Starting in July, people who place “poorly managed or unattended” potted plants in public areas will be fined between NT$1,200 to NT$6,000, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said yesterday. However, the EPA did not unveil clear guidelines as to the definition of “poorly managed” or whom the administration would fine if there were problems finding the plant’s owner.
“From March to June, the EPA’s inspection squad will patrol residential areas and ask anyone who places unsightly potted plants in public areas — such as sidewalks — to either clean up the plants or dispose of them. Starting on July 1, those who have been asked but fail to do so will face fines of between NT$1,200 and NT$6,000,” said Yuan Shaw-ying (袁紹英), director-general of the EPA Department of Environmental Sanitation and Toxic Substance Management.
In cases where no apparent owner can be found, a warning slip will be attached, he said. If no one claims the plant, it would be disposed of based on the Waste Disposal Act (廢棄物清理法).
Yuan said that the regulations would apply to those with unsightly or poorly managed plants, adding: “Other people do not need to worry about it. [Those who have offending plants] will be very clear on the matter, as it is easy to define whether a plant is well-managed.”
Plants with cracked pots, those that leak and dead plants would fit into the offending category, he said, adding that owners of plants that block traffic or occupy public sidewalks would also be penalized. Yuan said the regulation would only target plants in public areas.
“People can go home and read over their landholding certificates to make sure which parts are privately owned and which aren’t. We will not fine people whose plants are on private property,” he said.
The goal of the effort is two-fold, Yuan said.
“Not only can we clean up our cities, we can reduce mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue fever,” he said.
Twenty-four Republican members of the US House of Representatives yesterday introduced a concurrent resolution calling on the US government to abolish the “one China” policy and restore formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Led by US representatives Tom Tiffany and Scott Perry, the resolution calls for not only re-establishing formal relations, but also urges the US Trade Representative to negotiate a free-trade agreement (FTA) with Taiwan and for US officials to advocate for Taiwan’s full membership in the UN and other international organizations. In a news release announcing the resolution, Tiffany, who represents a Wisconsin district, called the “one China” policy “outdated, counterproductive
Actress Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛) has “returned home” to Taiwan, and there are no plans to hold a funeral for the TV star who died in Japan from influenza- induced pneumonia, her family said in a statement Wednesday night. The statement was released after local media outlets reported that Barbie Hsu’s ashes were brought back Taiwan on board a private jet, which arrived at Taipei Songshan Airport around 3 p.m. on Wednesday. To the reporters waiting at the airport, the statement issued by the family read “(we) appreciate friends working in the media for waiting in the cold weather.” “She has safely returned home.
ON PAROLE: The 73-year-old suspect has a criminal record of rape committed when he was serving in the military, as well as robbery and theft, police said The Kaohsiung District Court yesterday approved the detention of a 73-year-old man for allegedly murdering three women. The suspect, surnamed Chang (張), was arrested on Wednesday evening in connection with the death of a 71-year-old woman surnamed Chao (趙). The Kaohsiung City Police Department yesterday also unveiled the identities of two other possible victims in the serial killing case, a 75-year-old woman surnamed Huang (黃), the suspect’s sister-in-law, and a 75-year-old woman surnamed Chang (張), who is not related to the suspect. The case came to light when Chao disappeared after taking the suspect back to his residence on Sunday. Police, upon reviewing CCTV
TRUMP ERA: The change has sparked speculation on whether it was related to the new US president’s plan to dismiss more than 1,000 Joe Biden-era appointees The US government has declined to comment on a post that indicated the departure of Laura Rosenberger as chair of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). Neither the US Department of State nor the AIT has responded to the Central News Agency’s questions on the matter, after Rosenberger was listed as a former chair on the AIT’s official Web site, with her tenure marked as 2023 to this year. US officials have said previously that they usually do not comment on personnel changes within the government. Rosenberger was appointed head of the AIT in 2023, during the administration of former US president Joe