The central government would be in charge of environmental impact assessments (EIAs) for hotels, solar plants, and cultural and educational facilities, Minister of Environment Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) said yesterday, following criticism about the delegation of the responsibility to local governments.
Disputes arose after the ministry last month said it would amend the Environmental Impact Assessment Enforcement Rules (環境影響評估法施行細則) to grant local governments the authority to assess the environmental impact of three types of construction projects: hotels, cultural and educational facilities, as well as solar photovoltaic projects under 30 hectares.
Before a meeting with the legislature’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee yesterday, Peng said in an interview that the three types of EIAs would still be handled by the central government, although hotel projects already entrusted to local governments would remain in their hands.
Photo: Taipei Times
There are 50 to 60 EIA personnel at the local government level across Taiwan’s 22 administrative areas, he said, citing on-site examination results.
While some local governments have been doing a good job, others are facing personnel shortages, Peng said.
As the insufficient EIA capacities of local governments would be harmful to the environment, an overall improvement of the EIA system is necessary, he said.
The ministry has commissioned a non-governmental organization to conduct a full review of the EIA system, which is expected to identify all problems by the end of next year, Peng said.
The ministry would also help local governments to increase personnel for post-EIA supervision and enhance the review mechanisms to make EIAs more transparent, he added.
Department of Environmental Protection Director-General Hsu Su-chih (徐淑芷) yesterday said construction projects that could have a higher environmental impact in regions like national parks would be reviewed by the central government, while local governments would take over cases with less environmental impact.
Asked about the potential use of nuclear power, Peng said that the UN has yet to reach a consensus on this topic, adding that pro-nuclear initiatives launched by several countries on the sidelines of COP28 last year were not included in the official meeting minutes.
Innovative nuclear applications such as nuclear fusion and small modular reactors have yet to be fully developed and their commercial transfer remains to be seen, he said.
Taiwan must develop diverse energy sources instead of relying on a single energy source, and nuclear energy is just one of many options, Peng said.
An EU report at COP29 found that green energy accounts for up to 45 percent of global energy usage, which makes it the most prevalent type, Peng said, adding that nuclear power could not solve all energy problems.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
RSS