Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu (陳菊) expressed vehement opposition yesterday to plans by Taiwan Power Co (Taipower) to expand its existing coal-fired generators in her city, saying she did not want the country*s major electricity supplier to further pollute the area.
※Kaohsiung City absolutely will not accept Taipower*s coal-fired generator expansion plan,§ Chen said. ※Taipower is engaging in technical maneuvers to expand its coal-fired electricity generation at its Dalin plant in the name of renewing its facilities.§
Kaohsiung Department of Environmental Protection officials said, Taipower planned to remodel the five generators at the Dalin plant into four coal-fired generators, 〝substantially increasing the plant*s capacity, while retaining one 〝liquefied natural gas-fired model.
Chen said Kaohsiung City would not be a victim of Taipower*s business maneuvers to serve the north of the country
A survey conducted in 2005 by the Kaohsiung Department of Environmental Protection found that the carbon dioxide emissions from the Dalin plant totaled 6.89 million tonnes per year.
※The emissions would shoot up to 17.69 million tonnes per year if the expansion plan is approved and carried out, ※ officials said.
※These extra emissions would only be evened out if the entire city were to stop driving cars and motorbikes for four consecutive years,§ Chen said.
The Taipei Department of Health yesterday said it has launched a probe into a restaurant at Far Eastern Sogo Xinyi A13 Department Store after a customer died of suspected food poisoning. A preliminary investigation on Sunday found missing employee health status reports and unsanitary kitchen utensils at Polam Kopitiam (寶林茶室) in the department store’s basement food court, the department said. No direct relationship between the food poisoning death and the restaurant was established, as no food from the day of the incident was available for testing and no other customers had reported health complaints, it said, adding that the investigation is ongoing. Later
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