Disturbing U-turn on flawed environmental report for third runway
Samantha Lee says airport officials' measures to address environmental concerns over third runway remain inadequate, despite marine parks plan
The Advisory Council on the Environment will meet on Monday to discuss whether to advise the Environmental Protection Department to give the green light to the third-runway plan. After a closed-door meeting of the council's impact assessment subcommittee last week, the majority of members now appear to support endorsing the Airport Authority's environmental impact report.
This is a complete reversal from last month, when most council members criticised the measures proposed to lessen the project's effect on Chinese white dolphins. What made them change their mind?
Two main concerns were initially raised. First, the proposal for a marine park was deemed "too little, too late", as it would not be located in a key dolphin habitat and would only be set up after the construction phase.
Second, nothing was proposed to lessen the impact on the dolphins of the more than 300 vessels travelling daily in and around the construction site. In addition, the species would suffer a permanent loss of 650 hectares of habitat.
Then came the turnaround. On September 1, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department suddenly announced that it was ready to designate two new marine parks - proposed 14 years ago - off Lantau Island by 2017.
The department has denied any link between these new parks and plans for the third runway. Yet, one day after the announcement, the council's impact assessment subcommittee held another meeting, at which the majority of members said they would approve the Airport Authority's environmental impact assessment report for the third runway.