Q12/91 How should the environmental impact of public works projects be assessed and how

can this be taken into account in the evaluation of the merits of such projects?

(Modified by Kelvin Au Yeung 8/91) (By Robert Chan 8/91)

1.0 INTRODUCTION

With the growth in awareness of the importance of the environment, most large scale
works projects are now required to include an environmental impact assessment (EIA) at the
planning stage. The assessment should identify the effects of the project at different stages on the
environment and propose ways to mitigate these effects. The EIA of each project is then
considered by the Environmental Protection Department as part of the evaluation of the overall
merits of the project.

2.0 ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

At the planning stage of a project, it is necessary to define the scope first to enable a
realistic environmental impact assessment to be made. In fact, it would be more beneficial to
have a preliminary outline design ready so that the construction sequence and the operational
characteristics of the project can easily be envisaged. This would minimize abortive scenario
studies in the assessment.

The environmental impacts of a project should be assessed at both the construction and
operational stages. The elements of the environment that are likely to be affected should be
identified to form a basis from which areas requiring detailed studies can be developed. It is,
meanwhile, essential to recognise the elements of the community who will be affected by the
proposed project. The assessment should be directed to minimize the effects on these parties
especially the sensitive receivers among them.

Having known the areas requiring further investigations, the initial conditions of these
aspects before the implementation of the project should be found out. In this regard, an effective
investigation scheme should be adopted in the assessment to measure the existing environmental
qualities perceived by the affected parties. The scheme may include on site data collection as
well as references to previous relevant studies. By comparison, the baseline profile thus obtained
will indicate the impact of the proposed project and gauge the effectiveness of the mitigation
measures both in the construction and operational stages.

The main body of the assessment is invariably the estimation of the net effects arising
from the construction and operation of the project on the already pinpointed elements of the
community. The estimation are usually based on experiences gained from similar projects.
Simulation by the use of physical and mathematical modelling methods may also be employed
for large scale projects. In this connection, the proposed construction and operation methods
should be known so that reliable evaluation can be made. The period of construction is also
important as it indicates the time extent of plant mobilisation which has a critical influence on
the constructional effects. The common areas to be looked into are air and water quality changes
and noise pollution. The scope should include related off site works areas and haul routes. In the

1
operational stage, visual and landuse impacts should be added to the above areas to be studied.

The estimation of impacts are usually in the forms of comparable units of measurement
such as proportion of toxic gases in the air, percent of biological oxygen demand in waste water
or decibels of noise. Visual and landuse impacts are respectively reported by the known
psychological effects of the constructed intrusion on normal perceivers and the limitations on
land development possibilities in the vicinity.

Although, the net impacts caused by the proposed projects are obviously of prime
importance in the assessment, the maximum magnitude of the impacts should not be overlooked.
In an assessment, maximum values are often referred as regulating standards which are mostly
enacted as legislation. The estimated effects should then be compared to those limits.
Unacceptable detrimental effects should be contained or their causes removed from the
constructional or operational processes. The regulations controlling the environmental standards
in Hong Kong include the Air Pollution Control Ordinance, Road Traffic Control Ordinance,
Noise Ordinance and the Water Pollution Control Ordinance. Recommendation in the Hong
Kong Planning Standard and Guidelines are also often followed although the document has no
legal power.

In nearly every case, the data collecting and estimating process would review that the
proposed project would bring about adverse effects to the environment. The Impact Assessment
should then suggest methods and measures to ameliorate these impacts and reduce them to
acceptable levels as necessary. It would be useful to include different proposals and their relative
cost effectiveness so that decisions can be made eventually on the ones most suitable to the
situation. The measures should ideally be able to be incorporated into the original proposed
scope and preliminary design of the project.

For large projects, it is often necessary to include in the assessment an proposed

environmental monitoring scheme to ensure the effectiveness of the protection measures
adopted. The scheme can also be used in the long term to provide raw data for other studies of
similar nature or when similar protection measures are chosen. In extreme cases when the
environmental conditions deteriorate unforeseeably in the course of its operational stage, these
data would serve as an indication of the scope of further mitigation required.

3.0 USE OF EIA IN MERITS EVALUATION

The EIA would affect the decision on the development of a project when it is being taken
into account in the merit assessment of the project on the community. It is actually the
responsibility of a policy making body to evaluate the environmental effects in the interests of
the affected elements of the community while recognising the benefits of the project as a whole.

For most public works projects in Hong Kong, the policy making body would be the
Environmental Protection Department associated with a committee of representatives of
government departments having interests in or affected by the proposed project. They will look
to the EIA for key environmental issues influencing the project. The global benefits in
developing the project will be weighed against the adverse effects on the nearby community. The
costs incurred in the provisions of mitigation measures will also be considered against the

2
benefits of the project itself. This body will also rely on the information in the study to impose
conditions on the design, operation and development of the project such that the effects can be
adequately controlled. The acceptability of any adverse environmental consequences that are
likely to arise from the construction and operation of the project would be decided with reference
to the information or recommendations of the assessment.

Another important point in the environment decisions concerning the project would be its
effect on the overall planning of the area. The inevitable visual impact and landuse limitation it
imposes on the surrounding area may affect nearby developments which are of high strategic
priority and value. A decision, therefore, has to be reached between the standard of amelioration
to be achieved and the scope of future development in the affected areas.

4.0 CONCLUSIONS

The methods of assessing environmental impact are well developed and are mostly put to
good uses at the planning stages of today's projects. As more of these assessments are carried out
in line with the expansion of the public works programme, engineers should become better
adapted to foresee the environmental effects which new projects may entail. This awareness will
no doubt lead to more environmentally sound proposals and benefit the community in the long
run.

(1182 words)

3
1.0 INTRODUCTION

- Awareness of the environment => EIA to evaluate overall merits.

2.0 ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

- Define scope => preliminary outline design.

- Identify affected elem. => environment => areas => community <= min.

- Initial investigation => baseline profile => assess impacts & effectiveness of
measures.

- Estimation of net effects <= experience from similar projects (const. & operation
methods), modelling, const. period.

- Units of measurement => comparable.

- Maximum magnitude => regulating standards (legislation) => Ordinance.

- Suggested methods and measures to ameliorate => cost effectiveness.

- Monitoring scheme => raw data for others => indication of further mitigation
measures if required.

3.0 USE OF EIA IN MERITS EVALUATION

- Policy making body => recognise the overall benefits of a project.

- EPD weigh on global benefits, costs, imposed conditions & acceptability.

- overall Planning in the area => standard of amelioration & scope of future
development.

4.0 CONCLUSIONS

- EIA well developed and put to good uses at planning.

- Engineers adapted to foresee the impacts => environmentally sound and benefit
the community.