Taiwan News
Date: 2016-08-22
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Reporter

Taiwan’s government has decided to move an elementary school that is located only 900 meters from highly polluting petrochemical factories in Mailiao Township, Yunlin County to another school in a neighboring township amid serious health concern for the school children.

The air pollution caused by Formosa Petrochemical Sixth Naphtha Cracking Plant in Mailiao has been suspected to be linked to the high cancer rates among the residents of two neighboring townships, Miaoliao and Taishi.

The Yunlin County Government had passed autonomous regulations to prohibit the burning of heavily polluting coals, but the legislation was overruled by the central government of the previous administration, citing authority over energy policy.     [FULL  STORY]