Fishermen protest expansion of science park

Demanding that the government dismiss the project, Changhua fishermen and aquaculturists staged the protest outside the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), which was holding a meeting of a panel of experts to assess the project's environmental impact.

Lin Lien-tsung, leader of an anti-pollution group from Changhua's Fangyuan township, said the decision to choose Erlin as the location for the project is totally wrong.

“Erlin is far from water sources, so water intake and waste water processing will be problematic,” said Lin, as he urged the government to change the location.

Referring to an Oct. 20 statement by Premier Wu Den-yih that waste water from the park will be routed to an outflow three kilometers off the coast of Changhua County, Lin said that even if it is piped offshore, it will still flow back with the tides to coastal areas.

Changhua Fishery Development Association President Lin Chi-min said the waste water problem will have a serious effect on aquaculturists and farmers in the area.

According to Lin, the production value of Changhua's fishery is about NT$2 billion (US$61.6 million) a year, while the production value of the area's commercial oyster beds reaches over NT$1 billion a year.

Lin said local residents might agree to support the CTSP project only if the EPA can guarantee to keep monitoring the science park's pollution status and to suspend its operations whenever necessary.

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