Environmental Ecology

TaipeChapter 9 i Environmental Ecology Taipei City is located in the center of Taipei basin surrounded by: Ta Tun, ChihSing, Five Finger, Nangang and Er Ke Mountains while The Tam Shui River, Hsin Dien Creek and The Jing Mei Creek constitute the parameters of earTaipei County. This geographical diversity gives our city y a rich and heterogeneous face. Specifically, we are blessed with such fecund natural areas as: Yangmingshan National Park, formed between Ta Tun and ChihSing Mountains, Hong Shu Lin wetland, the world’s highest mangrove forest, Huan Chian Natural Park for wild geese and wild ducks and bookCitizen Forest of the Four Beasts Mountain. 臺北市年鑑 Taipei Yearbook 2 0 0 5 Environmental Ecology Environmental 環保生態 quality was unhealthful (PSI, pollutant standards index, greater than 100), or 21 days fewer than the aipei is the nation’s political, economic, educational, recreational and cultural center. As 68 days recorded in 2004. Tenvironmental issues are of great concern to all the people of Taipei, in 2005 the City Government (2) Enforcement and Prevention of Mobile launched several projects such as “Clean Air for Taipei, Good Breathing for Residents”, “Environmental Pollutant Sources Education Year” and “River Protection for Everyone” to promote the understanding of environmental The main source of Taipei’s air pollution is issues and social ethics among residents, which has proved helpful in enhancing Taipei’s overall mobile pollutant sources. In 2005, guidance was environmental quality. provided to motorcycle shops to establish 140 emissions testing stations to offer convenient emissions testing services. The testing focuses Ⅰ Pollution Control Conducting inspections of mobile pollutant sources in 4 cities and on high-emitting vehicles. The public is also counties April through August 2005. In striving to improve air and water quality, encouraged to report to authorities vehicles control waste and nurture hillside ecology, Taipei with high levels of emissions based on visual has introduced many pioneering environmental determination. Roadside inspections focus on measures, and is developing itself into a clean, emissions of motorcycles and diesel vehicles and beautiful world-class city. oil quality. Taipei is the first city to use 100% bio- diesel for its garbage trucks to lower pollutant 1. Air Quality emissions, and improve the air quality. Air pollution in Taipei has come about mainly (3) Control of Stationary Pollutant Sources from vehicle exhaust, construction sites and Stationary pollutant sources include construction sites, factories and a range of factory emissions. The Environmental Protection An environmental inspector makes the rounds at a construction Administration of the Executive Yuan has put public and private places. An effective control site. ordinances into effect that encourage the usage of mechanism is repeated follow-up inspections oil with fewer pollutants; roadside inspections of of these sources. The City Government advises emissions from diesel vehicles and motorcycles Taipei’s flourishing restaurant industry how to have been actively undertaken; and an air control emissions of greasy fumes. Gas stations pollution prevention tax on construction sites are subject to inspections of oil recycling has been imposed. Inspection and guidance are operations. key words in the effort to nurture a healthy urban In order to assist in the reduction of greenhouse P132 Habitat recovery: water birds gather at the Guandu Nature gases, the Greenhouse Gas Emission Database of Preserve. ecology. Taipei was established in 2005. The “I Love Cool (1) Air Quality Inspection and Testing Air quality surveillance of Taipei in the period Earth” conservation project elicited the pledges of 17 department stores to self-manage resource An environmental inspector investigates sources of noise 1994~2005 showed that the levels of sulfur pollution. dioxide, carbon dioxide and other pollutants conservation. Future projects will be conducted to were all within the norms for good air quality reduce the amount of greenhouse gases. standard, the two exceptions being particulate matters and ozone. The Environmental Protection 2. Environmental Noise Administration’s surveillance stations indicated Taipei’s efforts to impose noise control measures in 2005 included reports of noise inspections, that in 2005 there were 47 days when Taipei’s air residents’ complaints of traffic noise, the monitoring and surveillance of environmental and transportation 152 153 臺北市年鑑 Taipei Yearbook 2 0 0 5 Environmental Ecology Environmental 環保生態 noise, subsidies provided to the Civil Aeronautics Administration of the Ministry of Transportation and radioactivity should be handled by the Atomic Energy Council. Since the radioactive buildings involve Communications for aircraft noise prevention, the promotion of relevant anti-noise pollution laws and public health concernsas well as other problems such as demolition, relocation, and compensation, the regulations, and unscheduled inspections of industries that produce high levels of noise. An environmental Taipei City Government promulgated the “Taipei Municipal Self-Government Ordinance on the Handling protection hotline (02-27206301~2) was set up and operates on a year-round 24 hour schedule to field of Radioactive Buildings” on Aug. 1st, 2005. complaints from residents and provide for the immediate dispatch of personnel to inspect reported cases. The Taipei City Government has also actively cooperated with the Atomic Energy Council to come Noise pollution stems mainly from stationary sources such as factories and plants, recreation areas, up with countermeasures, and to administer surveys to help resolve the problems associated with the businesses, constructions sites, loudspeaker systems, and other locations specified in the Noise Control radioactive buildings in Taipei. The “Taipei Municipal Radioactive Building Surveillance and Handling Code of the Department of Environmental Protection of the Taipei City Government. In addition to Committee” was established on May 4th, 1996 to provide subsidies and health examinations for the examining the above sites, noise control inspectors respond to residents’ complaints concerning the residents of the contaminated buildings. excessive noise produced by aircraft, traffic, the mass transit system, the railway system, and school amplifiers. 4. Water Quality Protection To assist the Taipei International Airport in the processing of a preliminary application for a subsidy To popularize the concept of the protection of water resources, the Taipei City Government conducted to create aircraft noise prevention facilities, notifications were sent on Mar. 23rd, Aug. 8th and Aug. various classroom activities highlighting the natural environment. The activities included “A Sightseeing 18th, 2005 to 399 residents who live in the control area of aircraft noise (subsidized items include Tour of Water Resources in Greater Taipei”, “Guided Tours for Students”, “Understanding Fireflies”, sound insulation doors, sound insulation windows, a ventilation noise elimination box and other noise “Volunteer Training” and “With Love There’s No Handicap”, which was addressed to the handicapped and control equipment). 358 applications passed preliminary screening and will be forwarded to the Taipei disadvantaged. The programs were aimed at increasing the public’s understanding of and concern for water International Airport for review. ecology protection water resources. (1) Utilizing Water Resources 3. The Problem of Radioactive The Feitsui Reservoir is the main source of drinking water for close to 4.5 million people in the Greater Buildings Taipei Metropolitan Area. In 2005, the total amount of rainfall in the reservoir’s watershed was 4,765mm; Over a decade has passed since the discovery the total intake of water was 1,303,440,000 cubic meters, and the total discharge was 1,321,210,000 cubic of buildings contaminated by radioactivity in July meters. The actual tap water supply was 168,510,000 cubic meters, including 70,980,000 cubic meters 1992. By the end of December 2005 the total had provided to the County Water Company. reached 850 buildings. According to statistics To maintain the quality of the reservoir’s water supply, regular testing of samples is conducted monthly from the Atomic Energy Council, 447 buildings at the 19 surveillance stations within the reservoir’s watershed and the Nanshi River. Assessment results for in Taipei were still radioactive as of Dec. 31st, 2005 showed that water quality was normal throughout the year except for February when the water was at 2005, with the other 403 no longer radioactive. an oligotrophic level. Most of the radioactive buildings were built On Dec. 12th, 2005, the Fifth Meeting of the Taipei Municipal The “Feitsui Reservoir Ecotechnology Water Quality Improvement Radioactive Building Surveillance and Handling Committee was between 1982~1984, and problems concerning held. Plan” was actively promoted to improve the reservoir’s water quality, along with other water quality protection measures such as soil and water conservation engineering, road and tunnel maintenance, reservoir Noise Control cleanup, and afforestation, among others. Also, the cooperation of the Taipei Water Management Office of WRA, MOEA in implementing Noise may be defined as detestable sounds that make people unhappy. In general, any sound that has the “Taipei Water Sewage System Sewage Handling Work” reduced a negative physical and psychological effect on people

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