Biotech park project receives conditional approval
2011/05/20 19: Taipei, May 20 (CNA) The government on Friday "conditionally approved" the initial environmental assessment for the proposed national biotechnology research park near a wetland area in Taipei despite criticism from environmentalists. The project will be re-evaluated at another environmental assessment meeting, possibly in June at the earliest, for the final nod. On Friday, at the third meeting held by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) for this project, environmental experts gave the project's developer, Academia Sinica, 10 conditions before they can fully approve the park. These conditions include maintaining the ecosystem in the wetland area, forming a committee to supervise the protection of the wetland, and obtaining green building credentials. The proposed park will be located at the 202 Arsenal, an abandoned military facility, in Taipei's Nangang district. Wong Chi-huey, president of Taiwan's top academic research body, said Academia Sinica has factored in these conditions and will produce a more detailed report on how to meet them. He acknowledged that his organization has learned a lot from activists who called for the wetland's preservation. Wong expressed optimism that the project can receive final approval by June 10, and will be completely built by 2017. Despite Academia Sinica's assurances to protect the wetland, environmental groups are doubtful, saying that once the ecosystem is damaged, projects to save it will be of no use. "Let's give these wetlands a break, " Chang Hsiao-feng, a local writer who strongly opposes the biotech project, said at the Friday meeting. "It will be very easy to find another location for the biotech park. Let the ecosystem stay complete here." Liao Pen-chuan, a professor with National Taipei University's Department of Real Estate and Built Environment, said the park should not be built in Taipei because the capital is overcrowded. He urged Academia Sinica to set an example and move the project elsewhere in Taiwan. (By Wei Yun-ling and Alex Jiang) enditem/ly
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what a shitting liar!
ReplyDeleteThe 202nd arsenal is not an abandoned military facility. It's still active and hundreds of people work there. The Academia Sinica is just like a bandit to rob the peaceful land of their neighbor because of their greed, and they use the sugar coating of bio-tech development to cover their selfishness. Now, it leads to a damaged ecosystem and a messed construction site for the arsenal. Most important of all, this project costs of more than NT$ 5 billion, which is a meaningless investment.