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¡@When Miaoli County was first established in central Taiwan on October 25th, 1950, most of the residents in the County are farmers. However, following the rapid economic development in Taiwan, the County now sees a lot of factories and industrial pollution. Hence, one of the most important challenges for the Environmental Protection Bureau (EPB) of Miaoli County is to try and find a balance between economic development and comfortable and healthy living environment.
¡@Established on May 1st, 1991, the EPB is in charge of all matters related to environmental protection, which include air pollution, noise, water pollution, garbage, toxic chemical substances control, waste control, environmental impact assessment, environmental education and environmental protection volunteers. In short, our mission is to safeguard the environment of Maoli County.
¡@In recent years, the major problems in environmental protection are as follows:
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Lack of civism and moral courage makes it hard for the public to implement the concept of environmental protection in their daily life.
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Some businessmen tried to get around environmental impact assessment by reducing the area of development and damaged the natural environment in the County.
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Licensed developers failed to comply with the laws and regulations which led to the waste of law enforcement and environmental pollution. |
¡@The County is a pure land in northwestern Taiwan as eighty percent of the land in the County is hills and mountain and the County embraces abundant natural resources. To find a balance between environmental and ecological protection and economic development, we need more than just the current manpower and funding of the EPB, we also need the participation of every resident in the County. We can only create a safe, comfortable and healthy living environment and reach sustainable development if everyone does their job as a environmental protection volunteer.
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