ENG-1993 — Page 448

THE ENVIRONMENT

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arising from the construction works taking place in Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi. The two areas are affected by projects such as Route 3, the airport railway and other non-airport core projects such as Container Terminal 9 and the South Tsing Yi Bridge. As with the West Kowloon office, this project office will take a pro-active approach in identifying cumulative environmental problems, proposing effective mitigation measures and keeping the public informed on the environmental performance of the projects.

Measures to deal with noise from the future operation of these projects were also devised. To minimise the noise from traffic, the need for 7.5 kilometres of roadside noise barriers was identified for Route 3 and the West Kowloon and North Lantau Expressways. A 205-metre road enclosure will need to be built over a busy distributor road serving the South Tsing Yi Bridge.

Implementation plans were drawn up for the provision of noise insulation for about 3 000 homes which will be affected by traffic using the Western Harbour Crossing and the operation of the Duplicate South Tsing Yi Bridge.

For the airport railway, detailed work was undertaken on land-use compatibility, the design of residential tower blocks to be located on or near railway stations, and the provision of noise mitigation measures, including noise barriers. By drawing early attention to noise considerations at the planning stage, it should be possible to avoid the need for difficult retro-fitting in the future.

Noise from future aircraft operations at the new airport at Chek Lap Kok has been carefully predicted, and the generated Noise Exposure Forecast (NEF) contours are being used to guide land-use planning in the airport's vicinity.

Power Generation

To meet the rising demand for electricity in the coming decades, the two local power companies have submitted separate proposals to the government for increasing generation capacities. Approval has been granted for the initial phase of the expansion plans.

Hong Kong Electric Company Limited proposes to build two additional 350 megawatt, coal-fired, generating units at its Lamma Island site. An EIA study for the expansion plan was completed in 1993. To reduce air pollution from the additional coal-fired generating units, flue gas desulphurisation systems will be installed. The company will also limit the sulphur content in the coal it uses. The chosen flue gas desulphurisation system will produce a large amount of solid gypsum that will require disposal. An arrangement has been made by the company to export the solid gypsum to other countries for industrial re-use in an environmentally acceptable manner. As for pulverised fuel ash, industrial use is the preferred option. Its use in reclamation works under certain conditions has also been accepted as a long-term option.

China Light and Power Company Limited proposes the construction of an additional 6 000 megawatt facility at Black Point in Tuen Mun. The environmental factor was an important consideration in the choice of the site. The company plans, as Phase 1 of the new power station development, to build four 600 megawatt combined cycle generating units fired on natural gas, with light industrial diesel oil as the backup fuel. A full-scale EIA study on the proposed gas-fired units concluded that the environmental impact can be controlled within acceptable limits. The use of natural gas will greatly reduce air pollution and help to minimise the emission of greenhouse gases thought to contribute to global warming.