The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) announced that it was ready to start using locally-developed techniques and equipment to clean up oil spills in rivers.
The EPA yesterday held a practice run in a section of Tamsui River near the Peitou Waste Incinerator in Taipei. The standard operating procedure for handling oil spills in rivers was demonstrated to dozens of environmental officials from 22 counties.
PHOTO: CHIU YU-TZU, TAIPEI TIMES
Operators use automatic pumps to fill plastic tubes with gas. The tubes float on the river's surface and prevent the oil spill from spreading.
A remote-controlled aircraft, developed by scientists at National Central University, was used to approach the target area. It will be used to gather more information about oil spills in relatively inaccessible areas.
Samples of polluted water will be taken by a remote-controlled boat with Global Positioning System (GPS) capabilities.
Officials said that yesterday's trial run was triggered by a series of oil spills over the last two months.
A tonne of heavy oil leaked from a textile factory in Changhua County last month, affecting coastal areas where oysters are farmed. Earlier this month, in Kaohsiung County, 3.5 tonnes of heavy oil was spilled from a papermaking factory. A nearby canal was filled with about 1.5 tonnes of oil.
According to Cheng Shean-rong (
Cheng said that the oil spill from the Greek-registered cargo ship Amorgos in January, 2000, which caused a spill of 1,150 tonnes of fuel oil that ended up in the Kenting National Park, had prompted the EPA to make a serious financial and human resources investment in inventing technologies and establishing a standard operating procedure to prevent water pollution.
"All related facilities and instruments are in place in northern, central and southern Taiwan. They will be available immediately in case of an oil spill," Cheng said.
The EPA budgets about NT$60 million annually to improve its ability to handle oil spills.
EPA head Chang Juu-en (
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
STATS: Taiwan’s average life expectancy of 80.77 years was lower than that of Japan, Singapore and South Korea, but higher than in China, Malaysia and Indonesia Taiwan’s average life expectancy last year increased to 80.77 years, but was still not back to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic peak of 81.32 years in 2020, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. The average life expectancy last year increased the 0.54 years from 2023, the ministry said in a statement. For men and women, the average life expectancy last year was 77.42 years and 84.30 years respectively, up 0.48 years and 0.56 years from the previous year. Taiwan’s average life expectancy peaked at 81.32 years in 2020, as the nation was relatively unaffected by the pandemic that year. The metric
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
Passengers on Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) will be required to use headphones and make phone calls in gangways under new “quiet travel” rules starting Sept. 22. THSR Chairman Shih Che (史哲) told media that THSR will run a three-month promotional campaign to ensure widespread adoption of the new rules. Those repeatedly ignoring the guidance face the potential termination of their transport contract, which can result in them getting escorted off the train, according to THSR. Shih shared his hope to cultivate an environment conducive to rest and reading for the train’s passengers, stating that these changes aim to “promote self-discipline” among passengers