Contents
1.1 Purpose of the Report
2.1 Project Area
2.2 Environmental Sensitive
Receivers
2.3 Major Construction
Activities
2.4 Monitoring Schedule of The
Reporting Month
2.5 Status of Environmental
Approval Documents
2.6 Community Liaison Group
Meeting
2.7 Summary of Non-Compliance
With The Environmental Quality Performance Limits
2.8 Summary of Environmental
Complaints
2.9 Summary of Environmental
Summons
3 Environmental Issues and Actions
3.1 Previous Environmental
Deficiencies and Follow-up Actions
3.2 Implementation Status on
Environmental Protection Requirements
4.1 Air and Noise
4.2 Water Quality
4.3 POPs Monitoring
4.4 Waste Management
4.5 Cultural Heritage
4.6 Landscape and Visual
4.7 Land Contamination, Hazard
to Life and Fuel Spill Risk
4.8 Ecology
4.9 EM&A Manual
4.10 Baseline Water Quality
Monitoring
5.1 Key Issues for the Next One
Month
5.2 Impact Prediction for the
Next One Month
5.3 Works and Monitoring Schedule
for the Next One Month
LIST OF TABLES
Table 2.1 Summary
of Works Undertaken During the Reporting Period
Table 2.2 Cumulative
Quantity of Excavated Materials Marine Sediments up to 31st May 2008
Table 2.3 Summary
of Environmental Licensing, Notification and Permit Status
LIST OF ANNEXES
Annex A Project Location
Annex B Water Quality Monitoring Stations,
Water Quality and Ecological Sensitive Receivers
Annex C Cumulative Complaints Statistics
EXECUTIVE
SUMMARY
The construction works for the Permanent Aviation
Fuel Facility resumed on 9th July 2007. This nineteenth
monthly Environmental Monitoring and Audit (EM&A) report presents the
EM&A works carried out during the period from 1st May to 31st
May 2008 in accordance with the EM&A
Manual.
Breaches of all Action and Limit Levels
No water quality
monitoring was conducted (due to no dredging work) during the reporting period
that required comparison against Action and Limit Levels.
Complaint Log
No environmental
complaints were received during the reporting period.
Notifications of any Summons
and Successful Prosecutions
No environmental summon or prosecutions were received in this reporting
period.
Reporting Changes
There were no reporting changes in the reporting period.
Future Key Issues
·
Dust
release and suppression.
Leighton
Contractors (
The construction works for PAFF commenced in November
2005 based upon the previous EIA (EIAO
Register Number AEIAR-062-2002) conducted and the Environmental Permit EP-139/2002 granted on the 28th
August 2002. Due to minor changes to the
detailed layout of the site and the site boundary, application for Variation to
the Environmental Permit (VEP) (VEP-133/2004)
was submitted to the Director of Environmental Protection (DEP) for
approval. The variation to the EP (EP-139/2002/A) was granted by the EPD in
February 2004.
The decision by
the EPD to grant the above Environmental Permit was, however, subject to a
Judicial Review. The Judicial Review
sided in the favour of the DEP, as did the subsequent Judgement from the Court
of Appeal from the High Court for Judicial Review in March 2005. However, the DEP’s decision to grant the EP
was quashed by the Judgement of the Court of Final Appeal of July 2006.
The construction
works were stopped following the Judgement of the Court of Final Appeal of July
2006. As such, in order to continue with
the construction of the project, the project went through the statutory
procedures under the EIAO again with a new design in order to obtain an
environmental permit. The revised EIA
was submitted in 2007 and the environmental permit (EP-262/2007) was granted in May 2007. EP-262/2007
has been amended to EP-262/2007/A and
issued by the EPD on 30 November 2007. A
further Variation to the Environmental Permit has been approved to allow
dredging works to continue until March 2008.
As such, EP-262/2007/A has
been amended to EP-262/2007/B and
issued by the EPD on 27 February 2008.
The construction works and EM&A requirements were
resumed on 9th July 2007 following the latest requirements of the EP-262/2007/B and EM&A Manual. Details
regarding the EM&A requirements and changes should refer to the updated EM&A Manual. For the marine works, all piling activities
were completed before the previous suspension of construction works in 2006.
This is the nineteenth EM&A Report which
summarizes the monitoring results and audit findings for the EM&A programme
during the reporting period from 1st
May to 31st May 2008.
The project area is
in Area 38 of Tuen Mun and the pipelines are located in
No air and noise
sensitive receivers were identified close to the project area. However, water sensitive receivers and
ecological sensitive receivers were identified in the EIA study, and are shown
in Annex B.
A summary of the major works undertaken in this
reporting period is shown in Table 2.1. Table 2.2 presented the cumulative quantity
of excavated materials up to 31st May 2008. The cumulative dredging volume during the
reporting period was presented in Figure 2.1.
Table 2.1 Summary
of Works Undertaken During the Reporting Period
Area |
Works
undertaken |
Tuen Mun Area 38 |
Tank Farm, Roof Truss and Bund Wall
Construction Permanent Drainage Construction Operational & Fire Services Buildings
Construction Jetty Works (Non-piling) |
Submarine |
None |
Table 2.2 Cumulative
Quantity of Excavated Materials Marine Sediments up to 31st May 2008
Type of Excavated
Materials |
Cumulative Bulk Volume (m3) |
Contaminated
Mud |
105,974 |
Uncontaminated
Mud |
97,815 |
No water quality monitoring was conducted during the
reporting periods, hence presentation of the monitoring schedule is not
applicable.
A summary of the relevant permits, licences, and/or
notifications on environmental protection for this Project since July 2007 is
presented in Table 2.3.
Table 2.3 Summary
of Environmental Licensing, Notification and Permit Status
Permit/ Licenses/ Notification |
Reference |
Validity
Period |
Remarks |
Environmental
Permit |
EP-262/2007/B |
Throughout
Project |
Issued
on 27 February 2008 (EP-262/2007/A on
30 November 2007, EP-262/2007
issued on 31 May 2007, EP-139/2002 originally
granted on 28 August 2002 and EP-139/2002/A
granted on 24 February 2004 were superseded) |
|
|||
|
|
|
|
Chemical
Waste Producer Registration |
WPN 5111-421-L2174-25 |
Throughout
Project |
Issued
on 10 November 2005 |
Notification
of Construction Works under Air Pollution Control (Construction Dust)
Regulation |
H2104/U1D/5542/DG/DH/PL |
Throughout
Project |
Notification
on 6 July 2007 |
Construction
Noise Permit |
GW-RW0676-07 |
21
December 2007 to 19 June 2008 |
For
land-based works including air compressors, breakers, excavators, wheeled
loaders, mobile cranes, concrete lorry mixers, hand-held pokers, bar
benders/cutters, wood saws, grinders, submarine water pump, lorries with
crane, dump trucks, rollers, ventilation fans and generators |
|
GW-RW0677-07 |
21
December 2007 to 29 February 2008 |
For
marine dredging operation including grab dredger, tug boat, split hopper
barge and motor sampan |
|
GW-RW0678-07 |
21
December 2007 to 18 June 2008 |
For
marine jetty works including concrete pump derrick barges, hand-held
grinders, generators, air compressors, boring machines, water pumps, tug
boat, grout mixers and grout pumps |
|
GW-RW0094-08 |
1
March to 31 March 2008 |
For
marine dredging operation including grab dredger, tug boat, split hopper
barge and motor sampan |
Marine
Dumping Permit |
EP/MD/08-064 |
13
December 2007 to 29 February 2008 |
For
Type 1 – Open Sea Disposal |
|
EP/MD/08-065 |
13
December 2007 to 12 January 2008 |
For
Type 1d & Type 2 marine disposal |
|
EP/MD/08-071 |
13
January 2008 to 12 February 2008 |
For
Type 1d & Type 2 marine disposal |
|
EP/MD/08-090 |
3
March to 31 March 2008 |
For
Type 1d & Type 2 marine disposal |
|
EP/MD/08-091 |
3
March to 31 March 2008 |
For
Type 1 – Open Sea Disposal |
Wastewater
Discharge License |
EP760/421/011399/l |
15 March 2006 to 31 March 2011 |
Issued
on 15 March 2006 |
According
to the EP requirements, a Community Liaison Group (CLG) shall be established
within three months after commencement of construction of the Project. The major duty of the CLG is to advise on and
monitor the proper design, construction and operation of the Project. The CLG comprises representatives from
Airport Authority, members of Tuen Mun community and academics. The details of the CLG (including
Membership and its Terms of Reference) and the meeting minutes can be found on
the Project website (http://www.paffhk.com).
No meetings of the CLG were held during this
reporting month.
No environmental
non-compliance was found during the reporting period.
No environmental
complaints were received during the reporting period. A summary of environmental complaints since
project commencement is presented in Annex C.
No summons was
received in this reporting period. A
summary of legal proceeding since project commencement is presented in Annex C.
As no
environmental complaint was received over the last reporting period, no
follow-up action was required.
Weekly site inspections
were carried out by the ET on 2, 9, 15, 21 and 29 May 2008. Overall, the site was in good orderly manner
and no non-compliance was found.
Environmental deficiencies and follow-up actions/mitigation measures
were identified during the inspections, as follows:
Air Quality
·
Water tankers were used regularly to wet the road surface to minimize
dust emission.
·
Site entrance was paved and wheel-washing facility was provided to avoid
dust deposit on the public road.
·
Main access road within the site (between site office and exit) was
paved to avoid dust emission. Other
sections of the major access road in the construction area were paved with
stones.
·
During the site inspection on 7 May 2008, open stockpiles of excavated
soilwere spotted at drainage and bund wall construction areas. The Contractor was recommended to wet unused
piles regularly to avoid wind erosion.
Noise
·
No noisy activities that generated excessive noise were observed during
the audit.
·
All air compressors inspected on site were operated with a valid noise
label.
Water Quality
·
Site toilets were provided on site.
A soil soakaway system with holding tanks was installed to treat the
sewage from the toilets. No effluent
discharge out of the site was observed during the audits.
·
During the site inspection on 29 May 2008, sediment plumes were observed
at the water discharge outlet near the marine area. The Contractor was recommended to check and
review the operating efficiency and capacity of sediment tanks immediately to
ensure discharged water is free from silt.
·
During the site inspections on 15, 21 and 29 May 2008, stagnant water
pools were observed adjacent to the new workshop near the site entrance. The Contractor was recommended to arrange ad hoc water clearances during the rainy
season.
·
During the site inspection on 29 May 2008, mud and dirt were observed in
the car-wash facility at the entrance of the construction site. The Contractor was recommended to review
car-wash procedures and arrange ad hoc
cleanups under poor weather conditions.
Waste Management
·
During the site
inspection on 29 May 2008, it was observed that general wastes were not orderly
disposed in provided waste skips. During
the visits on 2 and 15 May 2008, construction and demolition wastes were
observed to be mixed with general wastes in waste skips. The Contractor was recommended to maintain
subcontractors’ awareness on compiling waste management practice and
housekeeping to avoid future incidents.
·
During the site
inspections on 2, 9 and 15 May 2008, regular oil and waste oil drums were
observed to be placed on bare ground at multiple locations. On 2 May 2008, an unused oil jack was also
placed on the ground of the workshop, leading to oil sheen run-offs onto the
access road in the surcharge area. The
Contractor was recommended to provide drip trays for temporary storage of
chemical wastes and equipments with oil to avoid oil leakages.
·
During the site
inspection on 9 May 2008, oil sheens and water pools were observed on the floor
of the chemical waste storage in the surcharge area. In a separate incidence on 15 May 2008, a
drip tray in the surcharge area was observed to be full, filled with water and
oil sheens on the surface. The
Contractor was recommended to implement mitigation measures (e.g arrange
clean-up, enhance covering and etc) to keep the storage areas and equipments
dry and clean.
·
During the site
inspection on 15 May 2008, some chemical wastes in the chemical waste storage
were not labelled. The Contractor was
recommended to retrieve appropriate chemical waste labels from registered
collectors for clear identification of waste properties.
Landscape and Visual
·
The transplanted
trees at the new site were in good and healthy condition; and,
·
The berm was
habilitated by vegetation.
Overall, the site
was in a good orderly manner. The ET
will keep track on the EM&A programme to ensure compliance of environmental
requirements and the proper implementation of all necessary mitigation
measures.
The
implementation status of environmental mitigation measures and requirements as
stated in the EIA Report, Environmental Permits and EM&A Manual during the reporting period is
summarized in Annex
D.
Air and Noise monitoring
is not required for the project.
No dredging activities were scheduled from 1 April 2008 onwards. Water quality monitoring was therefore not
required for the reporting month.
Persistent organic
pollutants (POPs) monitoring was not required since there was no dredging
operation during the reporting month.
A marine archaeological Watching Brief of two
sub-surface anomalies was implemented from 21st to 28th
February 2008. No archaeological sites
or relics were found and it was considered by the licensed Marine Archaeologist
that the anomalies have no cultural heritage significance. No additional mitigation measures were thus
required to be implemented by the PAFF project in regard to the anomalies SS1
and SS2.
The Watching Brief Report, verified by the
Independent Environmental Checker, was submitted to the EPD and AMO on 9th
May 2008.
According to the EIA report and EM&A Manual, mitigation measures and site inspection are
required during the landscaping/planting works.
The berm/landscaping bund was habilitated by vegetation which was grown
during the project suspension period.
The transplanted trees were in good and healthy condition.
The weekly site
inspections included audits on landscape and visual issues to ensure that the
site was in orderly acceptable manner.
According to the
EIA report and EM&A Manual, mitigation measures and design phase audit are
required to minimise the risk of fuel spill and hazards. The Contractor will
submit the updated design audit plan according to the EP requirements.
Pursuant to Condition 3.5 of the EP, the Contractor
submitted three design drawings which address the specific sub-clauses on Condition 3.5a of the EP concerning the
containment systems of aviation fuel storage tank farm. The ET and the IEC have provided
certification and verification to the drawings respectively and the drawings
were submitted to the EPD on 7 November 2007.
Weekly site
inspection covered the waste management aspects which included measures to
prevent land contamination by chemical wastes.
Dolphin visual
monitoring was not required as no dredging works were scheduled for the
reporting period.
The EM&A Manual for the Project has been
updated by the ET to include the detailed arrangements of setting up a
Community Liaison Group, carrying out design audit, and monitoring of
Persistent Organic Pollutants during construction of the Project. No further actions regarding the EM&A
manual were required during the reporting month.
Baseline water quality monitoring was conducted
between 24 October and 30 October 2007 at six designated monitoring stations (three
impact stations and three control stations) established for the Project in
accordance with the EM&A Manual. The Final
Baseline Monitoring Report was submitted to the EPD on 21 November and
comments were received from the EPD on 6th December. A revised Final
Baseline Monitoring Report was submitted to the EPD on 20th
February 2008 with no further comments received and later placed under the EIAO
register.
It should be noted that dredging activities have been
suspended from 1st April onwards and are tentatively scheduled to
resume in September 2008. No dredging
operation will be undertaken in the next reporting period. As such, the key issue to be considered in
the next one month will be:
·
Dust
release and suppression.
Provided that
environmental mitigation measures including good on-site practises are properly
implemented, it is not expected that unacceptable adverse impacts will arise.
Work programme for the next one month includes jetty platform works (non-piling) and site works (construction works for tank farm, operational and fire services buildings, drainages, bund wall, security wall etc). Weekly site inspections will be undertaken.