The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) yesterday rejected the Yunlin County Government’s move to ban the burning of petroleum coke and coal in the county, saying that it is a matter of national energy management and beyond the scope of the county government’s juridisction.
In a bid to reduce the emissions of airborne pollutants measuring less than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) and other air pollutants, the Yunlin County Government on June 10 announced that the burning of petroleum coke and coal would be prohibited starting on June 11 next year and June 11, 2017, respectively.
The administration said the ban involved not only local environmental issues, but national energy policies and regulations that fall within the jurisdiction of the central government according to the Energy Administration Act (能源管理法).
The Yunlin ban contravenes the Local Government Act (地方制度法), which stipulates that local governments can only draft laws on matters that are within their jurisdiction, the administration said.
A full ban on the burning of petroleum coke and coal runs counter to the Air Pollution Control Act (空氣污染防制法) — which states that the burning of the petroleum coke, coal and other substances is permitted based on a licensing system — and deprives citizens of their legal rights, the administration added.
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