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進入《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 EPA to end commercial development in nation’s parks
Environmental Protection Administration Minister Lee Ying-yuan yesterday outlines some of the agency’s new policies at a news conference in Taipei. Photo: CNA
SAVING TAROKO: Lee Ying-yuan said the nation has to move beyond prioritizing economic development over the environment. He also discussed air pollution
By Chen Wei-han / Staff reporter
Mining and other commercial development projects are to be banned in national parks, and Asia Cement Corp （亞洲水泥） will have to end its operation in Taroko National Park next year, Environmental Protection Administration （EPA） Minister Lee Ying-yuan （李應元） announced yesterday.
In a news conference held to outline the agency’s new policies, Lee said he is firmly against mining in national parks as he showed aerial images of barren mountain ranges in Taroko caused by mining operations.
“Taroko National Park is an artwork more valuable than a Picasso, but a hideous hole was opened in such a beautiful place. Taiwan is no longer a poor nation and we have to move beyond the mindset that prioritizes economic development over the environment,” Lee said.
While Lee said he is not targeting any specific company, Asia Cement’s mining in Taroko National Park — a 25 hectare quarry that is part of its 442 hectare mining operation in Hualien County’s Sincheng Township （新城） — must close when its license expires next year, Lee said.
It is the only quarry in a national park.
Mining outside of national parks would be reviewed according to the current environmental impact assessment （EIA） system, which can ensure that the nation’s mining resources would not be exhausted and the environment can be protected, Lee said.
The ban on commercial development projects in national parks is Lee’s second major policy announcement. He said on Monday that the EPA would not lift a ban on imported scrap metal.
Lee told the news conference that improving air quality is the agency’s most urgent priority, and it would target the energy sector and industrial polluters to reduce air pollution.
“The EPA will start with fuels. We will adjust the blending ratio of coals so power plants can emit fewer particulate matters and sulfides. The use of natural gas will also be maximized,” he said.
“The EPA will cooperate with the Ministry of Economic Affairs on a monthly basis and lower power plants output when necessary to reach a balance between economic development and environmental protection,” he said.
The announcement marks a major policy shift from previous EPA heads, who cited traffic pollution as the major air pollution culprit.
However, Citizens of the Earth researcher Pan Cheng-cheng （潘正正） said Lee’s ban on mining in national parks was only a “show,” as it has been rumored that Asia Cement was planning to shut its Taroko operation and reopen an old quarry in Hsinchu’s Guansi Township （關西）.
The new policy also neglects loopholes in mining regulations, as an EPA decree in 2000 exempts mining operations licensed before the enactment of the Environmental Impact Assessment Act （環境影響評估法） in 1995 from having to undergo EIA reviews when seeking to renew their licenses if no changes have been made to the original mining practice, Pan said.
Other loopholes in the National Park Act （國家公園法）, the Forestry Act （森林法） and the Wildlife Conservation Act （野生動物保育法） permit mining in national parks and geologically sensitive areas, she said.
“In practice, mining licenses can be renewed indefinitely without undergoing review,” Pan said.
“If the EPA really wants to do something, it should re-examine its decree and urge authorities to revise relevant laws and review the nation’s cement industry,” she said.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
