Miaoli Residents Protest Against Waste Burial Site 反坤輿自救會赴廉政署 檢舉苗縣府瀆職

Representatives from the Save Zaoqiao Association filed a complaint with the Agency Against Corruption, accusing the Miaoli County Government of helping Pacific Ecology Co. to operate an illegal waste burial site.

On the 17th, representatives from the Save Zaoqiao Association and numerous environmental groups demonstrated against the Miaoli County Government and Pacific Ecology Co. at the Agency Against Corruption. The groups say Miaoli County is turning a blind eye to legal violations because it is profiting from the company's illegal waste burial site.

Chen Ching-hsin, President, Save Zaoqiao Association: “Pacific Ecology did not include the access route or its office in its business plan to circumvent the 2-hectare environmental impact assessment regulation. The Miaoli County Government turned a blind eye to this.”

Ku Yu-chih, Representative, Zaoqiao Township Council: “They applied to operate this waste burial site in violation of farmland zoning, development area and water source regulations.”

Lawmaker Chen Jiau-hua says the company intentionally omitted the access road from its development area calculation because an environmental impact assessment and Ministry of the Interior approval is required for projects over 2 hectares. In addition, a spate of land inspections and regulations would also apply and a second access road would be required. As Pacific Ecology only has one 6-meter access road, it does not meet operational requirements.

Tsai Cheng-hsun, Secretary General, Miaoli County Environmental Protection Bureau: “Certain aspects required approval first to go forward to the next phase of applications. Without this approval, they can't operate this site. We are still investigating. This is what the self-help association wants. The Control Yuan and Judicial Yuan have already intervened. We will respect the findings of the investigation.”

The association also filed a complaint with the Taipei District Prosecutors Office against Pacific Ecology for falsifying documents. The Miaoli County Environmental Protection Bureau says it respects the opinions of the association and will wait for the results of the investigation. Residents say they will not give up their fight to stop the waste burial site from commencing operations.
 

台北陰雨綿綿，溫度又降低，反坤輿事業廢棄物掩埋場自救會代表們聯合環保團體，17日北上到廉政署，拿出白布條，檢舉苗栗縣政府瀆職圖利，協助坤輿公司規避法規，違法興建垃圾掩埋場並且在近日試運轉。

反坤輿事業廢棄物掩埋場自救會會長陳清鑫指出:「當初坤輿設立的時候，興辦事業沒有把聯外道路、地磅辦公室納入興辦事業計畫當中，規避2公頃的環評，所以他當初就是苗栗縣政府縱容、放水給坤輿公司。」

苗栗造橋鄉民代表會代表古育誌表示:「包括農地的變更，包括開發的面積等等，然後違法在水源地來申請這個掩埋場。」

立委陳椒華指出，坤輿場區資料中並沒有將道路面積列入計算，所有開發面積加總實際上明顯超過2公頃，需要進行環評，也要送內政部區域計畫委員會審查，另外也要遵循非都市土地審議作業規範的規定，需有2條聯外道路才能通過審查，坤輿只有一條6公尺聯外道路，根本不能試運轉。

苗栗縣環保局秘書蔡政勳回應:「他們使用的部分是要申請通過部分才能申請，那如果說沒有申請的部分，那當然不能做跟他營業相關的這些營業行為，這個部分我們還是會去釐清。但這是自救會這邊的主張，像監察院還有法院這部分都已經來介入釐清，我們也會尊重整個釐清的結果。」

自救會成員向台北地檢署控告坤輿公司涉嫌偽造文書，苗栗縣環保局回應，對於自救會成員意見予以尊重，將會靜待調查結果出爐。爭議已經20年的掩埋場，當地居民持續關注進度，並強力要求縣府撤銷坤輿案興辦計畫及試運轉。