Abstract
The project was carried out between January 1st and December 31, 2017. Its results are summarized as follows:
I. Providing assistance in collecting air pollution charges levied on construction projects and making collection calls
During the implementation period, applications were made for air pollution charges applicable to 2,695 construction sites, for a total amount of NT$42,980,174. Other projects accounted for the greatest amount among these applications; the number of other projects was 1,165. The amount of air pollution charges levied on other projects was also the highest, i.e. NT$10,466,748. Among the 1,790 tenders that had been determined, winners of 1,694 tenders had completed their applications for the first payments of air pollution charges; the application rate was 94.6%. Moreover, among 2,242 projects that had been completed during the implementation period, applications for the final payments of air pollution charges were made or confirmation that there was no need to pay air pollution charges was issued by proprietors who completed 2,007 projects; the application rate was approximately 89.52%.
An inspection of 84 construction sites was conducted at the commencement of construction (i.e. preliminary inspection). Events related to construction without a permit were not found. Proprietors were asked to accurately fill out such events when making applications for air pollution charges, in order to help track the actual construction progress. Inspections of 129 construction sites listed for extended inspection were also conducted. Construction of all these sites was completed; the completion rate was 100%.
II. Inspection and control of air pollution caused by construction projects
During the implementation period, inspections of 5,860 construction sites were conducted. Minxiong Township had the highest number of construction sites (426) among those listed for control in various administrative districts, followed by Zhuqi Township (311). The main type of construction project in these townships was residential construction. The rates of compliance with Classes 1 and 2 pollution control facilities specified in the Rules Governing the Management of Construction Sites were 90.41% and 89%, respectively. Among the pollution control facilities that failed to comply with the Rules, deficiencies in construction site perimeters accounted for the highest proportion (21.5%) of all items with deficiencies for the entire Chiayi County. Deficiencies in construction signs accounted for the second highest proportion (21.1%) of all items with deficiencies for the entire Chiayi County. Deficiencies in car wash equipment and facilities along driving routes accounted for the third and fourth highest proportions (18.5% and 16.3%, respectively) of all items with deficiencies for the entire Chiayi County. The amount of fugitive dust emitted from construction activities was 13,652.21 tons. After taking various prevention and control measures, the amount of fugitive dust emitted from construction activities is currently 3,808.97 tons, which is 8,899.53 tons less. The average reduction rate is 65.19%. The original amounts of TSP, PM10, and PM2.5 emitted from construction activities were 3,809 tons, 2,116 tons, and 147.34 tons, respectively. The regional development projects: industrial parks accounted for the highest amount of emissions among all projects. After emissions control, the amounts of TSP, PM10, and PM2.5 emitted from construction activities are 295.6 tons, 164.2 tons, and 32.8 tons, respectively.
During the implementation period, 51 petitions were received, most of which concerned road surface pollution (25 petitions) and wind-borne dust (26 petitions). There were 22 petitions against residential construction projects (including 1 petition against house demolition), 12 petitions against other projects, 2 petitions against piping projects, 9 petitions against road construction projects, 1 petition against a dredging project, 4 petitions against backfill operations (failing to make applications), and 1 petition against a bridge construction project. There were 5 petitions against the LaoYeYunPin residential construction project (C1~C20) in Minxiong Township, which accounted for the most among all petitions. The project is divided into 11 sub-projects for the construction of 79 buildings and 3 private roads; it is a large construction project within the jurisdiction of Chiayi County, and adjacent to communities with a dense population. Pollution was not found during the first on-site inspection. Mud was found on access roads during the second on-site inspection. Although staff members were seen cleaning the construction site during the third on-site inspection, mud was still found on the roads. The project was reported to have violated Article 27 of the Waste Disposal Act (An on-site inspection suggested that improvement had not been made). An inspection was carried out and improvement made on June 7, 2017. A conference on pollution prevention and control was held at the construction site on May 10, 2017. By establishing a communication channel, the conference allowed proprietors and contractors to lay down pollution prevention and control measures in accordance with suggestions for improvements. The 4th and 5th petitions against said project were received in June and July 2017, respectively. These two petitions concerned water with mud that flowed from the construction site onto adjacent roads due to consecutive days of heavy rain. To solve the problem, the height of the existing overflow protection base was increased to separate the construction site from perimeter roads during a subsequent inspection. Water with mud was thus prevented from flowing out of the construction site. No further petition was received as of the end of October. The petitions against piping projects concerned wind-borne dust generated from construction activities and mud at the entrance/exit. The Project for Emergency Improvement of Water Discharge in Neixizhou (the section in Neixi Village), Shuishang Township, concerned the construction of a ditch near access roads in the Village. Mud was found on the access roads during the first on-site inspection, and the project was reported to have violated the Air Pollution Control Act. Mud was still found on the access roads during the second on-site inspection, and the project was further reported to have violated Article 27 of the Waste Disposal Act. The project was near completion during subsequent inspections.
The first Advocacy Conference on Laws and Regulations Related to Noise and Pollution Control Technologies for Construction Projects and Collection of Air Pollution Charges was held in Classroom 202 of the Chiayi County Human Resources Development Center on April 25, 2017. The second one was held in Classroom 202 of the Chiayi County Human Resources Development Center on October 23, 2017.
III. Guidance provided at large construction sites and aerial photo shoots
During the implementation period, guidance was provided at large construction sites every month; a total of 60 proprietors received guidance. Before guidance was provided to these proprietors, the amount of reduced TSP emissions was 9,569.49 kg/month. Afterwards, it was 10,228.87 kg/month. As such, the amount of TSP emissions was further reduced by 659.38 kg/month, and the reduction rate increased from 50.87% to 55.93%. The statistics show that providing guidance at large construction sites has a certain effect on reducing emissions.
Guidance was also provided semi-annually to experts and scholars in the construction field; 11 of them received guidance on April 10th and September 14, 2017, respectively. This activity contributed to an increase in the reduction of TSP emissions and the reduction rate. The overall reduction rate of particulate matter emissions was increased by 2.2%, and the amount of pollutants was further reduced by 333.99 kg/month when compared with the amounts before guidance was provided to said experts and scholars.
Aerial photos of large construction sites within the jurisdiction of Chiayi County were taken every two months; 6 aerial photo shoots were done. Pollution prevention and control measures taken at various construction sites could be effectively managed in the month following an aerial photo shoot. If deficiencies were found, a proprietor would be asked to make improvements. A compilation of information on the 7 large construction sites found that the amounts of reduced TSP and PM10 emissions for the project on the second-phase commissioned development, sale (rental) and management of Chiayi Dapumei Precision Machinery Park (work areas 1, 2 and 3), the project on the first-phase commissioned development, sale and management of Chiayi Machouhou Industrial Park, and dredging projects were 132.9 tons, 73.9 tons, and 14.8 tons, respectively; the reduction rate reached 82.3%.
IV. A survey and inspection of the use of oils for construction equipment and monitoring of TSP concentrations in ambient air
During the implementation period, a survey on the use of oils for 131 pieces of construction equipment was done. The results show that construction companies mostly used oils from China; these oils accounted for 91.6% of all the oils used. Moreover, a random inspection of the sulfur content in oils for 14 pieces of construction equipment was conducted; values of the sulfur content in these oils were between 3.8 and 15 ppmw max. An inspection of aromatic hydrocarbon in oils for 3 pieces of construction equipment was performed; the total values of aromatic hydrocarbon in these oils were 22.6 wt%, 28.1wt%, and 25.5wt%, respectively, and the values of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were 2.9% (m/m), 5.9% (m/m), and 3.3% (m/m), respectively. This year, oils for 1 piece of construction equipment failed the inspection. A possible reason behind this failure was that the oils used were added illegally or old (50 ppmw for earlier use) as a result of not renting the construction vehicle out for a long period of time. Oils for the rest of the construction equipment all complied with the laws and regulations. Apparently, construction companies decided on using legal oils in recent years.
A proposal for implementing the inspection of TSP concentrations in ambient air was submitted on March 3, 2017, which complied with the provision that the proposal should be submitted within 3 months after the signing of the contract. After being approved by the Environmental Protection Bureau, inspections specified in the proposal should be conducted accordingly. On September 22, 2017, inspections of the construction of Guangxing Construction Co., Ltd.’s Chiayi Plant and Chang-Chi Tsai’s Chicken Coop were conducted. On October 19, an inspection of the construction of Hwalin Release Paper Co., Ltd.’s Plant was performed. The inspection results suggested that TSP concentrations at these construction sites were between 156μg/Nm3 and 183μg/Nm3, which complied with those specified in laws and regulations.
V. The storage, transfer, transport, process operation or handling of fugitive particulate pollutants and control of bare land and differences in road surface color
Focusing on conditions governed by the Management Regulations for Facilities to Control Fugitive Dust Air Pollution from Stationary Pollution Sources (hereinafter referred to as “the Regulations”), an advocacy conference on the Regulations was held on September 28, 2017. Prof. Yee-Lin Wu from National Cheng Kung University was invited to deliver a lecture at the conference, where he explained the content of the Regulations, supplemented by an introduction to the sources of the Regulations, an exposition of the terminology of the Regulations, and provisions concerning facilities to control fugitive dust air pollution as well as the scope of application. The objective was to help public and private premises participating in the conference obtain an understanding of the details of the Regulations; 67 people attended the conference.
Proprietors were suggested to lay rice straw over bare land in accordance with their construction progress as a prevention measure. Rice straw was laid on 23 construction sites with an area of 45.677 hectares, after guidance was provided to proprietors. According to the Specifications for Public Works Construction of the Construction and Planning Agency under the Ministry of the Interior, at least 350 grams of rice straw should be laid over 1 m2 of land. It was estimated that 159.87 tons of rice straw were used. Moreover, according to the statistics released by the Taichung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, a paddy field with an area of 1 hectare can produce 5 tons of rice. The ratio of rice to rice straw is approximately 1:1. It is estimated that the burning of rice straw in a paddy field with an area of 31.97 hectares was avoided.
One lot of bare land with a total area of 33,000 m2 was added to the control list in a survey on bare land conducted this year. In 2017, improvements in 3 lots of bare land on the control list were made. Improvement in 1 lot of bare land that had yet to be made was tracked, with an area of 43,500 m2 being improved. A calculation of pollutants reduced in one improved lot of bare land with an area of 0.177 hectares suggested that 1.47 tons of TSP emissions, 0.77 tons of PM10 emissions, and 0.323 tons of PM2.5 emissions were reduced.
During the implementation period, road inspections were conducted during a total of 3 seasons. Roads with a total length of 2211.2 km were inspected, and no road breakage was found. An inspection of 107 vehicles transporting fugitive particulate pollutants was conducted, and 52 of them were found to have violated regulations because their dust screens were not dragged downward for 15 cm. Letters were sent to corresponding vehicle owners to ask them to make improvements within a deadline. All of them made improvements within the specified deadline. With 85% of these vehicle owners registering their addresses outside Chiayi County, reducing the violation rate should be continuously promoted in various cities and counties.
VI. Controlling the sweeping and washing of streets with wind-borne dust
During the implementation period, streets with a length of 11,152.08 km were swept; the total amount of dust collected was 121,320 kg. Streets with a length of 7,774.07 km were washed; the total volume of water used was 8,352 tons. Adding these operations together, streets with a length of 18926.15 km were swept and washed. According to the Environmental Protection Administration’s reduction formula (reduction amount = length of streets washed and swept x reduction coefficient), 261.2 tons of TSP emissions, 49.2 tons of PM10 emissions, and 11.5 tons of PM2.5 emissions could be reduced.
VII. Promotion and administrative operations
The websites for Chiayi County’s construction site control and charging system, its construction site pollution and control of the sweeping and washing of streets with wind-borne dust, the platform for the reuse of rice straw in Yunlin, Chiayi and Tainan, and the geographic information system of Chiayi County’s construction sites were maintained and updated before the 5th of every month. The records on water added and used in the previous month, on-site inspection of street washing and sweeping, information check, and a comparison table of actual progress and scheduled progress for the next month were submitted in accordance with administrative operations to the Environmental Protection Bureau for future reference. During the implementation period, 10 records were submitted. Moreover, 12 records of the scheduled washing and sweeping operations for the next month and changes in the schedule for the current month were submitted to the Environmental Protection Bureau before the 25th of every month for future reference.
