Panel rejects CPC's renewal plan for third naphtha cracker in Linyuan

10-Oct-08

The environmental impact assessment (EIA) panel of the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) has ruled that if CPC Corp wished to move ahead with its NT$46 bln (US$1.4 bln) construction plan of its third naphtha cracker, it would need to go through the EIA process with a new case committee. The panel has rejected CPC Corp's renewal plan for its third naphtha cracker in Kaohsiung County's Linyuan Township- sending back the CPC proposal to a case committee review. When construction proposals are filed with the EPA, they are first reviewed by a EIA case committee, which consists of 7 of the 21 EIA panel members, before they are presented in front of the entire EIA panel. Several local residents who have been consistently opposing the naphtha cracker have hailed the ruling, saying that the EIA panel had made an informed decision. The residents object to CPC's plan because they opine that though CPC calls it a 'renewal plan,' the proposal is actually to increase production from 230,000 tons of polystyrene to up to 800,000. Such a drastic increase in production could lead to a rise in pollution and environmental issues, affecting the residents' health. Already, this area is plagued with problems of air pollution, foul air quality, water pollution that has compelled residents to buy drinking water a cancer rate that is four times the national average.