These aforementioned
plans were drawn by the EPB before the EPA replaced
its role in environmental protection. After taking
up the responsibility, the EPA conducted a series
of research in 1988, one of which was related to the
control of enterprise waste. This research suggested
that it was necessary to expand the scope of identifying
hazardous enterprise waste based on investigations
done by the EPB and referred to experiences in the
U.S.A., Europe, and Japan. For the requirement of
future environmental protection and economic benefit,
a feasible measure included non-chlorine organic solvents
and strong oxidation and reaction waste into the control
list. Since regulations related to the enterprise
waste were not yet thorough enough, it was suggested
that the laws should be emended carefully as soon
as possible in order to help solve the problem of
enterprise waste. (Liu Wei-cheng, 1988: 113-114)
In
1988 the EPA also invited some staff from the Industrial
Development Bureau (IDB) of the Ministry of Economic
Affairs and academic institutes to organize a group
to deal with industrial waste minimization and to
promote the idea of "doing from the roots." This encourages
the industries to reduce their waste in the process
of production. (Ching-chi jih-pao, 1988/10/27/2)
On March 21, 1989 the
EPA issued the "Measures to Provide Guidance and to
Control Public and Private Agencies of Waste Disposal."
These agencies may engage either in waste elimination
or disposal. In each aspect, the agencies are classified
into three grades according to the amount of capital
investment and the number of technicians employed.
(Lu P'eng-shen, 1990:16) Moreover, on May 8, 1989
the EPA issued the "Standard Method and Equipment
for Storage, Elimination and Disposal of Enterprise
Waste" and required that the enterprises improve their
facilities within one year. The EPA official Hsiao
Feng-hsiung emphasized in an interview that the inspection
over enterprise waste disposal would be carried out
seriously from May 8, 1990 onward and that owners
of enterprises should not take a wait-and-see attitude.
The enterprises assigned to submit a waste elimination
plan to the EPA include 24 industries classified in
seven categories as follows:
