The public and private sectors are to spend NT$200 billion (US$6.6 billion) on measures aimed at reducing air pollution, with a goal of lowering levels of PM2.5 — fine particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less — by 18 percent by 2019.
The government said that NT$36.51 billion has been earmarked to target lowering PM2.5 levels from 22 micrometers per cubic meter to 18 micrometers per cubic meter by 2019 and to reduce the number of “air pollution red alerts” by 47 percent, or from 997 per year to 528 per year.
State-run Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) is to invest NT$10.11 billion to reduce power plant emissions by 2019 and another NT$22.15 billion afterward, while the private sector is expected to invest between NT$168.4 billion and NT$247.7 billion in air pollution controls.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
The Cabinet has established 14 pollution control measures, including improving power generation efficiency; phasing out aging and energy-intensive vehicles and steam generators; reducing construction emissions, cooking emissions and dust emissions; curbing the burning of biomass and religious offerings; and promoting public transport and electric vehicles.
“The public does not feel the effects of the government’s pollution control measures, because there are too many sources of pollution and a single control measure cannot bring about much improvement,” Premier Lin Chuan (林全) said.
“The 14 short and medium-term measures — proposed by different ministries on a practical basis — are to engage air pollution in 14 battlegrounds to achieve tangible results in the short term,” Lin said.
As 10 to 40 percent of pollutants in Taiwan originate overseas, the government is to negotiate with neighboring nations to seek cooperation on regional pollution controls, Lin said.
Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) Minister Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) said the agency plans to phase out more than 1 million two-stroke scooters and 80,000 aging diesel trucks, while refitting 38,000 diesel trucks with diesel particulate filters in three years to reduce traffic emissions, which produce 30 to 37 percent of the total air pollution.
Stricter emissions controls would be implemented to reduce industrial emissions, which account for 27 to 31 percent of the total air pollution, with the EPA and the Ministry of Economic Affairs to subsidize the replacement of 6,000 inefficient steam boilers nationwide, Lee said.
Taipower has upgraded a coal-fired power plant in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口) with advanced ultra-supercritical power generation technology, which could lower the plant’s emissions to levels of natural-gas-powered plants, with Taipower planning to upgrade its power generation facilities nationwide, Lee said.
Asked if the requirements, coupled with plans to phase out nuclear power by 2025, would cause power shortages or investment instability, Lin said the government would ensure a stable supply of electricity and water to sustain economic development, adding that environmental protection is necessary even if it means more restrictions.
MAKING WAVES: China’s maritime militia could become a nontraditional threat in war, clogging up shipping lanes to prevent US or Japanese intervention, a report said About 1,900 Chinese ships flying flags of convenience and fishing vessels that participated in China’s military exercises around Taiwan last month and in January last year have been listed for monitoring, Coast Guard Administration (CGA) Deputy Director-General Hsieh Ching-chin (謝慶欽) said yesterday. Following amendments to the Commercial Port Act (商港法) and the Law of Ships (船舶法) last month, the CGA can designate possible berthing areas or deny ports of call for vessels suspected of loitering around areas where undersea cables can be accessed, Oceans Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said. The list of suspected ships, originally 300, had risen to about
DAREDEVIL: Honnold said it had always been a dream of his to climb Taipei 101, while a Netflix producer said the skyscraper was ‘a real icon of this country’ US climber Alex Honnold yesterday took on Taiwan’s tallest building, becoming the first person to scale Taipei 101 without a rope, harness or safety net. Hundreds of spectators gathered at the base of the 101-story skyscraper to watch Honnold, 40, embark on his daredevil feat, which was also broadcast live on Netflix. Dressed in a red T-shirt and yellow custom-made climbing shoes, Honnold swiftly moved up the southeast face of the glass and steel building. At one point, he stepped onto a platform midway up to wave down at fans and onlookers who were taking photos. People watching from inside
Japan’s strategic alliance with the US would collapse if Tokyo were to turn away from a conflict in Taiwan, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said yesterday, but distanced herself from previous comments that suggested a possible military response in such an event. Takaichi expressed her latest views on a nationally broadcast TV program late on Monday, where an opposition party leader criticized her for igniting tensions with China with the earlier remarks. Ties between Japan and China have sunk to the worst level in years after Takaichi said in November that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could bring about a Japanese
STREAMLINED: The dedicated funding would allow the US to transfer equipment to Taiwan when needed and order upgraded replacements for stockpiles, a source said The US House of Representatives on Thursday passed a defense appropriations bill totaling US$838.7 billion, of which US$1 billion is to be allocated to reinforcing security cooperation with Taiwan and US$150 million to replace defense articles provided to the nation. These are part of the Consolidated Appropriation Act, which the US House yesterday passed with 341 votes in favor and 88 against. The act must be passed by the US Senate before Friday next week to avoid another government shutdown. The US House Committee on Appropriations on Monday unveiled the act, saying that it allocates US$1 billion for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative
RSS