A map of CPC Corp, Taiwan’s gas pipelines in Taipei was on Saturday shared on Facebook by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Lee Ming-hsien (李明賢), who said that many parts of the pipeline are 46 years old.
Lee posted the map after CPC earlier in the day responded to complaints by residents in Neihu District (內湖) and found a gas leak.
The residents had over the past few days complained to the company that they could smell gas near their homes, saying that they were worried about possible effects on their health and safety.
Photo courtesy of Lee Ming-hsien
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) should press CPC to conduct a thorough inspection of its system, especially where it passes through Shilin (士林), Datong (大同), Zhongshan (中山), Songshan (松山) and Neihu districts, which are the oldest sections, Lee wrote. The company should also establish a mechanism so that pipes are regularly inspected, and should have a schedule for replacement, he said.
Taipei Department of Economic Development Commissioner Lin Chung-chieh (林崇傑) said that the department has already asked CPC to install an automated, network-based inspection system along the pipeline.
In light of Lee’s post, he would also ask the company to provide a “reasonable plan” for the replacement of pipes, along with an estimate of what it would cost, he said.
Lee said that CPC could replace the pipes according to their age.
The company must be proactive, rather than responding after an accident, he said, adding that failure to do so would likely result in more leaks such as in Neihu.
It seems as if there is something hidden beneath the ground in Taipei, “like an unexploded bomb just waiting to go off,” he said.
The Taipei City Government said that it has fined CPC NT$360,000 for breaching the Water Pollution Control Act (水污染防治法) in Neihu, and has ordered the company to replace its pipes between Neihu’s Shitan and Ankang roads.
The work must be completed before Thursday next week, it said.
If the replacement work is not complete by the deadline, the city would ask the Ministry of Economic Affairs to fine the company an additional NT$500,000 under the Petroleum Administration Act (石油管理法), it said, adding that it would ask that the fine be compounded daily until the work is complete.
The company was also ordered to clean up ground and soil contaminated by the leakage, and compensate residents for any effects they experienced, it said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS