The Tainan City Government convened the 11th meeting (on March 1) to review matters involving the supervision of remediation progress for soil contamination site at China Petrochemical Development Corporation’s (CPDC’s) An-shun Plant, and Public Health Watch program for residents affected by the contamination. Mayor Lai expressed his heartfelt appreciation to the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ go-ahead with a subsidy of NT$1.44 billion for the stage-3 public health watch program at the Executive Yuan’s approval, and Environmental Protection Administration’s consent to earmark NT$7.42 million in indemnity for losses incurred from suspended operation of fish farms surrounding CPDC’s An-shun Plant. Mayor Lai stressed that the priority right now for all agencies involved is to expedite the remediation of the contaminated site, and keep CPDC accountable in implementing quantifiable pollution containment measures and remediation programs so as to fulfill the expectations of the community.
Invited to the meeting were representatives from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Environmental Protection Administration, experts, scholars, community representatives, citizen leaders, and agencies within the City Government with vested interests in the agenda. The following are solutions, discussions, and decisions reached, made, and achieved during the last meeting: (1) Subsidies for the public health watch program would end in 2024. The City Government and the Central Government should work together to quicken fund appropriation; facilities in the public health rooms would be refitted to safeguard the rights and interests of citizens; (2) The EPA has agreed to appropriate funds to compensate fish farmers for suspending their operation during the remediation process.
Agencies here at the City Government whose services pertain to the interests of farmers would be at-the-ready with support. Also, the levees of the fish farms require comprehensive repair work to ensure that there’d be no more contamination; (3) The EPA would continue supervising the remediation, the results of which would be rigorously reviewed by scholars and experts to verify performance, and mitigate concerns about further pollution and health risks. Incineration processes have to be improved with increased combustion temperatures to minimize dioxin contamination; methylmercury has to be collected in full. Residents in the community should be kept updated of the results to safeguard their health; (4) Mayor Lai urged CPDC to stay accountable and effectual in its soil contamination remediation work when concerns were raised that the company was significantly behind schedule.
The Environmental Protection Bureau has meted out punishment accordingly, and demanded that CPDC modify its remediation program to improve contamination management capacity, so that the remediation would be completed by 2024; (5) In terms of designating the nine-acre Japanese dormitory compound located on the premises of Taiwan Alkali Co., Ltd as a city historic monument, mayor Lai said occupants should be duly compensated for their relocation, so that the historic monument could be given timely protections; or, the City Government should be given the property rights of the monument as its rightful owner, so follow-up preservation and maintenance could be proceeded; (6) The Bureau of Urban Development has begun planning for one of CPDC’s property in Annan District – at 300 acres in size - as the most favorable development program in the community. The content of which has been included in “Priority Urban Renewal Programs in Tainan City (5th Comprehensive Review).” The project has been presented to the Ministry of the Interior for deliberation; (7) An appeal would be made to the Ministry of Economic Affairs to deliberate on expenses involved in the process of seeking damages from CPDC for humanitarian outreach, so that fairness and justness be fulfilled.
Mayor reiterated that the remediation of An-shun site is alarmingly behind schedule; also, all the disciplinary actions that the City Government has taken against CPDC for failing the remediation project, and the City Government’s decision to designate the Japanese dormitory compound located on the premises of Taiwan Alkali Co., Ltd as a city historic monument are considered administrative remedy in nature; he asked CPDC to clean up the contamination at An-shun site, allowing citizens access to the historic monument, so that its cultural significance could be shared with the community.
In conclusion, the Mayor again thanked everyone who has expressed concerns in the remediation of contaminated site at An-shun Plant, and urged CPDC to fulfill its corporate social responsibility, take more aggressive measures in the remediation, and expedite its contaminated soil reduction measures at the plant, to clear the name of the community, quell the resentment and hurt of victims, and return to them a clean homestead that they deserve.
Department: Soil Pollution Management Section, supervisor: Yang, Chao-Chuan
Contact info: 06-2686751 ext. 339, Mr. Yang, Tsung-Yin