The Kaohsiung City Government has asked the Bureau of Energy to cancel permits for a controversial solar panel project, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) said today.
This comes after the city’s Economic Development Bureau said in a news release that the Dashu District (大樹) solar photovoltaic project's developer had contravened soil and water conservation procedures and constructed in a non-developable zone, leading to sediment runoff and erosion.
The case was referred to prosecutors for investigation and the city has ordered that development be halted, the news release said.
Photo: Taipei Times
Kaohsiung’s position is clear, Chen said in an interview today.
In addition to canceling permits, the city is hoping that the National Land Management Agency revokes the zoning classification for the land allocated to the project, Chen said.
Kaohsiung must reassess the project with public safety and people’s livelihoods as the top priority, he said.
The developer should restore the pre-existing environment and landscape, the city government said, adding that it sent a letter to the Ministry of the Interior asking that the land be rezoned to its original classification to allow for its restoration.
Since the soil and water conservation plan was approved for the project, city supervisors have conducted 15 inspections of the project's conservation efforts, the city government said.
During those inspections, officials found seven contraventions and fined the company NT$1.08 million (US$36,538), it said, adding that it ordered a halt to construction last month.
The city government said it found that the developer had built in areas not zoned for construction and exceeded its approved development area by two hectares.
On June 6, the Energy Administration conducted an inspection and confirmed prior contraventions, which resulted in the city fining the developer NT$300,000 for contravening the Regional Plan Act (區域計畫法).
Kaohsiung’s agencies have reported the issues to the authorities and are seeking to undo the environmental damage, the city government said.
If the developer applies for another power generation license before the improvements are completed, the city would not provide supporting documents, it said.
Restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County are to be included in the Michelin Guide’s review for the first time this year, alongside existing entries from Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, the France-based culinary publication said yesterday. This year’s edition of the Michelin Guide Taiwan is to be unveiled on Aug. 19 in Taipei. In addition to the coveted star ratings, Michelin Taiwan would announce its “Bib Gourmand” selections — a distinction awarded to establishments offering high-quality food at moderate prices — on Aug. 12. This year’s Bib Gourmand list would also feature restaurants in New Taipei City, Hsinchu
A firefighter yesterday died after falling into New Taipei City's Xindian River when a rescue dinghy capsized during a search mission for a man who was later found dead. The New Taipei City Fire Department said that it received a report at 4:12pm that a 50-year-old man, surnamed Chen (陳), had fallen into the river. A 32-year-old firefighter, surnamed Wu (吳), was among the rescuers deployed to look for Chen, the fire department said, adding that he and five other rescue personnel were in the dinghy when it capsized. Wu had no vital signs after being pulled from the water to the
Organizing one national referendum and 26 recall elections targeting Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators could cost NT$1.62 billion (US$55.38 million), the Central Election Commission said yesterday. The cost of each recall vote ranges from NT$16 million to NT$20 million, while that of a national referendum is NT$1.1 billion, the commission said. Based on the higher estimate of NT$20 million per recall vote, if all 26 confirmed recall votes against KMT legislators are taken into consideration, along with the national referendum on restarting the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, the total could be as much as NT$1.62 billion, it said. The commission previously announced
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday welcomed NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s remarks that the organization’s cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners must be deepened to deter potential threats from China and Russia. Rutte on Wednesday in Berlin met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ahead of a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of Germany’s accession to NATO. He told a post-meeting news conference that China is rapidly building up its armed forces, and the number of vessels in its navy outnumbers those of the US Navy. “They will have another 100 ships sailing by 2030. They now have 1,000 nuclear warheads,” Rutte said, adding that such