Taipei and New Taipei City officials and residents yesterday criticized the two city mayors and government officials for reacting too slowly when informing the public about noxious fumes caused by a warehouse fire in New Taipei City’s Shenkeng District (深坑) on Tuesday afternoon.
While fire burned, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) provided no information for city residents, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) told a news conference yesterday.
“Chiang only issued warnings this morning [yesterday], posting Facebook messages, advising city residents to shut their doors and windows tight, and to wear a mask when going outside,” Wu said.
Photo: Lu Yun-feng, Taipei Times
The fire started on Tuesday afternoon at a warehouse belonging to consumer electronics distributor Chung Hua Da Hsiung Corp, reportedly releasing pollutants into the air from burned lithium batteries and other products.
“We do not understand how the reaction could have been so slow, when the Taipei City Government has so many resources and is teeming with civil servants and appointed officials,” Wu said. “It seems all the screws are loose at the city government.”
Local news reports said that many people called the 119 emergency hotline on Tuesday afternoon to report the noxious fumes, some of whom were having breathing problems.
They also filled Chiang’s and Hou’s Facebook pages with complaints, asking the city’s agencies to do something about the issue.
“The fire with its foul air has persisted all day long... Mayor Hou should issue a public notice and health warning. Are you at work at all?” one person wrote.
“The whole of Wenshan District (文山) is experiencing very serious air pollution, we are choking and cannot breath due to the acrid smoke. Why is nothing being done, and why has no notice, or public warning been issued for residents?” another person wrote.
“Many people in Taipei’s southern districts have called 119, but now, more than three hours later, there has still been no response from the city government,” one person said.
Taipei City Councilor Miao Po-ya (苗博雅) of the Social Democratic Party yesterday said she kept on asking the city government to check the air quality on Tuesday evening, and waited until past midnight, but had received no response from city officials.
“The situation was very worrying to many Taipei residents, who were unable to breathe, suffering headaches and could not sleep last night, but it seems the city government’s top officials are sleeping very well in their homes,” Miao wrote on social media.
“The air pollution was very bad, and city government officials had sufficient time to react, but they issued no warning, no public notice... There was lack of ... coordination among agencies, which were negligent in serving the public,” the New Taipei City Council’s DPP caucus said in a statement.
DPP New Taipei City Councilor Evalyn Chen (陳乃瑜) referred to provisions under the Air Pollution Control Act (空氣污染防制法), saying: “When there is a major air pollution event, local governments can send out text messages, and broadcast notices on television and radio networks, to warn and instruct the public on the dangers and what measures to take, but the city government seemed apathetic and took no action, although many residents were anxious.”
“Even this morning, many Taipei residents still reported an acrid smell in the air. Officials should have known that the atmospheric conditions in the Taipei Basin meant the fumes would not easily disperse when the fire burned yesterday ... but the Taipei City Government did not issue a warning until this morning, which is too late,” DPP Legislator Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) said.
“Hou must face up and let the public know what happened, as the people of New Taipei City deserve a better mayor,” Hung said.
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