The Government has been quick to defend Formosa Plastics in the wake of a second fire at their Mailiao plant within a month. The Formosa Plastics Group were the 2009 winners of the infamous Black Planet Award, an annual award to the corporation with the worst environmental track record.
The Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration is frequently criticised as merely being a rubber stamp body doing the pro-heavy-industry cabinet's bidding. Yesterday's comment by the Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Hwang Jung-chiou that "the government hopes an environmental impact assessment of Formosa Group's plan to expand facilities at a naphtha cracker plant can proceed as scheduled despite two fires at the factory within the past month" is bound to fuel allegations of the cabinet pulling the strings of the EPA. Is Formosa going to get away with just a NT$1 million (US$31,000) slap on the wrist for violating the Air Pollution Protection Act? For more see Official backs Formosa EPA study in today's Taipei Times.
Also see:
Formosa Group fined after fire at Mailiao complex
Opposition pressures Government in wake of the second Formosa fire
Candidates - No fallout from Formosa fire in Sinbei elections
Academics against new Kuokuang plant
Local residents block access to FPG plant
Local residents continue to block access to FPG plant
Government defies the courts with the President's blessing
Wu going soft on Formosa?
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