1. Citizen of The Earth Taiwan (CET) Richie Leu Campaign against high-tech pollution and expansion in Taiwan

2. The outline of presentation

• The present situation of high-tech

• industry

• The past experience of campaigns

• The observations about campaigns

• Prospects

3. Conflict ! ! ! An important agricultural zone in Taiwan

4. Semiconductor & optoelectronic industry account for 90% of total sales of the Science Parks in 2007 8.5 in 10 employees working for the biggest two (Chiu, 2011:23)

5. I Emergence of public awareness of high-tech pollution (1997~2006) The beginning from HSP(Hsinchu Science Park)

• Fast expansion of the industry-> outbreak of fire incidents and the waste water pollution -> residents complain

• Problems revealed by local journalists

• High-tech is clean?

6. Suspicious of cancer cluster in Tai-Chi village

• No tap water available, residents rely on groundwater

• skin itch after using groundwater to take shower

• Crops grow tall without ear

• Smelly

• Cancer cluster found in 2000

http://www.peopo.org/portal.php?op=viewPost&articleId=6586

7. Groundwater pollution trichloroethylene TCE found in the monitoring well No.19 in the HSP

8. HSP and environmental impacts

9. Arsenic air pollution associated with CTSP I II Central Taiwan Science Park

• 2006 As (37.4 ng/m3) found in the area of Dong-Hai University( )

• arsenic levels: over 12 times higher than before operations of CTSP Phase I & II began

2007.1.8 http://e-info.org.tw/node/19619

10. 2006.4.7 Farms salinated by wastewater from the CTSP I&II electrical conductivity in the waste water four times higher than the maximum allowed by the regulation a thousand hectares of farmland affected

11. II Toward environmental and social justice movement(2006~2010) http://www.coolloud.org.tw/node/55830

12. Campaign against the expansion of the Phase III of the CTSP (2005)

13. 2006.6.30 Farmers protested in front of the EPA

14. Siaoli river pollution (2008) Clear Link between IT production wastewater and ecological catastrophe AUO Siaoli River Fongshan River CPT Water taken by water company for Hsinpu township The two manufactures have discharged around 40,000 tons of wastewater every day directly into the Siaoli River since 1999. AU Optronics (AUO) Chuanghwa Picture Tubes Map of Siaoli River

15. Story and Controversies

• The two companies insisted

• • wastewater they discharged into the river was not toxic

• • their wastewater conformed completely to environmental standards

• Environmental Bureau of Taoyuan County supported companies claims:

• • Conforming to the environmental regulatory requirements does not mean fish and frogs in the river, as people define for good water quality

• In 2008, Taiwan EPA issued an official notice, which advise local people not to directly use the water in Siaoli River

BUT...

16. The protest of expansion of the Phase IV of the CTSP (2009) CTSP-IV Wastewater discharge channels CTSP-IV site Juoshuei River Old Juoshuei River

17. Farmers expelled from their land http://e-info.org.tw/node/57738

18. Key Word!

19. The winning of environmental law suit against the CTSP-III (2010) 2010.10.15 2010/10/17 http://www.coolloud.org.tw/node/55088

20. The EPA never gives up... distorting the EIA and the law . While no EIA conclusions can be abided by, companies do not have to stop construction or operation? Government: what counts most is to keep government policies consistent and coherent and to prevent investors from suffering unnecessary losses.

21. The achievement of campaigns

• In policy

• • Stop the expansion of science park temporarily

• • Creative more strict conditions in EIA conclusion

• In legislation

• • Forced the EPA to draft and announce the "Optoelectronics and semiconductor Industry Discharge Water Standards" in December of 2010

• In judiciary

• • In the lawsuit of CTSP III , the first time in Taiwan's judicial history where a court invalidated an EPA determination due to the deficient process

22. Conclusions

• Problems of science parks transform from pure environmental pollution to arguments over the rights of water and land

• Most of the time, the disadvantaged are the victims. Thus, land justice becomes the core of resistance

• However, for the critical part of the issue toxics, our standing is still limited

23. The Analysis of Chemical Use in TFT-LCD manufacturing process. (liter/month) Source: Taiwan EPA, Probe Project on Analysis and regulating Standards on the Quality of Wastewater of High-tech Industry. Taipei, Taiwan, EPA. -N%: the rate for self-recycling.

• most information regarding pollutant emission remains unavailable

• the current knowledge on the impacts of its pollution

• remains insufficient

24. Prospects

• Source management of chemical substances

• • Apply complete risk assessment prior to getting on markets, otherwise look for alternatives

• • Amend the Toxic Chemical Substance Control Act by incorporating REACH

• Compulsory disclosure for chemical information

• • Trade secrets must be clearly defined

• • Information should be disclosed unconditionally while vital damages occur

• Strict control over the effluence

• • Through local research

25. ~ Thank everybody ~