TNAG-1174-FCO40-1476-Proposed-replacement-airport-for-Hong-Kong-at-Deep-Bay-or-Ch-1982 — Page 44

CONFIDENTIAL

4.

FURTHER STUDIES: METHODS OF REDUCING NOISE IMPACT IN THE

NEW TERRITORIES

The initial assessment of noise exposure from a Deep Bay airport described at Para 3.5.3 indicates that the present noise limit for new residential development would include parts of the Mong Tseng penninsula and may include parts of the Deep Bay coastline, Tin Shui Wai, Fairview Park, San Tin, and adjacent areas to the south and east. Certain members of the Steering Group considered that the initial assessment indicated an unacceptable noise impact and requested that investigation of airport relocation to the south and west be considered, despite the specific constraints noted at Para 1.3 Consultants took the view that noise impact reduction through operational alternatives offered the best opportunities, but agreed to examine both options within the remaining time period to the extent practicable.

4.1

•

OPERATIONAL NOISE MITIGATION MEASURES

A great many operational alternatives are available to reduce airport noise impact, ranging from preferential runway assignments, to restrictions on departure routings/procedures. Some of these have virtually no impact on airport capacity, others constrain airport operational capability in varying degrees.

Since Northeast departures, especially those following the early turn to the south, are primary contributors to noise exposure in these sensitive areas, modification of these operations was of principle concern. The options considered were the following:

1. Eliminate the early turn southward for northeast

departures.

2. Assign nighttime northeast departures to Runway D and

eliminate the early turn at night.

3. Eliminate departures to, and approaches from, the

northeast at night, i.e., all nighttime operations to the southwest.

While the first two of these options are not particularly restrictive on airport operations, the third would be, in Consultant's view, overly restrictive and would raise safety

issues.

For illustrative purposes these options were applied to Scheme "A" only. Application of Option 1 to Scheme "B" would have similar effects as Scheme "A", Option 2 would not be applicable, and Option 3 would have even more serious operational complications than it would have for Scheme "A".

4.1.1 Northeast Departure Restriction: No Early Turn to the

South

In order to reduce noise exposure in the area between Fairview Park and Tin Shui Wai the southerly turn in this area eliminated. Aircraft wishing to use this route would

4-1

could be

then

CONFIDENTIAL