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
Beijing’s continued provocations in the Taiwan Strait reveal its intention to unilaterally change the “status quo” in the area, the US Department of State said on Saturday, calling for a peaceful resolution to cross-strait issues. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) reported that four China Coast Guard patrol vessels entered restricted and prohibited waters near Kinmen County on Friday and again on Saturday. A State Department spokesperson said that Washington was aware of the incidents, and urged all parties to exercise restraint and refrain from unilaterally changing the “status quo.” “Maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is in line with our [the
EXTENDED RANGE: Hsiung Sheng missiles, 100 of which might be deployed by the end of the year, could reach Chinese command posts and airport runways, a source said A NT$16.9 billion (US$534.93 million) project to upgrade the military’s missile defense systems would be completed this year, allowing the deployment of at least 100 long-range Hsiung Sheng missiles and providing more deterrence against China, military sources said on Saturday. Hsiung Sheng missiles are an extended-range version of the Hsiung Feng IIE (HF-2E) surface-to-surface cruise missile, and are believed to have a range of up to 1,200km, which would allow them to hit targets well inside China. They went into mass production in 2022, the sources said. The project is part of a special budget for the Ministry of National Defense aimed at
READY TO WORK: Taiwan is eager to cooperate and is hopeful that like-minded states will continue to advocate for its inclusion in regional organizations, Lai said Maintaining the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait, and peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region must be a top priority, president-elect William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday after meeting with a delegation of US academics. Leaders of the G7, US President Joe Biden and other international heads of state have voiced concerns about the situation in the Strait, as stability in the region is necessary for a safe, peaceful and prosperous world, Lai said. The vice president, who is to be inaugurated in May, welcomed the delegation and thanked them for their support for Taiwan and issues concerning the Strait. The international community
COOPERATION: Two crewmembers from a Chinese fishing boat that sank off Kinmen were rescued, two were found dead and another two were still missing at press time The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) was yesterday working with Chinese rescuers to find two missing crewmembers from a Chinese fishing boat that sank southwest of Kinmen County yesterday, killing two crew. The joint operation managed to rescue two of the boat’s six crewmembers, but two were already dead when they were pulled from the water, the agency said in a statement. Rescuers are still searching for two others from the Min Long Yu 61222, a boat registered in China’s Fujian Province that capsized and sank 1.03 nautical miles (1.9km) southwest of Dongding Island (東碇), it added. CGA Director-General Chou Mei-wu (周美伍) told a