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ECFA is carcinogenic
The government recently approved 207 applications (including 192 applications
pertaining to industrial products and 15 applications pertaining to agricultural
products) for Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) production site
certificates. The industrial products are predominantly petrochemicals, followed
by machining and textiles. According to the ECFA, China will allow the import of
557 Taiwanese items, in which petrochemicals are the major items. This means
Taiwan will export mainly petrochemical products to China.
The national cancer map for 2008 shows that after the sixth naphtha cracker
started operation in 2001, Yunlin County and adjacent Chiayi County have cancer
death rates that are 1.23 to 1.53 times higher than the national average (ˇ§Say
no to proposed Kuokuang project,ˇ¨ Dec. 22, 2010, page 8). The incidence of
cardiovascular disease and strokes also clearly increased and carcinogens
emitted by the petrochemical industry were found in urine samples of residents
near the naphtha cracker.
The proposed Kuokuang petrochemical complex involves building the nationˇ¦s
eighth naphtha cracker in Changhua Countyˇ¦s Dacheng Township (¤j«°). Unless the
proposed project is canceled, residents of Changhua will suffer the same fate as
their counterparts in Yunlin and Chiayi.
In addition, ecology in the wetland and flora and fauna in the vicinity will be
damaged.
Taiwan should not export petrochemicals to China at the cost of the health and
lives of Taiwanese. It is ironic for President Ma Ying-jeou (°¨^¤E) to order
national security-level steps to increase the nationˇ¦s birthrate and, at the
same time, to promote the construction of the Kuokuang complex that will emit
carcinogens to kill Taiwanese. Apparently, the Kuokuang project is to meet
Chinese market demand.
Is the ECFA a tool for prosperity in China and death in Taiwan?
Scaling down the project by one-third is not a solution. Complete cancellation
is the only solution.
CHARLES HONG
Columbus, Ohio
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