Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/05/15
By: Yeh Tzu-kang and Scully Hsiao
Taipei, May 15 (CNA) Councilors in western Taiwan’s Yunlin County on Friday
Lee Chin-yung (李進勇), right
passed a bylaw proposed by the local government to ban the burning of coal and petroleum coke by factories, drawing a mixed response from the central government, businesses and environmentalists.
The bylaw was passed in response to widespread concerns about PM2.5 — fine particulates that pose risks to human health — and will act to safeguard the health of county residents, Yunlin Magistrate Lee Chin-yung (李進勇) said.
The passage of the bylaw — which cleared the council floor in some 10 minutes — drew applause from environmentalists, who staged a sit-in in front of the county council hall urging swift passage of the bylaw.
The bylaw awaits approval by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) under the Cabinet. [FULL STORY]