Environmentalists blasted the Ministry of Transportations and Communications' National Freeway Bureau (公路局) yesterday over a proposal for the Tamsui River Expressway, calling it a "big mistake" because it ignores possible damage to the coastal ecological system at the mouth of the Tamsui River.
At an environmental impact assessment (EIA) meeting held by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) yesterday, officials from Tamsui Township office said that they hoped to see the passage of the EIA because construction had been expected by many local residents for several years.
However, conservationists said that the proposed construction would be a "killer" for the 65.3 hectares of coastal mangroves along the proposed route
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES.
"Highway pillars, which are to be sunk into wetlands along the river, would damage the environment for coastal mangroves that form a natural barrier to erosion of the riverbanks," said Chang Chien-lung (張建隆), spokesman for the Action Network for Rescuing the Tamsui River (搶救淡水河行動聯盟), a group composed of 96 environmental groups from around Taiwan.
"In addition, according to a report by an EPA official, these pillars, built on sandy soil, will damage the base of the Tamsui Line (
Showing a petition letter signed by about 3,000 people opposed to the proposed construction, activists said that the construction was redundant because it would be parallel to the Tamsui Line (
Representatives for the National Freeway Bureau admitted at the meeting that the coastal environment would be changed but "the effect on mangroves was expected to be limited."
Environmentalists said the proposed construction would go against the government's pledge to preserve bio-diversity.
"The national report on biological diversity in Taiwan will come up in May, but now we see a proposal for construction that will damage the coastal environment," said Lin Sheng-chung (
Bureau representatives have said the proposed highway is the only option available to handle the growing flow of traffic.
"We don't think alternatives to the project, such as broadening the Tamsui section of Taiwan's Number 2 Route (台二線) would be realistic to solve traffic problems," said a bureau representative.
EPA officials said that the EIA needed to be carefully reviewed because opposition to the project was getting louder.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source