A memorandum of understanding on joint toxic chemical emergency management was concluded July 16 in Hsinchu County, northern Taiwan, by state-backed Industrial Technology Research Institute and Maritime Disaster Prevention Center of Japan.
Under the pact, the two sides will enhance response capabilities, raise public awareness of toxic chemicals, share technical expertise and strengthen procedural mechanisms. They also aim to ensure crises are dealt with in the shortest possible time so as to minimize loss of life and impact on the environment and property.
Robert Hu, general director of ITRI’s Green Energy and Environment Research Laboratories, said the institute has played a front-line role in assisting Taiwan’s private sector handle chemical accidents and spills for two decades through such bodies as the 1996-established Emergency Response Information Center.
The agreement underscores ITRI’s commitment to utilizing this proven track record in promoting exchanges with global counterparts and heightening safety standards in Taiwan, he added.
Echoing Hu’s remarks, Hsieh Yein-rui, director-general of the Toxic and Chemical Substances Bureau under the Environmental Protection Administration, said the memorandum enables Taiwan and Japan to learn from one another’s extensive expertise. This encompasses land and sea disaster mitigation and preparation, as well as sophisticated planning for quickly containing environmental pollution, he added.
According to MDPC Chairman Masayuki Iwao, the pact will lay the foundations for the creation of a world-class cooperation model, especially in the areas of information sharing and training. It may also give rise to a raft of additional commercial opportunities for Taiwan and Japan firms operating in related sectors, he said.
Founded in 1973, Hsinchu County-headquartered ITRI is a nonprofit R&D outfit tasked with assisting local industries remain competitive and sustainable. It supports over 15,000 local companies each year, 73 percent of which are small and medium enterprises.
Yokohama-based MDPC, established in 1976 and incorporated into a foundation in 2013, is solely responsible for coordinating and overseeing the Japanese government’s response to chemical-related maritime disasters. (SFC-E)
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