Representatives of environmental groups gathered in front of the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) yesterday to urge the government to lower electromagnetic wave safety standards to a maximum of 1 milli-Gauss (mG).
The agency is considering lowering electromagnetic wave safety standards by 10 percent for “sensitive regions” such as schools, hospitals and residential areas, but the activists said that was not enough.
Taiwan Electromagnetic Radiation Hazard Protection and Control Association chairwoman Chen Chiao-hwa (陳椒華) said the EPA was considering lowering the standard for sensitive areas from 833mG to 83.3mG.
PHOTO: CNA
“From WHO data, we know that advanced countries such as the US and Switzerland have an electromagnetic wave safety limit of 1mG. We fear that as Hsiao is on the EPA’s expert panel, his statement could cause a public misunderstanding,” she said.
She was referring to a recent remark by National Taiwan University of Science and Technology electric engineering assistant professor Hsiao Horng-Ching (蕭弘清) that even if an environment or location had an electromagnetic wave level of 8,300mG, there would be little harm to human health.
“Even at 83.3 milli-Gauss, people are still exposed to high health risks and are likely to develop chronic illnesses such as cancer, or give birth to children with mental retardation or other birth defects,” Chen said.
The environmental groups urged the government to follow the example set by other countries and set the nation’s safety limit to 1mG.
Air Quality Protection and Noise Control Director-General Hsieh Yen-ju (謝燕儒) said the EPA was not ready to decide on whether to lower the limit.
“To make sure we cover all the bases, we will hold more meetings with environmental groups, the National Communications Commission, the Department of Health and media representatives soon,” Hsieh said.
As for the debate over 1mG and 83.3mG standards, Hsieh said that since every country is different, the EPA would collect more information to determine what was best for Taiwan.
Hong Kong singer Andy Lau’s (劉德華) concert in Taipei tonight has been cancelled due to Typhoon Kong-rei and is to be held at noon on Saturday instead, the concert organizer SuperDome said in a statement this afternoon. Tonight’s concert at Taipei Arena was to be the first of four consecutive nightly performances by Lau in Taipei, but it was called off at the request of Taipei Metro, the operator of the venue, due to the weather, said the organizer. Taipei Metro said the concert was cancelled out of consideration for the audience’s safety. The decision disappointed a number of Lau’s fans who had
A tropical depression east of the Philippines became a tropical storm early yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, less than a week after a typhoon barreled across the nation. The agency issued an advisory at 3:30am stating that the 22nd tropical storm, named Yinxing, of the Pacific typhoon season formed at 2am. As of 8am, the storm was 1,730km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, with a 100km radius. It was moving west-northwest at 32kph, with maximum sustained winds of 83kph and gusts of up to 108kph. Based on its current path, the storm is not expected to hit Taiwan, CWA
Commuters in Taipei picked their way through debris and navigated disrupted transit schedules this morning on their way to work and school, as the city was still working to clear the streets in the aftermath of Typhoon Kong-rey. By 11pm yesterday, there were estimated 2,000 trees down in the city, as well as 390 reports of infrastructure damage, 318 reports of building damage and 307 reports of fallen signs, the Taipei Public Works Department said. Workers were mobilized late last night to clear the debris as soon as possible, the department said. However, as of this morning, many people were leaving messages
A Canadian dental assistant was recently indicted by prosecutors after she was caught in August trying to smuggle 32kg of marijuana into Taiwan, the Aviation Police Bureau said on Wednesday. The 30-year-old was arrested on Aug. 4 after arriving on a flight to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Chang Tsung-lung (張驄瀧), a squad chief in the Aviation Police Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Division, told reporters. Customs officials noticed irregularities when the woman’s two suitcases passed through X-ray baggage scanners, Chang said. Upon searching them, officers discovered 32.61kg of marijuana, which local media outlets estimated to have a market value of more than NT$50 million (US$1.56
RSS