TAIWAN: Hundreds of protesters call on the government to cease plans to build a major offshore refinery and petrochemical plant on island's west coast

Record ID: 343756

  • Title: TAIWAN: Hundreds of protesters call on the government to cease plans to build a major offshore refinery and petrochemical plant on island's west coast
  • Date: 22nd April 2011
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 67-YEAR-OLD MALE RESIDENT KU CHIEN-CH'U SAYING: "The air will be polluted and vegetables will be polluted, inedible. (Journalist asking: "What do you want them to do?") It's better for it to be sold internationally, not domestically. The land is too limited." PROTESTERS IN FRONT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ADMINISTRATION BUILDING PROTESTERS MOCKING
  • Embargoed: 7th May 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Taiwan, Province of China
  • Country: Taiwan
  • Topics: Environment / Natural World,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA6M0UVA6VE0L80EUN5XLDW4PJI
  • Story Text: Hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the building that houses Taiwan's Environmental Protection Administration on Thursday (April 21), urging the government to scrap plans to build a 36 billion U.S. Dollar offshore refinery and petrochemical plant on Taiwan's western coast.
    The Kuokuang Petrochemical Technology Co refinery project, led by state-run oil refiner CPC Corp, has been the subject of an extended environmental impact review and protesters warned that the project would foul the air and hurt local dolphins.
    Local resident Hsu Li-ling said she had joined the protest from concern over how this would affect the environment for her child.
    "We are protesting against Kuokuang (Oil company) because all the people who live in this area are farmers and fishermen, we have never needed this kind of industry in our vicinity. Also, Liu Qin and the petrochemical company is too close. Three kilometres away from my house is another petrochemical company and another three kilometres away is another, I want to ask who is willing to live in a place like this. How many kids like her will have to wear a mask in the future and live their life," she said.
    Fellow resident Ku Chien-ch'u simply wished the refinery to moved elsewhere.
    "The air will be polluted and vegetables will be polluted, inedible," he said, adding Taiwan did not have the capacity for such projects.
    "It's better for it to be sold internationally, not domestically. The land is too limited," he said.
    Taiwan industrialised in the 1980s with little public protest to become one of Asia's four economic dragons.
    Now, it is working on more transparent environmental reviews for new projects and tougher energy laws, including a tax regime and carbon reduction targets for 2020, 2025 and possibly 2050.
    But some protesters felt there was still more to do.
    "These things are affecting the development of China's whole petrol industry, you can't say that because we are protesting against it this time, it will be ok. Even if we succeed in this progress, later on there may be more to regret. The government should work out some rules for the development of clean energy in the petrochemical industry for energy saving emissions reduction," said another protester, Chu'ang Yung-hsiang.
    As protesters chanted slogans and waved banners outside the Environmental Protection Administration building, inside officials held the fifth environmental impact assessment to be carried out on the project.
    In the meeting, officials argued over whether politics had influenced the assessment, Taiwanese media reported.
    The meeting would be broadcast live on screens outside of the building for the crowds of protesters gathered outside, it said.
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