A map of CPC Corp, Taiwan’s gas pipelines in Taipei was on Saturday shared on Facebook by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Lee Ming-hsien (李明賢), who said that many parts of the pipeline are 46 years old.
Lee posted the map after CPC earlier in the day responded to complaints by residents in Neihu District (內湖) and found a gas leak.
The residents had over the past few days complained to the company that they could smell gas near their homes, saying that they were worried about possible effects on their health and safety.
Photo courtesy of Lee Ming-hsien
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) should press CPC to conduct a thorough inspection of its system, especially where it passes through Shilin (士林), Datong (大同), Zhongshan (中山), Songshan (松山) and Neihu districts, which are the oldest sections, Lee wrote. The company should also establish a mechanism so that pipes are regularly inspected, and should have a schedule for replacement, he said.
Taipei Department of Economic Development Commissioner Lin Chung-chieh (林崇傑) said that the department has already asked CPC to install an automated, network-based inspection system along the pipeline.
In light of Lee’s post, he would also ask the company to provide a “reasonable plan” for the replacement of pipes, along with an estimate of what it would cost, he said.
Lee said that CPC could replace the pipes according to their age.
The company must be proactive, rather than responding after an accident, he said, adding that failure to do so would likely result in more leaks such as in Neihu.
It seems as if there is something hidden beneath the ground in Taipei, “like an unexploded bomb just waiting to go off,” he said.
The Taipei City Government said that it has fined CPC NT$360,000 for breaching the Water Pollution Control Act (水污染防治法) in Neihu, and has ordered the company to replace its pipes between Neihu’s Shitan and Ankang roads.
The work must be completed before Thursday next week, it said.
If the replacement work is not complete by the deadline, the city would ask the Ministry of Economic Affairs to fine the company an additional NT$500,000 under the Petroleum Administration Act (石油管理法), it said, adding that it would ask that the fine be compounded daily until the work is complete.
The company was also ordered to clean up ground and soil contaminated by the leakage, and compensate residents for any effects they experienced, it said.
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