly erect and maintain 2m high solid barriers for protection.

12.2.2    The tentative impact monitoring schedule for the next reporting period is shown in the Appendix 12.1. The regular impact monitoring will be conducted at the same monitoring locations in the next reporting period.  

 

13      Conclusions

13.1   Conclusion

13.1.1    This is the 2nd Monthly EM&A Report summarizing the findings of EM&A works at Works Contract No. ND/2024/01 under the Project with EP-467/2013/A and EP-468/2013/A during the reporting period from 1 to 28 February 2025 and Contract No. ND/2024/07 under the Project with EP-467/2013 during the reporting period from 27 to 28 February 2025. No construction works occur in the remaining contracts during the reporting period for Contract No. ND/2024/02, ND/2024/03, ND/2024/04, ND/2024/05, ND/2024/06 and ND/2024/08

13.1.2    No Action Level or Limit Level exceedance was recorded for air quality and construction noise monitoring in the reporting period.

13.1.3    All ambient arsenic monitoring was conducted as scheduled in the reporting period.  No Action or Limit Level exceedance was recorded during ambient arsenic monitoring in the reporting period.

13.1.4    No Action and Limit Levels for ecological monitoring were reported this reporting period as Action and Limit Levels under measures to minimize disturbance to waterbirds and impacts on ecologically sensitive habitats from disturbance and pollution could not be completely assessed. Waterbirds monitoring in Transects T1, T2, T3, and T5 was only relevant to Works Contract No. ND/2024/01, as it was conducted prior to the commencement of Works Contract No. ND/2024/07 (except for data collected on 28 February 2025 in Transects T1 and T2). No additional monitoring was conducted for waterbirds in Transect T4 (Shek Sheung River) and for non-aquatic fauna in Transect T3 (west of Siu Hang San Tsuen Stream) due to the limited time between the start of Works Contract No. ND/2024/07 (27 February 2025) and the end of the reporting month (28 February 2025). Regular ecological monitoring for these transects, under each relevant works contract, will begin in March 2025, with Action and Limit Levels to be reported subsequently. No exceedances were reported for Ma Tso Lung Stream and Siu Hang San Tsuen Stream, as monitoring for these areas is scheduled for the wet season (April-October).

13.1.5    Environmental site inspections were conducted at Works Contract No. ND/2024/01 on 4, 11, 18 and 25 February 2025. For Works Contract No. ND/2024/07 were carried out on 27 February 2025.

13.1.6    No environmental complaint was received in the reporting period.

13.1.7    No notification of summons and prosecution was received in the reporting period.

13.1.8    The ET will keep track on the construction works to confirm compliance of environmental requirements and the proper implementation of all necessary mitigation measures.

13.1.9    No change to the EM&A programme was made in this reporting period.

13.2   Comments/ Recommendations

13.2.1    The proposed mitigation measures were properly implemented and were considered effective and efficient in pollution control.