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Premier unveils air pollution control plan

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Premier Lin Chuan held a press conference today to unveil the government's Clean Air Action plan for controlling air pollution in Taiwan.

Areas in western Taiwan constantly suffer severe air pollution from a variety of domestic sources, and the problem is compounded in winter as polluted air from neighboring countries blows into Taiwan, making up nearly 40 percent of the nation's air pollution. A single county or city alone cannot combat pollution that drifts from place to place, so the entire nation must come together and agree on short and medium-term goals and actions, the premier said.

In his June 3, 2016 policy report to the Legislature, Premier Lin pointed to the hazards and effects of air pollution and made it a goal to reduce harmful PM2.5 (particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers). Last December the Executive Yuan also launched strategy planning meetings with the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) and other agencies, and brought this policy meeting under the Executive Yuan's direct oversight. In March the EPA came up with the Clean Air Action plan, which, after numerous discussions, was passed by the Executive Yuan today.

The strategy plan contains 14 measures that provide both incentives and restrictions, the premier explained. Using 2015 as the base year, the goal is to lower annual average concentrations of PM2.5 from 22 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3) to 18 μg/m3—an improvement of 18.2 percent—by 2019. The government also hopes to reduce the number of red alerts issued across the nation by 47 percent, from 997 to 528 per year. The premier hopes the public can feel the effects of these improvements, especially in the winter months.

Addressing funding issues, the premier said the government expects to invest NT$36.5 billion (US$1.19 billion), which includes financing for an air pollution control fund and related tasks. The Taiwan Power Co. will need to invest NT$10.1 billion (US$329.42 million) to improve power plant facilities, and the private sector will also be investing NT$168.4 billion (US$5.49 billion) to phase out older diesel vehicles, two-stroke scooters and boilers.

Short and medium-term strategic goals should be met by 2019, and long-term goals will also be set so that Taiwan will have the air quality standards of an advanced nation.

EPA Minister Lee Ying-yuan said that PM2.5 concentrations vary throughout Taiwan, with central and southern Taiwan, Kinmen County and Lienchiang County enduring average annual readings of over 20 μg/m3, beyond permissible standards. Except for most locales in Taitung, Hualien and Yilan counties that meet the annual average standard of 15 μg/m3, Taiwan's remaining counties and cities all exceed the permissible standards.

While PM2.5 pollution comes primarily from vehicular, industrial and other miscellaneous sources in Taiwan, overseas sources also account for about 10 percent of particulate matter in summer, over 30 percent in spring and fall, and rising to 40 percent or more during the winter months, Lee said.

To curb stationary sources of air pollution, the government will regulate power generation facilities to increase power generation efficiency and decrease emissions. The Linkou coal-fired power plant, for instance, has switched to ultra supercritical technologies so that its emission rates are comparable to a natural gas plant. Long-term goals call for replacing coal-fired facilities with natural gas units, and the EPA has made power-generation emission standards more stringent, the minister said.

The government is also aiming to reduce boiler emissions, so the EPA is working with local authorities to subsidize commercial boilers that switch from coal to natural gas, and consolidating industrial park pipelines to encourage resource sharing and decrease coal usage.

As for mobile sources of pollution, the government plans to eliminate 80,000 diesel trucks that comply with 1987 and 1993 emission standards, and install particulate filters on 38,000 diesel trucks that comply with 1999 standards. Local governments and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications have also proposed control measures, and the Ministry of Finance is refunding a portion of the standard commodity tax when old trucks are traded in for new vehicles. Another goal is to phase out 1 million two-stroke scooters, and the central government will provide support and funding to local governments that have other needs, Lee said.

Various government agencies will also help implement vehicle pollution control measures for maritime vessels, public transport vehicles, freight trains and electric vehicles, Minister Lee said. Plans for other sources of pollution include curbing agricultural waste burning emissions, controlling dust at construction and waste sites, reducing cooking fumes, and changing long-standing social customs and habits.

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