Mining Act amendment stalled, environmental groups name Liao Kuo-tung and Su Jia-chuan, urge passage this legislative session
Nearly three years in the making, environmental groups hope the Mining Act can pass its third reading this legislative session and formally end the tragedy of mining development! In May of last year (2018), the Mining Act completed its first party caucus consultation in the Economics Committee, and since then it has been stalled for nearly a year. Completing the amendment is just one last mile away.
The Citizens of the Earth Foundation, the Taiwan Wild at Heart Ecological Association, the Environmental Rights Protection Foundation, and residents of Guanxi Township in Hsinchu held a press conference today (the 4th), naming Legislator Liao Kuo-tung and Legislative Yuan President Su Jia-chuan as the key figures in advancing the Mining Act amendment, and demanding that the four party caucuses in the Legislative Yuan and the ruling Democratic Progressive Party government show wisdom and determination to jointly complete the consultation, and ensure that the third reading passes this legislative session to end the environmental destruction and human tragedies caused by years of mining concession development. In addition, they specifically pointed out that "retroactive environmental impact assessments" and "information disclosure" should be the two major priorities for the future implementation of the Mining Act.
