A document issued by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) on how it handled a resident’s complaint about frogs croaking at night has sparked a heated discussion online.
The document, sent by the agency to a local environmental protection office on Thursday last week, said that the local police department where the complaint was filed should “take actions in accordance with Article 6 of the Noise Control Act (噪音防制法) because the frogs bother people by making inconsistent noises that are difficult to measure.”
The document was reportedly circulated widely among police officers before being posted online.
Officers reacted to the document with disbelief.
“This is insane. Shall I talk to the frogs and ask them to quiet down? Or shall I fine them NT$6,000 according to the Social Order Maintenance Act (社會秩序維護法)?” an officer asked.
“Violators are required to sign on the ticket. Do they expect the frogs to sign by pressing their webbed toes?” another asked.
Netizens reacted differently to the order.
“I think the complainer is the one to blame,” one poster said.
“Civil servants only want to pass the buck when there is a problem,” another said.
“Do the officials live in Pokemon Land?” another asked.
Although the document is heavily redacted with whiteout, a Web user managed to identify its possible origin from the recipient’s title, which seems to read: “City Police Department.”
Many local law enforcement agencies use the phrase “City Government Police Department,” narrowing down the possible venue to Keelung or Hsinchu City, where this format is adopted.
In response, Bureau of Environmental Inspection Director-General Hsiao Ching-lang (蕭清郎) said that the document was leaked by the bureau’s northern branch.
He said the EPA passed the order to local police after environmental inspection personnel found the noises were made by wild frogs, which are not the agency’s responsibility.
He said that if the police cannot come up with a solution, the EPA would conduct an internal review of the case.
He said the agency would respond directly to informants from now on if similar incidents take place.
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