Initial Review of Da Shigu Valley Earth and Rock Facility Draws Protest

Residents in Tongluo Township gathered outside the Miaoli County Environmental Protection Bureau with white banners as officials held the second preliminary review of the proposed Da Shigu Valley earth and rock resource storage and processing facility.

The residents’ self-help group wants environmental review committee members to block the project. It says the facility could damage the environment and cause pollution, concerns that have fueled opposition in the area.

The bureau concluded that the proposal must be supplemented, revised and reviewed again. The developer must provide a full explanation of ecological impacts and countermeasures, conduct a complete traffic impact and safety assessment, and evaluate environmental monitoring data with corresponding responses. If the questions cannot be clarified, the bureau said the project will proceed to a second-stage environmental impact assessment under Taiwan’s environmental impact assessment law.

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The site is only about 600 meters from Daxingshan Temple, seriously affecting the rights and interests of residents and worshippers.

The self-help group says the proposed site sits above the water source for Zhangshu Village, Jiuhu Village and Daxingshan Temple. It says springs flow there throughout the year and that construction could bring risks of depleted water sources and wastewater discharges.

Group leader Wu Jizhen said the site is only about 600 meters from Daxingshan Temple, creating a serious impact on residents and worshippers. Zhangshu village chief Wu Hsing-shao criticized what he called the forced construction of an unwanted facility in an aging community and pledged to protect residents’ rights.

Local representatives also pointed to Tongluo’s chrysanthemum and tung blossom agricultural tourism and the presence of the protected Asian yellow pond turtle in the surrounding area. County councilor Chen Pin-an called for a transparent site-selection process and said residents should not learn about the project only after it reaches the environmental review stage.

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The village is seriously aging, and the developer is forcing the construction of an unwanted facility. The village chief will defend the rights of the residents to the death.