Nantou County Plans Waste Incinerator; Self-Help Group Calls Meetings 'Torture'

The Nantou County Government held a scoping meeting for the second-stage environmental impact assessment (EIA) of a waste treatment center today. The local self-help group criticized the 24 meetings held as 'torture' for the residents and demanded a substantive discussion on 41 alternative proposals. The County Environmental Protection Bureau stated that they are trying to clarify public concerns. Nantou, which lacks an incinerator, relies on other counties and has about 310,000 tons of waste piled up. The county government hopes to build the 'Nantou Waste Treatment and Renewable Energy Center' in Xinmin Village, Mingjian Township, and acquired 7.5 hectares of state-owned land last March. The self-help group strongly protested, calling the 24 meetings in four months a 'fatigue attack.' Mingjian Township Mayor Chen Han-li stated that the long-term, high-frequency meetings have exhausted residents physically and mentally, and urged the county to discuss alternatives. Democratic Progressive Party Nantou County Magistrate candidate Wen Shi-zheng pointed out that the incinerator project carries 'three high risks': high pollution, high public grievance, and high cost, suggesting the introduction of circular economy technologies like improved recycling and cross-county cooperation. Chen Jiao-hua of the Government Supervision Alliance opposed the site, citing its location in the water-rich 'Mingzhu Groundwater Reservoir' area. Environmental Protection Bureau Director Li Yi-shu argued that the length of the meetings is not determined by the developer, noting that protests and irrelevant comments from the public have consumed time, and called for rational discussion. Once the scoping is completed, a one-year detailed investigation will follow to prepare the EIA report.