EPA head stands up to his critics

Environmental Protection Admin-istrator Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) says his resolve to push through regulations limiting the use of plastic bags and dining utensils has never wavered.

"We don't support a habit of using something only once," Hau said last week before the implementation of the policy

Last week, Hau came under fire as society debated the policy.

On Dec. 31, the eve of the policy's implementation, Hau was facing challenges from representatives of plastics-industry workers and legislators from opposition parties at a public hearing at the legislature. An unemployed plastics-industry worker even kneeled down in front of Hau, asking for a job.

While inspecting restaurants and stores in downtown Taipei on Jan. 1 to monitor compliance, however, Hau was encouraged by a passersby who hoped the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) could stick to its plan of discouraging waste.

Facing criticism over the measures, Hau said that his resolution to carry out the policy had never wavered.

"I do have great sympathy for the affected workers of the plastics industry. But we have done our best to offer them as many job opportunities as we can," Hau told the Taipei Times.

According to the EPA, the Cabinet will spend about NT$1.58 billion this year on creating 8,400 jobs for laid-off plastics-industry workers.

Hau said that the public needs to be educated for the sake of Taiwan's sustainable development.

To deal with challenges from opposition lawmakers, Hau, the only Cabinet-level chief from the pro-unification New Party, spoke up last week at the legislature.

"We set up the policy because we love Taiwan," Hau said.

The first stage of the controversial policy was launched on July 1 last year, when all government-run stores were banned from providing free plastic shopping bags to customers. Three months later, a ban on disposable utensils and food containers was imposed at government-operated grocery stores and restaurants.

Beginning on Jan. 1, the second stage of the policy came into effect with the ban on free bags and utensils extended to department stores, supermarkets, fast-food restaurants, convenience stores and almost every type of retailer except street vendors. It is estimated that about 76,000 stores in the nation are effected.

Since early last year, when the EPA was planning details of the policy, Hau has been criticized by the plastics industry, which claims that the policy will eventually affect 50,000 workers.

Meanwhile, some environmental groups said that the EPA should have banned the use of all materials containing PVC, which produces dioxin during combustion.

Amid the controversy, Hau reiterated that the policy is aimed at changing consumers' habits and was not intended to harm the plastics industry.

One example often cited by EPA officials to illustrate the disadvantages of using plastic bags was the clogged drainage systems of Taipei City during the floods caused by Typhoon Nari in September 2001.

Hau even said that he would step down if the policy failed to reduce the amount of plastic waste.

According to the EPA, the first stage of the policy led to a drop in 90 percent of the amount of plastic bags consumed.

A survey by the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission last month named the EPA as the top Cabinet-level agency because of Hau's resolution and the positive results of the first stage of the policy.