Environmental Protection Administrator Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) got angry yesterday when legislators attributed his promotion of an environmental policy that limits the use of plastic bags and disposable dining tableware to his favoring paper products made in China.
Hau's New Party background was highlighted by TSU legislators yesterday when he was questioned about the recently implemented policy. Legislators said that the policy has led to an increase in lower-quality paper imports from China.
The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) took note of the possible health risks involved with using some of the paper products last month. EPA officials said the agency would soon consult the Cabinet's Department of Health to carry out random examinations of such products to safeguard the nations' health.
PHOTO: CNA
Yesterday, TSU legislative caucus convener Liao Ben-yan (
Displaying a pile of paper cups made in China in front of Hau, Liao asked if Hau has sound strategies to solve the unemployment problem for Taiwanese labor.
"See? What we have now are inferior paper cups made in China. Do you favor in products made in China?" Liao asked.
PHOTO: CNA
Hau, the only Cabinet-level chief with New Party membership, was furious.
"How could you blacken my name like this? I strongly protest against this vicious smear," Hau said loudly.
Hau said he would be willing to discuss the policy with Liao rationally.
Meanwhile, a dozen unemployed plastics-industry workers holding banners gathered at the Legislative Yuan, asking to discuss the policy with Hau face-to-face. Representatives said that Hau had avoided facing workers in the past few months.
"We've demonstrated three times but we never got a chance to meet with Hau directly," Chang Wen-wei (張文緯), a representative of the unemployed workers, said.
Hau said yesterday that he would not communicate with protesters unless they are rational and apologize for the demonstration they held last month.
At the end of last month, a sit-in staged by affected workers in front of the EPA building lasted three days.
The protest turned dramatic on Feb. 28, when a woman threatened to jump from a high building while other demonstrators threw dozens of eggs at the gate of EPA building.
PFP Legislator Cheng San-yun (鄭三元) said Hau is partly responsible for the demonstration.
Hau reiterated that the Cabinet would spend NT$1.58 billion this year to create 8,400 jobs for the laid-off workers. So far, Hau said, there has only been 417 applicants.
Workers claimed that the implementation of the policy would lead to the loss of 50,000 jobs nation-wide.
Cheng criticized the EPA for an inappropriate punishment of violators. According to the Waste Disposal Act, fines of at least NT$60,000 will be dished out to those who continue to ignore the new policy.
Cheng said paying a NT$60,000 fine was too much for any violator who uses a plastic bag inadvertently. The punishment is equal to fines for people caught dumping industrial hazardous waste illegally.
Hau said yesterday that the EPA is considering revising the law to lower the range of fines to between NT$1,200 and NT$6,000.
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