Inert demolition materials can be shipped to mainland waters amid eco-island

Macau has signed an agreement with mainland China to establish a long-term system for the disposal of inert construction materials in mainland waters, despite the ongoing eco-island project.

The Office of the Secretary for Transport and Public Works recently announced the agreement between the Chinese and Macau governments, stating that this agreement establishes a system for safely disposing of non-hazardous construction waste from Macau in designated areas of mainland China’s waters, ensuring compliance with national regulations.

Following the announcement, Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) director Ip Kuok Lam told reporters that the agreement was reached after discussions earlier this year between Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raymond Tam and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, which focused on managing the large amounts of soil generated from tunnel excavations for major construction projects, particularly the East Line of Macau’s Light Rapid Transit System (LRT).

“This situation has created significant pressure on Macau’s only landfill,” Ip said, highlighting the need for a solution to handle the excess soil.

Ip described the agreement with the Chinese mainland government as a “breakthrough” in the disposal of inert demolition materials through regional cooperation, emphasizing that while the agreement facilitates disposal, some materials may not meet mainland standards and will still need to be processed locally at Macau’s landfills or other future sites.

However, reflecting on last year, the authorities stated that Macau’s only construction waste landfill, in operation since 2006, has been nearing capacity since 2013 and is now in a high-risk state with severe challenges. Consequently, in 2020, a research institution was commissioned to conduct a feasibility study for an ecological island—a landfill site designed to integrate environmental protection with disaster prevention and mitigation functions. The authorities have also been progressing with preliminary work, including preparing a feasibility study for the ecological island’s maritime area and the initial engineering project design.

Since then, there have been public objections to the eco-island project, with the main controversy stemming from the fact that the proposed location overlaps with the activity trajectory of the Chinese white dolphin, a nationally protected species.

Subsequently, the government reaffirmed that the ecological island site was the most feasible option, emphasizing that once completed, it would serve solely as a natural ecological and environmental education base, preserving its natural ecology without any commercial development. Tam stated at the Legislative Assembly several months ago that studies and feasibility assessments for the ecological island project were ongoing, stressing that “the plan is not on hold” and that details would be announced in due course.

Regarding the process of transporting waste materials to mainland China, the Macau Construction Industry Environmental Protection Society reminded the authorities, as reported by public broadcaster TDM yesterday, that dust and other issues must be properly managed during transportation.

It was recommended to adopt Hong Kong’s standards and regulations for exporting inert construction materials to minimize environmental pollution, following Hong Kong’s disposal of inert waste materials in mainland waters in 2004 and the subsequent updates made in 2023. This includes conducting tests for heavy metals, oils, radioactive substances, and organic carbon prior to export.