A fire in a lithium battery warehouse in New Taipei City’s Shenkeng District (深坑) on Tuesday last week emitted plumes of smoke that polluted a broad area of the city and neighboring Taipei.
The administration of Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) issued a toothless five-point statement after the incident that could hardly calm the anger of people living in these cities.
Residents were left wondering how poisonous the air was and whether the city government would determine who was responsible for the fire and provide compensation to those affected.
In a statement, Chiang expressed sympathy with the affected residents. He also called on the Taipei Department of Environmental Protection to inspect the scene of the blaze and the surrounding areas.
However, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Clinical Poison Center director Yen Tzung-hai (顏宗海) said that burning lithium batteries could emit hydrogen fluoride — a highly toxic gas that could damage respiratory tracts and lungs and cause pneumonitis if inhaled in sufficient quantities.
Does Chiang and his administration think this is just “general air pollution”?
Following the fire, medical specialists urged residents in the affected areas — including New Taipei City’s Zhonghe (中和), Yonghe (中和) and Xindian (新店) districts and the Muzha (木柵) area of Taipei’s Wenshan District (文山) — to keep their doors and windows closed all day. They also advised residents to avoid going outside, and wear N95 masks if they must go out.
They especially advised people with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to seek medical attention as soon as possible if they experience chest tightness or wheezing.
Chiang and his administration do not seem to have fully grasped the situation, as they only asked the Department of Environmental Protection to test the air quality in affected areas.
Surely they should have asked health departments and specialists to join the effort in helping everyone affected fully understand the health risks associated with a lithium battery fire.
As for the New Taipei City Government, its initial actions were also insufficient.
The New Taipei City Department of Environmental Protection said that it would pursue legal action should it determine that there was a “spontaneous combustion due to improper management ... that causes odorous pollutants or toxic gases,” as stipulated under Article 32 of the Air Pollution Control Act (空氣污染防制法).
The department’s response was too conservative and was unable to dispel the fears of residents nor resolve any threat or damage to their health.
Residents of Taipei and New Taipei City need politicians who are willing and capable of taking responsibility in emergencies, not civil servants who are only capable of doing the bare minimum in accordance with the law.
Consider the response of Shenkeng-based Kinpo Group. As a private enterprise, it took the initiative to safeguard its employees’ health by allowing them to work from home after the incident.
Looking at how efficiently a business like Kinpo responded, should the Taipei and New Taipei City governments not act as quickly to determine who was responsible for this toxic incident?
Should they not also promise to compensate the affected residents?
Reggie Sun is deputy director of the New Party’s public opinion research center.
Translated by Julian Clegg
Trying to force a partnership between Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) and Intel Corp would be a wildly complex ordeal. Already, the reported request from the Trump administration for TSMC to take a controlling stake in Intel’s US factories is facing valid questions about feasibility from all sides. Washington would likely not support a foreign company operating Intel’s domestic factories, Reuters reported — just look at how that is going over in the steel sector. Meanwhile, many in Taiwan are concerned about the company being forced to transfer its bleeding-edge tech capabilities and give up its strategic advantage. This is especially
US President Donald Trump’s second administration has gotten off to a fast start with a blizzard of initiatives focused on domestic commitments made during his campaign. His tariff-based approach to re-ordering global trade in a manner more favorable to the United States appears to be in its infancy, but the significant scale and scope are undeniable. That said, while China looms largest on the list of national security challenges, to date we have heard little from the administration, bar the 10 percent tariffs directed at China, on specific priorities vis-a-vis China. The Congressional hearings for President Trump’s cabinet have, so far,
For years, the use of insecure smart home appliances and other Internet-connected devices has resulted in personal data leaks. Many smart devices require users’ location, contact details or access to cameras and microphones to set up, which expose people’s personal information, but are unnecessary to use the product. As a result, data breaches and security incidents continue to emerge worldwide through smartphone apps, smart speakers, TVs, air fryers and robot vacuums. Last week, another major data breach was added to the list: Mars Hydro, a Chinese company that makes Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as LED grow lights and the
The US Department of State has removed the phrase “we do not support Taiwan independence” in its updated Taiwan-US relations fact sheet, which instead iterates that “we expect cross-strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, free from coercion, in a manner acceptable to the people on both sides of the Strait.” This shows a tougher stance rejecting China’s false claims of sovereignty over Taiwan. Since switching formal diplomatic recognition from the Republic of China to the People’s Republic of China in 1979, the US government has continually indicated that it “does not support Taiwan independence.” The phrase was removed in 2022
RSS