One of the characteristics of an ideal science-based industrial park described by Weng Cheng-I (
"Instead, a science-based industrial park should be able to promote development in such areas," Weng said last week, when he visited the Tainan Science-based Industrial Park (TSIP,
Whether Weng's wishes can be realized at the park remains to be seen. Ongoing local opposition to the establishment of a joint waste management center for firms in the park, however, offers possible clues.
"I never thought that the park would be a benefit to neighboring communities," Chen Jun-tin (陳俊廷), warden of Nankuan Borough (南關里), told the Taipei Times.
Nankuan borough, Shanhua township (
Chen said that he had requested the park's development office (籌備處) repair roads damaged by trucks carrying construction materials but received no response.
"None of more than 100 resumes I passed on to the development office were picked by any firm in the park," Chen said, adding that the park seemed to block job opportunities for local residents.
A recent hot issue discussed by residents from 21 boroughs neighboring the park was compensation for a waste incinerator, which can burn 80 tonnes of industrial waste per day, located at the park's joint waste management center, covering 7 hectares of land.
Chen insisted that more than 3,000 residents of Nankuan deserved half of the compensation because they shared 40 percent of the area's border with the park.
"In addition, Nankuan residents should constitute half the members of a monitoring committee on the waste management center," Chen said.
Not only local residents, but also local government representatives are keeping their eyes on the joint waste management center.
At a meeting conducted by the park's development office in late August, Hu Jui-nan (胡瑞男), head of Shanhua township office, expressed the residents' opposition to the waste management center but said that there was scope for negotiation if household waste generated in Shanhua was allowed to be treated at the center.
Hou Shui-sheng (
Facing local opposition, TSIP officials told the Taipei Times that more efficient communication needed to be conducted.
"Residents have no need to worry about the center because its comprehensive facilities can treat and store waste properly," said Tai Chien (
Tai said that they would be willing to offer compensation to residents even though the park had debts of NT$17.2 billion.
The office hopes that construction of the joint waste management center, costing NT$400 million, will commence this month and will be completed in June.
Representatives of firms in the park said they were expecting the establishment of the joint waste management center.
"Before the waste management center is completed, all we can do is store waste at our factory sites to await proper treatment at a future date," said Jo Shen (馬海怡), president and chief executive officer of ScinoPharm Taiwan, Ltd (台灣神隆), a pharmaceutical research and manufacturing center already operating in the park.
TSIP officials said that all waste created by firms inside the park would be treated properly within the confines of the TSIP.
"The park can be ecologically friendly. It won't damage the environment for people or wildlife in any way," Tai said.
Chen, as warden of Nankuan borough, said that he would invite TSIP officials to attend a meeting scheduled for Sept. 15 to discuss controversial matters relating to the establishment of the joint waste management treatment center, including compensation and possible preferential treatment.
Chen said they also opposed the establishment of power plants nearby on environmental grounds.
"Our voice should have not been ignored," Chen said.
"This is our home town. why should we be deprived by new settlers from outside?" Chen said.
Authorities have detained three former Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TMSC, 台積電) employees on suspicion of compromising classified technology used in making 2-nanometer chips, the Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office said yesterday. Prosecutors are holding a former TSMC engineer surnamed Chen (陳) and two recently sacked TSMC engineers, including one person surnamed Wu (吳) in detention with restricted communication, following an investigation launched on July 25, a statement said. The announcement came a day after Nikkei Asia reported on the technology theft in an exclusive story, saying TSMC had fired two workers for contravening data rules on advanced chipmaking technology. Two-nanometer wafers are the most
NEW GEAR: On top of the new Tien Kung IV air defense missiles, the military is expected to place orders for a new combat vehicle next year for delivery in 2028 Mass production of Tien Kung IV (Sky Bow IV) missiles is expected to start next year, with plans to order 122 pods, the Ministry of National Defense’s (MND) latest list of regulated military material showed. The document said that the armed forces would obtain 46 pods of the air defense missiles next year and 76 pods the year after that. The Tien Kung IV is designed to intercept cruise missiles and ballistic missiles to an altitude of 70km, compared with the 60km maximum altitude achieved by the Missile Segment Enhancement variant of PAC-3 systems. A defense source said yesterday that the number of
A bipartisan group of US representatives have introduced a draft US-Taiwan Defense Innovation Partnership bill, aimed at accelerating defense technology collaboration between Taiwan and the US in response to ongoing aggression by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The bill was introduced by US representatives Zach Nunn and Jill Tokuda, with US House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Chairman John Moolenaar and US Representative Ashley Hinson joining as original cosponsors, a news release issued by Tokuda’s office on Thursday said. The draft bill “directs the US Department of Defense to work directly with Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense through their respective
Tsunami waves were possible in three areas of Kamchatka in Russia’s Far East, the Russian Ministry for Emergency Services said yesterday after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit the nearby Kuril Islands. “The expected wave heights are low, but you must still move away from the shore,” the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app, after the latest seismic activity in the area. However, the Pacific Tsunami Warning System in Hawaii said there was no tsunami warning after the quake. The Russian tsunami alert was later canceled. Overnight, the Krasheninnikov volcano in Kamchatka erupted for the first time in 600 years, Russia’s RIA
RSS