An environmental impact assessment committee on Monday ordered the Tainan City Government to amend its plan to set up a green energy park and submit it for review again.
The committee unanimously agreed that the city should re-
examine the environmental impact of the project and said that a second assessment might be needed.
Photo: Lo Chi, Taipei Times
The government plans to expropriate 60 hectares of the forest-plantation at Taiwan Sugar Co’s farm in the city’s Rende District (仁德).
The plan has sparked an outcry from local residents, as 30,000 trees would be cut down or transplanted — an act that would “remove Tainan’s lungs,” residents participating in the assessment meeting said.
The city government said the target site is close to the Tainan High Speed Rail station, Provincial Highway No. 86, the Sun Yat-sen Freeway (Freeway No. 1) and several industrial areas.
The park is expected to create 6,000 jobs, attract NT$11 billion (US$377.42 million) in investments and generate an annual production value of NT$22 billion, it said.
Although carbon fixation at the site would drop by about 318 tonnes annually after the park is built, the park is estimated to reduce carbon emissions by 6,645 tonnes annually with the installation of photovoltaic systems and green roofs, and use of green energy products, it added.
However, the committee members said that carbon reduction is not the only factor under consideration, as the 30,000 existing trees already form a complete ecosystem and offer considerable benefits.
A committee member said that the plan’s goal to develop green energy while cutting down trees and reducing green space from 45 hectares to 12.62 hectares was “contradictory.”
Residents are concerned that the government would end up cutting down all the trees instead of transplanting them.
They also raised concerns about the high risk of flooding, which had been reduced by the Gangweigou River (港尾溝溪) flood control project.
Flood diversion might be more difficult after the park is built and people can only rely on electric pumps to pump out floodwater, which would not be feasible if there is a power outage during a flood, they said.
The Environmental Protection Administration’s Toxic and Chemical Substances Bureau said that the government provided no information on the amount of toxic chemical substances to be used or emergency response measures when a hazard occurs.
Although the government plans to build a “chimney-free” industry, “green-energy industry does not mean zero pollution,” the bureau said.
The Council of Agriculture cited a poll saying that 51.74 percent of local residents were not aware of the planned construction.
Several petitions have been filed with the council hoping to keep the land intact, the council added.
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