Keelung City’s Bureau of Environmental Protection in December last year passed regulations governing rewards for reporting violations of the Water Pollution Control Act, which would allow those who report environmental violations by their current or former employer to be rewarded half of the fine paid if proven to be true, with a maximum reward of NT$10 million.
During a municipal meeting last month, the Keelung City Government announced the passage and implementation of new regulations governing rewards for reporting violations of the Water Pollution Control Act. According to the regulations, those who report serious violations of the Water Pollution Control Act – including failure to meet the city’s effluent disposal standards, not having in place the appropriate facilities and equipment for wastewater treatment, or illegally discharging wastewater into the underground water table or soil — can receive 20 percent of the fine paid as a reward.
If the person reporting the case is a current or former employee of the violator, he or she can be rewarded 50 percent of the fine paid. With the highest possible fine being NT$ 20 million, the maximum reward for such tip-offs is NT$ 10 million.
Photo: Lu Hsiu-hsien, Liberty Times
照片:自由時報記者盧賢秀
Keelung’s Bureau of Environmental Protection Director-General Lai Huan-hung said that, since employees typically know the ins and outs of their companies, the new rules, which provide high rewards for employees offering tip-offs to the regulatory authorities, should make companies think twice before breaking the law.(Liberty Times, translated by Tu Yu-an)
基隆市環保局去年十二月通過「基隆市檢舉違反水污染防治法案件獎勵辦法」,增訂窩裡反檢舉獎勵制度,鼓勵現職或離職員工檢舉違法公司,若經查屬實,獎金是罰鍰的五成,最高可拿到一千萬元。
上個月經基隆市市務會議通過實施檢舉違反水污染防治法案件獎勵辦法,違反放流水標準、處理設施與設備功能不足、任意排入地下水體或排放於土壤等,皆屬於情節重大違規行為,將分出實收罰鍰金額的二成做為檢舉獎勵金。
若檢舉人為現職或離職員工,檢舉獎勵金提高為實收罰鍰金額的五成,以最高罰鍰二千萬元當基準,檢舉人最高可獲一千萬元獎勵。
環保局長賴煥紘表示,員工最清楚公司的作為,增訂「窩裡反條款」,希望藉由鼓勵員工提供訊息給政府監管部門,督促業者守法。(自由時報記者林欣漢)
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