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.
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
MISSION: The Indo-Pacific region is ‘the priority theater,’ where the task of deterrence extends across the entire region, including Taiwan, the US Pacific Fleet commander said The US Navy’s “mission of deterrence” in the Indo-Pacific theater applies to Taiwan, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler told the South China Sea Conference on Tuesday. The conference, organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), is an international platform for senior officials and experts from countries with security interests in the region. “The Pacific Fleet’s mission is to deter aggression across the Western Pacific, together with our allies and partners, and to prevail in combat if necessary, Koehler said in the event’s keynote speech. “That mission of deterrence applies regionwide — including the South China Sea and Taiwan,” he
UNPRECEDENTED: In addition to the approved recall motions, cases such as Ma Wen-chun’s in Nantou are still under review, while others lack enough signatures The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced yesterday that a recall vote would take place on July 26, after it approved the first batch of recall motions targeting 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and Hsinchu Mayor Ann Kao (高虹安). Taiwan is in the midst of an unprecedented wave of mass recall campaigns, following a civil society push that echoed a call made by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) in January to initiate signature drives aimed at unseating KMT legislators. Under the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法), Taiwanese can initiate a recall of district-elected lawmakers by collecting
RSS