A sub-group of the Yunlin County Council wants Formosa Plastics Group’s (FPG) Sixth Naphtha Cracking Plant in Mailiao, Yunlin to suspend operations immediately. The reason cited for this demand is to prevent locals from being further inflicted with cancer-causing air pollution from the plant in operation since 1999.
The sub-group formed by Yunlin councilors from the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) cited results of an investigation conducted by professor Chan Chang-chuan with National Taiwan University which indicated that cancer rates in the areas near the plant had grown substantially since the plant began to emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in 1999. Cancer incidents are reported to have grown noticeably among residents in Mailiao township and four other adjacent townships of Taisi, Dongshih, Lunbei and Sihhu, and is 1.7 times higher than the average of residents in other cities and counties around Taiwan. Infliction rates of liver cancer are reported to have grown 30% in Taisi township over the past nine years.
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