More than 9 million people in Taiwan live within 5km of petrochemical production facilities, placing them in high-risk zones for air pollution exposure, Greenpeace said in a report released yesterday.
The environmental group identified 191 facilities across 13 counties and cities, estimating that these high-risk zones encompass nearly 40 percent of Taiwan’s population.
The areas include 1.15 million children and 1.59 million elderly people, Greenpeace project manager Chang Kai-ting (張凱婷) said.
Photo courtesy of Greenpeace
She added that 4,067 institutions — including kindergartens, elementary and junior high schools and elderly care centers — also fall within the zones.
Kaohsiung has the highest concentration, with 50 facilities affecting about 1.6 million residents. Taoyuan and Tainan each have 31 plants, placing 1.98 million and 1.58 million people respectively in high-risk areas, Chang said.
If the exposure range is extended to 10km, the number of people affected rises to 15.72 million — about 70 percent of Taiwan’s population, she said.
Responding to the report, Department of Atmospheric Environment Director-General Huang Wei-ming (黃偉鳴) said the Ministry of Environment has already launched investigations and pollution-reduction plans.
The ministry would gradually expand monitoring networks, conduct pollution assessments and provide guidance on cutting emissions, he said.
Permanent long-term monitoring stations equipped with advanced technology have already been established in major petrochemical zones, he added.
The ministry would hold consultations in high-emission areas, offer guidance and promote upgrades to pollution control equipment, Huang said, adding that the efforts aim to strengthen oversight of industrial emissions, mitigate risks and improve air quality.
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