The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) has revised its draft regulations on restaurant air pollution to require eateries to install exhaust facilities and perform monthly maintenance, or face fines of up to NT$1 million (US$34,572).
The agency released its first draft of restaurant air pollution regulations on May 16, 2018, but as many eateries reported having difficulties installing the required equipment, those regulations were never passed, Department of Air Quality Protection and Noise Control section head Chen Yi-chia (陳宜佳) said on Friday.
It has collected feedback on its revised proposals and hopes to enact the rules by the end of the year, the EPA said.
In the 2018 draft, eateries with at least NT$100,000 in capital, space of at least 100m2 or ones that have received three or more public complaints within 30 days, would have had to install proper exhaust facilities and keep regular maintenance records, which would have affected about 10,000 establishments, Chen said.
In the new proposals, the EPA decided to raise the qualifying thresholds and refer to local regulations, so the rules could be applied nationwide, she said.
For example, since most eateries in Taipei and New Taipei City are in dense, mixed-use neighborhoods, the EPA decided to adopt different regulations for different areas, so in those municipalities, the rules would focus on storefront restaurants, especially those offering barbecue, she said.
Taipei restaurants with capital of at least NT$100,000 or floor space of at least 100m2 would be subject to the regulations, while those in New Taipei City would be subject if they have at least 100m2 of space or seat 30 or more customers, Chen said.
Smoke and smell complaints are common in Taipei, since restaurants are often in residential buildings, so eateries that have received at least three complaints or are deemed to have high polluting potential would be subject to the regulations, she said.
In other municipalities, only establishments with at least 1,000m2 or that seat 300 or more diners would be subject to the regulations, she said.
Since the industry has never had standardized pollution regulations, the first phase would have a very basic threshold, Chen said.
New eateries would be required to have the proper ventilation facilities as of March 1, while existing eateries would have until Dec. 1 next year, the EPA said.
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