The Environmental Impact Assessment Act (EIA Act,
In the wake of the Environmental Protection Administration's (EPA) suggestion that a public development project, whose assessment had alrady been passed and the project begun, be exempt from the application of a proposed referendum law drafted by the Cabinet, both legislators and environmentalists questioned the administration's sincerity in trying to prevent foreseeable environmental disasters resulting from development that went ahead on the basis of flawed or incomplete assessments.
At a press conference held yesterday at the Legislative Yuan, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators said environmental issues should be included in the referendum law in order to balance the lack of public participation in the existing EIA regulations.
"Many development cases involving assessments full of defects turn out to be sources of environmental pollution," DPP Legislator Eugene Jao (
He said incomplete assessments hampered Taiwan from pursuing sustainable development and low pollution. These assessments resulted in projects involving incinerators, freeways, landfills and other construction projects that had been jointly undertaken by a number of stakeholders.
DPP Legislator Cheng Kuo-chung (
"An ideal EIA Act should clearly reflect public will, which is one of the most important driving forces in a modern society," Cheng said.
According to the EIA Act, public hearings only have to be held after the approval of the first phase of the assessment, which gives developers the green light.
"That's why there are so many environmental protests in Taiwan. Residents whose lives will be affected by development are always the last ones to learn about it," said Eric Liou (
DPP Legislator Su Chih-fen (蘇治芬) urged the EPA to revise the guidelines to form assessment committees because the government tends to invite obedient experts or professors to endorse development projects.
"In a way, the EIA Act becomes a rubber stamp used to help promote policies," Su said.
Shih Shin-min (
"Cabinet's agencies involved with the project's unprofessional assessment have been censured by the Control Yuan. But the government still doesn't want to review the project," Shih said.
Tung Te-po (董德波), director general of the EPA's Department of Planning, said the power plant's assessment was passed in the early 1990s prior to the EIA Act becoming effective in December, 1994.
However, he admitted that there's space to improve the act.
"We will consider having the law revised by allowing the public to express their opinions before conducting the assessment," Tung said.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it