This project comprises three aspects of tasks, which are integrated management of air quality maintenance, management of stationary polluting source permits ＆ air pollution fees audit, and control of stationary polluting sources. The air quality standards are all meet in Taichung City 2020 except for PM2.5. Taichung City will be expected to be classified as a Class 3 control region of O3(8-HR) in 2021. Our project assisted the Environmental Protection Bureau (EPB) in analyzing according to the Taiwan Emission Data System 10.1 (TEDS 10.1) and discovered those sources contributing more to the emissions by PM2.5 and the precursor of O3, based on which to formulate measures for improving the air quality. Assistance was also given to the EPB in inter-agency and inter-city implementation through inter-agency air quality improvement panel, the Central Region of Air Pollution Control District Office, among other organizations. Our project assisted the EPB in performing the follow-ups on the performance of local authorities regarding air quality maintenance and improvement. In addition, our project has assisted in compiling a draft of an air pollution control plan in Taichung City based on the air pollution control program promulgated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on June 1, 2020. Regarding the air quality in 2020, the average concentration of PM2.5 was 15.4μg/m³, which was a decrease of 2.3μg in the same period of 2019. On the other hand, the days of poor air quality were 27 days in 2020, which was a decrease of 17 days in 2019. Both air quality indicators being the best records in history.
To accelerate the improvement of air quality, the Taichung City Government (TCG) enforced the regulation of coal reduction by 40 percent at the Taichung Power Plant under the Autonomous Act for Coal Regulation promulgated in 2016. However, as the Taichung Power Plant was found three times by the TCG to have been overusing raw coal to a severe condition, the TCG revoked the permits for Units 2 and 3 at the plant by law on Jan. 1, 2020. During the relief period, Taichung Power Plant illegally powered on and operated the Units 2 generator on June 24, 2020. The TCG has fined the Taichung Power Plant NT$20 million and an official letter has been sent to District Prosecutors Office for investigation. In addition to Taichung Power Plant, there are a total number of 17 industrial coal-fired boilers at 7 plants still in operation. To mitigate the air pollution problem created by these industrial boilers, an operation of revising the standards for boilers by raising the bar is under way, along with 8 discussion meetings held, after communication, 1 company has completed the improvement ahead of schedule. Also, during the project term, 682 applications were filed and reviewed, of which 9 firms involved repeated complaints. A plan is being made to take more strict control of the highly complained processes and the strong odor producing ones by working with permit review. Among them, 5 firms have completed the improvement and its processes will remain under follow-up checks. The other cases remain under counseling and review. There are 547 additional firms under air pollution fee control and 44 firms lifted from control as they were suspended, resulting in a total of 2,636 firms under control. During the project term, the review of air pollution fees for 2019 Q4 to 2020 Q3 was completed, with reminded payment at NT$23,855,986 determined.
The prioritized subjects of stationary polluting source checking were the focus on the important control areas, such as the industrial parks, the Taichung Port, the factories under special industry control, and the top 50 factories of air pollutant emissions. Get together with an inter-agency special audit on large-scale stationary polluting sources, the hot spots of sensors, complaint cases in Taichung industrial parks, and in-depth checking on the printing industry, aided by evidence gathering with scientific instruments. As of Jan 30, 2021, 715 checks were made, finding 81 cases of violation of the air pollution act. In the controlled area of Taichung Port, on a 4 or more checks per month basis, the checking has done 55 times, finding 9 cases with flaws (with less than 10 points of emission mark). In addition, audits and tests were made on those receiving repeated complaints, focused processes, and EPB-designated firms; all 147 checks were made, finding 4 firm failing to meet the emission standards. In checking gas stations, this task was carried out coupled with the gas leak tests and oil and gas recovery rate monitoring in and regular tests and audits. During the execution of the project, legal compliance checks were done at 51 stations, with infrared (IR) gas imager used to scan for fugitive emissions, which found no non-compliance.
