To respond rapidly to pollution accidents that might occur during the Lunar New Year holidays, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said yesterday it would utilize an unmanned remote-control helicopter to collect pollution samples from the sky 24 hours a day.
Lin Shi-chi (
Technology
Lin said the technology was developed by the Center for Space and Remote Sensing at the National Central University.
The remote-control helicopter it created is a little bigger than those commonly seen on the market, but it is equipped with photographic equipment.
The EPA does not own the helicopter, and the department only uses it to help gather pollution evidence at the EPA's request, he added.
Lin emphasized that EPA personnel would first identify the source of pollution. It would then use photos taken using FORMOSAT No. 2, one of the National Science Council's satellites, to gather evidence and monitor the status of the pollution.
While the satellite photos can give the EPA a general idea about any potential damage, the administration also needs the helicopter to provide high resolution images taken at a lower altitude to help it form the best strategy to prevent or contain pollution resulting from an accident, he said.
Advantages
The use of a helicopter has several advantages, he added.
It enables the administration to respond quickly to any pollution accident and avoid time-consuming legal disputes. Moreover, the weath-er would have little effect on the operation of a helicopter, he said.
The EPA said yesterday the public was encouraged to report any pollution-related accidents that occur during the Lunar New Year holidays by calling 0800-066-666.
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