The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) is creating a Web site to allow the public to express their opinions and concerns about environmental issues online, EPA Minister Steven Shen (沈世宏) said yesterday.
Shen said that environmental groups often complain that they are not informed when the EPA holds conferences to discuss the potential environmental impact of development proposals.
Shen said that the EPA hoped to address this problem with the Web site, which he said would allow environmental activists and concerned members of the public to access information about upcoming conferences and register to attend them or to post opinions on environmental issues.
By allowing the public to post their opinions on the new Web site, the agency will be better able to address their concerns at conferences, Shen said.
Comments from the public that are constructive could be placed on the agenda of a conference as a discussion point, he said.
However, activists appeared unimpressed yesterday with the EPA’s plans.
Liu Li-lan (劉麗蘭) said considering the limitations of Internet access, not everyone would participate on the new online forum.
Local organizations with serious concerns about the environment will still need to take the initiative to find information on EPA conferences rather than being informed, which indicates that their opinions are not valued, she said.
If the EPA is concerned about improving its communication with the public, Liu said, it should take the step of informing local organizations that have submitted opinions or statements to the agency in the past.
Green Party Taiwan Secretary-General Pan Han-shen (潘翰聲) said the EPA should contact local organizations to inform them of their meetings, which would show the agency’s respect for public opinion and improve mutual communication.
In response to the criticism, the EPA said that any organization may provide contact information and specify the cases they are concerned about and it will be happy to inform them of developments.
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