The Tainan Water Resources Protection Union yesterday submitted a petition to Greater Tainan’s Environmental Protection Bureau expressing its concern over a proposed legislative amendment it says will loosen restrictions on industrial development in reservoir catchment areas.
The group said the change to the Standards for Determining Specific Items and Scope of Environmental Impact Assessments for Development Activities proposed by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) could contaminate rivers and ground water with industrial waste.
It said that when Typhoon Morakot swept over Taiwan in 2009, it caused severe sedimentation problems at the Tsengwen (曾文), Nanhua (南化) and Wushantou (烏山頭) reservoirs, forcing the government to allocate about NT$50 billion (US$1.67 billion) to desilt the reservoirs and secure the water supply in southern Taiwan.
Union chairman Huang An-tiao (黃安調) said that tap water quality protection areas are classified into two categories: 75 reservoirs and dams, including the Tsengwen Reservoir, are on the first level, while another 21 reservoirs and dams are in the second level.
Huang said the group is opposed to the amendment because loosening development regulations would make it easier for potentially polluting industries such as butchering, lumber, lighting equipment manufacturing to establish facilities in these areas.
In addition, the proposal would exempt nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing facilities operating on plots of land smaller than 1 hectare from having to undergo environment impact assessments, which could also lead to tap water pollution, Huang said.
Group member Wu Mei-hsiang (吳美香) said the Tsengwen River (曾文溪) is the only clean river in Greater Tainan and should be protected from pollution, so hopefully the bureau will accept the union’s petition and express its objection to the amendment to the EPA.
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
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Friday laid out the Cabinet’s updated policy agenda and recapped the government’s achievements ahead of the one-year anniversary of President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration. Cho said the government had made progress across a range of areas, including rebuilding Hualien, cracking down on fraud, improving pedestrian safety and promoting economic growth. “I hope the public will not have the impression that the Cabinet only asked the legislature to reconsider a bunch of legal amendments,” Cho said, calling the moves “necessary” to protect constitutional governance and the public’s interest. The Cabinet would work toward achieving its “1+7” plan, he said. The
Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) hosted a dinner in Taipei last night with key Taiwanese suppliers to celebrate the successful mass production of the company’s new Blackwell AI systems. Speaking to the media earlier yesterday, Huang thanked Nvidia’s Taiwanese partners for their contributions to the company’s ecosystem, while also sharing his plans to meet with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) founder Morris Chang (張忠謀). In response to rumors that Nvidia will launch a downgraded Hopper H20 chip for China in July, Huang dismissed the reports, saying, “That is not true.” He clarified that there
RSS