The Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) has appealed a ruling by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) last month, the company which fined NT$8.33 million (US$264,192) for emotional distress caused by the noise generated by the high-speed rail system.
According to the company, the complaint was filed by the residents of Chengbei Borough (城北) in Miaoli County’s Tongsiao Township (通宵) as they said their lives had been greatly disrupted by high-decibel noises generated by the high-speed rail ever since the service was launched in 2007.
The residents said the noises greatly affected their health and lives, and the vibration of the high- speed rail system had also caused damage to buildings.
The complaint was filed by 54 Chengbei Borough residents on Jan. 15 this year, which stated that the THSRC can resolve the issues caused by the high-speed rail system.
In response, the company said that the loudest noise detected was about 70 decibels. The result met the requirement stated in the Standards for the Regulation of the Noises Created by the Ground Transportation System (陸上運輸系統噪音管制標準), which stipulates that noise must be kept below 80 decibels.
As such, the company did not install acoustic barriers in the railway section along Chengbei Borough.
The company also argued that Environmental Protection Bureau officials had measured the noise levels in the locality several times, and none of them exceeded the current standard.
The EPA, however, used the loudest noise measured on the top of a building and determined it could disrupt the sleep of the residents. The company said it had filed an appeal at the Miaoli District Court.
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