Agreement No. CE 4/2009 (EP)
Environmental Monitoring and Audit
for Contaminated Mud Pit at Sha Chau
(2009-2013) - Investigation
7th
MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORT FOR CONTAMINATED MUD PITS AT SHA CHAU - January 2010
1.1
Background
Since 1992, the East of Sha Chau area has been the site of a series of dredged
contaminated mud pits (CMPs) designed to provide
confined marine disposal capacity for contaminated mud arising from the HKSAR’s dredging and reclamation projects. CMP IVc is
presently in operation for backfilling by contaminated mud and is anticipated
to reach its capacity in 2010. A
series of four newly constructed seabed pits at the East of Sha
Chau area, CMP Va-d, will
be provided for the disposal of contaminated mud after CMP IVc
is full. Dredging operations are
now taking place to construct CMP Va.
The environmental monitoring and audit (EM&A) programme for the CMPs at the East of Sha Chau area presently covers disposal operations at CMP IVc and dredging operations at CMP V.
1.2
Reporting Period
This Monthly Progress Report
covers the monitoring period of January 2010.
1.3
Details of Sampling and
Laboratory Testing Activities
Field sampling activities conducted in this monthly period for CMP IVc are listed below:
·
Demersal Trawling was conducted on 14 and 15 January 2010; and,
·
Water Column
Profiling was conducted on 18 January 2010.
For CMP V, sampling for Water
Column Profiling and Impact
Monitoring during Dredging Operations were conducted on 19 and 20 January
2010, respectively. A summary of
field activities are presented in Annex A.
A summary of laboratory analysis results submitted by the Contractor in
this reporting month is presented on Table
1.1.
Table 1.1 Summary
of laboratory analysis results submitted by the Contractor during the reporting
month
|
Key Task |
Monitoring Component |
Results Received from the Contractor |
|
CMP IV |
|
|
|
Water Sampling
and Chemical Analysis |
a) Water Column
Profiling |
December’s sampling: 21 January 2010 |
|
|
|
January’s sampling: 27 January 2010 |
|
CMP V |
|
|
|
Water Sampling
and Chemical Analysis |
a) Water Column
Profiling |
January’s sampling: 28 January 2010 |
|
|
b) Impact Monitoring during Dredging
Operations |
January’s sampling: 29 January 2010 |
1.4
Details of Outstanding
Sampling and / or Analysis
No outstanding sampling remained from January 2010. Data
for Tissue/Whole Body Contaminant Testing
remained outstanding from the Contractor.
1.5
Brief Discussion of the
Monitoring Results
Results of Water Column Profiling
for December 2009 and January 2010 are presented for CMP IV. Monitoring results presented for CMP V
include Water Column Profiling and Impact Monitoring during Dredging Operations
for January 2010. Detailed results
will be discussed in the relevant Quarterly
Reports.
1.5.1
CMP IV
Water Column Profiling for CMP IV in December
2009
Results of Water Column Profiling
for December 2009 show that levels of salinity, pH and dissolved oxygen (DO)
compiled with the water quality objectives (WQOs) at
both Upstream and Downstream stations (Figures
2 to 4 of Annex B). Levels of total suspended solids (TSS)
exceeded the WQO at the Upstream station and was within compliance limits for
the Downstream station (Figure 1 of Annex B).
Water Column Profiling for CMP IV in January
2010
Results of Water Column Profiling
for January 2010 show that levels of salinity, pH and DO compiled with the WQOs at both Upstream and Downstream stations (Figures 6 to 8 of Annex B). Levels of TSS complied with the WQO at
both Upstream and Downstream stations (Figure
5 of Annex B).
1.5.2
CMP V
Water Column Profiling for CMP V during January
2010
Results of Water Column Profiling
for January 2010 show that levels of salinity, pH and DO compiled with the WQOs at both Upstream and Downstream stations (Figures 10 to 12 of Annex B). Levels of TSS complied with the WQO at
both Upstream and Downstream stations (Figure
9 of Annex B).
Impact Monitoring during Dredging Operations of
CMP V – January 2010
Impact Monitoring during Dredging Operations of CMP
V was conducted on 20 January
2010. Sampling was conducted during
both mid-ebb and mid-flood tides at two Reference (Upstream) stations upstream
and five Impact (Downstream) stations downstream of the dredging operations at
CMP V. Monitoring was also
conducted at the Ma Wan station. At
each station, in-situ measurements of
water quality parameters and water samples were taken from three water depth
levels of the water column which were surface (1m below sea surface), mid-depth
and bottom (1m above the seabed).
Monitoring results are presented in Figures
13 to 16 of Annex B. Levels of DO, depth-average Turbidity
and TSS complied with the Action and Limit Levels set in the Baseline Monitoring Report ([1]) (Tables B1 and B2 of Annex B).
1.6
Activities Scheduled for the
Next Month
The following monitoring activities will be conducted in the next monthly period of February
2010:
·
Demersal Trawling for CMP IV;
·
Routine Water Column Profiling for CMP IV;
·
Water Quality Monitoring during Capping of CMP IV;
·
Impact Monitoring during Dredging Operations for CMP V; and,
·
Water Column Profiling for both CMP IV and CMP V.
The sampling schedule is presented in Annex A.
1.7
Study Programme
A summary of Study programme is presented in Annex C.