Proposed amendments to the Environmental Impact Assessment Act (環境影響評估法) unveiled on Wednesday by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) have drawn a mixed response from a civic group.
Promulgated in 1994, the act has undergone three amendments.
Several development projects, such as the Miramar Resort Hotel in Taitung County, the Central Taiwan Science Park expansion in Taichung’s Houli District (后里), Asia Cement Corp’s renewal of mining rights in Hualien County and CPC Corp’s third liquefied natural gas terminal project in Taoyuan, are perceived to undermine the act’s credibility.
“The shadows of many major development projects can be seen in this [fourth] amendment,” EPA Deputy Minister Chan Shun-kuei (詹順貴) said on Wednesday.
The draft proposes that agencies supervising developers be held accountable for environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports, he said, adding that the EPA, under the draft amendments, would be empowered to revoke outdated EIA approvals if it finds projects severely affecting the environment.
The revocation would function as an “exit mechanism” for projects that encounter new environmental conditions, such as CPC Corp’s terminal project and many resort projects in eastern Taiwan, Chan said.
Under the proposed amendment, miners would have to apply for a new EIA to extend mining rights, he added.
Environmental Jurists Association president Chang Yu-yin (張譽尹) yesterday said he appreciated most of the proposed changes.
“As shown by CPC Corp’s planned project close to an algal reef, the company’s old EIA approval [obtained 18 years ago] cannot accommodate new environmental changes,” he said, adding that he supported the proposed revocation mechanism.
However, it is regrettable that the EPA cannot sever the “symbiotic relation” between developers and environmental consultancies in the draft amendment, he added.
The association in June published its own draft amendment, which suggested that the EPA invite public bidding to prepare developers’ EIA reports.
“Nonetheless, we understand that not everything can be included in this amendment due to practical concerns,” he said, adding that it takes time to change “rules of the game” for developers, consultancies and the EPA.
Regarding the draft’s emphasis on the responsibility of supervising agencies, Minister of Economic Affairs Shen Jong-chin (沈榮津) on Thursday said the ministry would negotiate with the EPA to avoid uncertainty regarding major developments.
Additional reporting by CNA
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