This project was carried out from June 1, 2012 to May 31, 2013, with the main tasks of monitoring, oversight, and evaluation of the execution quality of the air pollution fund allocation projects. The objectives are to ensure that the expected goals can be met, and the concrete achievements and special outcomes can be integrated to meet the evaluation of the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA). Other tasks include updating the environmental loading and pollutant discharge data of this county, analyzing the air quality monitoring results, and discussing the causes of the poor air quality incidents. The data are provided to the Bureau of Environmental Protection as a reference for modifying the short-term air pollution control strategies.
Regarding the pollutant standards index (PSI) analyze. Since 2005, ozone indicator (O3) accounts for the majority among the ratio of poor air quality in northern Taiwan (PSI>100), while in 2012, the ratio decreased to 0.14%. In 2011, the days of good air quality (PSI<50) reached 50% for the first time, and increased to 55% in 2012, which was the best record of air quality since 2005. The pollutant monitoring values remained Class 2 control regions of the air quality standards.
Concerning the supervision and management of air quality prevention plans, this project checked the execution progress and quality of the plans on a monthly basis, compiled the results for the Bureau of Environmental Protection as a reference to propose improvement plans. In order to establish the overall direction of this project, one session of training seminar on air pollution control and management, six sessions on field supervision, two sessions on internal work coordination, and three sessions on work review and expert consultation, thus improving the work performances and execution quality. In 2012, all items in the performance evaluation scored an average of 92.29, which is the highest in the recent years.
In terms of media promotion, mass media are used to allow the local residents learning more about the efforts made by the Bureau of Environmental Protection in creating a clean, healthy, and comfortable environment. During the project course, eleven times of print media, seven times of radio, twice of TV commercial, and one session of achievement presentation were held. Magistrate Wu Chih-yang of Taoyuan County, Chief Chu Chun-lai of Luchu Township, and other distinguished guests attended the presentation to praise the units that have made considerable contributions to environmental works, and to outline the annual work achievements, thus enhancing the public satisfaction on the works of the Bureau of Environmental Protection.
In summary of the air quality improvement achievements in 2012, the ratio of PSI>100 was 0.14%, the ratio of PSI<50 was 55%, and the hourly average of O3 was 102ppb, which all reached the air quality improvement target of 2012. Regarding the pollutant reduction amount, SOx was reduced by 6,130 tons, NOx was reduced by 2,303 tons, NMHC was reduced by 1,338 tons, PM10 was reduced by 633 tons, which all reached the target of the year. Only the vehicle control rate was 90% accomplished. In this year, the accomplishments of using infrared thermal imager to detect illegal discharge sources, cross-departmental promotion of electric buses, and establishing clean air quality zone, have been recognized by the EPA. The annual performance evaluation has remained “excellent” for consecutive four years.
