In a booming metropolis of over 2.35 million residents, dedicated environmental inspectors work through the night and rain, navigating alleyways and industrial facilities to protect the living environment. Leading this frontline effort is Hsieh Hung-Sung, Chief of the Environmental Inspection Division at the Department of Environmental Protection of the Taoyuan City Government (TYDEP), who was recently honored as a Model Civil Servant for his empathetic leadership, public-first mindset, and ongoing enforcement reforms.
Environmental inspectors face demanding conditions—working late nights, weekends, scaling heights, or wading through waters to trace pollution sources while enduring foul odors and hostile confrontations,” said TYDEP Director-General Yen Chi-Liang. Having joined late-night complaint responses himself, Yen emphasized the intense pressure borne by frontline teams. Understanding these challenges firsthand, Chief Hsieh has shielded his team from undue pressure while authoring an environmental inspection manual. By translating years of fieldwork into clear operational standards, Hsieh enabled new inspectors to get up to speed quickly while implementing institutional measures to protect personnel in the field.
Effective environmental governance extends beyond issuing penalties to proactive communication and guidance. In recent years, Hsieh prioritized mitigating cooking fumes and odors. Supported by Director-General Yen, the inspection team launched the “Clean Cooking Fumes” initiative across complaint hotspots and commercial districts. Shifting from rigid enforcement to active guidance, inspectors helped restaurant operators examine and maintain pollution control equipment. These efforts led to a 5.2% decline in dining-related odor complaints in 2025. Despite Taoyuan’s continued population growth, total environmental public nuisance complaints in 2025 dropped against the trend by 4.5%, the result of tireless efforts by countless dedicated inspectors. “This honor belongs not to me, but to every frontline colleague who stands guard day and night,” Hsieh said modestly. “Seeing our late-night efforts translate into an improved quality of life for our citizens is our team’s greatest reward.” Looking ahead, TYDEP will continue addressing pollution at the source, combining professional rigor with community-oriented service to build a cleaner Taoyuan.