The Taoyuan City Department of Environmental Protection (TYDEP) today (7th March) announced a pioneering initiative: 82 factories across four categories of volatile organic compound (VOCs) manufacturers—adhesive tape manufacturing, polyurethane synthetic leather manufacturing, gravure printing, and copper foil laminated board manufacturing—will be included in the "Third Batch of Fixed Pollution Sources Requiring Installation of Monitoring and Connection Facilities." From March 7, 2024, these factories were mandated with a one-year deadline to connect their air pollution prevention equipment with the TYDEP. This initiative aims to monitor the operations of 55% of the city's small and medium-sized factories to preempt abnormal emissions. Non-compliance with installation regulations will result in fines ranging from NT$50,000 to NT$100,000 as part of Taoyuan City's air pollution control plan spanning from 2024 to 2027.
According to the TYDEP, to reduce fine particulate matter in the region, the city government has announced the second batch of fixed pollution emitters mandated to install monitoring and connection facilities since 2016. These emission sources encompass small and medium-sized coal-fired boilers, wood chip boilers, small waste incineration processes, quarries, and asphalt industries, totaling 151 processes across 119 companies. Through stringent enforcement, Taoyuan City has successfully maintained PM2.5 levels below national regulatory standards for three consecutive years. Moving forward, the focus will shift towards controlling VOCs to mitigate ozone concentrations in the atmosphere (eight-hour average).
The TYDEP has taken proactive steps in recent years, developing monitoring platforms and leveraging technological advancements to combat air pollution and enhance air quality in Taoyuan. Through the integration of external monitoring parameters, the TYDEP can effectively oversee the operation of pollution prevention equipment in 55% of volatile organic compound factories citywide, facilitating prompt detection of abnormalities. Furthermore, in 2025, the TYDEP plans to announce the fourth batch of regulated entities, including automobile manufacturing, optoelectronic materials and component manufacturing, semiconductor manufacturing, etc. These entities will be mandated to install monitoring and connection facilities, aiming to effectively control and reduce ozone concentrations in the atmosphere.