The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) yesterday filed lawsuits against Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokesperson Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) and former Government Information Office chief Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦) for allegedly ignoring the EPA’s request to correct what it deemed “untruthful statements” about a controversy surrounding air pollution fees levied by Taiwan’s two oil refiners.
In February, the government had announced that CPC Corp, Taiwan (台灣中油) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) had overcharged consumers by about NT$1.37 billion (US$42.6 million) last year in the name of air pollution fees — which worked out to be NT$240 per motorist.
Environmental Protection Administration Minister Stephen Shen (沈世宏) was quoted by the Chinese-language United Evening News on Feb. 25 as saying that the controversy over the air pollution fee stemmed from an error in the formula used to calculate changing oil prices, adding that the formula was created when Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) was premier.
Su is now the DPP candidate for Taipei mayor.
The EPA said Tsai and Cheng’s reactions to Shen’s statement — published in the United Daily News and Apply Daily on Feb. 26 — had been inaccurate and defamatory.
“Freedom of speech is protected under the Constitution and the administration respects criticism and comments on government policies,” the EPA said in a statement. “However, their remarks should not contradict actual facts, nor should they use insulting remarks to defame government departments and civil servants. Politicians or political parties ... should be last to do so.”
Tsai was quoted as saying that Su had decided to freeze oil prices when global prices for crude were rising and he accused President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration of robbing people in the guise of air pollution fees. Tsai was also quoted as questioning why Shen had not changed the calculation formula if it was wrong.
“Was he sleeping the whole time?” the United Daily News quoted Tsai as asking before adding: “Shen passed the buck whenever he dealt with a problem. Such an irresponsible person should not be the EPA minister.”
The Apply Daily cited Cheng as saying the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) had been in power for two years, so it should bear responsibility for the problem and not blame the former DPP administration.
The EPA said the Control Yuan had investigated the pollution fee controversy and found that the EPA had respected the law. The Control Yuan report also said the Ministry of Economic Affairs had not informed the EPA of how oil prices were set.
The EPA notified Tsai and Cheng on May 6 of the results of the Control Yuan’s investigation, after the watchdog body had made its report public. On July 22, the EPA sent a request to both by registered mail, asking that they correct their statements. Neither responded to the request, the EPA said.
Its lawsuit only focuses on Tsai and Cheng’s “untrue” statements, the EPA said. Su and DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) should not let their party members off the hook if they do not admit they are wrong, the EPA said.
Tsai Chi-chang and Cheng -responded to news of the lawsuit by questioning its timing, given the nearness of the Nov. 27 special municipality elections.
Tsai Chi-chang said his February comments should be protected under freedom of speech, but added that Taiwan has descended into a state of “martial law” under Ma.
He said he would file a countersuit against Shen for “making false accusations.”
“My concerns ... at the time were supported by evidence,” he said. “Even KMT lawmakers raised questions about whether the EPA had enough checks in place.”
Cheng, who is working on Tsai Ing-wen’s campaign for Sinbei City mayor, said he did not see what the problem was with his February comments.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY VINCENT Y. CHAO AND STAFF WRITER
GET TO SAFETY: Authorities were scrambling to evacuate nearly 700 people in Hualien County to prepare for overflow from a natural dam formed by a previous typhoon Typhoon Podul yesterday intensified and accelerated as it neared Taiwan, with the impact expected to be felt overnight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, while the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration announced that schools and government offices in most areas of southern and eastern Taiwan would be closed today. The affected regions are Tainan, Kaohsiung and Chiayi City, and Yunlin, Chiayi, Pingtung, Hualien and Taitung counties, as well as the outlying Penghu County. As of 10pm last night, the storm was about 370km east-southeast of Taitung County, moving west-northwest at 27kph, CWA data showed. With a radius of 120km, Podul is carrying maximum sustained
Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning. As of 8pm, the typhoon was 1,020km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23kph. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA said. Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest
TRAJECTORY: The severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, and would influence the nation to varying degrees, a forecaster said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it would likely issue a sea warning for Tropical Storm Podul tomorrow morning and a land warning that evening at the earliest. CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said the severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving west at 21kph and packing sustained winds of 108kph and gusts of up to 136.8kph, the CWA said. Lin said that the tropical storm was about 1,710km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, with two possible trajectories over the next one
TALKS CONTINUE: Although an agreement has not been reached with Washington, lowering the tariff from 32 percent to 20 percent is still progress, the vice premier said Taiwan would strive for a better US tariff rate in negotiations, with the goal being not just lowering the current 20-percent tariff rate, but also securing an exemption from tariff stacking, Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) said yesterday. Cheng made the remarks at a news conference at the Executive Yuan explaining the new US tariffs and the government’s plans for supporting affected industries. US President Donald Trump on July 31 announced a new tariff rate of 20 percent on Taiwan’s exports to the US starting on Thursday last week, and the Office of Trade Negotiations on Friday confirmed that it
RSS