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Tomorrow’s Lantau | Environmental Protection Agency issues an EIA study summary, the government needs to start an ecological study for at least 12 months

2021-12-24T09:49:46.323Z


The government put forward the "Lantau Tomorrow" project in 2018. The Civil Engineering and Development Department submitted three applications for the EIA study outline last month, but the document has not given the specific location of the artificial island. However, the Environmental Protection Agency today (24th)


The government put forward the "Lantau Tomorrow" project in 2018. The Civil Engineering and Development Department submitted three applications for the EIA study outline last month, but the document has not given the specific location of the artificial island.

However, the Environmental Protection Department today (24th) issued three EIA study summaries to the Land Development Department, including the requirement that the Land Development Department should conduct land and sea activities for no less than 12 months within the final reclamation area and within 500 meters of its vicinity. Ecological baseline survey to confirm the importance of the habitat or species.

The Environmental Protection Department also pointed out that the Land Development Department must first submit an environmental impact assessment report for the reclamation project, and then when submitting the environmental assessment report for the connecting road, it must submit the environmental assessment data on the cumulative impact of the reclamation project and the connecting road; and submit the development at the end. When planning the EIA report, it is necessary to submit EIA materials on the cumulative impact of reclamation works, connecting roads and development plans.


Green Earth criticized the Environmental Protection Department for failing to properly use its power to request the Land Development Department to submit more information. However, it has issued an environmental impact assessment study summary. This is extremely disappointing.

Green Earth continues to point out that the summary of past environmental assessment studies will not be issued casually. For example, the airport three-run project requires supplementary information.


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In response to the Lantau Project tomorrow, the Land Development Department submitted three applications for the EIA study outline on November 11 this year, including the Kaoyi Chau artificial island reclamation project, the Kaoyi Chau artificial island development, and the Hong Kong Island-Lantau Northeast Link Road.

However, the three documents only delineate the tentative outline for the study of reclamation, claiming that they will not occupy existing islands in the sea area and have not provided specific locations for artificial islands.

The Environmental Protection Department said today that in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance, the EIA study summary must be issued to the applicant within 45 days of receiving the relevant application. It has also considered the 293 comments received during the public display of the project profile, including 17 Opinions put forward by members of the Environmental Advisory Committee.

The Environmental Protection Department continues to point out that in the comments put forward by the IAEA members and the public, the reclamation project or the impact of marine ecology and water quality has attracted more attention. Therefore, in the research summary of the Jiaoyizhou artificial island reclamation project, soil expansion will be required. The Department shall conduct a land and marine ecological baseline survey for no less than 12 months within the final reclamation area of ​​the proposed project and within 500 meters of its vicinity to determine the importance of relevant habitats or species.

In terms of air quality, hydrodynamic and water quality assessment, the Environmental Protection Department stated that the study outline requires the Land Development Department to ensure that the final reclamation, engineering and development areas, as well as the areas and waters that may be affected, carry out air quality, hydrodynamics and water quality. Model to evaluate the cumulative impact of the project on air and water quality.

According to the comments during the public display period, the Environmental Protection Department stated that the study brief requires the Land Development Department to submit environmental assessment reports for reclamation projects, connecting roads and development plans in stages, hoping to systematically assess the cumulative impact of the three projects.

In this regard, the Land Development Department must first submit an EIA report for the reclamation project, and then when submitting the EIA report for the connecting road, it must submit the EIA data on the cumulative impact of the reclamation project and the connecting road, and finally submit the EIA report for the development plan At that time, the EIA materials should be submitted for the cumulative impact of reclamation projects, connecting roads and development plans.

The Environmental Protection Department continues to point out that when preparing the EIA study summary, it has referred to other large-scale infrastructure projects, such as the airport three-run project and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. Noise, water quality, waste treatment, ecology, fishery, landscape and vision, cultural heritage, life hazards, cumulative impacts, etc.

The Land Development Department stated today that it will carry out the environmental assessment of the artificial islands in the central waters according to the research outline of the environmental assessment. At the same time, it will conduct research on related topics such as climate change resilience, carbon neutrality, and biodiversity, and make specific recommendations.

The agency stated that it will comprehensively consider the cumulative impact of the project on the environment and submit an EIA report to the Environmental Protection Agency for approval after completing the EIA work.

I was extremely disappointed that the Environmental Protection Agency issued an EIA study summary and criticized Green Earth for failing to properly use the power of the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency to request the Department of Land Development to submit more detailed project information.

Green Earth continued to point out that in the past, the EIA research summary will not be issued casually. For example, for the three-run project, you need to request additional information. I am worried that future government infrastructure can be in the "idea" and "vision" stage, and the environmental impact assessment can be started at will Procedures may sacrifice the ecology of Hong Kong and the living environment of existing residents.

Green Earth also pointed out that the Chinese waters south of Lantau Island are priority protected areas under the ecological red line plan released this year. It believes that "Lantau Tomorrow" violates the national policy of "three lines and one order."

In addition, Green Earth believes that the greenhouse gases produced by the project will make it more difficult for Hong Kong to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.

Lantau Tomorrow|Environmental groups approve an EIA study to sneak in and underestimate the impact and urge the Environmental Protection Agency to reject Lantau tomorrow | The EIA study has no artificial island location details. A cross-harbour tunnel to connect Hong Kong Island to Lantau tomorrow | The government will hand in three parts Environmental Impact Assessment Report: The scale of reclamation should be increased or decreased. Tomorrow Lantau | The proposed railway will connect the Tuen Ma Line, Tung Chung Line, and the Hong Kong Island Line. Tomorrow Lantau Island | Estimation of 30 billion sea sand reclamation The marine engineering industry refers to machine-made sand mainly: don’t worry

Source: hk1

All news articles on 2021-12-24

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