Tue, Mar 10, 2009 page2

• Miaoli divided over park plan

  NOT YOUR BUSINESS Farmers were furious at a comment by the county commissioner, who said that their land is ‘barren.’ A petition is going around

  • By Meggie Lu / STAFF REPORTER
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  The Environmental Protection Administration’s environmental impact assessment (EIA) panel yesterday rejected a proposal to build an industrial park in Miaoli County’s Houlong Township (後龍).

  The panelists voted seven to five to send the proposal back to the committee.

  It was rejected on the grounds that pre-development communication with residents had been inadequate and that the need to build more industrial parks — on farmland of good quality — should be reconsidered.

  

  Residents of Houlong Township in Miaoli County yesterday protest in front of the Environmental Protection Administration in Taipei against a proposal to build an industrial park on farmland.

  PHOTO: WANG YI-SUNG, TAIPEI TIMES

  The decision was reached after two-and-a-half hours of heated debate between the developer, county government officials and residents.

  Miaoli County Commissioner Liu Cheng-hung (劉政鴻) said that having grown up in Houlong he would look to the interests of residents, adding that promises to keep pollution low would be kept.

  “One hectare of land [at the proposed site] yields revenues of less than NT$230,000 annually. The soil is only 3cm thick … As a result, people are impoverished,” Liu said.

  On the other hand, in recent years the county has found investors who have generated more revenue than anywhere in Taiwan, he said.

  “Eighty percent of landowners agree to this proposal. The rest oppose it because they want more money [for their land],” he said.

  Residents and environmentalists, however, said the development would spoil a large stretch of quality farmland and endanger rare species. Before proceeding with the EIA, a decision should be made as to whether the national priority is developing agriculture or industry, they said.

  “The proposed industrial park will be built on land categorized as ‘superior’ agricultural land by the Council of Agriculture (COA) since the 1970s,” said Chang Feng-nan (張豐年), a consultant at the New Environment Promotion Association.

  Holding 200 petitions, Wanbao resident Chang Shu-ming (張書銘) said 80 percent of landowners wanted to keep their farms.

  Furthermore, while 51 percent of the land to be used for the proposed industrial park is privately owned, no mediation meetings were held with land owners before the EIA meeting, he said.

  “To hear Commissioner Liu say that our land is barren is infuriating. Whether it is barren or not is our business, not the commissioner’s,” said Hsieh Hsiu-yi (謝修鎰), borough chief of the Wanbao Community.

  “Investigations have shown that the industrial park would have a negative impact on the habitat of near-extinct Chinese white dolphins,” Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association specialist Funder Chen (陳奐宇) said.

  “The beautiful mountains and waters of Miaoli are worth preserving,” a panelist said.
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