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.
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
US climber Alex Honnold left Taiwan this morning a day after completing a free-solo ascent of Taipei 101, a feat that drew cheers from onlookers and gained widespread international attention. Honnold yesterday scaled the 101-story skyscraper without a rope or safety harness. The climb — the highest urban free-solo ascent ever attempted — took just more than 90 minutes and was streamed live on Netflix. It was covered by major international news outlets including CNN, the New York Times, the Guardian and the Wall Street Journal. As Honnold prepared to leave Taiwan today, he attracted a crowd when he and his wife, Sanni,
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
RSS