As the first anniversary of an oil spill caused by the Greek-registered M/V Amorgos approaches, legislators urged the Environmental Protection Ad-ministration (EPA) yesterday to make no concessions in demanding compensation from the ship's owner.
On Jan. 14 last year, the Amorgos ran into ocean reefs near Kenting National Park, Pingtung County, causing an oil spill four days later.
According to the EPA, the ship spilled roughly 1,150 tonnes of fuel oil, contaminating sensitive coastal areas of the Lungkeng Ecological Conservation Preservation Area.
Worse, some 60,000 tonnes of iron ore on the ship also sank into the sea after the wreckage was hit by successive typhoons.
With the first anniversary of the environmental catastrophe just around the corner, KMT Legislator Lin Yi-shih (林益世) yesterday expressed his disappointment over the EPA's neglect of duty because follow-up efforts pertaining to financial compensation remained unresolved.
"It's strange that nothing about the compensation was allocated in the EPA's 2002 budget," said Lin, adding that the EPA spent more than NT$3 million last year seeking advice from consultants on issues pertaining to international law.
Lin said he suspected the EPA had no intention of continuing its demands for compensation from the shipowner. In addition, Lin criticized related governmental agencies for their negligence as well.
"The Construction and Planning Administration estimated a NT$6 billion loss, while neither the Council of Agriculture nor the Pingtung County Government presented any related financial loss report with regard to fishery and tourism resources," Lin said.
Lin said that Taiwan spent NT$90 million on the cleanup last year. The EPA must not fail to demand compensation from the shipowner, the lawmaker said.
EPA officials, however, said yesterday that the EPA had never given up demanding compensation from the shipowner, the Nissos Amorgos Shipping Corp.
"The uncertainty of a long process of negotiation with the other side makes it impossible for us to allocate a certain amount [of compensation award] to the budget," Jen Hsiao-chi (任孝琦), senior secretary to the administration's head, said yesterday.
Assuranceforeningen Gard-Gjensidig, the ship's insurance company, has been criticized by the government for a lack of sincerity in resolving the dispute.
The shipowner, in addition, refused to pay Pingtung County Government a fine exceeding NT$100 million for its delay in handling cleanup efforts.
Jen said that the EPA has been incorporating the latest information collected from diverse governmental agencies and an estimated amount of total financial losses caused by the oil spill is expected to be available today.
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