The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said yesterday that air quality standards across the country have consistently improved since the introduction of its air pollution fee in 2006.
The EPA made the comments after a report in the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) yesterday said that there were serious levels of air pollution in six counties and rising ozone levels nationwide.
The agency said that across its 57 monitoring stations, days marked by heavy pollution have dropped to 2.31 percent during the first nine months of the year. This was an improvement over the 2.9 percent recorded last year, it said.
This was despite the agency’s own report, however, that showed ozone pollution was on the rise.
The US EPA Web site describes ground-level ozone as a gas “created by a chemical reaction between oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds in the presence of sunlight.”
The EPA reported that days marked by dire ozone pollution were 1.7 percent so far this year, up from 1.6 percent last year.
The WHO has previously stated in a report that ozone pollution has harmful effects on the human respiratory system. While the ozone layer filters out potentially dangerous ultraviolet light in the upper atmosphere, it is also present in smaller concentrations near the ground.
The EPA said that the rise in ozone pollution this year could possibly be because of increased temperatures and more sunlight.
Scientists led by Gaston Wu (吳家誠), a chemistry professor at National Taiwan Normal University and an official at the Consumers’ Foundation, advised the public to avoid engaging in outdoor activities in direct sunlight.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
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At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
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