The Department of Environmental Protection of the Taoyuan City Government (TYDEP) and the Chemicals Administration of the Ministry of Environment held the "2024-2025 National Toxic and Concerned Chemicals Substance Disaster Prevention and Response Symposium" at the COZZI Blu Taoyuan in Taoyuan’s Qingpu district. The event aimed to unify central and local authorities, private-sector reporting, response, and joint defense systems, and enhance emergency resource coordination. Through this exercise drill program and the integration of advanced technological equipment, Taoyuan aims to validate and strengthen disaster prevention management, mitigating the risk of toxic chemical incidents at operational sites and advancing toward a safer, resilient city.
TYDEP Director-General Chen Shih-wei noted that Taoyuan has the largest concentration of industrial zones in Taiwan, with 36 industrial parks hosting over one-third of Taiwan’s top 500 manufacturers and maintaining the nation's highest industrial output for nine consecutive years. Taoyuan also has over 700 businesses handling toxic and concerned chemical substances, the highest count nationwide. In light of major industrial fires in recent years—such as those at Chin-Poon Industrial Co. in 2018, Sci Pharmtech Inc. in 2020, and the Mayfull and Carrefour warehouses in 2022—these incidents not only resulted in substantial economic losses and public dissatisfaction but also impacted government administrative credibility. Determined to prevent such incidents, Taoyuan led the nation by establishing a "Chemical Substance Management Section" under the TYDEP in 2024, dedicated to toxic chemical oversight. This specialized department is now linked to Executive Yuan’s structural reforms, creating a liaison channel for systematic source management to mitigate disaster risks and safeguard public safety and property.
According to TYDEP, the Chemicals Administration’s Director-General Hsieh Yein-rui entrusted TYDEP to conduct the "2024-2025 National Toxic and Concerned Chemical Substance Disaster Prevention Exercise Drill," recognizing the Taoyuan team’s outstanding performance. The symposium gathered experts from across academia and government, including Professor Yung-jen Chen from Taipei City University, Professor Vincent Fu from Chung Yuan Christian University, Professor Chi-ming Shu from National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Environmental Incident Response Center leader Kuang-yu Liao, Professor Jeh-nan Pan from Taiwan Police College, and Senior Specialist Hung-yi Wu from the National Fire Agency’s Zhushan Training Center. These experts shared diverse perspectives on disaster prevention strategies, and a consolidated report on the exercise planning will inform future tabletop and live exercises. This planning includes scenarios to overcome real-site response challenges, integrating operational stakeholders and joint defense members to ensure Taoyuan’s toxic chemical disaster response capabilities are rigorously tested and strengthened, effectively reducing the risk of toxic chemical incidents.