EPA under fire for `unprofessional' impact reports By Chiu Yu-Tzu STAFF REPORTER Thursday, Sep 25, 2003,Page 2 Environmentalists yesterday criticized the Environmental Protection Administrat ion (EPA) for "unprofessional" environmental impact surveys in discussions on p ublic referendums. On Tuesday, the EPA asked the Cabinet to make sure its referendum bill would no t allow votes on public construction projects. Following a referendum by residents of Pinglin township, Taipei County, on Sept . 13, EPA head Hau Lung-bin (郝龙斌) said last week that "public opinion should not be more important than professional ones" and "the result of an advisory r eferendum should not overthrow that of an environmental impact assessment." The result of a referendum showed 98 percent of Pinglin residents who voted wer e in favor of having the Taipei-Ilan Freeway, currently under construction, inc lude exit and entrance ramps at Pinglin. But Hau immediately expressed the agen cy's disagreement, saying water supply to the Feitsui Reservoir in Taipei Count y would be contaminated in the construction. In addition, Hau stressed that the freeway project should not be changed becaus e its assessment had been passed. "If all projects were reviewed by a referendum, we can foresee the beginning of a series of environmental catastrophes," Hau said. After Pinglin's referendum, six others have been held in Taiwan on environment- related issues, including ones on incinerator projects. Hau was ridiculed by environmentalists, who said that it is the existing enviro nmental impact assessment system that lacks professionalism. Taking a waste incinerator under construction in Chunan township, Miaoli County , as an example, Hsieh Herlin (谢和霖) of Taiwan Watch Institute said the proje ct's assessment was full of defects. Hsieh said the location of the incinerator is near an estuary of the Chungkang River and ecological systems in nearby wetlands had been treasured by conservat ionists for years. "But local environmental officials admitted that the assessment for the inciner ator project did not consider ecological systems in wetlands because they were unaware of the existence of wetlands," Hsieh said yesterday. Construction of the incinerator began early this month despite continuing local opposition, Hsieh said. In addition, Hsieh said, if the EPA sincerely cares about water quality, it sho uld have halted the building of an incinerator in Linnei Township, which is jus t 1.8km from an area earmarked for a new water-treatment plant. "If residents want to halt development projects approved by unprofessional asse ssments, their opinion deserves respect," Hsieh said. Copyright c 1999-2003 The Taipei Times. All rights reserved. --

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