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.
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
‘SECRETS’: While saying China would not attack during his presidency, Donald Trump declined to say how Washington would respond if Beijing were to take military action US President Donald Trump said that China would not take military action against Taiwan while he is president, as the Chinese leaders “know the consequences.” Trump made the statement during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes program that aired on Sunday, a few days after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea. “He [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘we would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said in the interview. However, he repeatedly declined to say exactly how Washington would respond in
WARFARE: All sectors of society should recognize, unite, and collectively resist and condemn Beijing’s cross-border suppression, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng said The number of Taiwanese detained because of legal affairs by Chinese authorities has tripled this year, as Beijing intensified its intimidation and division of Taiwanese by combining lawfare and cognitive warfare, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) made the statement in response to questions by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Puma Shen (沈柏洋) about the government’s response to counter Chinese public opinion warfare, lawfare and psychological warfare. Shen said he is also being investigated by China for promoting “Taiwanese independence.” He was referring to a report published on Tuesday last week by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency,
‘ADDITIONAL CONDITION’: Taiwan will work with like-minded countries to protect its right to participate in next year’s meeting, the foreign ministry said The US will “continue to press China for security arrangements and protocols that safeguard all participants when attending APEC meetings in China,” a US Department of State spokesperson said yesterday, after Beijing suggested that members must adhere to its “one China principle” to participate. “The United States insists on the full and equal participation of all APEC member economies — including Taiwan — consistent with APEC’s guidelines, rules and established practice, as affirmed by China in its offer to host in 2026,” the unnamed spokesperson said in response to media queries about China putting a “one China” principle condition on Taiwan’s
RSS