Serious problems emerged with 3^rd runway reclamation fill

Overseas import of marine sand leads to high cost and multiple pollution

Suspension of rock dust from artificial sand causes murky waters

Green Sense claims ‘Halting project is the only way out’

Facing the enormous demand of marine sand by reclamation works of the 3^rd runway of the International Airport, contractors are presented with two choices: Importing marine sand from Hainan, China or Southeast Asia, or replacing a portion of marine sand fill with artificial sand. Both are equally destructive, as the former causes multiple pollution of oceans, while the latter leads to the suspension of fine rock dust in the water, resulting in unacceptable deterioration of the local marine environment. Green Sense criticized the huge environmental cost of the project, and urged LegCo members to push for detailed accounts from the Airport Authority and the Environmental Protection Department in a meeting of the Three-Runway System LegCo Subcommittee held today.

Cost of the reclamation works, which requires a total of 100 million cubic meters of marine sand, has already amounted to a vast HKD 56.2 billion, and may continue to rise due to a shortage of sand supply from China and subsequent rising prices, easily leading to serious budget overrun and delays. In fact, marine sand supply has never been enough – last year, construction of an artificial island in the Macau section of the Hong-Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge experienced delays due to this very reason. The 3^rd runway project is facing the same crisis, said a contractor last month, and the proposed solution to keep the project going was to import marine sand from Southeast Asia, as well as to mix in artificial sand – finely crushed rocks produced with sand making machines – in place of marine sand.

Roy Tam Hoi-pong, Chief Executive (Voluntary) of Green Sense, emphasized that overseas import of marine sand would cause multiple environmental pollution. Not only would the reclamation site suffer a permanent loss of marine habitat, and the seabed from which marine sand was extracted be permanently destroyed, but the lengthy transport of sand would also lead to unacceptable carbon emissions.

On the other hand, artificial sand consists of not only larger rock grains but also fine rock dust, which, when used for reclamation, would suspend in water and cause severe marine pollution. As a demonstration, Tam prepared two glasses of clear water and added a sample of marine sand and artificial sand to each. The marine sand sank within minutes leaving the water clear, yet the glass of water containing artificial sand remained turbid throughout the press release.

‘A rinsing step is needed to remove the fine dust during artificial sand production,’ said Tam. ‘But this would in turn pollute rivers close to the factories, and the cost could very likely rocket. Thus it is unrealistic to rinse artificial sand before use. However, direct use of artificial sand without rinsing would likely be violating requirements stated on environmental permits, or lengthen construction processes, resulting in delays and budget overrun.’ He added that over the years the project has already been criticized for being overly ambitious, unhelpful in resolving limited airspace issues, and destructive to habitats of the Chinese White Dolphins, and has consequently faced strong oppositions. It was clear that the Airport Authority is stuck in a dilemma and the project should be stopped immediately.

Lawmaker Edward Yiu Chung-yim expressed equal concern with the project and the fact that authorities have failed to make public the environmental and budget-relating problems of using artificial sand, despite it being clear that marine sand was on shortage. He agreed to demand detailed explanations during the subcommittee meeting.

The first time I saw pictures of the iconic cotton candy coloured dolphins local to Hong Kong, I assumed that the images were modified. But each of these exceptionally intelligent creatures truly comes with their own distinctive pattern of pink and purple coloration. On a recent tour in the north Lantau waters, I was lucky enough to see several of these curious animals, who swam right up to the boat and showed off their beautiful hues while spiritedly diving around in the increasingly polluted waters. The dolphins seem to have a special relationship with the dedicated researchers from the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society, who have been patiently and non-invasively collecting data about the creatures for decades. The researchers are able to recognize each dolphin on sight, and can casually chat about their quirky personalities and life history in the Pearl River Delta. Sadly, these histories are becoming alarmingly short, as development in the estuary has caused massive destruction to the pods. After a devastating report that an adult and an adolescent dolphin were recently discovered dead on local shores, the current number of local white dolphins left in Hong Kong is down to 60. A decade ago there were well over 150.

More than 1,400 hectares of sea area has been reclaimed since the mid 90s, ruining habitats and fisheries in the Pearl River Delta. Major development projects like the still uncompleted bridge standing between Hong Kong and Macau has caused toxic levels of water pollution, hazardous traffic, and overfishing. Dredging in the delta deposits suspended solids into the water, while dumping in contaminated mud pits releases heavy metals and organochlorides which poison dolphins and further deplete fishing reserves. The toxins affect baby dolphins the most, many of whom are born sick and die very young.

Dolphins are incredibly social creatures that rely upon the strength of their pod for survival. Upsurges of noise pollution caused by development and ferry traffic obscures the echolocation necessary for dolphins to hunt, communicate, and navigate in the delta, leaving many stranded and helpless. The high speed ferry routes directly traverse dolphin estuaries and it has become commonplace for researches to see mangled fins and other injuries from collisions with boat turbines. But the greatest peril is undoubtedly the development still to come. The proposed third runway at Hong Kong International Airport would be the final nail in the coffin for the local population of Chinese white dolphins.

The AAHK’s proposal to build a third runway at Hong Kong International Airport would cause irreparable damage to local marine ecology. The proposed repossession of 650 more hectares of waterway in the heart of three dolphin hotspots in North Chek Lap Kok represents one of the largest reclamation projects in Hong Kong history. The AAHK has claimed that a marine park will be established for the dolphins after the runway is completed in 2022, with utter disregard to the fact that the proposed “park” is already an existing marine area, and therefore cannot possibly mitigate the loss of reclaimed waterways. The assumption that the dolphins would simply return to Hong Kong after construction is finished would be laughable if it wasn’t so devastating.

The loss of the Chinese white dolphins in Hong Kong may be the first casualty on the frontline of a vastly ill-conceived white elephant project, but they would certainly not be the last. The third runway will also greatly damage Lantau Island and contribute to pollution levels that would be hazardous to human health in surrounding areas. The plan is flawed even in its conception. Chek lap Kok is already one of the most congested airspaces in the world, and there is a finite number of flights that can travel through that area regardless of the number of runways. The crowded airspace, and the subsequent narrower waterways below, will not only be unsafe according to international safety standards, but will also have to be merged with airspace that is owned by mainland China and controlled by the People’s Liberation Army.

The endless repercussions of this conservatively estimated $141.5 billion project have yet to be addressed, and “quick fix” mentality is not only deadly to the white dolphin population and their surrounding environment, but it is also politically, socially, and financially unsustainable. It must be made clear that the nonchalance with which this development is being approached is simply unacceptable, and the plight of the irreplaceable white dolphins must be spread in order to save them before it is too late.

Abi Speers - Student from summer internship programme 2016