An attempt by lawmakers in the Legislative Yuan to push through a long-suspended Basic Environmental Law (
Legislators from the Judiciary Committee and the Sanitation, Environment and Social Welfare Committee decided to delay its passage because of what they called the "improper" inclusion of additional points to the legislation by Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) Administrator Lin Jun-yi (
The "improper" addition was 12 additional points the new EPA chief had added to the draft, which had been approved by the Executive Yuan in 1998 for legislators' reference.
Lin's ideas, which included: a reasonable budget distribution, alignment with international sustainable development trends and establishing a national Council on Environmental Quality under the Presidential Office, gained praise from DPP legislators, who favored passing the legislation.
However, opposition legislators argued that the Legislative Yuan could not review the proposal unless Lin's 12 points are properly appended to the draft.
"You must communicate with other agencies under the Executive Yuan to incorporate your 12 points [into the draft]," argued KMT legislator Chen Chieh-ju (
Chen told Lin that the Legislative Yuan should be very careful with the passage of the legislation, which would form what many people have called "an environmental constitution."
Chen said that since the original proposal has already been on hold for more than 10 years, additional months of rewriting and review should not pose a problem.
However, DPP legislators went on the attack.
"This is a political struggle!" shouted DPP legislator Lin Chung-mo (
KMT legislator Kwan Yuk-noan (
Legislators who previously presented four other draft editions of the legislation said that establishing the Basic Environmental Law should be a priority because people had already suffered enough from a deteriorating environment.
Foreseeing that the legislation would not be passed in the near future, the EPA's Lin said that the enactment of a Basic Environmental Law should transcend petty squabbles between political parties.
"I hope to see the passage of the legislation as soon as possible," said Lin, adding that countries such as Japan and the US established similar laws in the 1960s.
In 1989, the EPA completed a draft of the legislation which was quickly approved by the Executive Yuan and was then sent to the Legislative Yuan.
The draft, however, was held up as its content became less relevant to existing needs and development trends.
In response, the EPA recalled and redrafted the proposal in 1996. The new draft was completed in 1998 and underwent several revisions by the Executive Yuan before its wording was finalized.
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