Lawmakers have proposed writing legislation on concentrations of fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) into the Disaster Prevention and Protection Act (災害防救法) in an effort to better control air pollution.
The proposal, initiated by Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Liu Chien-kuo (劉建國) and supported by 16 other lawmakers, states that hazards caused by the high concentrations of PM2.5 should be added to the definition of “disaster” in the act and that the regulating authority should be the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA).
Currently, “disaster” is defined as hazards caused by any of the following: natural disasters, including storms, floods, earthquakes, droughts, ice and mudslides; and disasters such as fires, explosions of gas and fuel pipelines, power transmission line failures, mining disasters, air crashes, shipwrecks, traffic accidents, forest fires and toxic chemical materials.
Under the proposed amendment, PM2.5 would be added to the list of non-natural disasters.
Many scientific studies have confirmed that high concentrations of PM2.5 could lead to early death, bronchitis, asthma, heart disease, lung cancers and other illnesses, the proposed amendment says.
Long-term of short-term exposure to air pollutants increases the risk of respiratory disease and death, so hazards caused by PM2.5 pollution should be listed among the disasters in the act, it says.
Under the 10-tier PM2.5 index, with level 10 — 71 micrograms per cubic meter or above — being the highest, measurements above level 7 — 54 to 58 micrograms per cubic meter — are deemed severe enough to cause tangible discomfort and health problems.
The proposed amendment has been sent to the legislature’s Internal Administration Committee for consideration.
On Sunday, data from the air quality monitoring network operated by the EPA showed that concentrations of PM2.5 were at “high” and “very high” levels in western regions, with PM2.5 indices there reaching between level 7 and level 10.
High PM2.5 levels in such areas were due to temperate weather conditions, leading to the accumulation of pollutants, while poor air quality in Kinmen and Matsu was caused by pollutants from China, the EPA said.
The EPA advised residents in the affected areas, especially those with allergies, to avoid prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical activity.
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group
Taiwanese celebrities Hank Chen (陳漢典) and Lulu Huang (黃路梓茵) announced yesterday that they are planning to marry. Huang announced and posted photos of their engagement to her social media pages yesterday morning, joking that the pair were not just doing marketing for a new show, but “really getting married.” “We’ve decided to spend all of our future happy and hilarious moments together,” she wrote. The announcement, which was later confirmed by the talent agency they share, appeared to come as a surprise even to those around them, with veteran TV host Jacky Wu (吳宗憲) saying he was “totally taken aback” by the news. Huang,
RSS