Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) Minister Wei Kuo-yen (魏國彥), who on Wednesday tendered his resignation over an oil spill incident, was hospitalized yesterday after suffering from a heart condition during a question-and-answer session at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei.
Shortly after a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee began, Wei started experiencing chest tightness and the condition persisted after he took medication, so he went to the Legislative Yuan’s infirmary, National Taiwan University Hospital said.
Wei showed abnormal electrocardiogram readings and was diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome and suspected acute myocardial infarction, and was immediately transported to the hospital.
Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times
The hospital said that Wei had a history of heart disease and was conscious upon arriving at the hospital, adding that he was taken to the intensive care unit for suspected acute coronary syndrome.
A cardiac catheterization was performed in the afternoon, and it would take a few days for Wei to recover, the EPA said.
According to EPA staff, Wei has been working overtime lately because of two ships running aground in Penghu County and New Taipei City’s Shimen District (石門), which resulted in an oil spill and sparked criticism of the EPA’s handling of the incidents.
Wei on Wednesday tendered his resignation after a legislative hearing, in which Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Liu Chien-kuo (劉建國) criticized the EPA’s management of the grounded container ship off Shimen, as the oil leaking from the vessel polluted the coastline.
Wei said he was resigning to take responsibility for the pollution, rather than acting on impulse, but added that he would continue to attend legislative sessions until the premier accepts his resignation.
“As the legislature has lost confidence in the EPA’s capabilities, I have no reason to stay at the position; I am stepping down to shoulder political responsibility,” he said.
Premier Simon Chang (張善政) yesterday visited Wei at the hospital, saying that he would not accept Wei’s resignation since the minister has duly performed his duty over the grounding incidents.
Meanwhile, the EPA’s Department of Water Quality director Yeh Chun-hung (葉俊宏) said that crews have removed two-thirds of the diesel and crude oil on the container ship, and the pumping operation is expected to be finished today at the earliest.
Lubricating oils remaining on the ship would be drained later, while there is no sign that hazardous chemicals stored in nine containers on the ship would leak, Yeh said.
The Minister of Transportation and Communications said it requested the ship owner to remove all 385 containers from the ship before the flood season.
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative
TAIWAN IS TAIWAN: US Representative Tom Tiffany said the amendment was not controversial, as ‘Taiwan is not — nor has it ever been — part of Communist China’ The US House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment banning the US Department of Defense from creating, buying or displaying any map that shows Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The “Honest Maps” amendment was approved in a voice vote on Friday as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for the 2026 fiscal year. The amendment prohibits using any funds from the act to create, buy or display maps that show Taiwan, Kinmen, Matsu, Penghu, Wuciou (烏坵), Green Island (綠島) or Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) as part of the PRC. The act includes US$831.5 billion in