After nearly eight hours of discussion, a panel reviewing a petrochemical industrial park project proposed by Kuokuang Petrochemical Technology Co (國光石化) yesterday ruled that the company would have to provide additional information to be resubmitted for further review.
The panel, made up of members of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) committee at the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), university professors and government representatives, was holding its fourth review.
Prior to the meeting, media reports were speculating that the panel was likely to give the case a conditional approval and allow it to be reviewed by the EIA Committee, which has the final say on whether the proposal should be approved or rejected. Some reports said the chances of such a conclusion being reached were high, because the EPA was seeking to settle the controversial project before the Lunar New Year holiday next week.
While the panel did not approve the plan, its ruling still fell short of the expectations of the project’s opponents, who asked that Kuokuang drop it altogether.
Although Kuokuang has proposed reducing the scale of the planned petrochemical complex, critics said the watered-down project still poses a threat to the environment.
Liu Chung-ming (柳中明), a professor at National Taiwan University (NTU), said that while extreme weather was causing disasters worldwide, the Kuokuang proposal did not assess the impact of such weather occurrences on its operations.
Allen Chen (陳昭倫), an associate research fellow at the Biodiversity Research Center at Academia Sinica, said Kuokuang must carefully assess the project’s impact on the natural habitat of the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin.
“The [humpback dolphin] issue needs to be handled as a global matter,” Chen said. “However, looking at the reports submitted by the developer, we find [that Kuokuang] has left many questions unanswered.”
Although she was not present at the meeting, Yunlin County Commissioner Su Chih-feng (蘇治芬) said in a statement that she opposed the project, adding that air pollution from the proposed petrochemical plant could cause an estimated NT$10 billion (US$344 million) in damage annually.
Furthermore, the average life expectancy of residents could be reduced by 61 days, she said.
Panelists did not start reviewing the case until late in the afternoon, as the panel had allocated about five hours for supporters as well as opponents of the project to voice their opinions.
Kuokuang chairman Chen Bao-lang (陳寶郎) said the company believed it was heading in the right direction by scaling down the project.
“It will reduce pollution and decrease water usage,” Chen said. “Still, [the panelists] wanted us to provide specific details as to how reducing the size of the project will do less harm to the environment.”
On the ruling, Chen said differences of opinion were expected.
“People will always have opinions no matter how prepared you are,” he said.
Chiang Pen-chi (蔣本基), a professor at National Taiwan University who presided over the meeting, said the panel would hold a fifth meeting to review the matter, though a date had yet to be determined.
Meanwhile, after demonstrating outside the EPA building for about 24 hours, students, environmentalists and Changhua County residents opposed to the industrial park rejoiced when they heard the results of the meeting.
“This is not the most satisfactory outcome, but this is at least an acceptable one and we welcome it,” Yao Liang-yi (姚量議), one of the organizers of the overnight rally, said through a loudspeaker. “The meeting reached this conclusion because of you [the demonstrators], because of your pressure.”
Hundreds of mainly students representing universities across the country launched the overnight rally against the project at about 7pm on Wednesday. The students were then joined by Changhua County residents who arrived in buses at about 9am — half an hour before the evaluation meeting was to begin.
Opposition to the project stems from the plan to build the plant on an manmade island not far off the coast of Dacheng Township (大城), Changhua County, which is considered ecologically sensitive wetland.
In addition to the rich ecosystem, the area also has a very active marine farming industry that produces more than one-third of the nation’s oysters.
“Decades ago, when the Formosa Plastics Group [台塑集團] announced it would build a petrochemical industrial park in Mailiao Township [麥寮], Yunlin County, people welcomed it, but now they regret it,” said Lin Ching-tuo (林清拖), an elderly farmer from Wanggong Township (王功), Changhua County, which is close to Mailiao and Dacheng.
“The large quantities of smoke produced by oil refineries in Mailiao not only pollute the air, but also damage the health and the quality of life of people in neighboring areas,” Lin said. “Consequently, we should stop the project before it becomes a reality.”
Activist Yang Ru-men (楊儒門), who also runs an organic farm and a farmers’ market, told the crowd that although residents could receive cash compensation for the project, “however much cash you receive, it cannot make up for the loss of your health.”
“Of course economic development could help us live longer, but what good does it do if it means just staying in a hospital bed longer?” he said.
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