Going to the beach is a popular way to cool off in the summer, but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is urging the public to click on its Web site before getting back in the water.
The EPA tests water at popular beaches for two bacteria -- Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus (VRE) -- at two-week intervals in the summer in order to determine whether the water quality is safe for swimming.
unacceptable
The first tests conducted this summer revealed unacceptable levels of E. coli at Taichung County's Da-an beach (
Both beaches are close to river outlets, which increased their likelihood for an unsafe E. coli level, EPA division director Mou Lih-er (
The testing at Fulong beach on May 27 and May 28 found the concentration of E. coli to be 5,300 per 100ml. Da-an beach had a concentration of 1,100 per 100ml.
The EPA considers water with more than 1,000 E. coli per 100ml unsafe for swimming.
control
Mou said that since controlling pollution is beyond the means of the beach proprietors, the EPA would not impose fines for exceeding the E. coli limit.
Swimmers, however, can protect themselves by going to the EPA Web site at www.epa.gov.tw/wqm for the latest information on bacteria levels before they head for the beach.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
RSS