THE ENVIRONMENT
Environmental issues associated with proposals to develop golf courses in rural areas or areas of conservation value emerged as an important concern that aroused considerable public reaction. The key environmental questions were the compatibility of the golf course development with nature conservation, the effects of the use of chemicals associated with the maintenance and operation of golf courses, and the disposal of sewage from the residential and recreational developments that often go with the golf courses. It has now become standard for an EIA study to address the key environmental issues before any golf course proposal is considered by the government.
Port and Airport Development
During 1993, the environmental focus for the Port and Airport Development Strategy (PADS) was the implementation of the recommendations of EIA studies on the project. PADS has been designed to provide, in the most cost-effective way, for the growth of both the port and the airport.
The contract for site formation work for the new airport at Chek Lap Kok was awarded in November 1992. Environmental protection measures have been incorporated into the contract to control the effects of dredging and site formation on water quality, noise on existing dwellings on the nearby North Lantau and Peng Chau coastlines, and dust pollution, particularly from rock-blasting. An environmental monitoring and audit pro- gramme is in place to closely monitor the actual effects of the construction work and to ensure effective implementation of the required protection measures.
Dredging and reclamation work for the Tung Chung new town and North Lantau Expressway, and construction of the Lantau Fixed Crossing continued in 1993. For the Tung Chung project, a number of dwellings affected by construction noise will be insulated and air-conditioned. An EIA study on the expressway project has shown that the effects of construction would be acceptable. Mitigation measures will be required for noise nuisance from round-the-clock work on the Lantau Fixed Crossing and from future airport railway operations. Comprehensive monitoring and auditing is being carried out to contain the actual impacts, within acceptable bounds.
A number of major port development studies were completed to provide a framework for future developments. The major difficulty has been finding ways to accommodate these gigantic port developments without significant accompanying environmental decline as a result of increased land-based, port-related activities. The results of EIA studies for Lantau Port and the West Harbour Development called for measures to minimise the impacts of construction and operations. These include the adoption of an island design to minimise the impact on water quality, and the use of quiet port equipment and barriers to mitigate the impact of operational noise.
Noise from the operation of the planned Container Terminal 9, the control of both on-site dredging of contaminated mud and off-site dumping activities, and the dredging of marine sand in the East Lamma Channel, are three major environmental issues. Detailed environmental protection clauses were, or will be, incorporated in the land grant docu- ments for these projects to forestall adverse consequences.
Since 1992, the West Kowloon Environmental Project Office has performed an important role in initiating practicable preventive or remedial measures to deal with dust, noise and water quality aspects of several construction contracts in West Kowloon. In 1993, a second environmental project office was set up to deal with the cumulative effects
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