Hundreds of people yesterday marched in Kaohsiung to protest worsening air quality in the city and demand that the central government reduce air pollution created by state-run enterprises.
The march, organized by the Southern Taiwan Anti-Air Pollution Alliance, attracted city residents as well as people from Tainan, Pingtung County and central Taiwan.
The alliance demanded that the government reduce air pollution by updating and improving the facilities operated by China Steel Corp (CSC) and oil refiner CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC), and decommission Taiwan Power Co’s (Taipower) Singda (興達) coal-fired power plant in Kaohsiung, which has been in operation for more than three decades.
Photo: Ko Yu-hao, Taipei Times
Saying that the number of people with lung cancer in southern Taiwan has been increasing over the past few years, the alliance urged the government to conduct epidemiological research and offer lung cancer screening for people living near industrial areas.
While the alliance has called on presidential and legislative candidates from major political parties to sign a pledge supporting its campaign, only People First Party (PFP) Chairman and presidential candidate James Soong (宋楚瑜) and the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) vice presidential candidate, former premier Simon Chang (張善政), had signed the document as of last night.
The PFP’s vice presidential candidate, Sandra Yu (余湘), Taiwan People’s Party legislator-at-large candidate Tsai Pi-ju (蔡璧如) and representatives of the New Power Party and Taiwan Statebuilding Party, meanwhile, attended yesterday’s march.
The alliance said it plans to visit the Presidential Office on Dec. 29 to further promote the campaign.
The Environmental Protection Administration later yesterday said that it has worked with the Ministry of Economic Affairs to review air pollution created by state-owned enterprises.
CSC, CPC, Taipower and several other state-owned enterprises have already been required by the Executive Yuan to propose plans to reduce air pollution, the agency said.
The ministry would review their plans and track their progress, it added.
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