Taiwan’s Supreme Administrative Court Sept. 2 upheld a lower court ruling halting development of the third phase of the Central Taiwan Science Park, while ordering the reinvestigation of the fourth phase expansion.
The ruling came after the Environmental Protection Administration, the National Science Council and the CTSP administration filed appeals Aug. 9 for retrials on both cases.
On July 30, the Taipei High Administrative Court ordered suspensions of the CTSP’s expansion projects at its Houli branch in Taichung County and Erlin branch in Changhua County, on the grounds that comprehensive environmental impact assessments had not been completed and there was danger of irreparable environmental damage.
The Supreme Administrative Court rejected the government’s appeal regarding the expansion in Houli, but sent the Erlin case back for retrial after finding that environmentalists opposed to the project had not provided concrete evidence as to how it could cause irrevocable damage to the environment.
EPA Minister Stephen Shu-hung Shen said the latest court rejection is immaterial, since the EPA greenlighted a new environmental impact assessment for the Houli facility Aug. 31.
“The passage of the environmental impact assessment means the project has fulfilled the conditions of the injunction order issued by the Taipei High Administrative Court,” he said.
Chou Neng-chuan, deputy director-general of the Industrial Development Bureau under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, said manufacturers at the park’s Houli site will be able to continue their operations for now with little impact from the decision.
“The ongoing expansion by the panel maker AU Optronics Corp. should also not be affected in the short term, but we hope all disputes can be resolved within six months,” he said. (THN)
Write to Audrey Wang at audrey@mail.gio.gov.tw