Dozens of residents from Yunlin County’s Taisi Township (台西) and environmental activists yesterday staged a rally outside the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) in Taipei over what they called the Formosa Plastic Group’s (FPG) attempt to “smuggle” plans for its fifth-phase naphtha cracker complex into the eighth and ninth analysis reports on the difference of the environmental impact for the complex’s fourth-phase expansion plans.
FPG delegates yesterday said during an environmental impact assessment (EIA) committee meeting that the company is willing to drop its fifth-phase cracker expansion plans in exchange for the plans being reviewed under the procedure of analysis reports on the difference of the environmental impact.
The delegates presented a report showing that the total production capacity increase generated by the expansions carried out according to the complex’s fourth-phase expansion plans amounted to 7.1 percent, which fails to reach the 10 percent cap stipulated by the analysis report standards.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
However, Taiwan Water Conservation Alliance spokesperson Chen Chiao-hua (陳椒華) said that the FPG’s figure was “forged,” alleging the company used false statistics to pass the EPA’s assessment, including misrepresenting the amount of volatile organic compounds the complex emitted every year.
She said the company deliberately cited statistics produced by six long dormant pressure tanks in the complex in the sixth analysis report as proof that it — along with 14 other companies operating in the complex — had reduced up to 98 tonnes of volatile organic compound emissions, which in turn helped them pass the assessment, allowing them to carry out expansion projects accounting for no more than 10 percent of their overall production capacity.
She also called into question other statistics provided by the company, including the amount of wastewater discharged into the ocean and the amount of air pollution the complex causes on a yearly basis, saying that they have all been understated by FPG.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
Taisi residents showed statistics on the mortality rates of locals who suffered from cancer in 2011 and 2012, with statistics in 2011 showing that the mortality rate of Wulang (五榔) villagers was 19.4 times higher than the national average.
The EIA committee, after deliberating on the comments made by FPG, residents and activists, concluded that the company must submit a request to the Bureau of Industry and the Bureau of Energy before the committee can allow it to drop its fifth-phase plan and proceed with the assessment of its eighth and ninth analysis reports.
The committee also decided to establish a maximum for pollutants permitted in the complex with the Yunlin County’s Department of Environmental Protection and project owners, while issuing a resolution that project owners shall in the future only provide statistics on the amount of pollutants generated by collating their operational facilities.
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off Taitung County at 1:09pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 53km northeast of Taitung County Hall at a depth of 12.5km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Taitung County and Hualien County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Nantou County, Chiayi County, Yunlin County, Kaohsiung and Tainan, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage following the quake.
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) is to begin his one-year alternative military service tomorrow amid ongoing legal issues, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. Wang, who last month was released on bail of NT$150,000 (US$4,561) as he faces charges of allegedly attempting to evade military service and forging documents, has been ordered to report to Taipei Railway Station at 9am tomorrow, the Alternative Military Service Training and Management Center said. The 33-year-old would join about 1,300 other conscripts in the 263rd cohort of general alternative service for training at the Chenggong Ling camp in Taichung, a center official told reporters. Wang would first
MINOR DISRUPTION: The outage affected check-in and security screening, while passport control was done manually and runway operations continued unaffected The main departure hall and other parts of Terminal 2 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport lost power on Tuesday, causing confusion among passengers before electricity was fully restored more than an hour later. The outage, the cause of which is still being investigated, began at about midday and affected parts of Terminal 2, including the check-in gates, the security screening area and some duty-free shops. Parts of the terminal immediately activated backup power sources, while others remained dark until power was restored in some of the affected areas starting at 12:23pm. Power was fully restored at 1:13pm. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a
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