Chuan Lyu Lectures
   Faculty of Oriental Studies
   University of Cambridge
   5:00PM, Thursday, May 11, 2000
   The Little Hall, Sidgwick Site

   Subject: The Problem of Industrial Pollution in Taiwan

   Professor Ts'ui-jung Liu
   Director,  Institute of Taiwan History, Preparatory Office
   Academia Sinica, Taiwan
  

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Introduction

    Taiwan's rapid industrial development since the 1960s has brought an "economic miracle" to the island. However, the problem of industrial pollution during this process of development cannot be neglected. As a small island, the environmental burden is comparatively heavy in Taiwan. The statistics by the end of 1996 showed that Taiwan's population density was 1.8 times Japan and 2.5 times England; Taiwan's manufacturing factory density was 3.7 times Japan and 7.1 times England. The government started to tackle the problem of pollution in 1974 by formally legislating laws related to pollution prevention and control. The Water Pollution Control Act was promulgated on July 11 and the Waste Disposal Act on July 26. About one year later, on May 23, 1975, the Air Pollution Control Act was instituted. This paper will try to discuss problems related to industrial waste and wastewater in Taiwan.

1. The problem of enterprise waste

Authorities in charge of environmental protection and industrial development are both responsible for the control of enterprise waste. The environmental protection authority plays the role of inspection and control while the industrial development authority has the role of providing technical and investment guidance.

1.1 The measures taken by the environmental protection authority