Taoyuan Environmental Bureau Urged to Strengthen Data Checks Amidst Over 210,000 Abnormal Water Monitoring Records

An audit of Taoyuan City's environmental monitoring data has uncovered a significant number of anomalies, prompting calls for strengthened oversight. The Taoyuan City Audit Office reported that between June 2024 and May of the previous year, over 210,000 monitoring records showed abnormalities inconsistent with physical or chemical common sense. These records constituted 6.73% of the national total of more than 3.23 million such instances.

The audit office acknowledged the Environmental Protection Bureau's efforts in establishing a monitoring system and outsourcing a control plan, which has contributed to water pollution prevention. However, it highlighted concerns regarding the persistently high number of abnormal records and the low frequency of inspections for certain businesses. The report specifically pointed out that some businesses exhibited abnormality rates exceeding the national average of 7.09%, urging for more in-depth checks and functional assessments of high-risk entities.

In response, the Environmental Protection Bureau stated that Taoyuan's overall abnormality rate of 6.73% is actually lower than the national average. They provided data indicating that from the year before last to July of last year, 535 inspections were conducted, averaging 8.11 per business, which is higher than the national average of 6.35. Furthermore, 27 penalties were issued, also exceeding the national average. The bureau emphasized that it has intensified checks on businesses with high abnormality rates, conducting 50 inspections and issuing 14 penalties between June of last year and March of this year.

The bureau plans to continue organizing promotional events to guide businesses in improving their monitoring facility operations and maintenance. It also aims to enhance on-site inspections, particularly for businesses with high abnormality rates and those deemed high-risk. These measures are intended to improve data quality verification, abnormality tracking, and equipment function confirmation, ultimately ensuring the accuracy of monitoring data reported by businesses.