Environmental groups yesterday accused the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) of rushing to approve construction of the Suhua Freeway to woo voters in the run-up to the presidential election on March 22.
"It is regrettable that the EPA has stooped so low as to turn itself into a rubber stamp [for the administration]," Society of Wilderness' Tony Chou (
Chou said that with the freeway being passed under the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration, brownie points from Hualien could be earned.
The pan-blue camp could also get a share of the credit since the main advocate for the freeway is Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Hualien Legislator Fu Kun-chi (
"However, both presidential candidates have maintained an ambiguous position on the issue to retain voters who oppose the freeway," Green Party Taiwan Secretary-General Pan Han-shen (潘翰聲) said.
A gathering of some 20 environmental groups yesterday presented "gifts" -- a piece of mochi for KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (
One of the environmental activists said the mochi -- a Hualien sticky rice specialty dessert -- was representative of Ma," a softy who failed to keep Fu under control."
As for the guava for Hsieh, it was a Mandarin pun on his failure to keep his promise of sustainable development for east Taiwan and to "remove himself from President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) influence."
Meanwhile, EPA Deputy Minister Chang Tzi-chin (
"Everything that took place in the meeting proceeded in accordance with the guidelines," he said.
He also rebutted comments that the agency had proposed dividing the freeway into sections to facilitate their review and approval.
"The suggestion that the section of the freeway that runs through mountain areas be built first [and plains later] was proposed in earlier case committee meetings," he said.
"We mentioned the proposal again yesterday as a courtesy to some members who joined the discussion for the first time," he added.
Aftershocks from a magnitude 6.2 earthquake that struck off Yilan County at 3:45pm yesterday could reach a magnitude of 5 to 5.5, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Seismological Center technical officer Chiu Chun-ta (邱俊達) told a news conference that the epicenter of the temblor was more than 100km from Taiwan. Although predicted to measure between magnitude 5 and 5.5, the aftershocks would reach an intensity of 1 on Taiwan’s 7-tier scale, which gauges the actual effect of an earthquake, he said. The earthquake lasted longer in Taipei because the city is in a basin, he said. The quake’s epicenter was about 128.9km east-southeast
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The New Taipei City Government today warned about the often-overlooked dangers of playing in water, and recommended safe swimming destinations to cool off from the summer heat. The following locations in the city as safe and fun for those looking to enjoy the water: Chienshuiwan (淺水灣), Baishawan (白沙灣), Jhongjiao Bay (中角灣), Fulong Beach Resort (福隆海水浴場) and Sansia District’s (三峽) Dabao River (大豹溪), New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Department Director-General Yang Tsung-min (楊宗珉) said. Outdoor bodies of water have variables outside of human control, such as changing currents, differing elevations and environmental hazards, all of which can lead to accidents, Yang said. Sudden
Tropical Storm Podul has formed over waters north-northeast of Guam and is expected to approach the seas southeast of Taiwan next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. The 11th Pacific storm of the year developed at 2am over waters about 2,660km east of Oluanpi (歐鑾鼻), Pingtung County — Taiwan's southernmost tip. It is projected to move westward and could have its most significant impact on Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday next week, the CWA said. The agency did not rule out the possibility of issuing a sea warning at that time. According to the CWA's latest update, Podul is drifting west-northwest
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