The Cabinet yesterday approved a draft bill designed to improve the quality of air in buildings, hoping it would improve public health and the quality of work.
“Taiwanese generally stay indoors for about 90 percent of the time in a day and therefore are affected greatly by air quality,” Environmental Protection Administration Deputy Minister Chiou Wen-yan (邱文彥) told a press conference following the Cabinet’s weekly meeting.
The government will gradually implement standard air quality inspections in all public places, he said. Places covered by the draft bill include hospitals, offices, schools, banks, movie theaters, department stores, shopping malls, restaurants, train stations and non-ventilated or half-ventilated areas in cars, boats and airplanes, Chiou said.
The draft bill stipulates that owners or managers of these public areas would be required to maintain indoor air pollutants — such as carcinogens, combustable products, irritants and tobacco smoke — below the level that would pose a health risk.
But owners and managers would be exempt from responsibility for accidents, such as a gas leak.
Chiou said that owners and managers who failed the inspection would be fined between NT$50,000 and NT$250,000 should they fail to improve the air quality by a given date.
“They will be suspended from using the areas [that fail the inspection] or be forced to close their business if the pollution is considered a serious matter,” Chiou said.
Chiou said the government would allow a one-year grace period for owners and managers to prepare for the implementation of the inspections.
The draft bill will be referred to the Legislative Yuan for screening and approval before it can be put into effect.
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