Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) Minister Lee Ying-yuan (李應元) yesterday hailed the passage of draft amendments to the Air Pollution Control Act (空氣污染防制法), while defending the agency’s pollution trade mechanism.
Following the passage of the bill by the Legislative Yuan in Taipei on Monday night, the act’s content has now expanded from 86 to 100 articles, the most significant overhaul since 2002, Lee told a news conference, expressing his gratitude to Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全), Democratic Progressive Party caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (柯建銘) and lawmakers for their help in amending the act.
According to Article 12 of the new act, the EPA can now implement total pollution control projects while only having to consult with the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
Photo: CNA
However, environmental group Air Clean Taiwan said the agency would still have to obtain the consent of the Executive Yuan to implement such projects.
The trade mechanism between mobile and stationary pollution sources stipulated in Article 9 should never have been passed, as companies would not be forced to cut emissions if they can purchase extra pollution quotas, the group said.
The trade mechanism allows the government to extricate itself from the controversy surrounding the proposed construction of a coal-fired Shenao Power Plant (深澳電廠), political commentator Huang Chuang-hsia (黃創夏) said on Facebook yesterday.
The project, proposed by state-run Taiwan Power Co (台電) and set to be completed by 2025, has been criticized since the utility’s updated proposal obtained the EPA’s approval in March.
In response, Lee said it is important that efforts to combat pollution have been elevated to Executive Yuan level and that the agency’s power would not be restricted.
The proposed power plant, to be constructed in New Taipei City’s Rueifang District (瑞芳), is not included in the trade mechanism, which would only be exercised in Kaohsiung and Pingtung County, Lee said.
The trade mechanism would then be phased out by 2028, Department of Air Quality Protection and Noise Control Director-General Tsai Hung-teh (蔡鴻德) said.
To curb mobile pollution, the agency plans to set up extra air quality regulation zones outside elementary schools, where old vehicles would be banned, he said.
The agency is to select schools along Taichung’s Taiwan Boulevard (台灣大道) as trial sites later this year, given that the city is affected by serious traffic pollution, he said.
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