TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Environmental Minister announced new regulations for factories located near schools on Monday (March 17), along with enhanced monitoring for existing factories. The announcement came during a session of the Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee (立法院社會福利及衛生環境委員會) at the Legislative Yuan (Taiwan's parliament), where Minister Peng Chi-ming (彭啓明) presented a report and fielded questions.
Legislator Lin Yueh-chin (林月琴) emphasized the disproportionate impact of environmental and air pollution on children and adolescents. She pointed out the lack of indoor air quality regulations for schools below the high school level. Lin also questioned the absence of guidelines concerning the proximity of factories to schools, noting that the Ministry of Education (MOE, 教育部) has not established air pollution standards for school site selection.
Minister Peng stated that the Ministry of Environment (MOENV, 環境部) plans to work with the Ministry of Education (MOE, 教育部) and the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW, 衛福部) to establish clear regulations on air pollution patterns around schools. Legislator Lin urged the inclusion of schools below high school level in the Indoor "Air Quality Management Act's" (室內空氣品質管理法) monitoring scope within three months. She also advocated for developing specific air pollution monitoring standards for children and adolescents.
Legislator Lin noted that pollution near schools disproportionately affects disadvantaged families unable to transfer their children to different districts, contributing to educational inequality. She called on the Ministry of Education to assess and implement measures to address these issues.