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Document control
Report title		Quarterly Environmental Monitoring and Audit (EM&A) Report
Document code		EM&A-01	Project number		P525672
File path
Client		Wing Tat Civil Engineering Co. Limited
Client contact			Client reference
Rev	Date	Revision details/status	Author	Reviewer	Verifier (if required)	Approver
0	2024-07-17	First Issue	Jason Man	F. C. Tsang		Kevin Li
1	2024-07-31	Second Issue	Jason Man	F. C. Tsang		Kevin Li
2	2024-08-19	Second Issue	Jason Man	F. C. Tsang		Kevin Li
Current revision		3

 

 

Approval
Author signature		Certified by
Name	Jason Man	Name	F. C. Tsang
Title	Environmental Team Consultant	Title	Environmental Team Leader

 

Contents

Executive Summary. IV

1    Introduction. 1

1.1     Project Background. 1

1.2     Construction Works Programme. 2

1.3     Project Organisation. 2

1.4     Construction Works Programme and Construction Works Area. 3

1.5     Works undertaken during the Period. 3

2    Water Quality. 5

2.1     Monitoring Requirement. 5

2.2     Monitoring Location. 5

2.3     Monitoring Parameter and Frequency. 6

2.4     Action and Limit Level for Water Quality Monitoring.. 6

2.5     Event and Action Plan. 7

2.6     Results and Observations. 8

2.7     Quarterly Assessment of Construction Impacts on Suspended Solids at the Project Site. 11

3    Noise. 13

3.1     Monitoring Locations. 13

3.2     Noise Monitoring Parameter, Frequency and Duration. 13

3.3     Action and Limit Levels. 14

3.4     Results and Observations. 14

4    Ecology. 15

4.1     Freshwater Crab. 15

5    Waste Management. 16

6    Land Contamination. 17

7    Landscape and Visual. 18

7.1     Audit Requirements. 18

7.2     Results and Observations. 18

8    Cultural Heritage. 19

8.1     Archaeology. 19

8.2     Built Heritage. 19

9    Environmental Site Inspection and Audit. 13

9.1     Implementation Status of Environmental Mitigation Measures. 13

10     Summary of Monitoring Exceedance, Complaints, Notification of Summons and Prosecutions. 15

10.1      Summary of Exceedance. 15

10.2      Summary of Environmental Non-Compliance. 17

10.3      Summary of Environmental Complaint. 17

10.4      Summary of Environmental Summon and Successful Prosecution. 18

11     Conclusions and Recommendations. 19

11.1      Conclusion. 19

11.2      Comments/ Recommendations. 19

 

Appendices

Appendix 1.1   Construction Programme

Appendix 1.2   Project Organization Chart

Appendix 2.1   Event and Action Plans for Water Quality

Appendix 2.2   Graphical Presentation of Water Quality Monitoring

Appendix 3.1   Event and Action Plans for Noise

Appendix 3.2   Graphical Presentation of Noise Monitoring

Appendix 5.1   Waste Flow Table

Appendix 10.1   Complaint Log

Figures                                                                  

Figure 1.1 General Site Location Plan

Figure 1.2 Location of Work Areas for the Project

Figure 2.1 Impact Water Quality Monitoring Locations

Figure 3.1 Impact Noise Monitoring Locations

Figure 8.1 Area for Archaeological Survey

Tables

Table A1 Summary of Exceedance Records of Water Quality Monitoring

Table 1.1 Parties Involved in Project Organisation

Table 2.1 Summary of Impact Water Quality Monitoring Stations

Table 2.2 Parameters measured in the Impact Water Quality Monitoring

Table 2.3 Action and Limit Levels for Water Quality

Table 2.4 Action and Limit Levels of Water Quality

Table 2.5 Summary of Exceedance Records of Water Quality Monitoring

Table 3.1 Noise Monitoring Stations during Construction Phase

Table 3.2 Construction Noise Monitoring Parameter, Frequency and Duration

Table 3.3 Action and Limit Levels for Construction Noise Monitoring

Table 8.1 Mitigation Measures for Impacted Graded Historic Buildings

Table 9.1 Site Observations

Table 10.1 Summary of Exceedance Records of Water Quality Monitoring

 

 

Executive Summary

A1.     Drainage Services Department (DSD) has appointed Aurecon Hong Kong Limited (Aurecon) to undertake the Environmental Team services for the project and implement the EM&A works.

A2.     The construction works commenced on 20 February 2024.

A3.     This 1^st Quarterly Environmental Monitoring and Audit (EM&A) Report is prepared for Contract No. DC/2022/02 Drainage Improvement Works at Yuen Long – Stage 2 (hereinafter called the “Contract”). The report summaries the findings of the EM&A programme during the reporting period from 20 February to 30 April 2024.

Key Construction Works in the Reporting Period

A4.     A summary of construction activities undertaken during the reporting period is presented below:

Ha Che

§  Site Clearance Work

§  Lifting Operation;

§  Plant Operation;

§  Excavation; and

§  Sheet Piling.

Lin Fa Tei

§  Site Clearance Work

§  Lifting Operation;

§  Plant Operation; and

§  Excavation.

Tai Wo

§  No construction activities.

Sung Shan New Village

§  No construction activities.

Breaches of Environmental Quality Performance Limits (AL levels)

Water Quality

A5.     The summary of exceedance records during the reporting period is summarized in Table A1.

Table A1 Summary of Exceedance Records of Water Quality Monitoring

Parameter	No. of non-project related exceedances		Total No. of non-project related exceedances	No. of exceedance related to the Project		Total No. of exceedance related to the Project
	AL	LL		AL	LL
Dissolved Oxygen	2	1	3	0	0	0
Turbidity	0	1	1	0	0	0
Suspended Solids	2	11	13	0	0	0

 

A6.     Two (2) action level and One (1) limit level exceedances for DO, One (1) limit level exceedances for Turbidity and Two (2) action level and Eleven (11) limit level exceedances for SS were recorded during the reporting period.  After investigation of above the exceedances, it was considered to non-project related.

Noise

A7.     No Action Level or Limit Level exceedance was recorded for construction noise monitoring during the reporting period.

Complaint Log

A8.     No environmental complaint was received in the reporting period.

Notification of Summons and Successful Prosecutions

A9.     No notification of summons or successful prosecutions was received in the reporting period.

Reporting Changes

A10.  Construction works at Tai Wo are only allowed during dry season (i.e. October to March) in accordance with Condition 3.2 of EP No.: EP-596/2021. Thus, the construction EM&A programme at Tai Wo, including impact water quality monitoring, impact noise monitoring and weekly inspection, are temporarily suspended starting from 1 April 2024.

A11.  Construction work at Sung Shan New Village was commenced on 16 April 2024 and the construction phase EM&A programme at Sung Shan New Village started on 16 April 2024.

A12.  The noise monitoring at LFT_M7 have been suspended since 27 March 2024 due to the objection from property management office for providing access to designated monitoring location. The noise monitoring at LFT_M7 will be resumed when the access to the monitoring location is granted.

 

1              Introduction

1.1        Project Background

1.1.1        The Drainage Master Plan Studies for the Yuen Long, Kam Tin, Ngau Tam Mei and Tin Shui Wai Drainage Basin (YLDMP) were completed in 1998.  The majority of the improvement works in Yuen Long and Kam Tin recommended under the YLDMP Study have been completed. Since completion of the DMP Studies, there have been changes in developments within the areas and new development proposals and town planning studies were commissioned. In addition, some new flooding complaints were received at the upstream areas of the drainage basins, indicating that further improvement to the drainage systems was required.

1.1.2        The Drainage Services Department (DSD) commissioned the “Review of Drainage Master Plans in Yuen Long and North Districts – Feasibility Study” (the Review Study) in 2008 so that the new development scenarios could be incorporated and the effectiveness of the previously recommended works could also be assessed. The Review Study completed in end 2011 identified that some areas in Yuen Long District could not meet the required flood protection level according to the latest land use changes and future developments taking into account various factors, including sedimentation at the downstream main channels, mangrove growth at river estuaries, updated extreme sea level statistics at Tsim Bei Tsui and projected climate change impacts, in the hydraulic analysis. To account for the severity and extent of possible flooding and the works implementation time, the Review Study proposed drainage improvement works in Yuen Long District.

1.1.3        Atkins China Ltd (ACL) was commissioned by the DSD in November 2013 to undertake an Investigation, Design and Construction Consultancy entitled “Agreement No. CE 22/2013 (DS) Drainage Improvement Works in Yuen Long, Stage 1 – Investigation, Design and Construction” (hereinafter called the Assignment). The Project comprises construction of drainage improvement works to four villages (namely Sung Shan New Village, Tai Wo, Lin Fa Tei and Ha Che) including landscaping, waterscaping, utilities diversion, temporary traffic arrangements, re-provisioning / improvements to existing dry weather flow intercepting system and any other works incidental to the completion of the Project.

1.1.4        An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study Brief (ESB-279/2014) for four villages namely Ha Che, Tai Wo, Lin Fa Tei and Sung Shan New Village which is a designated project was issued by the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) on 14 October 2014.

1.1.5        The EIA Report for Drainage Improvement Works Near Four Villages in Yuen Long – Sung Shan New Village, Tai Wo, Lin Fa Tei and Ha Che (referred to as “the Project”) (Register No. AEIAR-229/2021) was approved on 3 June 2021 and the Environmental Permit (EP) EP-596/2021, covering the Upgrading, Construction and Deepening of the Project was granted on 28 September 2021.

1.1.6        Aurecon Hong Kong Limited (Aurecon) is commissioned by the Wing Tat Civil Engineering Co. Limited to undertake the Environmental Team (ET) services and carry out the Environmental Monitoring and Audit (EM&A) for Drainage Improvement Works Near Four Villages in Yuen Long - Sung Shan New Village, Tai Wo, Lin Fa Tei and Ha Che (Register No. EP-596/2021).

1.1.7        This is the 1^st Quarterly EM&A Report summarizing the key findings of the construction phase EM&A programme from 20 February to 30 April 2024 (the reporting period) and is submitted to fulfil the requirements in Section 12.3 of the approved EM&A Manual of the Project.

1.2        Construction Works Programme

1.2.1        The construction programme and the location plan of the Project are shown in Appendix 1.1 and Figure 1.1 respectively. The locations of the proposed drainage improvement work at the four villages are presented in Figures 1.2a to Figures 1.2d.

1.3        Project Organisation

1.3.1        Involvement of relevant parties in a collaborative and interactive manner is essential for the implementation of the recommended EM&A programme. The following sections outline the primary responsibilities and duties of the key EM&A programme participants. The lines of communication with respect to EM&A works are shown in Diagram 1.1.

Diagram 1.1 Organisation Chart

1.3.2        Parties with different levels of involvement in the Project organisation are summarized in Table 1.1.

Table 1.1 Parties Involved in Project Organisation

Parties	Organization / Company
Project Proponent	Drainage Services Department
Supervisor / Engineer’s Representative (ER)	Atkins China Ltd
Contractor	Wing Tat Civil Engineering Co. Limited
Environmental Team (ET)	Aurecon Hong Kong Limited
Independent Environmental Checker (IEC)	Mott MacDonald Hong Kong Limited

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

1.4        Construction Works Programme and Construction Works Area

1.4.1        The construction works commenced on 20 February 2024. The construction works programme and the construction works area of the Project are shown in Appendix 1.1 and Figure 1.1 respectively.

1.5        Works undertaken during the Period

1.5.1        The main construction works carried out in the reporting period were as below.

Ha Che

§  Site Clearance Work

§  Lifting Operation;

§  Plant Operation;

§  Excavation; and

§  Sheet Piling.

Lin Fa Tei

§  Site Clearance Work

§  Lifting Operation;

§  Plant Operation; and

§  Excavation.

Tai Wo

§  No construction activities.

Sung Shan New Village

§  No construction activities.

1.5.2        The environmental mitigation measures corresponding to the main construction works implemented in the reporting period can be referred to Appendix 1.3.

 

2              Water Quality

2.1        Monitoring Requirement

2.1.1        In accordance with the approved EM&A Manual, impact water quality monitoring should be carried out three days per week at all designated monitoring stations during the construction period.  The interval between two sets of monitoring should not be less than 36 hours.

2.1.2        Replicate in-situ measurements of dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, turbidity, pH, and suspended solids (SS) for each independent sampling event shall be collected to ensure a robust statistically interpretable database.

2.2        Monitoring Location

2.2.1        Impact water quality monitoring was conducted at 10 monitoring stations from February to March 2024 and was conducted at 8 monitoring stations (excluded Station C4 & Station C5) in April 2024 which is summarized in Table 2.1. The location of water quality monitoring stations is shown in Figure 2.1a to Figure 2.1d.

Table 2.1 Summary of Impact Water Quality Monitoring Stations

Stream	Monitoring ID	Coordinates (HK Grid)		Remarks
		Easting	Northing
SSNV	C1A (1)	821702	831945	Alternative Impact Monitoring Point
	C2	822459	831470	Control Monitoring Point
	C3A (2)	822413	831284	Alternative Control Monitoring Point
TW	C4 (4)	825497	830664	Control Monitoring Point
	C5 (4)	825486	830716	Impact Monitoring Point
LFT	C6	827232	831713	Control Monitoring Point
	C7A (3)	826865	832115	Alternative Control Monitoring Point
	C8	826513	832075	Impact Monitoring Point
HC	C9	828304	835029	Control Monitoring Point
	C10	827919	834271	Impact Monitoring Point

Notes:

(1)    At Station C1, access to safe sampling of water is not feasible due to steep banks on both sides of the stream channel.  An alternative monitoring location is proposed at Station C1A, which is about 250 m along the same stream channel downstream of Station C1 and is accessible for safe water sampling.

(2)    During the first day of baseline monitoring at Station C3, shallow water was observed, and the ET could not sample enough water for monitoring.  As agreed by the ER, the Contractor, and the IEC, a new sampling location, Station C3A, was identified at about 130 m upstream and was accessible for water sampling.

(3)    For Station C7, the location is not close to the nearest, revised works boundary (about 200 m away).  An alternative monitoring location is proposed at Station C7A, which is about 23 m upstream of the nearest, revised works boundary.

(4)    Construction works at Tai Wo are only allowed during dry season (i.e. October to March) in accordance with Condition 3.2 of EP No.: EP-596/2021. Hence, monitoring for Station C4 & Station C5 are only required during dry season (i.e. October to March).

2.3        Monitoring Parameter and Frequency

2.3.1        The monitoring parameters, frequency and duration of impact water quality monitoring are listed in Table 2.2.

Table 2.2 Parameters measured in the Impact Water Quality Monitoring

Parameter	Frequency	Duration
Dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, turbidity, salinity, pH, stream water depth and suspended solids (SS)	3 days in a week	Throughout the construction phase

2.3.2        Monitoring location and position, time, sampling depth, weather conditions and any special phenomena or work underway nearby are recorded during the impact monitoring.

2.4        Action and Limit Level for Water Quality Monitoring

2.4.1        The criteria of action and limit levels for water quality monitoring are defined in Table 2.3.

Table 2.3 Action and Limit Levels for Water Quality

Parameters	Action Level	Limit Level
DO in mg/L	< 5%-ile of baseline data	< 4 mg/L or < 1%-ile of baseline data
SS in mg/L	> 95%-ile of baseline data or >120% of upstream control station of the same day	> 99%-ile of baseline data or 130% of upstream control station of the same day
Turbidity in NTU	> 95%-ile of baseline data or >120% of upstream control station of the same day	> 99%-ile of baseline data or > 130% of upstream control station of the same day

Notes:

(1)    For DO, non-compliance of the water quality limit occurs when monitoring result is lower than the limit.

(2)    For SS and turbidity, non-compliance of the water quality limit occurs when monitoring result is higher than the limit.

(3)    All the figures given in the table are used for reference only and the EPD may amend the figures whenever it is considered necessary.

2.4.2        Based on the criteria listed in Table 2.3, the action and limit levels for water quality are determined in Table 2.4.

Table 2.4 Action and Limit Levels of Water Quality

Stream	Monitoring ID	Parameters	Action	Limit
SSNV	C1A	DO in mg/L	6.72	4 (1)
		SS in mg/L	7.3 or >120% of upstream control station of the same day	8.5 or > 130% of upstream control station of the same day
		Turbidity in NTU	10.37 or >120% of upstream control station of the same day	10.81 or > 130% of upstream control station of the same day
TW	C5	DO in mg/L	8.36	4 (2)
		SS in mg/L	9.9 or > 120% of upstream control station of the same day	10.0 or > 130% of upstream control station of the same day
		Turbidity in NTU	13.64 or > 120% of upstream control station of the same day	13.87 or > 130% of upstream control station of the same day
LFT	C8	DO in mg/L	5.38	4 (3)
		SS in mg/L	6.3 or > 120% of upstream control station of the same day	7.0 or > 130% of upstream control station of the same day
		Turbidity in NTU	12.46 or > 120% of upstream control station of the same day	12.94 or > 130% of upstream control station of the same day
HC	C10	DO in mg/L	2.55	2.43 (4)
		SS in mg/L	8.7 or > 120% of upstream control station of the same day	8.8 or > 130% of upstream control station of the same day
		Turbidity in NTU	20.06 or > 120% of upstream control station of the same day	21.07 or > 130% of upstream control station of the same day

Notes:

(1)    The 1%-ile of baseline DO data at C1A is 6.61 mg/L, which is higher than 4 mg/L.  Thus, DO concentration of 4 mg/L, which is in line with the Water Quality Objectives, is adopted as the limit level.

(2)    The 1%-ile of baseline DO data at C5 is 8.09 mg/L, which is higher than 4 mg/L.  Thus, DO concentration of 4 mg/L, which is in line with the Water Quality Objectives, is adopted as the limit level.

(3)    The 1%-ile of baseline DO data at C8 is 5.36 mg/L, which is higher than 4 mg/L.  Thus, DO concentration of 4 mg/L, which is in line with the Water Quality Objectives, is adopted as the limit level.

(4)    The 1%-ile of baseline DO data at C10 is 2.43 mg/L, which is lower than 4 mg/L.  Taking account of the baseline water quality condition and to minimise any false alarm of water quality deterioration during construction phase, DO concentration of 2.43 mg/L is adopted as the limit level.

2.5        Event and Action Plan

2.5.1        Should any non-compliance of the criteria occur, action in accordance with the Event and Action Plan in Appendix 2.1 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.

2.6        Results and Observations

2.6.1        The detailed monitoring results during the reporting period are reported in the monthly EM&A Reports. The graphical presentation of water quality monitoring at the monitoring stations are shown in Appendix 2.2.

2.6.2        Two (2) action level and One (1) limit level exceedances for DO, One (1) limit level exceedances for Turbidity and Two (2) action level and Eleven (11) limit level exceedances for SS were recorded during the reporting period.  After investigation of above the exceedances, it was considered to non-project related.

2.6.3        The summary of exceedance records of water quality monitoring during the reporting period is summarized in Table 2.5.

Table 2.5 Summary of Exceedance Records of Water Quality Monitoring

Parameter	No. of non-project related exceedances		Total No. of non-project related exceedances	No. of exceedance related to the Project		Total No. of exceedance related to the Project
	AL	LL		AL	LL
Dissolved Oxygen	2	1	3	0	0	0
Turbidity	0	1	1	0	0	0
Suspended Solids	2	11	13	0	0	0

 

21 February 2024

2.6.4        Exceedances of limit levels on DO, turbidity and SS were recorded during the regular monitoring at C10 on 21 February 2024. The frequency of monitoring was increased to daily at C9 and C10 starting from 22 February 2024. As no further exceedances of action or limit levels were observed on the monitoring results of 23 February 2024, the frequency of monitoring was resumed to normal (regular monitoring) after 23 February 2024. Three sets of geotextiles were deployed at the work areas as the mitigation measure for preventing contaminated site runoff.  Since there were no construction works carried out at Ha Che on 21 February 2024 and no deficiency in mitigation measures for preventing site runoff were observed during the follow-up site inspection on 23 February 2024, it is considered that the exceedances of limit levels of DO, turbidity and SS are not related to the Project.

28 February 2024

2.6.5        Exceedance of limit level on SS was recorded during the regular monitoring at C10 on 28 February 2024. Two sets of geotextiles were properly deployed onsite and a water bypass was deployed to direct river water from the upstream of work area to the downstream of work area. Since sufficient measures for preventing contamination of downstream water were well implemented and no deficiency in mitigation measures for preventing site runoff was observed during weekly site inspection on 28 February 2024, it is considered that the exceedance of limit level of SS is not related to the Project.

20 March 2024

2.6.6        Exceedances of action levels on DO were recorded during the regular monitoring at C5 (Tai Wo) and C8 (Lin Fa Tei) on 20 March 2024. The frequency of monitoring was increased to daily at C4, C5, C6, C7A and C8 starting from 21 March 2024. As no further exceedances of action or limit levels were observed on the monitoring results of 21 March 2024 and 22 March 2024, the frequency of monitoring was resumed to normal (regular monitoring) after 22 March 2024. Since there were no construction works carried out at Lin Fa Tei and Tai Wo on 20 March 2024 and no deficiency in mitigation measures for preventing site runoff were observed during the weekly site inspection at Lin Fa Tei and Tai Wo on 20 March 2024 and 22 March 2024 respectively, it is considered that the exceedances of action levels of DO are not related to the Project.

22 March 2024

2.6.7        Exceedances of limit levels on SS were recorded during the regular monitoring at C5 (Tai Wo) and C10 (Ha Che) on 22 March 2024. Two sets of geotextiles were properly deployed onsite and a water bypass was deployed to direct river water from the upstream of works area to the downstream of work area at Ha Che. Since sufficient measures for preventing contamination of downstream water were well implemented and no deficiency in mitigation measures for preventing site runoff was observed during weekly site inspection at Ha Che on 22 March 2024 and no construction work was carried out at Tai Wo, it is considered that the exceedances are not related to the Project.

10 April 2024

2.6.8        Exceedance of action level on SS was recorded during the regular monitoring at C8 on 10 April 2024. A geotextile was properly deployed onsite as the mitigation measure for preventing site runoff.  No accidental site runoff was reported on 10 April 2024 at Lin Fa Tei. Sedimentation Tank and Sump Pump were deployed for directing the river water from the upstream of work area to the downstream of work area at Lin Fa Tei. Since sufficient measures for preventing contamination of downstream water were well implemented and no deficiency in mitigation measures for preventing site runoff was observed during weekly site inspection at Lin Fa Tei on 10 April 2024. It is considered that the exceedance of action level of SS is not related to the Project.

17 April 2024

2.6.9        Exceedance of action level on SS was recorded during the regular monitoring at C10 on 17 April 2024. A geotextile was properly deployed onsite and a water bypass was deployed to direct river water from the upstream of work area to the downstream of work area at Ha Che. Since sufficient measures for preventing contamination of downstream water were well implemented and no deficiency in mitigation measures for preventing site runoff was observed during weekly site inspection at Ha Che on 17 April 2024. It is considered that the exceedance of action level of SS is not related to the Project.

19 April 2024

2.6.10     Exceedance of limit level on SS was recorded during the regular monitoring at C1A on 19 April 2024. Since no construction work was carried out at Sung Shan New Village on 19 April 2024 and the work area remained in natural condition. It is considered that the exceedance of limit level of SS is not related to the Project.

23 April 2024

2.6.11     Exceedance of limit level on SS was recorded during the regular monitoring at C10 on 23 April 2024. A geotextile was properly deployed onsite and a water bypass was deployed to direct river water from the upstream of work area to the downstream of work area at Ha Che. All rainfall water temporarily detained within the site was diverted to the sedimentation tank on site for treatment prior to discharge downstream of the works area. Since sufficient measures for preventing contamination of downstream water were well implemented and no deficiency in mitigation measures for preventing site runoff was observed during weekly site inspection at Ha Che on 2 May 2024. It is considered that the exceedance of limit level of SS is not related to the Project.

25 April 2024

2.6.12     Exceedances of limit levels on SS were recorded during the regular monitoring at C8 and C10 on 25 April 2024. Geotextiles were deployed at the boundary of the works areas as a mitigation measure to prevent runoff from site at Lin Fa Tei and Ha Che respectively.  No accidental site runoff was reported on 25 April 2024 at Lin Fa Tei and Ha Che. Water bypasses were provided on-site to direct river water from upstream of the works area to downstream of the works area at Lin Fa Tei and Ha Che. Since sufficient measures for preventing contamination of downstream water were well implemented and no deficiency in mitigation measures for preventing site runoff was observed during weekly site inspection at Ha Che on 2 May 2024 and Lin Fa Tei on 8 May 2024. It is considered that the exceedances of limit levels of SS are not related to the Project.

27 April 2024

2.6.13     Exceedance of limit level on SS was recorded during the regular monitoring at C8 on 27 April 2024. A geotextile was deployed at the boundary of the works area as a mitigation measure to prevent runoff from site at Lin Fa Tei.  No accidental site runoff was reported on 27 April 2024 at Lin Fa Tei. Water bypass was provided on-site to direct stream water from upstream of the works area to downstream of the works area at Lin Fa Tei. Since sufficient measures for preventing contamination of downstream water were well implemented and no deficiency in mitigation measures for preventing site runoff was observed during weekly site inspection at Lin Fa Tei on 8 May 2024. It is considered that the exceedance of limit level of SS is not related to the Project.

29 April 2024

2.6.14     Exceedances of limit levels on SS were recorded during the regular monitoring at C1A and C10 on 29 April 2024. There were no construction activities taking place at Sung Shan New Village on 29 April 2024. A geotextile was deployed at the boundary of the works area as a mitigation measure to prevent runoff from site at Ha Che.  No accidental site runoff was reported on 29 April 2024 at Ha Che. Water bypasses were provided on-site to direct river water from upstream of the works area to downstream of the works area at Ha Che. Since sufficient measures for preventing contamination of downstream water were well implemented and no deficiency in mitigation measures for preventing site runoff was observed during weekly site inspection at Ha Che on 2 May 2024. It is considered that the exceedances of limit levels of SS are not related to the Project.

2.7        Quarterly Assessment of Construction Impacts on Suspended Solids at the Project Site

2.7.1        The comparison of the difference between the quarterly mean and 1.3 times of the ambient mean is presented in Table 2.6.

Table 2.6 Comparison of the difference between the quarterly mean and 1.3 times of the ambient mean

Parameter	Monitoring Location	Quarterly Mean of SS (mg/L)	Baseline Level of SS (mg/L)	1.3 Times of Ambient Mean (mg/L) (1)	Quarterly Mean of SS > 1.3 Times of Ambient Mean (Y/N)	Request of Further Mitigation Measures (Y/N)
Suspended Solids	C1A	14.0	4.8	6.2	Y	N
	C2 (Control Point)	13.8	3.2	4.2	Y	N/A
	C3A (Control Point)	9.9	2.2	2.9	Y	N/A
	C4 (Control Point)	10.7	10.7	13.9	N	N/A
	C5	13.4	5.2	6.8	Y	Y
	C6 (Control Point)	11.7	3.7	4.8	Y	N/A
	C7A (Control Point)	14.6	6.7	8.7	Y	N/A
	C8	12.0	4.0	5.2	Y	N
	C9 (Control Point)	14.4	5.9	7.7	Y	N/A
	C10	10.1	8.5	11.1	N	N

Notes:

(1)    1.3 times of the ambient mean equal to be defined as 30% increase of the baseline data.

 

Sung Shan New Village (Station C1A, C2 & C3A)

2.7.2        Based on the quarterly mean of SS at Station C1A (14.0 mg/L), Station C2 (13.8 mg/L) & Station C3A (9.9 mg/L), it reflected the quarterly means of SS at Station C2 (Control Point) & Station C3A (Control Point) are relatively near the quarterly mean of SS at Station C1A (Impact Point). The quarterly mean of SS at Station C1A is mainly affected by the runoff from upstream. Since sufficient measures for preventing contamination of downstream water were well implemented and no deficiency in mitigation measures for preventing site runoff was observed during the reporting period. Hence. It reflected the mitigation measures for control of construction runoff at Sung Shan New Village are effective to avoid the water quality impact during the reporting period. It is recommended the existing mitigation measures at Sung Shan New Village should be maintained in good effectiveness.

 

Tai Wo (Station C4 & C5)

2.7.3        The quarterly means of SS at Station C4 (Control Point) (10.7 mg/L) are higher than Station C5 (Impact Point) (13.4 mg/L). Although there is not Action Level and Limit Level exceedance during the reporting period, it is reminded that the proper mitigation measures for control of water quality impact at Tai Wo should be established before the commencement of the construction works in next dry season. The detailed recommended mitigation measures are presented in Appendix 1.3.

 

Lin Fa Tei (Station C6, C7A & C8)

2.7.4        Based on the quarterly mean of SS at Station C6 (11.7 mg/L), Station C7A (14.6 mg/L) & Station C8 (12.0 mg/L), it reflected the quarterly mean of SS at C6 (Control Point) is relatively near the quarterly mean of SS at Station C8 (Impact Point) and the quarterly mean of SS at C7A (Control Point) is higher than the Station C8 (Impact Point). The quarterly mean of SS at Station C8 is mainly affected by the runoff from upstream. Moreover, sedimentation tank and sump pump were deployed for directing the river water from the upstream of work area to the downstream of work area at Lin Fa Tei. Since sufficient measures for preventing contamination of downstream water were well implemented and no deficiency in mitigation measures for preventing site runoff was observed during the reporting period. Hence. It reflected the mitigation measures for control of construction runoff at Lin Fa Tei are effective to avoid the water quality impact during the reporting period. It is recommended the existing mitigation measures at Lin Fa Tei should be maintained in good effectiveness.

 

Ha Che (Station C9 & C10)

2.7.5        The quarterly mean of SS at Station C10 (Impact Point) (10.1 mg/L) is lower than the 1.3 times of the ambient mean. Hence, no further mitigation measures for control of water quality impact are required at Ha Che. However, it viewed that the quarterly mean of SS at Station C9 (Control Point) (14.4 mg/L) is higher than Station C10 (Impact Point). Therefore, it reflected other sources affected the water quality of the river.

2.7.6        In summary, it reflected that the quarterly mean of suspended solids (excluded Station C4 & Station C10) is higher than the 1.3 times of the ambient mean universally. After review of the impact monitoring results during the reporting period, it viewed the SS values during the reporting period (included Control Points) increased significantly. Due to the significant increase occurred in Control Points simultaneously. Hence, it cannot exclude the significant increase of SS value are affected by the other sources from the upstream of the river during the reporting period.

 

3              Noise

3.1        Monitoring Locations

3.1.1        The monitoring locations for construction noise monitoring are listed in Table 3.1 and shown in Figure 3.1a to Figure 3.1d.

Table 3.1 Noise Monitoring Stations during Construction Phase

ID No. (1)	Location	Nature of Uses	Type of Measurement
SSNV_M2	Village house next to a nullah in Tong Tai Po Tsuen (near DD118 1720 S.A)	Residential	Façade
SSNV_M3	Village house near a soybean sauce factory in Sung Shan New Village (near DD118 1712)	Residential	Façade
SSNV_M6	#43, Sung Shan New Village	Residential	Free-field
TW_M2	#200, Cheung Po	Residential	Free-field
TW_M3	Kai Yip Garden, #3H, Tai Wo	Residential	Free-field
LFT_M1	#2G, Lin Fa Tei	Residential	Façade
LFT_M3A (2)	Near #125B, Lin Fa Tei	Residential	Free-field
LFT_M5	#156B, Lin Fa Tei	Residential	Façade
LFT_M7 (3)	Village house near the nullah (DD112 699 S.E)	Residential	Façade
LFT_M11 (2)	#210, Ngau Keng Tsuen	Residential	Façade
HC_M3A (2)	Next to DD111 326 S.B RP near Fan Kam Road	-	Free-field
HC_M4	#1C, Chuk Hang	Residential	Façade
HC_M6	The Arbutus House 12, #52, Shui Kan Shek	Residential	Façade

Notes:

(1)    SSNV – Sung Shan New Village; TW – Tai Wo; LFT – Lin Fa Tei; HC – Ha Che.

(2)    LFT_M3A, LFT_M11, HC_M3A and are alternative noise monitoring stations proposed to replace LFT_M3, LFT_M13 and HC_M3, respectively.

(3)    The noise monitoring at LFT_M7 have been suspended since 27 March 2024 due to the objection from property management office for providing access to designated monitoring location. The noise monitoring at LFT_M7 will be resumed when the access to the monitoring location is granted.

3.2        Noise Monitoring Parameter, Frequency and Duration

3.2.1        Construction noise level was measured by the ET and measured in terms of the A-weighted equivalent continuous sound pressure level (L_eq).  L_eq(30mins) used as the monitoring parameter for the construction noise monitoring. The monitoring should be conducted during the construction phase between 0700 and 1900 on normal weekdays at the designated monitoring locations.

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

3.2.3        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
HC_M3A, HC_M4, HC_M6, TW_M2, TW_M3, LFT_M1, LFT_M3A, LFT_M5, LFT_M7 and LFT_M11	Leq(30mins) (as a logarithmic average of 6 consecutive Leq(5mins))	Once every week throughout the construction phase between 0700 and 1900 on normal weekdays

3.3        Action and Limit Levels

3.3.1        The Action and Limit levels were established in accordance with the approved EM&A Manual. Table 3.3 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 3.1 shall be carried out.

Table 3.3 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)(1)
07:00 – 23:00 on holidays; and 19:00 – 23:00 on all other days		45 dB(A)(2)
23:00 – 07:00 of the next day		30 dB(A)(2)

Notes:

(1)    Between 07:00 and 19:00, construction noise limit for school during normal term time is 70 dB(A) and 65 dB(A) during examination period.

(2)    The ASR of identified noise sensitive receivers is “A”, which is a rural area that is not affected by the in Influencing Factors (Ifs). The limit levels are stipulated in the Technical Memorandum on Noise from Construction Work in Designated Areas.

3.4        Results and Observations

3.4.1        The detailed monitoring results during the reporting period are reported in the monthly EM&A Reports. The graphical presentation of noise monitoring at the monitoring stations are shown in Appendix 3.2.

3.4.2        No Action or Limit levels exceedance was recorded in the reporting period.

 

4              Ecology

4.1        Freshwater Crab

4.1.1        With reference to the approved EIA Report (Register No.: AEIAR-229/2021), two freshwater crab species of conservation importance were recorded within the work sites during the ecological baseline survey. Somanniathelphusa zanklon was recorded at Lin Fa Tei and Ha Che, while Cryptopotamon anacoluthon was recorded in the upstream area at Ha Che. Both species are endemic to Hong Kong and considered to be “Endangered” and “Vulnerable” by the IUCN respectively (IUCN 2023). The construction activities of the project will disturb their natural habitats and potentially causing a direct loss of these two species due to their limited mobility.

Post-translocation Monitoring

4.1.2        According to Section 5.2.5 of the approved EM&A Manual for the Project, monthly post-translocation monitoring shall be conducted for at least 12 months after pre-construction surveys to monitor their establishment.

4.1.3        During the monitoring, active visual search by hand netting and kick sampling for aquatic fauna species would be performed at the respective receptor sites. Potential micro-habitats and hiding spaces that is favoured by the crabs such as rocks, organic debris, leaf litter, and riparian vegetation etc., will also be overturned or raked.

4.1.4        Upon discovery of any marked individuals from the pre-construction survey, date and time of capture, size and health condition of the individual will also be recorded once again.

4.1.5        The practice of mark and recapture of the translocated population of S. zanklon and C. anacoluthon at the receptor site can then be used to estimate population size, as well as inform the health and survival status of the translocated population.

4.1.6        Freshwater Crab Translocation Plan and Post-translocation Monitoring were carried out in the reporting period. The monitoring results are reported in the monthly EM&A Reports prepared for this Contract.

4.1.7        None of the translocated individuals of freshwater crabs were found in both the upper and lower receptor sites during the reporting period.

 

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 amount of waste generated by the construction works of the Project during the reporting period are shown 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 approved EM&A Manual and waste management plans will be fully implemented.

 

6              Land Contamination

6.1.1        With reference to results of land contamination assessment included in the approved EIA Report (Register No.: AEIAR-229/2021), all identified sites with potential contamination are located outside the work area of the Project and no potential contamination arising from the proposed drainage improvement works is anticipated. Therefore, no land contamination issue is anticipated for this Project.

6.1.2        Mitigation measures listed in Appendix 1.3 should be adopted if any suspended contamination encountered during construction.

6.1.3        No suspected on-site contamination was observed or reported by the Contractor in the reporting period.

 

7              Landscape and Visual

7.1        Audit Requirements

7.1.1        According to the approved EM&A Manual, site audits should be undertaken every week during the construction phase 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 are summarized in Appendix 1.3.

7.2        Results and Observations

7.2.1        To monitor and audit the implementation of landscape and visual mitigation measures, 11 weekly landscape and visual site audits were carried out in the reporting period.

7.2.2        No deficiency in the mitigation measures on landscape and visual was observed during the reporting period.

 

8              Cultural Heritage

8.1        Archaeology

8.1.1        According to the assessment included in the approved EIA report (Register No.: AEIAR-229/2021) the proposed drainage works in the Lin Fa Tei area are located immediately adjacent to existing river course on mainly Pleistocene terraced alluvium and the western end of the alignment on Holocene alluvium between Lin Fa Tei Site of Archaeological Interest (SAI) and Shui Lau Tin SAI. The proposed works are partially located within Lin Fa Tei SAI.  Previous investigations within SAI have shown both in situ and secondary deposit and with potential for wooden features near the stream bed.  As per the recommendation from EIA report, Archaeological Survey shall be conducted prior to the construction works, the concerned area is marked in Figure 8.1.

8.1.2        A qualified archaeologist shall be engaged and apply for a licence under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance (Cap. 53) to conduct the Archaeological Survey prior to the construction phase. The scope and methodology of the Archaeological Survey shall be agreed with Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) prior to implementation. Tentatively and subject to agreement with AMO, a fieldscan, where possible, twenty auger tests and four 5 by 1m narrow trenches are proposed to further assess the archaeological potential of the area. If significant remains are uncovered, AMO should be notified and potential need for mitigation and/ or an appropriate way forward should be agreed by AMO and relevant parties.

8.1.3        For remaining drainage work areas (outside the area identified for Archaeological Survey) deemed to have limited (near Kam Sheung Road) to minimal (remainder of Works Areas) archaeological potential, AMO shall be informed immediately if antiquities or supposed antiquities are discovered during construction works for the proposed drainage improvement works for ascertaining required remedial works.

8.2        Built Heritage

8.2.1        According to the approved EM&A manual, mitigation measures that should be implemented during the construction phase for graded historic buildings are presented in Table 8.1.

8.2.2        Condition surveys were carried out by qualified structural engineer for Lee Tat Bridge, Lan Fong Study Hall and St John’s Chapel prior to construction works. The Pre-construction Condition Survey Report were submitted to the EPD on 22 December 2023 under Condition 2.10 of the EP.

 

Table 8.1 Mitigation Measures for Impacted Graded Historic Buildings

Graded Historic Buildings	Mitigation Measures
Lee Tat Bridge, Shui Tsan Tin (Grade 3)	§   A condition survey should be carried out in advance of works and after completion of works by qualified building surveyor or structural engineer. The Condition Survey Report should contain descriptions of the structure, identification of fragile elements, an appraisal of the condition and working methods for any proposed monitoring and precautionary measures that are or were recommended with aid of photo records. The condition survey report must be submitted to the AMO for comment before construction activities commence and after the works have been completed. The contractor should implement the approved monitoring and precautionary measures. §   Vibration, settlement and tilting monitoring should be undertaken during the construction works to ensure that safe levels of vibration are not exceeded.  An Alert, Alarm and Action (AAA) vibration limit set at 5 / 6 / 7.5 mm/s for Grade 3 historic buildings, settlement limit set at 6/ 8/ 10mm, and tilting limit set at 1/2000; 1/1500; 1/1000 should be adopted. Monitoring proposal, including checkpoint locations, installation details, response actions for each of the AAA levels and frequency of monitoring should be submitted for AMO's consideration. Installation of monitoring checkpoints shall be carried out in great care and adequate protection shall be provided so as to avoid unnecessary disturbance/ damage to the historic fabrics.  Photo records of monitoring checkpoints shall be submitted upon installation for AMO's records. Monitoring records should be submitted to AMO on regular basis and alert AMO should the monitoring reach AAA levels.
Lan Fong Study Hall, Chuk Hang (Grade 3)
St John’s Chapel, Cheung Po (Grade 2)

 

 

9              Environmental Site Inspection and Audit

9.1        Implementation Status of Environmental Mitigation Measures

9.1.1        Site audits were carried out by ET on weekly basis at least once per week to monitor the implementation of proper environmental management practices and mitigation measures in the Project site.

9.1.2        Total 11 site inspections were carried out during the reporting period. No outstanding issues were reported during the reporting period. Details of observations recorded during the site inspections are presented in Table 9.1.

Table 9.1 Site Observations

Date	Environmental Observations	Follow-up Status
21 February 2024	Observation(s) and Recommendation(s)   Nil	Nil
28 February 2024	Observation(s) and Recommendation(s)   Nil	Nil
6 March 2024	Observation(s) and Recommendation(s)   Nil	Nil
15 March 2024	Observation(s) and Recommendation(s)   Ha Che: 1.      Oil stain should be removed and treated as “Chemical Waste”.	Ha Che: Oil stain had been removed and treated as “Chemical Waste”.
20 March 2024	Observation(s) and Recommendation(s)   Lin Fa Tei: 1.      General rubbish bin should be enclosed and labeled properly.	Lin Fa Tei: 1.      General rubbish bin had been enclosed and labeled properly.
22 March 2024	Observation(s) and Recommendation(s)   Nil	Nil
26 March 2024	Observation(s) and Recommendation(s)   Ha Che: 1.      Dusty material should be covered by tarpaulin.	Ha Che: 1.      Dusty material had been covered by tarpaulin.
3 April 2024	Observation(s) and Recommendation(s)   Nil	Nil
10 April 2024	Observation(s) and Recommendation(s)   Lin Fa Tei: 1.      Inert materials nearby the drainage should be removed regularly to prevent surface run-off. 2.      The stagnant water within the material storage zone should be removed or pumped.	Lin Fa Tei: 1.      Inert materials nearby the drainage should be removed regularly to prevent surface run-off. 2.      The stagnant water within the material storage zone had been removed.
17 April 2024	Observation(s) and Recommendation(s)   Nil	Nil
24 April 2024	Observation(s) and Recommendation(s)   Lin Fa Tei: 1.      The NRMM label should be displayed on excavator “BH03” clearly.	Lin Fa Tei: 1.      The NRMM label had been    displayed on excavator “BH03” clearly.

9.1.3        According to the EIA Study Report, Environmental Permit, contract documents and approved 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 (EMIS) is provided in Appendix 1.3.

 

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

10.1   Summary of Exceedance

Water Quality Monitoring

10.1.1     The summary of exceedance records of water quality monitoring during the reporting period is summarized in Table 10.1.

Table 10.1 Summary of Exceedance Records of Water Quality Monitoring

Parameter	No. of non-project related exceedances		Total No. of non-project related exceedances	No. of exceedance related to the Project		Total No. of exceedance related to the Project
	AL	LL		AL	LL
Dissolved Oxygen	2	1	3	0	0	0
Turbidity	0	1	1	0	0	0
Suspended Solids	2	11	13	0	0	0

10.1.2     Two (2) action level and One (1) limit level exceedances for DO, One (1) limit level exceedances for Turbidity and Two (2) action level and Eleven (11) limit level exceedances for SS were recorded during the reporting period.  After investigation of above the exceedances, it was considered to non-project related.

 21 February 2024

10.1.3     Exceedances of limit levels on DO, turbidity and SS were recorded during the regular monitoring at C10 on 21 February 2024. The frequency of monitoring was increased to daily at C9 and C10 starting from 22 February 2024. As no further exceedances of action or limit levels were observed on the monitoring results of 23 February 2024, the frequency of monitoring was resumed to normal (regular monitoring) after 23 February 2024. Three sets of geotextiles were deployed at the work areas as the mitigation measure for preventing contaminated site runoff.  Since there were no construction works carried out at Ha Che on 21 February 2024 and no deficiency in mitigation measures for preventing site runoff were observed during the follow-up site inspection on 23 February 2024, it is considered that the exceedances of limit levels of DO, turbidity and SS are not related to the Project.

28 February 2024

10.1.4     Exceedance of limit level on SS was recorded during the regular monitoring at C10 on 28 February 2024. Two sets of geotextiles were properly deployed onsite and a water bypass was deployed to direct river water from the upstream of work area to the downstream of work area. Since sufficient measures for preventing contamination of downstream water were well implemented and no deficiency in mitigation measures for preventing site runoff was observed during weekly site inspection on 28 February 2024, it is considered that the exceedance of limit level of SS is not related to the Project.

20 March 2024

10.1.5     Exceedances of action levels on DO were recorded during the regular monitoring at C5 (Tai Wo) and C8 (Lin Fa Tei) on 20 March 2024. The frequency of monitoring was increased to daily at C4, C5, C6, C7A and C8 starting from 21 March 2024. As no further exceedances of action or limit levels were observed on the monitoring results of 21 March 2024 and 22 March 2024, the frequency of monitoring was resumed to normal (regular monitoring) after 22 March 2024. Since there were no construction works carried out at Lin Fa Tei and Tai Wo on 20 March 2024 and no deficiency in mitigation measures for preventing site runoff were observed during the weekly site inspection at Lin Fa Tei and Tai Wo on 20 March 2024 and 22 March 2024 respectively, it is considered that the exceedances of action levels of DO are not related to the Project.

22 March 2024

10.1.6     Exceedances of limit levels on SS were recorded during the regular monitoring at C5 (Tai Wo) and C10 (Ha Che) on 22 March 2024. Two sets of geotextiles were properly deployed onsite and a water bypass was deployed to direct river water from the upstream of works area to the downstream of work area at Ha Che. Since sufficient measures for preventing contamination of downstream water were well implemented and no deficiency in mitigation measures for preventing site runoff was observed during weekly site inspection at Ha Che on 22 March 2024 and no construction work was carried out at Tai Wo, it is considered that the exceedances are not related to the Project.

10 April 2024

10.1.7     Exceedance of action level on SS was recorded during the regular monitoring at C8 on 10 April 2024. A geotextile was properly deployed onsite as the mitigation measure for preventing site runoff.  No accidental site runoff was reported on 10 April 2024 at Lin Fa Tei. Sedimentation Tank and Sump Pump were deployed for directing the river water from the upstream of work area to the downstream of work area at Lin Fa Tei. Since sufficient measures for preventing contamination of downstream water were well implemented and no deficiency in mitigation measures for preventing site runoff was observed during weekly site inspection at Lin Fa Tei on 10 April 2024. It is considered that the exceedance of action level of SS is not related to the Project.

17 April 2024

10.1.8     Exceedance of action level on SS was recorded during the regular monitoring at C10 on 17 April 2024. A geotextile was properly deployed onsite and a water bypass was deployed to direct river water from the upstream of work area to the downstream of work area at Ha Che. Since sufficient measures for preventing contamination of downstream water were well implemented and no deficiency in mitigation measures for preventing site runoff was observed during weekly site inspection at Ha Che on 17 April 2024. It is considered that the exceedance of action level of SS is not related to the Project.

19 April 2024

10.1.9     Exceedance of limit level on SS was recorded during the regular monitoring at C1A on 19 April 2024. Since no construction work was carried out at Sung Shan New Village on 19 April 2024 and the work area remained in natural condition. It is considered that the exceedance of limit level of SS is not related to the Project.

23 April 2024

10.1.10 Exceedance of limit level on SS was recorded during the regular monitoring at C10 on 23 April 2024. A geotextile was properly deployed onsite and a water bypass was deployed to direct river water from the upstream of work area to the downstream of work area at Ha Che. All rainfall water temporarily detained within the site was diverted to the sedimentation tank on site for treatment prior to discharge downstream of the works area. Since sufficient measures for preventing contamination of downstream water were well implemented and no deficiency in mitigation measures for preventing site runoff was observed during weekly site inspection at Ha Che on 2 May 2024. It is considered that the exceedance of limit level of SS is not related to the Project.

25 April 2024

10.1.11 Exceedances of limit levels on SS were recorded during the regular monitoring at C8 and C10 on 25 April 2024. Geotextiles were deployed at the boundary of the works areas as a mitigation measure to prevent runoff from site at Lin Fa Tei and Ha Che respectively.  No accidental site runoff was reported on 25 April 2024 at Lin Fa Tei and Ha Che. Water bypasses were provided on-site to direct river water from upstream of the works area to downstream of the works area at Lin Fa Tei and Ha Che. Since sufficient measures for preventing contamination of downstream water were well implemented and no deficiency in mitigation measures for preventing site runoff was observed during weekly site inspection at Ha Che on 2 May 2024 and Lin Fa Tei on 8 May 2024. It is considered that the exceedances of limit levels of SS are not related to the Project.

27 April 2024

10.1.12 Exceedance of limit level on SS was recorded during the regular monitoring at C8 on 27 April 2024. A geotextile was deployed at the boundary of the works area as a mitigation measure to prevent runoff from site at Lin Fa Tei.  No accidental site runoff was reported on 27 April 2024 at Lin Fa Tei. Water bypass was provided on-site to direct stream water from upstream of the works area to downstream of the works area at Lin Fa Tei. Since sufficient measures for preventing contamination of downstream water were well implemented and no deficiency in mitigation measures for preventing site runoff was observed during weekly site inspection at Lin Fa Tei on 8 May 2024. It is considered that the exceedance of limit level of SS is not related to the Project.

29 April 2024

10.1.13 Exceedances of limit levels on SS were recorded during the regular monitoring at C1A and C10 on 29 April 2024. There were no construction activities taking place at Sung Shan New Village on 29 April 2024. A geotextile was deployed at the boundary of the works area as a mitigation measure to prevent runoff from site at Ha Che.  No accidental site runoff was reported on 29 April 2024 at Ha Che. Water bypasses were provided on-site to direct river water from upstream of the works area to downstream of the works area at Ha Che. Since sufficient measures for preventing contamination of downstream water were well implemented and no deficiency in mitigation measures for preventing site runoff was observed during weekly site inspection at Ha Che on 2 May 2024. It is considered that the exceedances of limit levels of SS are not related to the Project.

Noise Monitoring

10.1.14 No Action Level or Limit Level exceedance was recorded during the reporting period.

10.2   Summary of Environmental Non-Compliance

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

10.3   Summary of Environmental Complaint

10.3.1     No environmental complaint was received in the reporting period. The Cumulative Complaint Log is presented in Appendix 10.1.

10.4   Summary of Environmental Summon and Successful Prosecution

10.4.1     There was no successful environmental prosecution or notification of summons received since the Project commencement. The Cumulative Log for environmental summon and successful prosecution is presented in Appendix 10.1.

 

11        Conclusions and Recommendations

11.1   Conclusion

11.1.1     This 1^st Quarterly EM&A Report presents the EM&A works during the reporting period from 20 February 2024 to 30 April 2024 in accordance with the approved EM&A Manual.

11.1.2     Water Quality Monitoring was conducted during the reporting period. Two (2) action level and One (1) limit level exceedances for DO, One (1) limit level exceedances for Turbidity and Two (2) action level and Eleven (11) limit level exceedances for SS were recorded during the reporting period.  After investigation of above the exceedances, it was considered to non-project related.

11.1.3     Construction noise monitoring was carried out during the reporting period. No Action Level or Limit Level exceedance was recorded for construction noise monitoring in the reporting period.

11.1.4     Post-translocation monitoring was conducted during the reporting period. None of the translocated individuals of freshwater crabs were found in both the upper and lower receptor sites during the reporting period.

11.1.5     Total 11 environmental site inspections and 11 landscape and visual site audits were carried out in the reporting period. Recommendations on mitigation measures were given to the Contractor for remediating the deficiencies identified during the site inspections.

11.1.6     No environmental complaint, notification of summons and successful prosecutions were recorded in the reporting period.

11.1.7     The EM&A methodology has been effective in monitoring the environmental impacts of the Project and the effectiveness of the mitigation measures. The data collected were useful in determining whether the Project had caused unacceptable impacts on the sensitive receivers. Analysis of all EM&A data collected throughout the baseline and the impact monitoring periods demonstrated the environmental acceptability of the Project.

11.2   Comments/ Recommendations

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

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.

 

Ecology

 

§  Minimize loss of habitats and associated wildlife; and

§  Using directional lighting to prevent excessive light spill into adjacent natural habitat and disturbance to nocturnal fauna.

 

Landscape and Visual

 

§  Construction activities shall be carefully designed to minimize impact on existing retained trees; and

§  Adequate tree protection measures shall be provided for the trees to be retained on site.

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