Two permits for Taichung plant pulled

UNILATERAL DECISION: The central and local governments need to work together to reduce pollution and generate power, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka said

By Tsai Shu-yuan, Lee Hsin-fang and William Hetherington / Staff reporters, with staff writer





The Taichung City Government has revoked the operating permits for two units at the Taichung Power Plant, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) announced yesterday morning, saying that the plant had exceeded its annual allowance of raw coal.

Inspections last month and earlier this month found that the plant had surpassed the city’s annual limit of 11.04 million tonnes of raw coal, Lu said, adding that a third inspection on Monday found that no improvements had been made.

“The limit is in place to protect the health of Taichung residents, to safeguard the city’s air quality,” she said.

Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen announces the Taichung City Government’s revocation of the operating permits for two units at the Taichung Power Plant in the city yesterday. Photo: Tsai Shu-yuan, Taipei Times

The plant was fined NT$3 million (US$99,328) after an inspection on Nov. 3 by the city’s Environmental Protection Bureau, and then an additional NT$6 million after an inspection on Dec. 13, when the city gave the plant 10 days in which to make improvements.

Following the second inspection, the plant said it had not exceeded the legal limit, because a 2017 permit from the city gave it a maximum of 16 million tonnes of coal per year.

However, a lower utilization limit was introduced in January 2016, Lu said yesterday, adding that the plant had been breaking the law by exceeding the limit each year over the past four years.

“Administrative responsibility means setting an example, but more importantly, it means protecting the public’s health and improving the environment,” Lu said.

The Taichung plant is the nation’s largest power plant, meaning that the municipality has for decades been responsible for more than its fair share of power generation costs, which is unreasonable, she said.

Yesterday, the Executive Yuan said that revoking the plant’s permits — the first time that a local government has done so — was “regrettable.”

Power generation should not be used as a political bargaining chip, it said, adding that the government aims to stabilize power generation.

The city government unilaterally amended documents to shorten the deadline for reducing air pollution and demonstrated a misunderstanding of administrative procedure, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka said.

“Mayor Lu has said numerous times since taking office that air quality in the city has improved, but is now using public health as a pretext for canceling the permits,” she said.

“This is a contradiction — it’s incomprehensible,” Kolas said.

The central government places personal property and safety first, and has always stood by its intention to reform power generation, she added.

“There are a multitude of reasons for pollution in the central part of the nation, but the government has made improvements to the air quality there,” Kolas said. “Confusing the facts ahead of the elections is unnecessary.”

The central and local governments must cooperate on reducing pollution and generating power, she said.