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.
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