Tongluo Township Residents Oppose "Big Silicon Valley" Soil and Rock Yard; Miaoli County Government States It Will Handle and Review According to Law

(Central News Agency, reporter Guan Ruiping, Miaoli County, July 8) A private developer's application to establish a "Big Silicon Valley" soil and rock resource stacking yard in Tongluo Township, Miaoli County, has sparked local public backlash, with residents protesting at the County Government today. The County Government stated that the case is currently under review by the Environmental Impact Assessment Committee, and there are complex review procedures to follow, which will be handled with caution.

The "Big Silicon Valley Soil and Rock Resource Stacking and Processing Yard" project in Miaoli County is located next to Daxingshan Temple on Jiuhua Mountain in Tongluo Township. The developer plans to lease land owned by Taiwan Sugar Corporation to develop a soil and rock yard for the disposal of construction waste soil and rock. The case has caused panic among Tongluo residents, who fear environmental damage and pollution, and have formed a self-help association to defend their homes.

The self-help association called for nearly 180 township residents today. In the morning, they protested at the headquarters of Taiwan Sugar Corporation in Hukou, Hsinchu County, demanding that Taiwan Sugar Corporation not lease land to the developer. In the afternoon, they went to the Miaoli County Government to petition. Considering the high temperatures in the afternoon, the County Government, guided by the police, led the self-help association to a shaded area at the Youth Entrepreneurship Base Square nearby to express their demands. The crowd held white banners and shouted slogans such as "Fair and Transparent Environmental Impact Assessment, Return Our Pure Land, Protect Our Homeland."

Among them, 92-year-old Zhang Jumei was also in the protest行列. She said she has lived in Zhangshu Village, Tongluo Township for nearly 70 years. To protect the environment, good mountains, and clear waters of her hometown, she had to stand up despite the hot weather, hoping to leave a clean and pollution-free living environment for future generations.

Self-help association president Wu Zhenji stated that there is no tap water near the site, and residents rely on groundwater or natural springs for their daily lives and crop cultivation. The establishment of the soil and rock yard may affect water conservation and cause pollution of water sources and the environment. Furthermore, the developer's registered capital is only NT$2 million. If the retaining walls are washed away by heavy rain during the flood season or typhoon season, causing landslides, "what will the developer use to guarantee everyone's life and property safety?"

Tongluo Township Representative Xu Yufeng pointed out that Tongluo has a science park and the memory chip giant Micron has moved in, yet now there is construction waste. The local Fanziliao Pit area is rich in ecology, and environmental monitoring has found frequent activity of various protected animals such as the leopard cat, crab-eating mongoose, and civet. The County Government should ask the developer to establish the soil and rock yard in low-lying areas prone to seawater intrusion, where they can fill land and build embankments, rather than cutting down trees, digging mountains, and dumping waste soil in the beautiful Tongluo Township.

Huang Wenzhang, deputy director of the Miaoli County Government's Water Resources Bureau, came out to accept the self-help association's petition. He stated that this is a development project applied for by a private developer, with a development area of 28 hectares, of which 16 hectares are actual development area after deducting the surrounding buffer zones. The future sources of soil will be soil and rock generated from construction projects, excluding waste impurities. The case is currently under review by the Environmental Impact Assessment Committee, followed by reviews of the development plan and water and soil conservation plan. The procedures are complex, and the County Government will fulfill its responsibility of strict oversight with a prudent and responsible attitude.

Huang Wenzhang said that as an administrative agency, the County Government must accept and review the developer's application according to law. The concerns raised by residents regarding groundwater pollution, ecological damage, and impact on protected animals are all within the scope of the environmental impact assessment review. Subsequent procedures will be professionally evaluated and reviewed by committee members. (Editor: Lin Shuhui) 1150708

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