How difficult the Taiwan National Biotechnology Development Park is !!

Academia Sinica confident biotech park would pass EPA review in June

May 10, 2011  The China Post  The China Post news staff--Academia Sinica President Wong Chi-huey yesterday expressed confidence that the National Biotechnology Development Park will pass the environmental impact assessments (EIA) in June and be on its way in developing Taiwan's biotech sector. Construction of the park, which is slated for completion by 2016, has been delayed many times due to environmental concerns. Wong said at the Legislative Yuan meeting in which he gave a detailed report regarding the project, that the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) has conducted two reviews, one in mid-January and one in mid-April, on the prospective biotech park in Taipei City's Nangang District. Wong said he is certain, with the amendments and additional notes the Academia Sinica has made to the environmental impact statement, that the project will be approved by June. Members of the Legislative Yuan asked Wong if the Academia Sinica had a "Plan B" if the project failed to get the approval of the EPA, to which Wong responded that they would reapply again and if that failed, they would give up on plans to build the park. However, the president of Taiwan's top research institute does not believe it would ever come to that, although Wong does voice his worries regarding the Ministry of National Defense (MND) proposal to consolidate the National Laboratory Animal Center with other building projects, which could impact and jeopardize the entire biotech park development. Wong emphasized that the animal center is the heart of biomedical development and an important lab for studying diseases, which is an important reason for it to remain separate. There is little reason for such a center to be combined with other constructions, he concluded. The National Biotechnology Development Park has been key to the government's bid to boost Taiwan's biotech sector. It is set to occupy 25.31 hectares of the 202 Munitions Works in Nangang District, a naturally green habitat with a lot of wetlands.