A coal-fired power station and Dragon Steel Corp, which are the biggest sources of air pollution in Taichung, should create emissions reduction plans and implement measures to cut air pollution, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) said on Friday.
The two facilities should collect straw from farming households, a practice Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) implemented, so that farmers do not have to burn straw, which exacerbates air pollution, he said.
TSMC pledged to purchase 1,000 tonnes of straw from farmers every year at an environmental impact assessment meeting to review its expansion plan for an 18-inch wafer foundry, which was passed in March.
Citing data published by the WTO, Tsai said burning 1 hectare of straw produces 42.6kg of large particulates, 9 tonnes of carbon dioxide and 34.8kg of particulates measuring less than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5).
He said that there are about 6,000 hectares of straw along Taichung’s coast and burning them creates a grave threat to residents’ health.
In addition, the resulting fumes often reduce visibility and pose a danger to drivers, he said.
If the two firms do not respond to his requests in a responsible manner, Tsai said he would lobby to boycott budget requests submitted by the two firms in the upcoming legislative session.
Tsai said that over the years, the firms have caused serious pollution in Taichung’s coastal regions and sparked countless protests and have responded with an “arrogant” attitude by not proposing any emissions reduction plans.
Apart from buying straw from farmers, the facilities should replace outdated emissions-intensive equipment at their sites, he said.
Since the Taichung City Government started fining individuals for burning straw, farmers have resorted to cutting straw into small pieces and letting it rot naturally, he said, resulting in clogged drainage systems during heavy rain.
The best solution would be for the two facilities to purchase straw from local farming communities, Tsai said.
DPP Taichung City Councilor Chen Shih-kai (陳世凱) criticized the facilities, saying that not only have they not helped to improve the livelihoods of Taichung’s residents, but they have driven up the city’s carbon dioxide emissions.
The problem is especially rampant in the Longjing District (龍井), which has prompted many to move away from their neighborhoods, he said.
In response, the Taichung power station said that it requires the consent of Taiwan Power Co, its parent company, before it can work out any deal with farmers to purchase straw.
TSMC also launched a pilot project subsidizing farmers for purchasing organic bacterial manure to degrade straw rather than buying them, the firm said.
TSMC is still evaluating the viability of purchasing straw, as the Taichung City Government has not yet proposed any accompanying measures to assist with the matter, it said.
The manufacture of the remaining 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taiwan purchased from the US has recently been completed, and they are expected to be delivered within the next one to two months, a source said yesterday. The Ministry of National Defense is arranging cargo ships to transport the tanks to Taiwan as soon as possible, said the source, who is familiar with the matter. The estimated arrival time ranges from late this month to early next month, the source said. The 28 Abrams tanks make up the third and final batch of a total of 108 tanks, valued at about NT$40.5 billion
A group from the Taiwanese Designers in Australia association yesterday represented Taiwan at the Midsumma Pride March in Melbourne. The march, held in the St. Kilda suburb, is the city’s largest LGBTQIA+ parade and the flagship event of the annual Midsumma Festival. It attracted more than 45,000 spectators who supported the 400 groups and 10,000 marchers that participated this year, the association said. Taiwanese Designers said they organized a team to march for Taiwan this year, joining politicians, government agencies, professionals and community organizations in showing support for LGBTQIA+ people and diverse communities. As the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex
Travel agencies in Taiwan are working to secure alternative flights for travelers bound for New Zealand for the Lunar New Year holiday, as Air New Zealand workers are set to strike next week. The airline said that it has confirmed that the planned industrial action by its international wide-body cabin crew would go ahead on Thursday and Friday next week. While the Auckland-based carrier pledged to take reasonable measures to mitigate the impact of the workers’ strike, an Air New Zealand flight arriving at Taipei from Auckland on Thursday and another flight departing from Taipei for Auckland on Saturday would have to
MOTIVES QUESTIONED The PLA considers Xi’s policies toward Taiwan to be driven by personal considerations rather than military assessment, the Epoch Times reports Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) latest purge of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) leadership might have been prompted by the military’s opposition to plans of invading Taiwan, the Epoch Times said. The Chinese military opposes waging war against Taiwan by a large consensus, putting it at odds with Xi’s vision, the Falun Gong-affiliated daily said in a report on Thursday, citing anonymous sources with insight into the PLA’s inner workings. The opposition is not the opinion of a few generals, but a widely shared view among the PLA cadre, the Epoch Times cited them as saying. “Chinese forces know full well that
RSS